Minolta AF 100mm F2.8 Macro D A-mount lens review by voets

voets#4792 date: Feb-3-2009
sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5	tested on: film camera: APS-C: 6MP; 10MP; 12MP; 14MP; 16MP; 20MP; 24MP full frame: 12MP; 24MP; 36MP; 42MP; 61MP
ownership:	I own this lens
compared to:	50mm macro
price paid:	500 USD new
positive:	Ultra sharp Nice colors Useable as "normal" 100mm due to focus limiter
negative:	Slow AF (but that's inherent to macro lenses) Limited angle of view, so sometimes hard to find your subject
comment:	This lens is a specialist tool. It has amazing sharpness, starting wide open at f2.8 Colors and bokeh are very pretty. It's very useful for shooting macro from a distance, when you cannot get close to some skittish creature. But... this also has the drawback that you could be loosing your subject easily in the viewfinder, the minimum focussing distance and limited angle of view makes you hunt every now and then. My macro workhorse is the 50mm f2.8, since that allows me to get closer and shoot easier. But for shy animals I use the 100mm to full satisfaction. You get what you pay for with this lens.