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

petaar#8480 date: Jan-4-2011
sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5	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:	- Sony DT 55-200 f4-5.6 - Tamron AF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di
price paid:	160 EUR
positive:	- sharp even at f4, very sharp at f5.6 - nice colours - full frame - excellent build quality (it's heavy, it's reliable) - good price
negative:	- slow and loud AF - CA at the far end - prone to flare
comment:	Didn't intent to buy this lens but could not resist a good price. I've compared it to Sony DT 55-200 f4-5.6 and to Tamron AF 70-300 f4-5.6 (I was trying to decide which one of them to buy and finally opted for Minolta!). Build quality is remarkable, image quality also. I have to admit that "new" lenses do have a bit better CA and flare resistance due to modern coatings. Very happy with it, now I'm trying to find a large enough "toploader" bag for it. :))