Minolta Maxxum lenses - should I bother... I have some 2nd Minolta Maxxum/Alpha lenses (from the 7000i). I know that there's been 3 changes of company making a DSLR back for what was Maxxum/Alpha, the current one being Sony. What I'd like advice/opinions on is, is it worth it for me to buy just the Sony back (probably a used one) for these, or should I just start over with a new DSLR? Price being part of the consideration, but I don't want to throw good money after bad. Minolta Maxxum lenses - should I bother... I have some 2nd Minolta Maxxum/Alpha lenses (from the 7000i). I know that there's been 3 changes of company making a DSLR back for what was... » Read More Minolta Maxxum lenses - should I bother... I have some 2nd Minolta Maxxum/Alpha lenses (from the 7000i). I know that there's been 3 changes of company making a DSLR back for what was Maxxum/Alpha, the current one being Sony. What I'd like advice/opinions on is, is it worth it for me to buy just the Sony back (probably a used one) for these, or should I just start over with a new DSLR? Price being part of the consideration, but I don't want to throw good money after bad. « Show Less
297888
Thanks! A lot of specific info.Yeah, I knew the NEX series can't handle the Maxxum lenses.I probably wouldn't be buying any more lenses cause that's why I want the Sony BODY, cause I already HAVE several Maxxum lenses. PLus I really like how they have the IS in the body, not the lens.I don't often shoot sports so that's not a problem to me.I did NOT know that Tamron was associated with Minolta/Sony. To be honest, the original reason I went with Maxxum was that I had trouble seeing well enough to manually focus (took me forever). So I'd probably let the camera do that, and just change the speed/opening.My daughter has a Canon 30D but BOY is that a heavy body!Well, thanks again. I'll prob be buying the A33 body next month. Thanks! A lot of specific info.Yeah, I knew the NEX series can't handle the Maxxum lenses.I probably wouldn't be buying any more lenses cause that's why I want the Sony BODY, cause I already HAVE several Maxxum lenses. PLus I really like how they have the IS in the body, not the lens.I don't often shoot sports so that's not a problem to me.I did NOT know that Tamron was associated with Minolta/Sony. To be honest, the original reason I went with Maxxum was that I had trouble seeing well enough to manually focus (took me forever). So I'd... » Read More Thanks! A lot of specific info.Yeah, I knew the NEX series can't handle the Maxxum lenses.I probably wouldn't be buying any more lenses cause that's why I want the Sony BODY, cause I already HAVE several Maxxum lenses. PLus I really like how they have the IS in the body, not the lens.I don't often shoot sports so that's not a problem to me.I did NOT know that Tamron was associated with Minolta/Sony. To be honest, the original reason I went with Maxxum was that I had trouble seeing well enough to manually focus (took me forever). So I'd probably let the camera do that, and just change the speed/opening.My daughter has a Canon 30D but BOY is that a heavy body!Well, thanks again. I'll prob be buying the A33 body next month. « Show Less
297889
For the little differrence in money the a55 is a much better buy. It is not just the 2 mexapixel differrence in the sensor, many feature are on the 55 that are not on the 33 . Besides the 10 fps which you do not need their is a bigger buffer to hold more pictures before locking up, much better image quality, gps which is nice when travelling , and much more. The sensor in the 55 is the same sensor in the 5000 dollar nikon body. Besides that they about the same sort of like a Honda civic is sort of the same as a Rolls Royce as thry both have wheels
297890
If you don't make a living at photography...............its not that imortant, and anyway the next models will always be faster............live in the moment !
297891
Will try to be brief this time, film is dead !! Digital is here, whether it be DSLR or NEX, you should get your value's worth in one of the Sony DSLR camera bodys............ if you have SLR lenses, I would go in that direction...............My guess in why nobody knows much about Sony, is that they have either Canons or Nikon cameras............ I doubt many old Minolta owners know of the Sony being acceptable to old Minolta lenses Good Luck !
