Minolta AF 135mm F2.8 A-mount lens reviews
 Callam9774#1368 date: Oct-31-2006 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Tokina 28-70 ATX Pro; Minolta 80-200xi Power Zoom; Sigma 75-300 APO. |
| price paid: | Ł180 used |
| positive: | Seems to make all my photos look good! Shows real class. Excellent detail.Light and compact.Built in lens hood.Fast AF. |
| negative: | I should have discovered this lens years ago. |
| comment: | I went into my local, friendly camera shop (Philip's in Norwich if you live in the U.K.) to look for used short fast prime lens. Philip let me try a Minolta 28mm 2.8 which was O.K.. He then suggested I borrow a 135 2.8 for a while, saying that it was special. I had not researched this lens at all -had not read Dyxum Reviews. Anyway after ten minutes or so of trying the lens,I decided to trust my judgement and bought the lens for Ł80. Now after reading these reviews...I'm still smiling! |
; 12MP| Panito#1285 date: Oct-6-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Very sharp Built-in hood Nice color Very small Fast AF Good price |
| negative: | missing |
| comment: | missing |
| samir#1197 date: Sep-17-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 70-210mm F4 Tamron 90mm F2.8 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | it is small but sturdy, and my sample can be used wide open with a slight loss of sharpness compared to stopped down performance |
| negative: | I really can not come with anything negative, it is a good lens that performs nicely on digital |
| comment: | for me this is a nice lens when trying to get different perspective on a subject that was already "covered" by some other focal length, or a zoom lens it is very usefull for portraits and street candids as well a nice lens |
| duprey26#993 date: Jul-7-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Min 100 f/2 Min 200 f2.8 HS Sigma 70-300 APO |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp from f/4 on. Standard 55 mm filter. Excellent Quality/Price Ratio, built-in hood |
| negative: | A bit soft wide open. Too long for portraits on digital, too short for tele. |
| comment: | I really like this lens on film, but it's a bit of an out-cast on digital, especially now that I have a 200 f/2.8. For the price I paid almost two years ago, though, it's a great steal. |
| oliphoto#899 date: Jun-8-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | 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 lovely lens. It is a very good lens for portraits, as well as for candids. It's sharpness above f:3.5 is excellent. I consider this another must have. It's small, it has a relatively fast AF and it's cheap. |
| hakushu#871 date: Jun-2-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF85/1.4 G(D) Minolta AF100/2.8 MACRO Minolta AF200/2.8 APO TELE Minolta AF100-300/4.5-5.6 APO |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharpness Compact size and light weight Lens hood Nice color rendition Old vintage build |
| negative: | Bokeh(sometime) |
| comment: | It's a great tele-photo lens for the price. I bought 135/2.8 20 years ago for 7000, but it's still working well on 5D. |
| Tsukiyomi#870 date: Jun-2-2006 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50/1.7 Sigma 90/2.8 Macro Minolta 100/2.8 Macro |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Fast, sharp, nice bokeh. |
| negative: | missing |
| comment: | Sharp even at 2.8, fast, bokeh. Zoom may hunt at low light (not too often though). |
| nathan_68#831 date: May-22-2006 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | - sharpness - compact size - built-in lens hood - fast and precise AF - color redention - bokeh |
| negative: | - noisy AF |
| comment: | It's one of the best lens I own. It's a real pleasure to take pictures with it and, even if a little bit too long, it's perfect for portraits. It's also very handy and light, and it's important not to forget this feature when you travel with it. Maybe an old fashion lens, but razor sharp and capable of stunning results. |
| damian.bradley#780 date: May-12-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | 100/2 100mm macro 100-200/4.5 70-210 f3.5-4.5 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | - Small - Nice Bokeh - Lens hood - Focus Speed |
| negative: | - Difficult MF ring - not perfect optically |
| comment: | I've already said lots about this lens in the forum, and others have stated most everything worth stating. The size of the lens is perhaps its best quality. As the last review states though, the 7D isn't exactly tiny. I'd love thos on a 5D! I love the built in lens hood...I wish every lens had one of these, it is an underrated feature imho. MF is tough on this lens though with the recessed focus ring. Fortunately AF is very, very fast. Unfortonately it's not as 'accurate' as some. To explain: my 100/2 is slower to focus, but locks on in a single go where the 135/2.8 may hunt. I think this is because the 135 has slightly less contrast. I did find 135mm to be a bit long for people shots, and a bit short for wildlife (hence the zoom in that range). I thought I'd like it over the 100mm length, but it turned out not to be the case. But that's just my shooting style, your mileage may vary. It's a little bit soft wide open, does show CA around (for example) blown out highlights. All in all, very, very highly recommended. None of my gripes are serious, and the reputation of the lens as a wicked performer are totally deserved. Pick one up if you have a chance and like the focal length...you'll like it. |
| seagr112#710 date: Apr-22-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.9 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Sharp optical performer Small and lightweight Excellent Vintage build Nice bokeh! Lens Hood Quick AF |
| negative: | New resurgence in popularity is raising used price of the lens Difficult to find |
| comment: | This is, hands down, one of Minolta's sexiest little lenses. I chuckled when I read the "uber sexy" comment by another reviewer, as I can see it's not just me who thinks this. The 135mm f/2.8 is sharp, fast, well built and unobtrusive, although when attached to a 7D + VC-7D, it's hard to be stealthy! Maybe on a Maxxum 5? When I used it with my 700si, it was a great portrait lens and provided nice bokeh and color. On the 7D I find fewer uses for it, but it is my 200mm telephoto of choice when required. Mine has the crossed XX's as well. Good luck finding one, and hopefully pricing will stabilize. I'm seeing them on ebay being bid on for $300+ right now. Ouch! As an add on, (May 3) on my 7D, I did note a small amount of CA in areas of high contrast when enlarged on the monitor. But hey, it's not an APO lens, and the CA certainly was not distracting in the photo. |
