Minolta 28-135 f4 2553-100 Summary-Review
Summary Review - Minolta 28-135 f4-f.5 2553-100 Lens
A bargain full frame collectors lens!
August 2008, Carl Garrard
Introduction and Layout-
Minolta's 28-135 f4-f4.5 first generation lens is a subculture icon. If you haven't yet heard of this lens, that is one reason alone for generating this article. With the soon to come Sony A900 (Flagship) due, many Minolta users or Sony users looking to upgrade to that body may be looking for some killer low budget glass. Enter the Minolta 28-135 f4-4.5. This lens boasts a full frame wide angle of 28mm, to a very decent mid telephoto of 135mm, and.... a decent macro feature to boot (1:4 magnification APS-C), with rear component and internal focusing (great for filters). You can probably get a good one for about $175.00-$300.00 USD when you look around.
Given you get a sharp "good copy" lens off of Ebay or other various used outlets on the net, this lens is a real steal. It is super sharp starting at F4, and reaches its max sharpness at about f5.6 through the entire range of 28mm-135mm (losing very little sharpness after 100mm). It is heavy at approximately 750 grams, but the extra weight is due to some seriously good build quality. All of the internal lens groups are glass, and the rest of the lens made out of metal. It has a 72mm front filter diameter size, and does not come with a lens hood so you will need to find an after market screw in compatible with 28mm wide angle if you have to have one (I don't).
There are rumors that this lens was built in the same Japanese Minolta factory in Osaka Japan where the G lenses were manufactured, and based on it's build quality that is an easy rumor to believe. I find this lens to be a very versatile focal length, equating to 44mm-202.5mm on APS-C, and a very good wide angle to decent telephoto on Full Frame (yes I tested it on a full frame body). Its sharpness is really hard to beat for a zoom. It will still show some CA and a hair of softness in comparison to some digitally optimized glass, but it still retains the magic Minolta color and contrast that really is legendary.
Given our choices Sony is offering in camera bodies today (and very soon) this lens seems very hard to pass up to me. It focuses very quickly at just 3 screw turns and does so internally and via a rear focusing ring (a little different to get used too).
Image quality is fantastic on my copy. Sharp sharp sharp. Color is very good and even though some CA is present, it isn't nearly as bad as some of todays digitally optimized lenses. On a good copy, I have yet to see any real complaints warranted on image quality, and even the bokeh is good (not just depth of field most get confused with bokeh) with its 7 straight blade design giving very decent out of focus effects (non- circular blades).
If that weren't good enough, the lens comes with a cool wide angle macro feature accessible via a dedicated switch on top of the lens itself (see the focal length indicator line shown above). Turn the lens to the wide angle side of the focal length, push up the switch, and you are now locked in macro mode (until you release the switch and back out of it). The only drawback I find is that there isn't any focal length indicator on the lens telling you just what focal length range you have in Macro mode (and there is a small range), but either way it works very decent, with a minimum focus distance of about 6" at its widest macro setting to about 12" at its longest macro focal distance. Not bad if you need a close up of a flower or critter in a pinch. This feature really adds to the appeal of this lens reminding me much of the Tamron 70-300LD Macro 1:2 and Sigma 70-300 APO DG 1:2 Macro in it's versatility (only a wider version and MUCH more sharp).
Incredible given you can probably pick up a used copy for about the same price as the brand new 70-300 macro hybrids. No you don't get the warranty or guaranty of a good copy, but thats part of the fun buying used equipment. Once you get a good copy, hold onto it!