297892
I also had a Minolta 7000i, with 5 different lenses from Sigma for the Minolta. I took them to Best Buy and tried them on a Sony a230 dslr.......... they all worked flawlessly........... I would expect the same or better from your old Minolta lenses........ a big plus there are a ton of the old Minolta lenses for sale on Ebay for pennies on the dollarSony Alpha DSLR-A290L 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55 Lens Sony kept the Minolta lenses mounts.............may not be true of manual focus lensesI don;t know if Canon and Nikon kept the same mounts for their new DSLR's I also had a Minolta 7000i, with 5 different lenses from Sigma for the Minolta. I took them to Best Buy and tried them on a Sony a230 dslr.......... they all worked flawlessly........... I would expect the same or better from your old Minolta lenses........ a big plus there are a ton of the old Minolta lenses for sale on Ebay for pennies on the dollarSony Alpha DSLR-A290L 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55 Lens Sony kept the Minolta lenses mounts.............may not be true of manual focus lensesI don;t know if Canon and... » Read More I also had a Minolta 7000i, with 5 different lenses from Sigma for the Minolta. I took them to Best Buy and tried them on a Sony a230 dslr.......... they all worked flawlessly........... I would expect the same or better from your old Minolta lenses........ a big plus there are a ton of the old Minolta lenses for sale on Ebay for pennies on the dollarSony Alpha DSLR-A290L 14.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55 Lens Sony kept the Minolta lenses mounts.............may not be true of manual focus lensesI don;t know if Canon and Nikon kept the same mounts for their new DSLR's « Show Less
297893
Did the Sony you bought have Steady Shot? And if so, does it work with all your Minolta lenses? My main concern is how long Sony will continue to support these lenses, i.e. make backs that can fully use the Minolta M lenses. For one thing, I DID find out that those nice new Sony NEX's do NOT support all functions of the Minolta M lenses, such as Steady Shot. And as you know, Minolta's have gone from Minolta, to Konica/Minolta, to Sony. I don't have any Canon or Nikon lenses, so I would have to start from scratch, but I AM pretty sure that they are going to stick around and be the same companies! (and yes, they excellent continuity of their entire line of lenses). Did the Sony you bought have Steady Shot? And if so, does it work with all your Minolta lenses? My main concern is how long Sony will continue to support these lenses, i.e. make backs that can fully use the Minolta M lenses. For one thing, I DID find out that those nice new Sony NEX's do NOT support all functions of the Minolta M lenses, such as Steady Shot. And as you know, Minolta's have gone from Minolta, to Konica/Minolta, to Sony. I don't have any Canon or Nikon lenses, so I would have to start from scratch, but I AM pretty sure that they are going to stick around and be... » Read More Did the Sony you bought have Steady Shot? And if so, does it work with all your Minolta lenses? My main concern is how long Sony will continue to support these lenses, i.e. make backs that can fully use the Minolta M lenses. For one thing, I DID find out that those nice new Sony NEX's do NOT support all functions of the Minolta M lenses, such as Steady Shot. And as you know, Minolta's have gone from Minolta, to Konica/Minolta, to Sony. I don't have any Canon or Nikon lenses, so I would have to start from scratch, but I AM pretty sure that they are going to stick around and be the same companies! (and yes, they excellent continuity of their entire line of lenses). « Show Less
563693
Not grey market. Brand new Tokina with 3-year warranty. This is definitely a Pro level lens. Big. Heavy. Durable. Mine came with a pretty good lens cover. Use it to protect the front element, as this lens will not take filters, much like the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. I'm a photojournalist, not a "pixel-peeker." In real-life image making, it's as sharp and robust as any Nikon or Canon lens I've ever used. Auto-focus not quite as fast or silent as a Nikon or Canon, but at this focal length range, those things aren't as crucial. Haven't missed any shots due to those issues. Highly recommended if you can't afford a Nikon or Canon equivalent. Not grey market. Brand new Tokina with 3-year warranty. This is definitely a Pro level lens. Big. Heavy. Durable. Mine came with a pretty good lens cover. Use it to protect the front element, as this lens will not take filters, much like the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. I'm a photojournalist, not a "pixel-peeker." In real-life image making, it's as sharp and robust as any Nikon or Canon lens I've ever used. Auto-focus not quite as fast or silent as a Nikon or Canon, but at this focal length range, those things aren't as crucial. Haven't missed any shots due to those issues. Highly... » Read More Not grey market. Brand new Tokina with 3-year warranty. This is definitely a Pro level lens. Big. Heavy. Durable. Mine came with a pretty good lens cover. Use it to protect the front element, as this lens will not take filters, much like the Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8. I'm a photojournalist, not a "pixel-peeker." In real-life image making, it's as sharp and robust as any Nikon or Canon lens I've ever used. Auto-focus not quite as fast or silent as a Nikon or Canon, but at this focal length range, those things aren't as crucial. Haven't missed any shots due to those issues. Highly recommended if you can't afford a Nikon or Canon equivalent. « Show Less
