Minolta AF 24mm F2.8 A-mount lens reviews
 samskpun#4764 date: Jan-29-2009 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 20mm AF Minolta 28mm AF |
| price paid: | 220 usd |
| positive: | sharpness cheap light beautiful color |
| negative: | not much |
| comment: | it is sharper than both 20mm and 28mm. I owned all three lens and sold the 20 and 28. It is a nice lens for street photographer |
; 10MP| Vancouver#4730 date: Jan-22-2009 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | 200 CAD Used |
| positive: | Excellent walkaround light cheap good color usually cover all area I want |
| negative: | cant think of any |
| comment: | My favorite lens. It makes very good walkaround. 24mm is as wide as you are going to get if distortion is your concern. This baby delivers excellent quality. AT this price, get an extra one for back up! |
| DonSergio#4700 date: Jan-17-2009 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | - Min 35G (RS) - 16-80za - 24-70za - Minolta 24-105/3.5-4.5 |
| price paid: | 200 (used) |
| positive: | + Light, + Reasonable sharp + nice focal length on APS-C and FF, + not very expensive |
| negative: | - after 5.6 and more closer F i see decrease of sharpness on my lens - non SSM - extends on focusing |
| comment: | nice walkaround lesn on APS-C especially. Good for indoor shots. Light. It was one of my favorite primes, sold it to such 24-70za lets a lot of time on camera. Only one negative moment leaks of sharpness on closest F. |
| cjlethal#4642 date: Jan-8-2009 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | 24-70 Zeiss |
| price paid: | 150 CAD |
| positive: | small lightweight perfect 36mm equivalent on A700 |
| negative: | not as sharp as 27-70 Zeiss |
| comment: | missing |
| Jamesb-59#4523 date: Dec-11-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | Good lens if you can get a good price. IMHO, the 20mm is a better lens |
| negative: | missing |
| comment: | missing |
| derettahs#4421 date: Nov-22-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50mm 1.7 28 - 70 2.8 G 17 - 35 D |
| price paid: | 90 USD used |
| positive: | sharp at all apatures, good build, light weight, fast focussing |
| negative: | the little tiny focus ring. |
| comment: | this little guy is my event coverage and food photography workhorse. it spends the most ammount of time on my A700. the bokeh and sharpness are excellent. a perfect width for group shots at parties and good enough for portraits in a pinch. (you jsut have to get reeeeeeal close ) |
| fmajor#4375 date: Nov-13-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF 50mm f1.7 Minolta AF 28-85mm f3.5-f4.5 Minolta AF 35-70mm f4 Minolta AF 70-210mm f4 Beercan Minolta Rokkor Lenses (many) |
| price paid: | $15 USD MINT |
| positive: | Sharp for a wide angle Superb Minolta colors CONSTANT f2.8 aperture Fast focusing Diminuitive/Small/Light |
| negative: | Smallish manual focus ring A bit susceptive to flare Not wide on APS-C |
| comment: | Images are reasonably sharp and possess the 1st AF Generation "color-matched" Minolta colors - in my opinion, it's greatest strength. While the lens would be sufficiently wide for FF, on the APS-C sensor in my KM Dynax 7D i loose alot of that width. Enough loss to render it a "normal" width (comparable to a 36mm FF FOV), but the lens works OK for what i need it for - people and landscapes. I have noticed a bit of flare if i am not careful, but that is an exceptional situation. It does have a little distortion - most noticable when i photograph architecture. However, it performs well for most other applications. |
| fute77#4283 date: Oct-25-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | 28/2.8 35/2 |
| price paid: | missing |
| positive: | goud at 2.8 and excellent above 3.2 36 mm on APS-C |
| negative: | euh ... nothing |
| comment: | a lot better than the 28/2.8 that I sold after obtaining this one I sold this one cause I prefer the 35/2 for my use on A700 |
| karchon#4228 date: Oct-13-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Min 24-105mm D f3.5-4.5 Min 50mm f1.7 Min 35-105mm f3.5-4.5 Macro |
| price paid: | 200 USD |
| positive: | - excellent wide open - sharp when stopped down even a little - lightweight - great colors - short min focus |
