Inexpensive lenses.

[Mr. Lips]

When I was shooting film, I used to buy an inexpensive body and pair it with an expensive lens and shoot with pro film.

Now I'm doing the opposite.  The body cost so much, I've been trying to get by with inexpensive lenses with predictable results.

I've also been buying some inexpensive Chinese made binoculars (actually, almost all binoculars are Chinese made) with pretty impressive performance and was hoping for the same with camera lenses.

Seems I'm far more critical of the performance of camera lenses.

I just ordered some lens test charts.

Amazon.com : DGK Color Tools High Resolution 8.5x11" Chrome SD Professional Lens Test Chart, 3-Pack : Office And School Rulers : Electronics

I don't have a really good lens to compare my cheap lenses against, but I can test them against each other and see where I need to do more shopping.

There may be a price point where performance is both acceptable and affordable.  I'm hoping.  I'm pretty sure my Samyang 100mm macro lens is pretty good.  My Meike 50mm is pretty questionable.

 

[Phormula]

In the old film days it made a lot of sense to invest in lenses and film than in the body. 

Today, a more balanced approach is needed.

Speaking of cheap lenses, what I have often noticed is great sample variability, I have two fairly good SEL 16-50 kit lens that came with my cameras, but I have tested one from a friend that was horrible, completely decentered. 

[XKAES]

One of the good things about Sony cameras is that you can use GREAT, inexpensive, AF, Minolta MAXXUM-mount lenses made by Minolta -- and others -- at ridiculously low prices.  There were millions of them made, and they now sell for peanuts.

[Mr. Lips]

22 hours ago, XKAES said:

One of the good things about Sony cameras is that you can use GREAT, inexpensive, AF, Minolta MAXXUM-mount lenses made by Minolta -- and others -- at ridiculously low prices.  There were millions of them made, and they now sell for peanuts.

I think I have a lens or two that fit Minolta, but I think they are pre MAXXUM.  I'd have to dig them out.

I'm a Colorado shooter too.  Keep trying to catch a good sunrise but I do my grocery shopping around that same time.  Luckily, great sunrises and sunsets are a dime a dozen around here.

 

[XKAES]

Minolta's PRE-Maxxum lenses are usually, but not always, labeled "ROKKOR".   The Maxxum lenses will always have 5 or 8, gold-plated, electrical contacts inside the rear lens mount.  The PRE-Maxxum lenses won't have these -- just a single metal pin that sticks into the camera.

The Maxxum lenses will fit on any Sony a-mount cameras without a problem.

The Maxxum lenses will fit on Sony e-mount cameras, but you'll need an adapter -- which depends on the camera.

To fit Minolta's older lenses on any Sony camera you'll need an adapter -- which depends on the camera.

Edited December 13, 2024 by XKAES

[Mr. Lips]

I went digging through my closet yesterday and found a Tokina 24-70 zoom in Minolta mount, but I'm pretty certain it isn't Maxxum.  It's a manual lens.  Wish I could use it on my Sony, it's a good lens.  I probably paid quite a bit for it at the time.

I was really looking for my Canon film camera.  I know it has a Canon 50mm F/1.4 lens on it and I also found a Tokina 35-105 in Canon mount, but no luck finding the camera.  Thought I might shoot a roll of film.  Not sure where I can get it developed.

[tadwil]

You can find dumb adapters for all of your lenses as long as you are certain of the lens mount for less than $30.00 on eBay or Amazon.  Most photographic equipment stores develop film.  Here in Vancouver BC Canada, it's about $10.00 per roll of 36 and if you want 4X6 prints of each frame, they will do that for about 5 or 6 bucks extra.  Film is still alive and well, and believe it or not I know of a young man in his late teens, who's first camera was a vintage SLR instead of a digital camera.

[XKAES]

12 hours ago, Mr. Lips said:

I went digging through my closet yesterday and found a Tokina 24-70 zoom in Minolta mount, but I'm pretty certain it isn't Maxxum.  It's a manual lens.  Wish I could use it on my Sony, it's a good lens.  I probably paid quite a bit for it at the time.

Soligor, Sigma & Vivitar made 24-70mm manual-focus zooms, but I am unaware of a Tokina model.  Can you provide some more details? 

The Soligor, Sigma & Vivitar 24-70mm manual-focus zooms were probably all made in M42 mounts, so these would be easy to adapt to Sony SLRs.

There are several 24-70mm zooms with an AF Maxxum, a-mount.  Minolta also made a 24-50mm, 24-85mm & my favorite, the 25-105mm.  You can find these for amazingly low prices.

Edited December 17, 2024 by XKAES

[Cameratose]

If you can, find a Minolta 28-135/4-4.5. And outstanding AF lens from the early Maxxum days, albeit a bit heavy. Folklore refers to it as the 'secret handshake' lens, supposedly made by Minolta and sold way below cost as a thank you to their customers. Of course that's nonsense, but it is a very good lens. If small is your need, they made a 100-200 AF that will give decent results with a bit of nudging in post. 

One word of advice, in my experience the earlier Minolta Maxxum lenses were the best, although there are some outliers. Later on they were in heated competition to sell cheaper cameras and lenses, and quality suffered. A good resource is Dyxum.com. You can browse through hundreds and hundreds of A Mounts and search by specific parameters. Lenses are rated based on several factors such as build, fringing, sharpness, color reproduction, etc.