Minolta AF 28mm F2.8 A-mount lens review by Lothian
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 3 overall: 4 | tested on:
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ownership: | I own this lens |
compared to: | no comparison |
price paid: | 70 euros (used) |
positive: | Very light Nice color rendition Useful focal length for FF and APS-C |
negative: | Not so sharp before f/4 f/5.6 Prone to flare and lack of contrast some distorsion and CA Useless tiny inner lens hood Super thin focus ring |
comment: | More cons than pros in my review, and yet I like this lens and can't get out without it. I even perform pro work in photography with it, like journalism and wedding, without any shame ! If you know its weaknesses (flare and lack of sharpness wide open mostly, along with CA) and learn to play around it or use it to your advantage, it is a real bargain for its low price! I've been using it for the past two years on a sony Nex 7, APS-C , with a resulting 42 mm focal length, and it's just the perfect street photography focal for me, below it beeing too wide angle for my taste. I'll probably give a better feedback than some other reviewers here regarding its sharpness (already falling at the edges on APS-C, it has to be worse on full frame obviously...). I find it sharp enough and i enjoy its bokeh, not super sweet but not distracting. When situation demands it, I shoot wide open at 2.8, a bit more CA, a bit less sharp, but still very usable images. I will soon get a better lens of comparable focal length, yet I won't sell this Minolta, as it's so light that as a backup lens, I won't feel it in my bag. |
rating summary

- total reviews: 142
- sharpness: 4.24
- color: 4.64
- build: 4.52
- distortion: 4.27
- flare control: 3.85
- overall: 4.31