Minolta AF 70-210mm F4 (beercan) A-mount lens review by glencraig59
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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ownership: | I own this lens |
compared to: | Min 100-300 APO D, Min 75-300 BBC |
price paid: | 200 USD (mint) |
positive: | Sharp across the frame wide open; constant aperture; solid enough for self-defense. |
negative: | Be sure to use that hood! |
comment: | I tested for sharpness as follows: I compared tripod shots at all focal lengths and apertures, looking at 100% on screen at an area one-third in from the left and bottom edges. I find my copy to be acceptably sharp wide open at all focal lengths except 210 mm. By "acceptably" I mean one can really only detect slight softness at 100%. All focal lengths except 210 mm were tack sharp by f/5.6. At 210 mm, sharpness was acceptable at f/5.6 and tack sharp at f/8, a loss of only one stop over the rest of the range. Color is first-rate Minolta: why we are here. I got a screw-on ABS hood from Mennon, a big improvement over the included clip-on. My copy has shown it to be worth its reputation. The only reason I would spend more is for faster or longer; for what it does it is a gem. |
rating summary

- total reviews: 397
- sharpness: 4.49
- color: 4.78
- build: 4.84
- distortion: 4.56
- flare control: 3.98
- overall: 4.53