| negative: | - sometimes not wide enough on APS-C |
| comment: | I compared this prime to the 24-105 at the 24mm mark. No comparison. The 24mm prime is hands down super sharp when its stopped down the f4 and beyond. I compared this to the 50mm f1.7 (my only other prime) and the sharpness is on par in my comparisons. Comparing this to the 35-105 for its color reproduction and its on par in color. I was planning to get the Sigma 24mm f1.8 but considering that it needs to be stopped down to f4 to get decent shots, i decided that the 24mm was cheaper, lighter, and sharper throughout all the range. I would have LOVED f1.8 but from the reviews, the sigma is very soft wide open. I use this lens ALOT and some times i wish it had a wider angle, but other than that, this lens is near perfect IMO. |
| tobyjay#4153 date: Sep-29-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 5 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | 18-70 DT Sigma 10-20 Sony 35 f/1.4 Sony 18-250 |
| price paid: | Ł100 ebay |
| positive: | Sharp Pocket sized Great colour & contrast Nicely made |
| negative: | Very little... ...not absolutely pin at f/2.8.. ...no ADI might put some flash users off |
| comment: | I would say this is underpriced, especially next to the current Sony branded wide primes and the big fast Sigmas, but I plan to buy another one soon and do not want to push the prices up with another rave review! But, the truth is, this is a top quality lens. Not as sharp at f/2.8 as the 50 or 35G, but sharper wide open than either of those longer primes are wide open. A little stop down and everything on my copy was pin. MFD plenty good enough for close ups. At one time I had the Sigma 10-20, the Min 24 and the Sony 35g simultaneously, and I had to make room, so I sold the 24. Big mistake - I should have let the Sigma go. The 24 is so compact it can be carried anywhere, in a glovebox, bag or pocket. And the pictures it takes are of such understated quality. ~Colours are old-school Minolta. Exposure and focus always accurate on A100 and A700. Contrast sublime - as good as Minolta 85 G and the sky never looks blown out like it can on a 1.4. I'm not sure if the resolution will stretch to a full frame A900, or whether the corners remain sharp on FF, but on A700 the results are reliably sharp corner to corner. 55mm filter very handy next to beercan, Sony 50, 35g, Tamron 90 etc. Mine came without a hood (they are said to be delicate and often missing) but I substituted an old deep conical hood and never saw a hint of flare, indoors or out. Distortion almost non existent for this focal length - should be rated 4.5 not 4, but no option for that rating. I've been umming and aahing about buying a big, fast Sigma 20 or 24 prime but have decided I'll get another Minolta - for value and character and portability they are unbeatable little gems. |
| Glyn R#3961 date: Aug-12-2008 | |
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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 used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 50 f 1.7 Minolta 35-70 f4 Sigma 10-20 EX DG Sony 18-70 |
| price paid: | Ł69 used |
| positive: | This is a beautiful lens. It looks good and is good. It oozes quality. Sharp, fast focus, great colour |
| negative: | None that I can think of except the well designed lens hood will not come off with the stanard lens cover in place. Its not really an issue but it is all I can think of |
| comment: | I have used it for church interiors and as a light carry around lens. It is how a quality lens should look. |
| MartinM#3756 date: Jun-24-2008 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | 20/2.8 28/2.8 35/2.0 |
| price paid: | 275 CHF |
| positive: | - Sharpness - Disortion - Focal lenght |
| negative: | - Lens cap |
| comment: | Nice lens. Excellent focal lenght. Specially for indoor shooting. I had to remove it because it was too close to my 20mm and the 28mm. 20 - 28 - 35 - 50 made more sense to me. The build, well i don't like too much the old style. Prefer the RS style. I made excellent experience with it. |
| N_Raged#3573 date: May-8-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 Tamron 17-50 f/2.8 |
