Minolta AF MACRO 100mm F2.8 (D) lens

When Sony purchased Minolta in 2006, they became the lucky recipients of Minolta's extensive catalog of lenses. Minolta had already been a top-tier lensmaker for half of a century, and this Macro 100mm f/2.8 (D) lens wears their nameplate proudly. Minolta developed the Alpha mount for their groundbreaking line of autofocus cameras in 1985 with the original version of this lens debuting in 1986. This particular version appeared in 2000 but is optically identical to the original. Even Sony hasn't been able to improve upon it two decades later, a testament to "The Mind of Minolta" getting it right the first time. The accompanying shots were taken with a Sony a77 II hand held with manual focus at between 1:2 to 1:1 macro ratio and were resized to just 0.25 megapixels to facilitate image transfer. A tripod would have enabled me to lower the ISO to 100 for even more detail. With Sony's Alpha mount being discontinued in favor of their mirrorless e mount, these older Minolta lenses are becoming more and more attractive to stubborn "Alpha males" like me who love top quality lenses but hate paying top level prices.

If you are looking at this item, you probably know what it is all about: vintage build quality and famous sharpness. I just wanted to add a few thoughts on Amazon, since there were no reviews here. Ken Rockwell, Kurt Munger, petapixel, and a bunch of dyxum users already posted just about everything there is to know about this lens (please add the appropriate amount of salt added to each source, including my review here). Photozone did a very nice review of the Sony version (same optics, different plastic body and badges), which my copy of the Minolta matches perfectly.IQ. I attached some sample photos to show off the rendering of this lens. The macros and portraits are all wide open; the landscapes are stopped down. Many shots used AF. All are raw converted in Lightroom, with minor color and contrast tweaks. I exported them at the max resolution Amazon allows, which isn’t very high; pixel peepers will be very happy with this lens, but will have to go to Photozone or other sources, or just buy the lens themselves.AF. I used this lens almost exclusively on the Sony A7II, with the LAEA4 adapter. It also worked on the APS-C (150mm equivalent) Sony A6000, also with the LAEA4 adapter. The autofocus was quick enough on both bodies to track moving subjects; it was accurate enough that I never found a reason to tweak focus (even using a critical eye in liveview focus magnification). For AF, this lens requires a camera or adapter that turns the focusing screw on the lens (for Sony NEX, A6x00, and A7x users, that means that the LAEA4 is required for AF; the LAEA3 adapter works, but only in manual focus mode, which is OK to use on this lens). There are many digital and film camera bodies designed for this A-mount lens. The AF makes a quiet whirring sound that might be audible during video recordings. I can’t tell what part of the sound comes from the lens and what comes from the motor in the camera/adapter--I suspect most of the noise is actually from the motor and not the lens.Nature and Landscapes. I really enjoyed taking this lens outdoors. It was just small enough (~3.9” long, ~18 oz) that I took it with me on my twilight bicycle commutes to and from work and on some shorter nordic ski days. It is not small enough for me to lug around f/2.8 glass in good light “just in case”. So, it will not be with me in the backcountry unless I have a very good reason to take it. Wide open, there is a large part of the image that is tack sharp; peak sharpness across the frame is at only f/5.6. With my image stabilized A7II, I was able to use shutter speeds down to 1/25 for some very nice ISO100 shots before sunrise and after sunset.Macro. Using 100mm for macro is convenient, since the working distance is pretty far from the subject. It allows for relatively easy lighting, and the chance of not disturbing living subjects. Macro isn’t really my thing, but I had fun giving it a try with this beauty. I apologize for my limited macro ability (I don’t even own a ring light or a focus rail)--that is not the lens’ fault. Keep in mind--wide open, at close focus distance (about 6” past the end of the lens), the total depth of field is vanishingly, shockingly small.Portraits. It is fast, and a very good portrait focal length; so, even though I don’t do a lot of portraits, I found myself really seeking out opportunities for candid portraits. This lens is so clinically sharp that it could be unflattering. That is a really nice problem to have--a lens that is too sharp! Keep in mind that the f/2.8 depth of field is pretty small, especially at head-and-shoulders distance.Design and Build Quality. I don’t know why anyone would pay more money for the Sony version of this lens, which evidently is more plastic. The optical design is unchanged since 1986 (13 years before Amazon started selling books online), for good reason. The lens feels solid. The focus ring is easy to find without looking (front of the lens), and rotates smoothly. I got very lucky on an ebay purchase from Japan and received a clean, almost-mint copy (I must have been very good in a previous life to win this gamble, though it was a stressful few weeks of waiting for the shipment and customs processing to the USA). This design is (in-)famous for picking up internal dust--I was evidently very lucky to get one without any dust. I don’t think a small amount of internal dust affects images, but it might be a consideration if you plan to use this lens extensively, especially outdoors: internal dust may eventually show up in photos as reduced resolution, reduced contrast, and/or inexplicable soft spots. When buying used copies, keep an eye out for it, but don’t worry too much.Why some older lenses last longer. I wanted to point out something that might be obvious to most. Vintage lenses seem to last longer than “modern” lenses for a reason, and it is not just the difference between metal and plastic. This lens is a great example of how a simple, well-designed device can last decades. It doesn’t have an autofocus motor, for example; rather, it has gears and relies on the camera or photographer to turn them. It doesn’t have internal image stabilization, gyros, accelerometers, processors, software, or any other electronics except for a small simple chip that gives basic info to the camera. It doesn’t have an LCD, crimped wires, or very many solder joints. It will last a long time because it is principally an optical and mechanical device, not an electromechanical gadget. Modern lens technology has its place and is fantastic when well implemented; but, this lens shows that the latest technology isn’t a prerequisite for great images.Bottom line. For E- and A-mount shooters, this lens is pretty much a no-brainer. Besides being durable and razor sharp, the price is crazy low for this optical quality. The price has probably dropped as much as it ever will (it was ~$829 retail in 1990; that’s over $1500 in 2015 USD!). Buy it without hesitation, use it with great success, then sell it for the same price...if you can bear to let it go.May you be blessed with great light!