Minolta AF 28-80 xi F4-5.6  reviews

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Snegren   review date: November-15-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

SAL 16-50 F2.8
SAL 28 F2.8
M 35 F2
M 50 F1.7

price paid:

? NEW

positive:

Made me save money to buy primes.

negative:

Lens hood is fairly useless at the wide end (flaring issues). Using the motor zoom/focus ring (what makes it an xi lens) is cumbersome. Motorzoom sounds like a coffee grinder.

comment:

It came with my 5xi camera, must have been 1992. Used it a lot on holiday on Iceland and boy did I ruin some golden photo oportunities with this one. Not sharp at any lens opening, no contrast wide open, hence useless in poor weather. Tried it on digital, but only to see if it still works. All of the above mentioned lenses are way way better. Do yourself a favour and get the SAL 16-50 F2.8 which gives similar angles on APS-C than the 28-80 does on FF.

sharpness: 3 

color: 3 

build: 4 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 3 

user: pacman1213   review date: April-13-11  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

24-85 3.5-4.5
28-85 3.5-4.5

price paid:

100Can

positive:

Range
Works on A100-A700 and others

negative:

Heavy
Slow
CA/flare/distortions
Price
Manual Focus

comment:

Bought this lens before i bought the 24-85 and i didn't like it. Not only that, i didn't use it. I think it was on my maxxum 9 for about 20 mns and that's it. I only shot a few frames with it.
On Digital, the picture is not bad but the colors are weird. It is not sharp even at F8.
Im thinking about giving this lens a chance with film but its not for digital.
Dont get me wrong, its quite fun to use; My dad had a Maxxum 3xi with the 35-70xi lens on it and it brings me back. Otherwise, you would have better luck with an original 28-85 which can be had for about 30$.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: derekw   review date: March-24-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-85 f3.5-4.5

price paid:

L13 GBP

positive:

SHARP
Colour
Iexpensive

negative:

None for the price

comment:

Competent budget lens.

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 3 

flare control: 3 

user: jakubh70   review date: March-16-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

28-105 xi, 28-80 II, 28-80 D

positive:

Better built than later 28-80 lenses, accaptable picture quality

negative:

lots of CA at wide angle, slow, poor range

comment:

It's better choice than first Minolta 4-5,6/28-80 lens, but latter 28-80 (D) has yet better optical quality. Poor overall wide angle performance even at APS-C, center sharpness good but corners get soft and distorted. If you like xi lenses, 28-105 would be better choice.

sharpness: 3 

color: 4 

build: 2 

distortion: 1 

flare control: 3 

user: Shootist   review date: January-15-10  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

I think I've owned ALL (then perhaps sold some) of the Minolta Consumer lenses by now!

price paid:

$45 USD

positive:

Cheap

negative:

Distortion at edges cannot be tolerated vs. the rest of the lenses we have out there to buy these days!

comment:

Just noticed the review below me says “This lens is always with me wherever I go.” Which I think is very sweet, but why?! Oh, I just noticed that he’s comparing it to Kit lenses…I get it now.

This lens was one of the first lenses that I bought out of perhaps 40 Minolta lenses that I went through as I built my collection last spring and summer (2009)

And what a fun build is WAS! As many of you now know; Minolta consumer lenses are WAY undervalued and if you’re like me – you never really lose any money buying them. I sold 90% of the ones I bought for more money….

Let me say this; yes, for an “XI” lens it’s great. Compared to Kit lenses it’s good. But compared to even the new 35-70 plastic or especially the 1985 line of metal lenses this thing doesn’t come close in IQ. It paints a TON of distortion at the edges of your digital frame - I can't imagine how bad it was with film!? Ewww!

And also, the mechanical zoom isn’t novel, it isn’t fun, it’s a lousy gimmick that Minolta should be ashamed they ever came up with.

-Shootist

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: rovingmechanic   review date: November-30-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70 kit lens
18-55 kit lens
Minolta 28-100

price paid:

40 GBP ebay.

positive:

Light
Power zoom
Super sharp!
Better than standard kit lens by miles.

negative:

None I can think of..

comment:

I bought this a year ago just to 'play' with for a few weeks, with the full intent of selling it on shortly after...... Well I like it so much I've kept it!!

