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Good bye A-mount - it was great knowing you


thebeardedgroundsman
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I've finally moved across to E-mount. The focussing technology and higher resolution on the A7Rii and the compactness of the A6500 seduced me.

The trade in I got for mynkit allowed me to buy 3 excellent lenses

I still have my Amount Minolta 500mm AF Reflex (and an adapter) which gives me the option of a lightweight, compact, 500mm lens (good when hiking with a possibility of wildlife - rather than going out specifically looking for birds and critters with my 100-400mm GM lens).

What i'll miss most is the simple GPS on the A99 and the custom knob on the front, which I used for selecting AF modes. The controls were nicely spaced as well.

I had fun with the A mounts and took loads of photos I enjoy, and some have acquired some acclaim - one is being printed up as a 3 x 1.5m wall print - for the eating cabin at work!

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Hi,
I'm not so good in English, so forgive me, my mother language is Finish.
I have used Minolta when they introduced first time AF system and still using some of the Minolta lenses. I'm not so sure that E-lenses are better than A-lenses, specially in the APS-C size. Example the Zeiss 16-70mm for E and Zeiss 16-80mm for A, the only big difference is the size on a6500 body with the adapter on the 16-80mm. 
I got the Minolta AF APO TELE Zoom 80-200mm F2,8 in condition really like new for 400€, I could not get anything like that for E-mount with that price.
I'm wondering how cheap those A-mount lenses can be, so I'm for sure looking on those in future and keeping those adapters I have for A-mount lenses.
 

Edited by markku55
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Missing from this conversation are the Sony 12-24mm f/28 GM lens and the new Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM lens.  The latter is my favorite lens for astro shooting.  The 12-24mm is my preferred lens for most ultra wide shots.  On a recent astro trip to the Tetons, using the 12-24mm lens I was able to get the trees behind me in the shot because of the extra 2mm producing a very unique shot.

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6 hours ago, markku55 said:

Hi,
I'm wondering how cheap those A-mount lenses can be, so I'm for sure looking on those in future and keeping those adapters I have for A-mount lenses.
 

Keep in mind that Minolta has been making SLR lenses for almost 60 years -- and auto-focus lenses for almost 40 years.  There are lots and lots of great Minolta AF lenses that you can get for next to nothing.  They won't have all the bells & whistles of newer lenses -- like anti-shake stuff -- but the optics are probably the same.  Plus there are lots of independent lens makers that have been adding to the AF arsenal for just as long.  I recently bought a Minolta Maxxum 5 with a Sigma 24-200mm lens for $20.  I sold the camera for $30, and kept the lens.  That's about as cheap as you can get.

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On 9/22/2021 at 2:49 PM, XKAES said:

And next year you can look forward to the NEW ?-mount cameras and lenses.

Seeing how long the A-mount has been successful and E-mount proving successful for the mirrorless system, I Don't think Sony are going to bring in a new mount for a very long time. With R&D being so expensive, why would they? While they are converting so many Canon and Nikon users with the combination of camera technology and a range of very good/excellant lenses at varying price points I think E-mount is here to stay for a long time.

I also think a lot of people will continue to buy up great A-mount lenses at bargain prices and Sony have been cunning in producing pretty decent adapters so A-mounters can be tempted to buy E-mount bodies (like me).

Edited by thebeardedgroundsman
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I'm glad you like your E-mount cameras and lenses.  A look back through history reveals that Minolta/Sony made significant changes to their cameras and lenses every five years -- on average.  Very similar to Canon (which makes about half of all the digital cameras), Nikon, Pentax, etc. 

Good luck if you think change will stop with the current crop of Sony cameras and lenses -- Sony only makes about 20% of all the digital cameras.

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I have recently bought an A7 ii, but I am still using and will keep using my A580. All the lenses I have, but one, are A-mount. I also bought a Sony A to E mount adapter and will be using it for the A-mount full frame lenses I have (which I can also mount on the A580).


Just one of the A-mount lenses I have can be automatically focused when used on the A7 ii, but that is OK for me. Having AF is a plus, but with the focusing aids of the A7, I can focus manually fast enough for most takes. Even sometimes (depending on the photo I’m taking) I prefer to focus manually (and regarding modes, I always shoot in Manual mode, though that might be because I’m old school).

So I won’t say “goodbye to A-mount”, and whenever I manage to find fine A-mount lenses that are in good conditions and being sold cheap, I’ll probably be tempted, and buy them.

 

Edited by Alejandro
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/24/2021 at 3:16 PM, XKAES said:

Keep in mind that Minolta has been making SLR lenses for almost 60 years -- and auto-focus lenses for almost 40 years.  There are lots and lots of great Minolta AF lenses that you can get for next to nothing.  They won't have all the bells & whistles of newer lenses -- like anti-shake stuff -- but the optics are probably the same.  Plus there are lots of independent lens makers that have been adding to the AF arsenal for just as long.  I recently bought a Minolta Maxxum 5 with a Sigma 24-200mm lens for $20.  I sold the camera for $30, and kept the lens.  That's about as cheap as you can get.

The 5 is the smallest and lightest film SLR ever made.  You should have kept it and tried film. AE and AF on it very good.

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You are correct.  The Maxxum 5 is the smallest and lightest film SLR ever made -- and PACKED with features.  But I didn't have a need to keep the Maxxum 5 -- I already have one, with a data back.  I only bought the other one for the 24-200mm lens.  I kept the the like-new lens, and sold the like-new Maxxum 5.  So I got the 24-200mm lens for free -- with an extra $10 in my pocket -- and use the lens on my Maxxum 5!!!  The 24-200mm is definitely the perfect ALL-IN-ONE lens -- on my light Maxxum or my heavy Sony!

Edited by XKAES
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  • 11 months later...

So how are the A-mount users now. I went cleaning my lenses and i just realized that a-mount is discontinued already. I have such a collection of lenses from minolta to sony.  my last amount camera was a A77

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We're doing fine -- not everyone has simply moved on.  And you can walk and chew gum at the same time.

Remember, Minolta switched from its manual-focus SR/MC/MD/ROKKOR lens mount to the MAXXUM/DYNAX/A lens mount in 1985, but there are still countless shutterbugs using the Rokkor lenses -- on older film cameras, as well as newer digital cameras.

Likewise, there are still countless shutterbugs using the MAXXUM/DYNAX/A lenses -- on older film cameras, as well as newer digital cameras.

I'm like many who  have a foot in all three pools.

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