Specifications-
Weight- 750grams
Angle of View- 75 to 18 degrees
Aperture Range and Sweet Spot- f4-f4.5(at 135mm), f5.6 to f11 sweet spot
Minimum focus distance- Approx 4.5' w/a, 5' telephoto, macro- approx 6" wide angle, 12" telephoto
Magnification- 1:4/1:11
Filter Diameter-72mm (common easily purchased)
Dimensions (length)- 110mm minimum, 155mm fully extended
Focal length to Max Aperture figures- f4-28-40mm, and f4.5-41mm to 135mm
Focal length conversion (APS-C 1.5x)- 44mm to 202.5mm
Aperture blades-7 (straight)
Manufactured in- Osaka, Japan
Number of screw turns- 3 (even)
Conclusion-
I see this lens operating on my A900 when it arrives, quite often (it already is doing work on my A700). While there are many lenses in the Sony lineup and the used Minolta market you can also use, few are as versatile as this one nor give you such performance for the dollar. I do suggest to users to consider this lens in your stable. And if I had my way, I'd tell Sony to re-introduce it with some minor upgrades to the exterior and functionality, and with of course updated digital coatings. Hard to see this one stay in the history books in my opinion.
If my small review hasn't convinced,you, don't hesitate to look at all the stellar user reviews this lens gets at Dyxum.com. And say hi to Kiklop for me while you are at it.
Cheers all! Safe and Happy shooting as always!
Carl Garrard
Analog or digital FF tebody?
(...)and a very good wide angle to decent telephoto on Full Frame (yes I tested it on a full frame body).
Do you mean analogic FF body? Please answer... If you comment something like this, be more accurate...
28-135
Great review of this lens.
Of the Four 28-135 lenses Minolta made the 28-135 f/4-4.5 is part of the original development of the Minolta lens legacy. Today it’s a steal on flee bay! Well, I say this until enough people praise this lens. Then the price will go extremely high. The macro option is just an extra bonus with this lens and it’s a wide angle at that! This will be an extremely good lens for the Alpha 900 as it is fantastic with film. Because it is a zoom lens and achieving such sharpness and what I call Old School Minolta Bokeh, it’s simply a must have lens.
The only down side to this lens I have experienced, as with just about all lenses, will be chromatic aberration and halo in extreme lighting situations.
AJ
Which body did I test it on?
Film body, of course ;-).
Carl
Minimum focus distance...
My only complaint when I had this lens was the minimum focus distance, which is about 5 feet. I found it too limiting for my needs. But, I didn't experiment much with the macro mode (as I understood it, it only worked on the wide end). Does the macro switch provide a closer minimum focus distance for the tele end?
Macro mode...
...does not affect MFD in the tele mode, just in macro mode (I think minimum focus distance in macro mode is about 5cm or so).
This is the only, for me, flaw of this lens: 1'5m is too much as MFD. In the rest, everything is almost perfect :) My fav lens without a doubt.
compared to 18-250...
Thanks for the info on the MFD.
I ended up keeping my 18-250 (sony version) over this lens - I couldn't see any difference in IQ, and liked the close focus distance and range much better. But, maybe I just have a really good copy of the 18-250, or had a poor copy of the 28-135.
Carl (or anyone else) - have you done any direct comparisons of these two lenses?
No direct comparisons
in a lab sort of way no. I own both lenses however and use both quite frequently.
I think the 28-135 is a bit sharper than the 18-250 when you peep, but mainly I bought it because it covers FF, and I just happen to like lenses that are built like tanks. :)
Carl
By the way guys, the MFD is in the article :)
Carl
Saw that Carl...
but when I read your comments about the macro mode reducing the MFD to anywhere from 6" to 12", I thought maybe I had missed something when I had the lens. But if I'm understanding you correctly, the macro mode only works within a portion of the zoom range near the wide angle end, and the telephoto end is still stuck with the roughly 5 foot MFD, right?
Yep you got it right :)
And what is my only complaint as I mentioned is that the focal length is not mentioned on the lens in that short span of range when you are locked in. A guess says its about 28-40mm in macro mode. Until I find conclusive evidence on it.
