Minolta AF 200mm F2.8 APO A-mount lens review by QuietOC
 QuietOC#45710 date: May-26-2021 | |
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| sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Tokina AF 35-200 SD Sony DT 55-200 SAM Tamron 70-180 F2.8 VXD Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX DG OS HSM Sigma AF 70-200 F2.8 EX DG APO Sony FE 70-200 F4 G OSS Canon EF 70-200 F4 L USM Quantaray 70-210 F2.8 Vivitar S1 70-210 F3.5 I & II Minolta AF 70-210 F3.5-4.5 Minolta AF 70-210 F4 Minolta AF 80-200 F2.8 APO G Tokina 80-200 F2.8 AT-X Pro Vivitar 85-205 F3.8 Minolta AF 100-200 F4.5 Minolta AF 135 F2.8 Canon EF 135 F2.8 Softfocus Canon EF 200 F2.8 L USM Minolta AF 200 F2.8 HS APO G |
| price paid: | 315 USD (used) |
| positive: | Internal focus Maintains focal length Locking built-in hood |
| negative: | Heavy CA Focus shift Warm color cast Focus noise Focus breathing Mild pincushion distortion Weight Awkward focus control Straight aperture blades No tripod foot Lack of Lens Compensation |
| comment: | After returning a somewhat misaligned High Speed version, I made an offer for this older MAXXUM version for the same price as I paid for the Canon EF 200 F2.8 L USM I have been using. It is in even better cosmetic condition than the previous high speed version. "JAPAN" This copy seems to be well-aligned. It very similar to little AF 135 F2.8. There seems to be some focus shift. Unfortunately Sony hasn't implemented stopped down focusing for A-mount lenses. It has much worse chromatic aberrations than the Canon L prime. The Canon gives better image quality with my typical automotive subjects. The Tamron 70-180 F2.8 VXD zoom is much sharper at 180 mm than either of the older 200 mm primes. The built-in hood is the nicest one I've used. It locks in place, is flocked, and has a nice rubber bumper. The larger hood and/or better coatings give better contrast in some backlit situations. The hood does add considerable mass to the end of the lens. I would prefer a lighter lens with more durable finish. The sliding range limiter is an interesting design borrowed from the more expensive 300 F2.8. It also allows an infinity calibration, though you lose the calibration if you use the limiter for any other purpose. There a mark on the control to indicate where infinity should be. Just like the High Speed version the focus throw is short making manual focus difficult. The internal focus is very low resistance like the 135 F2.8. The aluminum focus ring cover may protect fragile gearing. That cover is somewhat poorly implemented. Strangely it doesn't retract fully--it covers the front of the focus grip when opened and doesn't lock in the open position. It does lock closed but not solidly like the hood. It does seem somewhat quieter focusing than the 300 F4. This version doesn't seem to focus much slower than the high speed version. Overall a decent old prime very similar to the 135 F2.8 "Pocket Rocket." These may be better with other subjects where their high amount of chromatic aberration isn't so distracting. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 39
- sharpness: 4.94
- color: 4.90
- build: 4.77
- distortion: 4.92
- flare control: 4.79
- overall: 4.86