Customer Reviews

Minolta 28mm-105 F3.5-4.5 Maxxum Zoom Lens for Minolta-AF Camera

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I purchased this lens for use with a Minolta 600si body. This was my first experience using either a zoom or an autofocus lens as I have been an ardent "manual" equipment photographer for over 40 years. Well, I am very surprised to find this piece of glass a pleasure to work with and I now use it for most of my photos. The mechanics have worked flawlessly and the photos are clear and sharp. I do find the lens rather "slow", although at f3.5-4.5 it is still faster than most zoom lenses in this price range (maybe I've been spoiled by my faster fixed lenses). I therefore use 800 ASA film. The lens mates very well with the Minolta camera, is well balanced and lightweight. For the money it is an excellent choice for wide-angle to portraits and low power zoom. All in all I find the lens to be an excellent choice for an "all purpose" lens.

Great versatility. A little more than the 28-80 but worth it for the time you save changing the lens and greater scope it gives you in pictures. Consider buying just the body of the camera and fixing it up with this lens rather than going with the standard 28-80.

One Lucky Buy!

I bought this on an eBay "BIN" or "Make Offer". I made an offer some 20% below asking price and- Surprise!- Won It! ($110) I usually shoot a Sony a700, with Sony's 18-200mm 3.5 as my everyday favorite. I thought this lens was the perfect answer for a 1 lens carry. And it pretty much was, except for its tendency to deliever "over soft" images. Soft is great for weddings- and I've shot weddings using this lens only, with no regrets- or other romantic themed settings, but not for everyday satisfaction.

When this (28-105mm xi, the power zoom version) arrived I snapped it in and began shooting. Wow! Every Shot was sharper than my "better" images from the longer, wider Sony. Every shot! It gives back very acceptable, flash-lit, indoors photos, too. Get the flash setting down and wow yourself! And speaking only of the power zoom (xi) feature, it works on all Sony alphas. It took very little to get used to and, so far, does not seem to over-sap the batteries. I do most always use my vertical grip which does a better job of handling slower zooms, with its 2 batteries, besides making my "vertical shots" so much easier.

As much as this lens lacks the very wide range of the Sony 18-200mm, it has won a place as my everyday lens. I dare current users of the otherwise nice Sony to take a test drive with this Maxxum 28-105mm xi 3.5.

Now if Sony would simply make the 18-200mm SHARPER, I'd buy it in a jiffy! DIRECT HINT TO SONY