Carl
Got some sample pictures comparing 28-135 and 28-70G
I've made some pictures comparing Minolta's 28-70/2.8G and 28-135/4-4.5, let's take a look :)
general picture test
http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/lens_test1/28gvs135gen.jpg
middle range test
http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/lens_test1/middle28gvs135.jpg
tele range test
http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/lens_test1/tele28gvs135.jpg
wide angle test
http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/lens_test1/wide28gvs135.jpg
flare test, this one is not good at all:(
http://i342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/lens_test1/flare28gvs135.jpg
And here are some more sample pictures on Sony A350
http://s342.photobucket.com/albums/o415/henrywhs/28135_on_a350/
Henry
Thanks for posting the examples on this lens
Gives a nice visual to the capabilites of it.
If anyone else has some samples to consider sending or posting feel free too as well.
Carl
Bodies I have Uesd This Lens With.
The film bodies I have used the most are:
9Ti
9
7
7 Limited
7 ver. II
800si
700si
400si
if you would read more carefully...
In the article he says " With the soon to come Sony A900 (Flagship) " so the answer is NO. But it's so easy to be critical, isn't it?
I could KICK myself
I bought this lens in the '70s from JCPenney in CA. They were closing out their camera department and I thought it would be a great all-around lens to use with my Minolta 7000i, and it was. I recall being told it was a "special order" lens, not widely available. For some reason I got out of photography for a number of years, getting back-in during the early days of digital, c.2000. Five years later I realized I'd never shoot film again and sold it all on eBay for $300, which include a Minolta flash, two sport cards, filters and a hard case.
Who would have known back then that Sony would come out with high end digital cameras that could use this lens? It really was sharp as a tack and as heavy as a door stop. Like I said, I COULD KICK MYSELF!
-Bruce Miller, Colorado Springs, CO.
Minolta 28-135mm F4-4.5 Zoom Lens
I recently "drowned" my two Fav lenses, Tok 20-35mm F2.8 AT-X AF Pro, and Tok 28-70mm F2.6/2.8 AT-X AF Pro. I was pretty bummed to say the least, but this Min 28-135mm which was sitting unused is an absolute savior in place of the 28-70. I lose the F.2.6/2.8 Max but the image quality appears to be just as good and now will be used frequently. I wish I were so lucky on the wide angle zoom.
Tom, The rest of my story is
Tom,
The rest of my story is that I repurchased this lens for use with my Sony A-350 due to the fond memories I had using it long ago with a Minolta film camera. I did some extensive testing with it for image quality and was very pleased. Unfortunalely I hadn't fully considered the negatives and sold the lens shortly thereafter.
What were the negatives? I had failed to consider the conversion factor of x1.5 which increased the wide angle from 28mm to 42mm, which is no longer wide angle. The max. aperature of f/4.5 limited it's use to outdoor/sun and/or required using an ISO setting of 400-800 to gain much in the way of depth of field. Using a polorizing filter drove me crazy as filters rotate with the lens. The sheer bulk/weight was a killer for all day use, as you said it's "built like a tank".
I ended up replacing it with Sony's SAL 16-105 lens which gave me a wide angle of 24mm, and a max. aperature of f/3.5. Image quality is excellent but the sweet spot is much narrower than the Minolta 28-135. As there is no macro setting on this lens I'll eventually have to purchase a true macro but until then I can get buy with this one.
Bruce Miller
Colorado Springs, CO.
Tamron 18-250 vs Minolta 28-135
I have both these lenses, although I have owned the Tamron for much longer. The advantages of the Tamron (bought new): closer MFD, front element does not rotate, half the weight, smaller size, comes with hood, cheaper filters (62mm), wider angle, longer telephoto (although soft after 150mm). Advantages of the Minolta (bought used in pristine condition on ebay): much faster focusing, more pleasing bokeh. Where they are equals (at least in my testing, both on the bench and in the field): sharpness (with only a slight advantage to the Minolta). I still have both lenses and plan to keep them both. So, which lens do I use? The Tamron stays on the camera (a200 now, looking at the new a500 in a few months) at all times because of its versatility. I keep it in the car at all times. I use it regularly for indoor shots of homes for real estate needs. But if I know that I will probably be taking pix in the Minolta's range, I prefer using the Minolta. I like the almost instant focusing vs. the Tamron's rather lazy focusing. The Minolta's 28mm is wide enough for me in most instances. Yes, it's heavier, but the heft doesn't bother me. I also use the Sony 70-300 G and Sigma 50-150 f2.8 which weigh about the same so I'm used to the weight. My two lens walk around solution is the Minolta 28-135 and Minolta 100-300 APO. My one lens solution is the Tamron 18-250.
