Everybody has good and bad or good and mediocre lenses. If you are interested in pro level lenses all the G and HS G series are very good. Some like the 17-35/3.5 G are way too expensive (costs as much as the way overpriced Pentax FA 400/5.6) especially when you can get the Sigma 17-35/2.8-4 for about 1/3rd the price and close to the same performance. Minolta has 2 great consumer zooms, the 100-300/4.5-5.6 APO and the newer 100-400/4.5-6.7 APO. The latter has almost the performance of the frightfully expensive Canon 100-400/4.5-5.6 IS at 1/4th the price. Both equal the excellent Tokina ATX II 100-300/4 in performance at a more compact size. In long range lenses the 600/4 HS G is superb as it the 300/2.8 and 200/2.8 HS G lenses. The one size they make that nobody else does is the 400/4.5 HS G. This is sort of a cult lens in that it can be bought new for less than $2k, has a focus limiter switch so you can prevent AF hunting and it is probably the sharpest long prime wide open that can be bought today from any maker. It is slightly sharper at F4.5 than at any other setting and it has a Photodo rating of 4.0 which is the best of any lens 400mm or longer that I know of. Their 80-200/2.8 is rated much higher than the Pentax in MTF scores and the people who use it like it (as do the people who use the Pentax). I opted for the Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX instead. Both have the same Photodo rating of 3.9 but the Minolta is sharper at the low end for PJ and portrait work while the Sigma is slightly sharper at 180mm and up where I do most of my work. I think if your friend tried a Maxxum 7 he would most likely buy it. One of the advantages of Minolta is that all the 3rd party lenses available are always available in this mount because like Pentax their lens lineup is not as big as Canon or Nikon so buyers tend to shop the non branded lenses more than the other 2. Plus since Minolta makes more semi-pro and pro bodies than Pentax the 3rd party makers always keep their pro lenses in their lineups in MAF mount because they often have a distinct price/performance ratio advantage over the factory ones. I personally like the Maxxum 9 because it is sort of a retro and at the same time high tech body. Like an AF LX or Super A/Program body with dials you can turn instead of having to scroll through some LED panel options. Kent Gittings -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2001 2:50 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Minolta info
Thanks for the info, Kent. My friend's main concern is the lenses quality. What do you think about them? How they compare to Pentax and Nikon? Regards and thanks Albano - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org . ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept by MIMEsweeper for the presence of computer viruses. www.mimesweeper.com ********************************************************************** - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
