Minolta AF 24-105mm F3.5-4.5 D A-mount lens review by Blame

reviewer#11371 date: Oct-7-2013
sharpness: 4
color: 3
build: 5
distortion: 3
flare control: 4
overall: 3.8
tested on:
  • film camera:Film camera
  • APS-C: 6MP6 MP; 10MP10 MP; 12MP12 MP; 14MP14 MP; 16MP16 MP; 20MP20 MP; 24MP24 MP
  • full frame: 12MP12 MP; 24MP24 MP; 36MP36 MP; 42MP42 MP; 61MP61 MP
ownership:I own this lens
compared to:Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8.
price paid:£45 in car boot sale
positive:Tiny lens that always finds room in the camera bag.
Matches the tamron for sharpness for all focal lengths at f/8.
Decent bokeh for a zoom and better than the tamron.
negative:Vignettes badly wide open and not perfect even at f/8. Worse with filters.
Corners are not competitively sharp under f/5.6.
If you are after the classical Minolta colors you will hate it.
A little more CA than the tamron but still decent enough to be ignored or corrected.
comment:Don't think of this as a cheap lens. It originally sold for good money (bar meltdowns) and is capable of excellent results.

A modern lens and thus decent flare control and contrast but without the classic Minolta colors. Not a good single lens solution because it is just not fast enough for poor light. Excellent as part of a kit of lenses and reserved for sunny days when it easily justifies its modest size, weight and market price with an image quality that is every bit as good as the other options for a standard zoom. Don't add more than one thin filter. One of the few options for getting as wide as 24mm in a standard zoom.

rating summary

lens image
  • total reviews: 109
  • sharpness: 4.25
  • color: 4.51
  • build: 4.12
  • distortion: 4.15
  • flare control: 4.24
  • overall: 4.25
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