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

wallyb#4065 date: Sep-7-2008
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7	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:	Tons of stuff.
price paid:	~200 USD
positive:	- Super classic "Minolta colors" - Great sharpness, even at the tele end, even wide-open - Internal zoom - Fantastic build quality - Macro range is very useful - Constant f/4 is great
negative:	- External focusing - Really quite big and heavy - Internal zoom makes the lens very long, too, and can get in the way with flash on the wide end - F/4 isn't terribly fast for the wide end - Sometimes flares, even with the hood
comment:	This is the only tele-zoom lens many Minolta and Sony users will ever need. It is just about as good as all the reviews say. It's definitely not without its flaws, and I don't just mean in the way that every lens has some kind of flaw, but for all the factors combined together, it's one of the best lenses ever made. I have had literally dozens pass through my hands, and thanks to the great vintage quality-control at Minolta, they've all been super performers. If you don't mind a big and heavy (but very, very sturdy) lens, and shoot most of your shots after 6am and before 6pm, you'll never want to look for anything else!