This lens is always with me wherever I go.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: tcat1346   review date: November-13-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 50mm f 1.8
Minolta 85mm f1.7
Sony 18-70mm f3.5

price paid:

115 USD (new)

positive:

Color Rendition
Sharpness
Light Weight
Flash Flare Control

negative:

None

comment:

Originally purchased with my 9xi. Since switching to digital it has become my main portrait lens, often with a Portrayer attached. It provides equal results to most of my prime lenses. Especially good for this use on my A700. Works well on A900 also.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: cleoo   review date: October-30-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 28-85mm
Sigma 28-135mm Aspherical IF

price paid:

49 USD (used)

positive:

negative:

Focusing quickly with the manual focus is cumbersome. The AF is not that much better, but definitely more accurate.

comment:

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: nickepic   review date: October-21-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 75-300 F4.5-5.6 New
Minolta AF 35-70 F4
Sony DT 18-70 F3.5-5.6

price paid:

300 sek~40 USD(used)

positive:

Sharp
Fantasic motor zoom
Build better then sony kit
Like the xi stying

negative:

Images tend to get a little "hazy" at wide apertures
Motorized MF
Power zoom drain battery power
800mm MFD

comment:

Got this lens with a Minolta Dynax 3xi very cheap. It's alot better than the sony kit lens in both terms of sharpness and build. Only downside is the range on APC-C cameras.

And to make things clear, this lens do not have a macro switch and therefore a 0.11 max. magnification which is very bad.

You can look at my product photos of the lens at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickepic/tags/minoltaaf2880xif456/

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: aplmike   review date: June-13-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

50 mm f/1.7, 35-105 "beer can" style.
70-210 beer can.

price paid:

50 USD (eBay)

positive:

Not heavy/large. Sharp for later kit lens. Absurdly inexpensive, so good value for money.

negative:

Noticeable CA at wide apertures.

comment:

Nice enough and a useful range, not special (except for being best-by-a-mile of the Xi lenses). I'm not crazy about the power zoom. IQ does not match the 35-105 zoom or the 50 mm prime. If some else in the house likes the power zoom, it will probably stay in the family as a replacement for the 18-70 kit lens, but my choice for walk-around is the (rather heavier) 35-105.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: alpha_user   review date: April-06-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

35-70 F4
28-85
18-70 Kit

price paid:

45 eu

positive:

Colours
AF Speed
Build quality
Light
Sharpness

negative:

A little bit consuming....but not so much

comment:

I'm very happy to have this lens in my bag !!

sharpness: 5 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: Niethan   review date: April-03-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70 kit lens
Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5
Minolta 50 f1.7
Minolta 28 f2.8
Minolta 100-200/f4.5
Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2

price paid:

around 50GBP i think

positive:

- Blows the kit lens out of the water.
-Addictive zoom
-Sharp
-The only xi lens worth getting
-Macro switch

negative:

- Flare with the standard hood
- Some might not like the xi zoom but i find it addictive
- a bit noisy(because of the xi)

comment:

Bought this one a long time ago.Call it My Little Creeper because of the xi zoom. I really love it and i find it really addictive.Too bad all other xi lenses aren't great like this one.

It's a really underrated lens and really cheap. Sharp even wide open and it's sharp through the whole range. Sweet spot is between 5.6 and 8 with corners really sharp at these apertures.Sharpness and colors is on par with my other the Minolta zooms and almost prime-like stooped down between 5.6 and 8 throughout the range.

Flare is a problem mainly because hood is useless.I really like rubber hoods because they can be folded and give me flexibility. Put one on the Creeper and no more flares.

The perfect and cheapest replacement for the Kit lens.You lose a bit of range at the wide and but gain some tele and way better IQ.

sharpness: 4 

color: 4 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: dschroed   review date: March-26-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

nice colors, sharp and light

negative:

slow af/mf because of motorized technique.

comment:

I bought this lens with my Dynax 7xi film camera in 1993. I have other lenses in this range, but sometimes I use this little gem even today.