Minolta 28-135 4-4.5 lens
Wonderful review. Thank you. I just bought a Minolta 7000i at a yard sale with two lenses, flash, and all kinds of extras for $25. I thought I could make a little profit on ebay, but imagine my dismay when I learned that people can't sell them for $14.95! Then I remembered the 28-135 4-4.5 lens that came with it which seemed so impressive when I inspected the camera. (I'm more familiar with Nikon equipt.) I checked it out on ebay and learned that this is a legendary lens that usually sells on ebay for over $300 and will fit the new Sonys. My intuition paid off after all. I'm glad Sony has retained the Minolta lens mount. Smart move.
Minolta 28-135
It's been a couple of years since I bought my Minolta 28-135 on eBay and after reading "photoimpact's" post I thought an update would be appropriate. I sold the lens not long after buying it but not because it wasn't a great lens. I shoot a lot of outdoor sports car events where a polarizing (CPL) filter is essential. Since the filter rotates with the lens it became nearly impossible for this type of shooting from a time perspective. I also do some real estate photography and the 28mm just wasn't wide enough, which converted for APS-C becomes 42mm. Before selling the lens I did some extensive testing for sharpness and color balance, both proved to exceed my expectations which I've found is not unusual for most of the older Minolta lenses.
Along that line, I recently purchased a Minolta 70-210 f/4 (not f/4.5) mid-range telephoto which I highly recommend. My best description is it's a SLEEPER! Available on eBay for $125-$150, it's a constant f/4 throughout the entire focal range. The front element doesn't rotate so a CPL can be used without issue. It's physically long, measuring about 7 inches, but never gets any longer or shorter due to internal zoom and focusing. I did my usual lens testing and found it to be nearly as sharp as a prime fixed focus lens, falling off only at maximum (200-210) telephoto.
I shoot with an a350, looking to make the jump to the new a550. WHY? Primairly because of Sony's change to a CMOS sensor from the CCD sensor in the a350 seems to be a benefit when shooting at higher ISO settings? Time will tell. It also shoots video and a few other neet features, but it's the sensor that has my attention.
Lastly, a general comment. I admit to being a "pixil peeper", always looking for the sharpest lens at high resolution. My last purchase was Sony's Carl Zeiss 16-80Z which proved to be an outstanding lens! Shortly thereafter I learned about cleaning the DSLR sensor - a big eye opener. After 14 months of use and lens changes, my sensor looked like the inside bottom of a pizza box. It's easy to check your sensor for dirt - Google "Sensor Cleaning DSLR" and learn what I did. Far less expensive than buying sharper lenses!
Bruce Miller
Colorado Springs, CO
Hm, since when the a550
Hm, since when the a550 "shoots video"?
Alpha A-550 Video
Evangelos K: You got me! It doesn't shoot video, my mistake and the first one this morning. :-) I'd never use the video anyway so lets cross that off the list of useable features and add the larger LCD viewer @ 921,600 pixils with greater tilt range. The a350 screen is virtually useless outside in the sun. I would hope the a550 would be a lot better? Again, time will tell. I owned a Sony R1 and that LDC screen was great outside. Thanks for catching my error.
Bruce Miller
Colorado Springs, CO
The replacement A550
probably will shoot video.
Maybe thats what he meant :)
The a550 is going for $540
The a550 is going for $540 right now, and IMO will be going for mid $400 as soon as the new one is out. That is a great price (either one) for a VERY GOOD camera, that I am thinking about it, although I do not need one!
Minolta 28-135 f4
Is the Macro on the 28-135m f4-f4.5 auto focus or manual? My copy when used on my A850 and A700 is manual focus only. Very good review, thank you.