Minolta AF 70-210mm F4 (beercan) A-mount lens review by eldonito

eldonito#2147 date: Apr-13-2007
sharpness: 3.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3	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:	Minolta AF 75-300 F4.5-5.6 D Cosina 100 F3.5 macro Soligor 135 F2.8 (m42) Sigma EX DG 85 F1.4 HSM
price paid:	80 GBP (used)
positive:	build, internal zoom f/4 aperture bokeh 1:4 "macro" works nicely
negative:	Weight Focus hunting CA
comment:	A classic. The all-metal build and internal zoom features ooze old-skool class. The f/4 max aperture can be very useful at low light, though it is confounded by chromatic aberration (CA). The latter is noticeably decreased at f/5.6 and mostly absent from f/8 onwards, where my copy performs at its best, hence 3.5 for sharpness. CA tends to be most apparent in high-contrast situations, so if you use f/4 because the light is low, CA won't be so evident. I have taken many nice shots at f/4, just don't forget to stop down in daylight! Also lovely colour and bokeh. The one I bought didn't come with a hood; however I used it to take photos of my friends skiing/snowboarding in bright sunshine. Colour and contrast were intact, and not a hint of flare! 1 point off the build because, even though it's "built like a tank", it's also as heavy. In a nutshell: Simply, it's a must.