Edit: For those NEX users - this lens does not work with the LA-EA1. You can manually focus by turning the front of the lens, but zoom won't work.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 4 

build: 3 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: xinyang   review date: March-02-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

positive:

negative:

comment:

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 4 

user: kevinbm   review date: February-19-09  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70 kit lens

positive:

Image quality
Build quality
Colours

negative:

Manual focusing difficult
Hood too small to be useful

comment:

I originally bought this lens with my Dynax 5xi film camera and it has remained my main walkaround lens ever since. Build and image quality are far superior to the 18-70 kit lens. Don't recollect there being a macro switch on the lens only a focus hold button. Manual focussing is painfully slow due to the motorized zoom/focus

Highly recommended lens if you can get hold of one though.

sharpness: 3.5 

color: 4 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: 5thElefant   review date: September-29-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

18-70mm Sony F3.5-5.6,
28-105mm F4-5.6 IF Tamron

price paid:

L35 (used)

positive:

Good all round

negative:

None

comment:

Very hard to split this with the 18-70 Sony kit lens other than it 'feels nicer'. I really like the power zoom.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Derek   review date: July-25-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sigma 28-70 f2.8-4 UC
Minolta 28-85 f3.5-4.5
Minolta 35-105 f3.5-4.5 (N)

price paid:

25 GBP

positive:

Sharp
Colour
Inexpensive

negative:

None

comment:

Great lens for the price. Certainly holds it own with the other lenses. A touch soft at the edges wide open.

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: petesidewalk   review date: June-07-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

K/M 75-300 Big Beercan
K/M 35-70 4
Sony 18-70 Kit Lens
K/M 50 1.7
K/M 70-210 4.5-5.6
K/M 70-210 4 Beercan
K/M 28 2.8
K/M 28-80xi
K/M 28-135 4-4.5
K/M 35-70 3.5-4.5
Tamron 200-400 5.6 LD NEW
Sigma 75-200 2.8-3.5
K/M 80-200 2.8 HS G
Sigma 75-200 2.8-3.5

price paid:

40.00 USD

positive:

Sharpness
Build
Bokeh
Light
Compact

negative:

lens hood

comment:

Suprising IQ. Sharp, light. Zoom takes practice. cheap and available.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 5 

flare control: 5 

user: Richard Davies   review date: June-07-08  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

price paid:

$108 (used)

positive:

Compact, well built, sharp, nice colours

negative:

Not much really at this price

comment:

I have used this lens with a Sony alpha body and it's produced some really nice shots for a second hand lens acquired in a bundle of Minolta stuff. It's light and handy as a walk around lens

sharpness: 4.5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: turbobugster   review date: June-30-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Minolta 35-105 1:3.5(22)-4.5
Minolta 24-85 1:3.5(22)-4.5

price paid:

40

positive:

Powered zoom and focus, if that's your thing. Compares favorably with other Minolta lenses in terms of price (used) to performance.

negative:

Powered zoom/focus might shorten battery life. Some distortion noticeable at 28 and f4.

comment:

On a Sony A100, this is a very decent lens - and considering that they appear regularly on Ebay and go for reasonable prices, if you're looking for an inexpensive powered zoom, this is a real possibility. Relatively light weight, compared to metal 35-105 and the 24-85 Minolta lenses.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 5 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: cgl88   review date: June-05-07  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Sony 18-70mm kit lens

positive:

Solid build, power zoom, sharpness is excellent on Sony a100

negative:

Some vignetting at wide-angle (on film camera). Flawless on Sony a100. Color saturation is fantastic.

comment:

More solid body compared to Sony 18-70mm. Conversely, 28mm on digital not always wide enough as compared to the kit lens. This lens was made for digital due to the crop-factor that eliminates the 'film' flaws.

sharpness: 5 

color: 5 

build: 4 

distortion: 4 

flare control: 4 

user: Dumont   review date: November-28-06  

tested on film camera:

tested on APS-C:6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP:; 16MP:; 24MP:

tested on full frame:24MP

compared to:

Kit 18-70, 28-80 3.5-5.6, 28-80 3.5-5.6 D, Quantaray 28-80 3.5-5.6

positive:

I rather like to motorized zoom, not so much the motorized manual focus. Seem built better than the "normal" lenses in the same range.

negative:

Has to be stopped down a bit at the wide end but only to 5.6

comment:

I think the image quality of this lens is very good as well as the colors, the bokeh's not bad either. The only problem with this lens much as with the other 28-80's reviewed is that the range is in no mans land. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to buy a 28-80 if you've got the kit 18-70... Unless you are getting ready for Sony's eventual FF camera, although if you can afford it when (if) it comes out you should be able to afford better lenses.