| price paid: | $175 USD (used) |
| positive: | +great build +sharp +colour +fast AF +55mm diameter metal filter threads |
| negative: | -crazy vignetting on full-frame -currently hard to find -short-throw AF makes loud a clanging noise when the camera focuses to infinity and minimal |
| comment: | Center sharpness is good wide open but corners are not. Everything evens out by f/5.6. At f/8-11 this lens produces fantastic results for landscapes. Same ol' Minolta colours we know and love, and at this perspective the way they are rendered looks remarkable. Great wide angle on film and is a nice walk-around lens on a 1.5x crop body, no distortion on either. Bokeh is mediocre and not so smooth. CA is moderate and is the type that is easily correctable in any raw converter. |
| rocknutter#3520 date: Apr-26-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 4 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Min 35mm F2 Min 17-35mm F3.5G Min 50mm F1.4 |
| price paid: | Ł70 |
| positive: | Sharp Compact size Fast focus |
| negative: | Hood not the greatest |
| comment: | The lens is great for indoor shots, not so great for landscapes as its not wide enough. |
| regp#3291 date: Feb-20-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | missing |
| price paid: | 90 USD |
| positive: | A OK |
| negative: | missing |
| comment: | missing |
| hotwire#3243 date: Feb-8-2008 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 3 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 28/2.8 |
| price paid: | $160 CAD (used) |
| positive: | It's a prime. |
| negative: | Really likes to flare on APS-C... hood is practically useless for this. |
| comment: | A lens I consider to be a step up from the 28/2.8. |
| Grubeater#2908 date: Nov-6-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 17-35/2.8-4, 50/1.4, 28/2,8. |
| price paid: | 100 EURO (used) |
| positive: | Sharp wide open, fast af, even on the 7D. |
| negative: | Sony doesn't make one. |
| comment: | Really like the FOV on 1.5 crop dslr, 24mm crop ~/= 35mm on full frame. Nice wide FOV on film body. |
| pschoone#2890 date: Oct-31-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | CZ16-80, 28-85/3.5-4.5, 35-70/4, 35-80/4-5.6, 35-105/3.5-4.5 |
| price paid: | 400€ new |
| positive: | Sharp; Very compact and light; 2.8 |
| negative: | Not wide enough on APS-C |
| comment: | Bought it in 1989. This was my favourite lens when I used film. Gives very sharp and dramatic pictures. I do not use it often since I went digital and bought a CZ16-80 since the 24 was not wide enough anymore. For group photos, especially indoors or at night outdoors, still very useful. When a Sony full frame body exists and is affordable I will no doubt use it again quite often. |
| Callam9774#2883 date: Oct-30-2007 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 10-20 EX. Sony 18-200. Tokina 19-35. Minolta 135 2.8 |
| price paid: | Ł100 |
| positive: | Excellent image quality.Sharp and light to carry. Beautiful build quality.Good balance on KM 5D and Sony A100. |
| negative: | Limited range. I need to carry other lenses for both ends of range. |
| comment: | I bought this lens for myself for my birthday and have been really impressed by the quality of build and the superb results. Although the range is limited, the quality of images produced allow for quite severe cropping to produce some 'zoom' flexibility. |
| recnahne#2709 date: Sep-9-2007 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.6 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 2.8/24, KoMi 2.8-4/17-35 |
| price paid: | 100 EUR |
| positive: | Sharp, compact size, reasonable price |
| negative: | Tendency towards CA's |
| comment: | One of my favourite lenses for landscapes. I like the compact size and the remarkable sharpness even wide open. Build quality and optical performance are better than with the Sigma 2.8/24, and the lens clearly outperforms my KoMi 2.8-4/17-35. A certain tendency towards CA's is visible, yet not really relevant in most situations. |
| hilbren#2708 date: Sep-7-2007 | |
