Minolta AF 300mm F4 HS APO G A-mount lens review by seagr112
 seagr112#2613 date: Aug-8-2007 | |
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| sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 100-300 APO D |
| price paid: | 1200 USD |
| positive: | Outstanding optical performance. Beautiful build and finish. Attention to detail (focus hold, limiter, focus ring cover etc.) |
| negative: | It's a big lens. Hood is a little clumsy to attach. Drop-in filters impossible to find. |
| comment: | My first G lens and it's a beauty. I'd been obsessed with finding a good 300mm lens that is fast and sharp since a trip to South Africa (safari!) a few years ago. Now that I've finally got it, I'll have to go back! It's a bit of a niche lens - not something you'll use every day, but when you need the reach for wildlife or distant subjects, it is perfect. Previously, I had the 100-300mm APO D, which was a good lens for it's price but I found it didn't do well on overcast days or in low light. This lens, in an entirely different (and much more expensive) class delivers a much finer image both in sharpness and in bokeh. It also brings new challenges to the table with it's size and focal length, and the fact that I try more challenging photography with it. (Time to go Orca watching again with this one and see how it performs.) It's nice that I have the option to use it handheld with some care, or attach a monopod to the tripod mount. If your pocketbook can handle it, and you need (or just 'want':) a near perfect 300mm that you can take with you, this is the ideal lens in my opinion. It's a big improvement over the zooms that cover 300mm, and while it's a bit of a grunt as it is certainly not a small lens, (the f2.8 would be much too heavy to carry everywhere while traveling, and it's even more expensive than the f4) I am more than willing to carry it! |
; 10MPrating summary
- total reviews: 36
- sharpness: 4.85
- color: 4.86
- build: 4.75
- distortion: 4.83
- flare control: 4.78
- overall: 4.81