| lagaffe#616 date: Mar-22-2006 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | - Small and sexy, light! - Sharp, even wide open. - Fast too. - ~200mm equivalent on a 7D. - DOF scale is present. - Quick AF, even in low light. |
| negative: | - Lens hood is integrated. |
| comment: | My lens has a large dink on the front element... That's why I only paid 80$ for it. But it never showed on any picture I've taken with it. It is quick to AF, fast and small. It is now a bit long for portrait work, thanks to APS-C size sensors, but very handy when a medium tele is required and lighting is not that great. |
| kjethoe#363 date: Dec-29-2005 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | 28-135mm 4-4.5, 70-210mm f4 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Very sharp all the way from fully open. Smooth bokeh. |
| negative: | Seems to have a problem with severly lowered contrast if the sun is just outside the frame, even with the hood extended. Nothing that a well placed palm won't help, though! (and the whole problem may be due to my sample having a little mark in the front element coating..) |
| comment: | Havent tested it in any organized way, but I feel very confident with my results from the "Pocket 200" after using it a lot both on a 7Film and 5D. I never hesitate with opening up the aperture with regards to sharpness. It's a favourite for tight compositions and isolation of details! Samples will keep popping up here, click thumbs to navigate and previews to enlarge: http://kjetil.philosophi.net/gallery/filmstrip_meta.php?image=1&lens=9&EN=1 |
| popoloni#333 date: Dec-23-2005 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
|
| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | 70-210/4 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | - build quality - light - sharpness |
| negative: | - slow AF |
| comment: | A pocket size 200/2.8 on my 5D. It is as big as the KIT lens. Very good image quality but too slow AF and not so precise in low light. Have a look to my detailed review here: http://www.pophouse.it/minoltalenstest/ |
| mcgravy#310 date: Dec-21-2005 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | none |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | One of my favorites, on both film and digital. |
| negative: | None |
| comment: | This is an awesome lense and one of the first primes I bought after getting my film 7. Great bokeh and very sharp. I've bought all my lenses used and like them all. Ken |
| dCap#209 date: Nov-10-2005 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Canon AF 135/2.8 softfocus. MinAF 200/2.8 original. Tamron SP 90/2.8 Di Macro. Minolta 100/2.8 soft focus, Minolta 85/1.4 G NewRS |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | size, weight, price [mine is a crossed xx version, uber sexy!] |
| negative: | manual focus ring just about unuseable |
| comment: | The pocket rocket. This is a pocket sizes 200mm lens for a 7D or 5D. Manual focus is pretty much unuseable due to tiny ring size and indented from barrel. AF is quick and precise (I've read reviews of poor AF! Not so, its solid AF) BUY IT (if you can find one!) |
| ab012#108 date: Sep-10-2005 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | KM 28-75 2.8 D KM 100 Macro KM 85 1.4 G D M STF 135 M 70-210 4 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Size! Really Small and Light Excellent choice as a walk around long tele (200 FOV on 7D) Blistering Fast AF Bokeh and Colour very nice Sharpness also excellent for portrait use. Excellent Bang for Buck. |
| negative: | It is not as sharp wide open (this is both + and -) Occasionaly too long for portraits on 7D. |
| comment: | Really nice to use on 7D due to its size and weight. Perfect for candids as no one will expect this small lens to have a 200 FOV. Small size also makes this an excellent travel tele. Not as sharp wide open as the 100 Macro (but then what is?) but this means that it works very nicely for portrait applications. Stopped down it has fantastic sharpness. I feel that its sharpness is very similar to the 28-75 @ its optimal focal length (50mm) - and a fair step up from the 70-210 f4. Colour and Bokeh is similar to the 100 Macro, and very pleasing watercolour look and makes the subject 'pop' very nicely. AF is blisteringly fast on this lens due to its IF design. Combined with the MC7 2x TC this lens still focuses very quickly, even in low light. |
| jrfarrar#106 date: Sep-10-2005 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Small light fast AF sharp excellent for portraits can be found cheap |
| negative: | none |
| comment: | Small, light fast lens. Used it all the time for portraits on my 650si film body. With the 7D it is basically a 200/2.8. This is just one of those lenses I find myself always wanting to use. I seem to prefer the longer focal lengths and tight cropping and this lens is fantastic for that! Also you can't beat the price, especially if you can find one used. AF is super fast and never hunts. With all my lenses this one is the first I reviewed. It is clearly my favorite. |
| Rainer#90 date: Jul-9-2005 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 2.0/100 Minolta 2.8/200 APO Sigma 2.8/90 Macro |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Cheap, light, small Good build and optical quality Quick and accurate AF |
| negative: | Nothing |
| comment: | I bought it app. 14 years ago, and still consider it one of my favorites that goes everywhere with me. The build-in hood controls the else existing flare very well. Some softness is visible at f2.8 when using it with the A700 but not with KM7D. This is no issue from f4 onwards. Much quicker AF than the Sigma 2.8/90 Macro (with limiter) and quicker than Minolta 2.0/100. |
| former member#4 date: Nov-5-2004 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I have experience with this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Good since f/4 until f/11, accurate AF |
| negative: | Nothing |
| comment: | A excellent choice in secondhand buy! Shure... 2/100 is better but more expensive and rare on camera's shops. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 139
- sharpness: 4.69
- color: 4.92
- build: 4.65
- distortion: 4.91
- flare control: 4.44
- overall: 4.72
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