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sharpness: 5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 5 overall: 4.8 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 28mm F/2.8 50mm F/1.7 50mm F/1.4 90mm F/2.8 300mm F/4.0 28-135mm F/4-4.5 28-75mm F/2.8 17-35mm F/2.8-4 100-200mm F/4-4.5 35-70mm F/3.5-4.5 |
| price paid: | €150,- (used) |
| positive: | - sharp, no matter how you use it. |
| negative: | - none |
| comment: | I love this lens. The hood is much better then the ones from the 28 and the 50mm lenses |
| Themisa#2673 date: Aug-30-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.5 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | - 35/2 - 50/1.7 - 28-75/2.8 |
| price paid: | € 150,- |
| positive: | - small - lightweight - angle - colors, bokeh |
| negative: | - hood and cap removal - nothing else |
| comment: | Great lens for landscape, buildings, city's when stopped down to f4 or a bit more. Very usable, not as sharp as the 35/2, but good enough. When I take the 24, 35 and 50 with me I can do a lot with not that much weight. Works better on 5D than on the A100. Highly recommended. |
| Pepigno#2630 date: Aug-13-2007 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | Sony 18-75mm f3.5-4.5 KM 17-35mm f2.8-4 |
| price paid: | US$ 250 used |
| positive: | Very sharp No distortion Well Built Light and compact |
| negative: | none |
| comment: | I love this lens. I use it for nocturnal photo, architecture and landscape. The lens is spectacular. |
| hamzah#2576 date: Jul-25-2007 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 EX. |
| price paid: | 225 USD (new) |
| positive: | Outstanding sharpness Flare resistant 55mm filter thread Comes with bayonet hood Solid construction Super fast focusing speed Very compact Wide aperture 2.8 Fairly priced. |
| negative: | None. |
| comment: | Minolta 24mm f/2.8 is simply one of the sharpest in the Maxxum line-up. Not sure why other people gave it 3-4.5 rating for its killer sharpness, I guess they are using APS-C 6MP or 10MP DSLR not a fair way to test the FF lens. I've used it on my Maxxum 5 for the first time with Fuji Reala 100 loaded and set the aperture to f/8 in the A mode and it was done. It is so fast on my Maxxum 5 that as soon as I turn it on its in focus. The lens is very sturdy and mine is rare crossed-X version bought new on ebay for only $225 with free shipping. If you're shooting architecture and landscapes this is the lens for you. Also one of the best things about this lens is the flare control not even one shot I've taken got any sign of flare or halos, totally flare resistant. Very compact and solidly built and comes with 55mm filter thread just like the most Minolta lenses. I use the top quality B+W 55mm MRC Skylight 1A filter for protection. There is no vigneting at all unless you stack more than 2 filters. I highly recommend to get this lens either used or new. Also don't judge the 4x6 prints for its sharpness, you have to blow up atleast 5x7 and up to view its sharpness. I'm simply blown away by its performance and I'm sure you'll also. |
| Mike Torello#2498 date: Jul-1-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.2 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta AF 28/2.0 Minolta AF 35-70/4 Macro Minolta AF 70-210/4 |
| price paid: | 200 USD used |
| positive: | - F2.8, effective F4/F5.6 - infinity from 3m, AF can be off |
| negative: | - nothing |
| comment: | Good lens, the prime in city photo with 36mm on Digital. |
| gsaronni#2487 date: Jun-28-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 4 flare control: 4 overall: 4.4 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | 28mm f2 24-105 f3.5-4.5 17-35 f2.8-4 |
| price paid: | 180€ |
| positive: | Small Affordable The one prime solution for travelling light Good colours Internal focusing |
| negative: | Less sharp tha my prior WA prime(28mm f2) Distorsions are pronounced |
| comment: | I thought I was going to keep this prime forever, but when I tested it against the CZ 16-80 I saw that the quality of this zoom is enough for my uses. Sept 2008: I decided to pick up this lens again, it is the focal lenngth I use the most and the colours, sharpness and weight are amazing. CZ 16-80 is a very nice lens, but this little gem is a must. I upgrade the distorsion from 3 to 4 It is very sharp, but I had some time ago the 28/2 and it was just perfect, so I will keep 4 |