1938949
NO....THIS IS A SONY E MOUNT WHICH IS FAR DIFFERENT THAN THE MINOLTA/SONY MOUNT. YOU CAN BUY A FAIRLY EXPENSIVE ADAPTER THAT RETAINS FUNCTIONALITY OF SONY/MINOLTA LENSES ON SONY E MOUNT CAMERAS. BUT FOR ABOUT 20 DOLLARS OR SO, YOU CAN BUY A MUCH SIMPLER ADAPTER BUT YOU WON'T GET AUTO FOCUS OR AUTO FUNCTION OF THE APERTURE....WHICH IS NOT THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM IF YOU ARE USING WIDE ANGLE LENSES. So there is a work around .... in general E mount lenses are sort of limited and if you buy Sony E mount lenses, you will pay a premium if you buy new. Look at the used market in regards to Sony E mount lenses first..... I have been using the Sony E mount 16mm lens with the full frame fisheye aux lens that is dedicated ONLY to be used on that 16mm pancake .............and I cannot tell how fun that combo is!!! Sony makes a second wide angle aux lens for that same lens but I would not waste your money since the full frame fisheye aux lens is what you would want ..... So the short answer is NO and the long answer is yes with either using a very expensive full function adapter or a much, much cheaper non electronic alternative. Fortunately, AMAZON is now as good as EBAY for these types of accessories so you don't even have to search around EBAY any longer but only if you want to compare costs.
1864063
I'm a hobbyist. I'd like to upgrade from the 28-135mm to the 24-105mm, but I'm afraid of spending this much and getting a lens that isn't a "good copy." I'm just not expert enough to know if a lens needs to be recalibrated or something. Is it best for someone like me to buy local and ask the camera store to evaluate the lens sharpness? Or buy from someone like B&H; and ask them to evaluate it before they ship it to me? I resell a lot of lenses, too, and I wouldn't want to resell it some day and have someone complain it wasn't sharp.
166893
As a Canon Digital Rebel owner since the XT, I do have a small investment in Canon lenses/accessories-but not enough to stop me from jumping ship. I am following the the A65 with a keen eye. A feature comparison would indicate that this model is superior in a number of areas, notably the continuous autofocus and 10 fps (not to mention the higher megapixels). However, I am convinced that Canon will have an answer shortly (rumors say November). Canon may just steal Sony's fire on this with the recent A77 (and A65?) production delays due to flooding in Thailand. Assuming the delays DO affect the A65, how does Beach have this camera in stock? As a Canon Digital Rebel owner since the XT, I do have a small investment in Canon lenses/accessories-but not enough to stop me from jumping ship. I am following the the A65 with a keen eye. A feature comparison would indicate that this model is superior in a number of areas, notably the continuous autofocus and 10 fps (not to mention the higher megapixels). However, I am convinced that Canon will have an answer shortly (rumors say November). Canon may just steal Sony's fire on this with the recent A77 (and A65?) production delays due to flooding in Thailand. Assuming the delays DO affect... » Read More As a Canon Digital Rebel owner since the XT, I do have a small investment in Canon lenses/accessories-but not enough to stop me from jumping ship. I am following the the A65 with a keen eye. A feature comparison would indicate that this model is superior in a number of areas, notably the continuous autofocus and 10 fps (not to mention the higher megapixels). However, I am convinced that Canon will have an answer shortly (rumors say November). Canon may just steal Sony's fire on this with the recent A77 (and A65?) production delays due to flooding in Thailand. Assuming the delays DO affect the A65, how does Beach have this camera in stock? « Show Less
163824
I sell both of these cameras at the store in which I work. I typically recommend the canon. We see many more Sony cameras come back with 'weird' problems... (we see NO canons coming back with any kind of problems... ok fine, two canon cameras in the two years I've been there). Also sony cameras try to hard to provide sharpness and clarity and sometimes leave odd marks on the images visible at high magnifications.
