Minolta AF 100-300mm F4.5-5.6 APO A-mount lens reviews
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | beercan, 100/f2, 70 - 300 |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | sharpness, weight |
negative: | speed |
comment: | Excellent zoom, very sharp, very light for it's quality, although I don't use the range very often when I do I'm always pleasantly surprised with it's performance. for me it beats the beercan, except for speed (and sometimes for colours) |
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sharpness: 3.5 color: 4 build: 3 distortion: 4 flare control: 3 overall: 3.5 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | missing |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | missing |
negative: | missing |
comment: | [Note: Performance judged on usage with a full frame camera] This is a slightly above average, consumer-grade lens. It performs well at 200mm at f5.6 and above. But its performance outside this sweet spot is a bit disappointing. |
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sharpness: 3 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 3.8 | tested on:
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ownership: | I own this lens |
compared to: | - 50/1.7 - 18-70 kit - 100/3.5 Vivitar |
price paid: | 220 EUR |
positive: | - 300mm - Weight and size |
negative: | - 100-250mm - Not that sharp as I expected - The barrel extends itself when tilted |
comment: | This lens haven't convinced me - not yet maybe? I think I'll update this review when I get more experience, don't judge this lens with this review only. Update: It performs quite good at 300mm (even when open), but not at any lower focal lengths - there you need significant stopping to get acceptable results. Maybe stillborn unit... |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 3 flare control: 3 overall: 3.7 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | missing |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | Sharpnes and colour |
negative: | Distortion at 300 mm above average |
comment: | Perhaps I like wide angle photography, in fact on my 35 mm film camera (the 700 si) I have always my 20mm fitted in, so... this lens is not the best, but I think that's only my opinion... |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | 70-210 f4, 300 f4 G |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | Compact Lightweight Excellent Reach Good Image quality |
negative: | Plastic Body Slow AF No constant aparture with max of only 4.5 |
comment: | Good traveling telephoto lens. Sharp image and good color rendition. It is lighter than the 70-210 f4 with better reach and MUCH easier to pack than the 300 G lens. Downside is that it does not have the f4 at the tele end and it hunts for focus a bit in low light(good MF ring though). Definitely going to be a often use lens in my collection when I am on long trip. |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | missing |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | Very well built Crisp image |
negative: | f4.5-5.6 no zoom lock |
comment: | missing |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | Nothing in this range |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | Sharp Light and compact for range Focus lock button |
negative: | Rotating front element Of course, not very fast AF can be slow Extends while carrying etc |
comment: | I love using this lens and get good sharp results at all focal lengths, right up to 300mm, even close to full aperture. It balances really well on the 5D. AF can be reasonably fast, but with a big change in subject distance and spot focus I find it difficult to get a suitable detail under the focus point; then it hunts off to a world of it's own and takes a while to bring back! But highly recommended. |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 2 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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ownership: | I own this lens |
compared to: | Replaced a Sigma 75-300 which had soft focus and a magenta colour cast. |
price paid: | missing |
positive: | Good sharp lens with good colour rendition |
negative: | Lens barel extends under its own weight when hanging on the strap |
comment: | I'll definately be using this lens on my 5D |
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sharpness: 3 color: 5 build: 3 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
compared to: | Minolta 75-300 that i skipped because i found this one |
price paid: | 2000 DKK |
positive: | +compact enough to bring along most of the time +sharpness, contrast, colour +very litle if any distortion (havent noticed any) +build quality +looks good on 7D |
negative: | -front rotates when focusing -could be faster |
comment: | From the film days (dynax4) i wanted 2 lenses that could optimize my photography, i quickly came across the 75-300, that would have looked nice on the Dynax4. however i felt that the 100-300 APO would be a better choice, hence the price was only 1/3'rd more then the 75-300. so i bought it. Glad i did! The images i get from this lense, used either on film or my Dynax 7D, all have the same touch, seen from this lense - they are sharp, clear and bright, colours are a bit de-saturated but this is easily compensated by +1.SAT on the 7D or on the computer afterwords... i don't The angle is very narrow however, 150-450mm when used on the 7D, which is best for children, party (wedding and alike), animal, nature and other long distance shooting. with the 7D, its extreemly easy to use the lense though, shooting at speed about 1/100'th second is often enough! i bought this lense along the 24-105, which is a really-really nice DUO, i do however want a wideangle lense to make a TRIO, and this will be the Sigma 12-24, unless Minolta makes a better one, before i can affort one :) I also use this lense for macro, using tubes, and it's very good at this. however the 100/2,8 would be prefered The Distance (D) isn't needed on a 150-450, hence flashes can't be of much use, unless used on film camera. so if you come across this lense (Non-D), at a good price, then get it ! you won't regret |
rating summary

- total reviews: 69
- sharpness: 4.20
- color: 4.58
- build: 4.00
- distortion: 4.51
- flare control: 4.26
- overall: 4.31
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