| monte920#2171 date: Apr-18-2007 | |
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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 own this lens |
| compared to: | 24-105mm (D) 24-50mm 28mm f2.0 |
| price paid: | 150USD (used, mint) |
| positive: | Compactness Good sharpness/contrast/color Relatively milder distortion compared with zoom lenses |
| negative: | Not much, maybe a little bit plain No (D) version Wish it could be f/2.0 |
| comment: | This is a forgotten lens. With 24-50, 24-85, 24-105 starting at 24mm f3.5/f4.0, many will skip this 24mm f2.8 lens. Sony did not even bother to revive this lens, either. This is a shame, because it is really an excellent performer! Compared to the zoom counterparts, it has not only a half-stop aperture advantage, but better in light fall-off, distortion and color. Its color is vivid and saturated, but less so than the Nikon 24mm f2.8D, that means Minolta's color is more balanced. I have to admit that I do not use this lens very often. But I am very pleased about the results that it gave on last year's Xmas family reunion. Its focal length is ideal for group photos (group size 5~15). It generates pleasing skin tone, vibrant X'mas color, and little distortion to worry about those people standing at the edge of a picture! |
| The Shoeman#2153 date: Apr-14-2007 | |
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sharpness: 3.5 color: 4 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.3 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I used to own this lens |
| compared to: | Minolta 20/2.8 Minolta 28/2 Minolta 35/2 |
| price paid: | 144.00 USD (used) |
| positive: | Small and light. |
| negative: | Not as sharp as others but acceptable. Not very wide on Digital. |
| comment: | Nice little lens. I used it often until I got my Minolta 20/2.8. For the money, it's great. |
| DavidB#2061 date: Mar-27-2007 | |
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sharpness: 4.5 color: 5 build: 5 distortion: 5 flare control: 4 overall: 4.7 | tested on:
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| ownership: | I own this lens |
| compared to: | 20mm 2.8 28-135mm 4/4.5 |
| price paid: | Forget, bought new |
| positive: | Light, reasonable cost and performance, low distortion compared to 20mm 2.8. Sharp with classic M colour. |
| negative: | CA green/magenta in corners can be hard to remove in pp. |
| comment: | I acquired this lens because in certain situations (straight horizons near top or bottom of frame, vignetting apparent in shots with even tonal range into corners) I found the 20mm lacking, although I am generally happy with that lens in most circumstances. I think the 24 is a very good performer at reasonable cost, and is sometimes a little easier to compose with than a wider lens. It's not really wide enough for me with the 7D. A very nice wide angle on the a900. Examples can be found at : web.mac.com/davidbannister |
| stickbreitling#1990 date: Mar-19-2007 | |
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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: | Minolta 28-80/3.5-5.6 Sigma 17-70/2.8-4.5 |
| price paid: | 150GBP |
| positive: | Sharp and good DoF Very compact and light |
| negative: | Mine didn't come with a lens hood! Edit: now has a hood Might want to consider a 20mm for extra coverage? |
| comment: | Great light carry lens. Partnered with a 50mm, this functioned well for me as part of a walkabout prime set. At times I felt myself wanting the 20mm for a little bit of extra coverage. However, it covers most shooting situations, such as a group of friends indoors and outdoor shots of landmarks. Picture is sharp and the colours are rich. Can get some nice 'close subject in the foreground, wide bokeh landscape in the background' shots. Edit: got hold of a second hand genuine Minolta hood. Now it's complete. Looks short and stumpy, but cool on the A100. |
rating summary
- total reviews: 102
- sharpness: 4.49
- color: 4.82
- build: 4.80
- distortion: 4.61
- flare control: 4.22
- overall: 4.59
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