189148
Too many people giving bad info here. This is for the Minolta MD lenses, the Minolta AF/Maxxum lenses weren't compatible with the MD's so they won't work with this adapter either.
1460183
Yes, virtually all Minolta film camera lenses are compatible with the A100, or any Sony Alpha camera for that matter. When Sony acquired Konica Minolta, they made their cameras backwards compatible, so as to allow for Sony DSLR users to utilize older Minolta lenses. Look for "A-Mount"
1776215
The Minolta Maxxum has a different mount than the earlier manual focus MD mount, so no.
951700
You need the official Sony LA adapters. Remember, Sony makes cameras with both the new E-mount (mirrorless) as well as the old A-mount (which Minolta originally introduced in 1985, and Sony later adopted in their Alpha cameras). The adapters aren't necessarily cheap, but they will autofocus and everything, just like a native lens. Its worth it for me, as the adapter + old Minolta glass is STILL cheaper than the modern E-mount equivalents!
8522
Hardy,Thanks for the info about getting better lenses. I just "bit the bullet" and bought the 24-105mm L lens. I have heard this same wise advice from other photographers, and I am looking forward to getting sharper photos with the new lens, and I will try to get only L lenses from now on. In the end, you truly get what you pay for.
220163
I would go for the middle (B) range and not even interchangeable lens if not worthed. So: apart from price, loving fidelity in colours and proportions (I hate "postcard" photos), and speed, what between:Sony Nex 5NsOlympus E-PM1Panasonic GF3 (if better than G3, otherwise please tell me)?Any non interchangeble lens as worthed as those? (Olympus XZ-1?)Eventually, thanks a loT
825630
&gt;&gt;I didn't realize this camera was out there when I bought my FZ28! I notice that in the copy under the camera description, significantly more bought the FZ28K than the FZ50. Presumably the price is the reason, I suppose along with the 18x optical zoom.&lt;&lt; this one came out before the fz28, but at the time i only paid about $440 &gt;&gt;Many reviewers above said the FZ50 is "almost" a dslr - but many, many dslrs are considerably less expensive than the FZ50, which I think costs more now than when it came out....and I think I saw on the digital review site that the camera has been discontinued. &lt;&lt; i didn't know about it being discontinued so soon. it compares to a dslr in many ways. but the ISO settings are pretty noisy above ISO 400, whereas in good dslr's you can get good results up to ISO 3200. this is a very good review that gives all of its specs. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz50/ here it is compared to the canon rebel XT where you can see the ISO 1600 on both cameras. the canon is better. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz50/page17.asp &gt;&gt;The user photos for this camera are wonderful! I have a Canon Rebel XS, which cost quite a bit less than this camera, and an FZ28K....I'm now wondering if I should sell the FZ28 K, return the Canon, and get a used FZ50.&lt;&lt; yeah, i get better pictures than i ever have. &gt;&gt;What is it about this camera that makes it worth nearly a thousand dollars? &lt;&lt; i don't know. i don't understand. i haven't seen that happen with any other camera.
385986
I too have a Minolta camera 35mm film. I bought this DSLRA350 with the idea that my Minolta lens would fit this new camera. They do not. This is still an excellent camera but you will need to buy lens to fit it. I have been very happy with Tamron AF 18-200mm. I bought it through Amazon.com. I also bought Tamron AF 70-300mm.
423145
Yeah, unfortunately that was something I checked into early on in my research. Really a bummer, because over the years I used it a lot, I built up a great set of lenses for the old girl. But I can't see myself going back to film any time in the near future. I'm on my 3rd Elph, and I'm hooked on digital!
1892766
You're welcome! Now, if I could just figure out what camera to get for myself ... *grin* I have a limited budget and haven't bought a decent new camera since my Minolta Maxxum 7000 35mm back in 1985!! If it was still functioning, I probably would be happy to go on with it. But, the older I get the less I feel like lugging around a big bag of equipment. So, this G7 may be the answer to my prayers. Can't wait to see how it tests out.Off to read your NV7 review ... WOW that's a slick looking model, isn't it?
16328
It may not. All my Minolta gear was for MD mount, and it works fine, though all manual. When the newer Maxxum cameras came out, I think the mount changed. Need more info about your older camera. Sorry, that's the best I can do.