Minolta AF 100mm F2.8 Macro D A-mount lens review by QuietOC
 QuietOC#44482 date: Mar-20-2020 | |
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| sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Opteka 15 F4 Macro Tamron 20 F2.8 OSD M1:2 Tamron 24 F2.8 OSD M1:2 Sony DT 30 F2.8 Macro SAM Tamron 35 F2.8 OSD M1:2 Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro Sony A 50 F2.8 Macro Minolta AF 50 F2.8 Macro RS Minolta AF 50 F3.5 Macro Minolta Macro Rokkor-X 50 F3.5 Tamron SP 60 F2 Macro Sigma EX 70 F2.8 DG Macro Tamron SP 90 F2.5 Macro Canon EF 100 F2 USM Minolta MC 100 F2.5 Minolta AF 100 F2.8 Soft Focus Minolta AF 100 F2.8 Macro RS Cosina AF 100mm F3.5 Macro Canon EF 135 F2.8 Softfocus Vivitar 135 F2.8 Close Focusing |
| price paid: | 180 USD (used) |
| positive: | Fast AF Range limiter Button Distance encoder Lens Compensation |
| negative: | Focus drifts/shifts Softness away from center Heavy focus throw Noisy focus gearing Extends for close focus Purple fringing |
| comment: | Like new copy from a reliable eBay seller. A Konica-Minolta LF-1355 front cap and LB-1076 hood were included. No box or paperwork were included. The original version of this lens came out a year after the Alpha system debuted. Minolta added a distance encoder to this version for their ADI flash system. That information is now used for translation stabilization. Sony rebadged this lens as the SAL100M28 and raised the retail price to $800 before discontinuing it in early 2021. The Minolta gets all the electronic benefits of the Sony version. "JAPAN" This copy rattles less than my RS version. I assume the rattling element may partly cause the focus drifting in both lenses. The motorized lenses don't have this problem. This one drifts less. It is sharper than the older lens with less optical issues. Unfortunately Sony offers no way of holding the apertures of A-mount lenses to the shot f number like the default behavior of E-mount lenses. This limitation prevents accurate close focusing. Despite the floating elements the image quality degrades away from the center at lower magnifications. The Canon EF 100 F2 USM is much sharper there. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 63
- sharpness: 4.95
- color: 4.98
- build: 4.70
- distortion: 4.98
- flare control: 4.89
- overall: 4.90