Minolta AF Reflex 500

[thebeardedgroundsman]

This conversation started in the topic about whether to use filters or not.

Where I thought my Minolta 500mm reflex could not take screw on filters, I was informed it could. I investigated furthether to find that the lens hood I thought was integral could indeed be removed to reveal an 82mm diameter thread. I've now bought myself a UV filter to protect the lens and have found my Firecrest filter system fits as well (for polarising and creative filters).

To move forward... as Xykes says, I also believe this lens (or the Sony branded identical lens) to be the only Autofocus reflex lens ever produced.

I love it, although it has a fixed aperture of f/8 and some people find "doughnutting" a problem with this type of lens. 

It is the lightest lens in my kit, so I am happy to keep it in my bag, whereas my other 500mm lens tends to get left behind unless I am specifiacally going out after wildlife or the moon.

I also find I can use it hand held for wildlife - not needing my monopod so much.

Here are a couple of pics I have taken with it.

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[XKAES]

Very nice.

And, by the way, it's XKAES, not Xykes -- another older, great, usable Minolta device.

Edited March 7, 2021 by XKAES

[ben7]

Nice picture

[alasdairmac]

The very first long lens I ever had, and for a few years it was the only big boy that I had. Never fell in love with it though: image quality was poor and the fixed f8 aperture on dull Scottish days was too limiting in an era when upping your ISO too much to compensate did more harm than good. And the bokeh was terrible. I've still got it though. Maybe time to dig it out and try it with my A7iii