Small, light weight, decent AF speed.

Lens hood could be larger.

The best zoom I have used!

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

original 28-85mm macro lens

Covers a wide range, small and light as can be.

If any a little on the plastic side and the hood could be eaiser to put on or built in.

Simple and straght: this lens keeps making me a Minolta fan. It is small and just works well and clear.

Customer Service

Have not used it for this lens but a night mare for another.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 28-105, Canon zoom, Cannon 90 2.8 Minolta 85 1.4F, Leica 35, 90

small, DOF preview on dynax 7, small enough for cokin P filters.

distortion at both ends of the zoom, optics only average overall, 3.5 aperture

I have compared this lens with the standard Minolta consumer 28-70 and it is considerably better in sharpness and flare control, I have also compared it to my sigma ex 28-70 2.8 and again it performs better in terms of sharpness (but not by much) and distortion - but the sigma is pretty bad wide open anyway. I only use the sigma for low light where the 2.8 aperture is useful compared to the 3.5 of the minolta. I also have compared the Minolta to the new sigma 15-30 ex DF I have bought, the sigma takes the minolta lens to the cleaners, there is significantly less distortion on the sigma at 15mm than the minolta at 24mm and the pictures are sharper!!!!!! - just try it. I Also compared the 105 end of the minolta to the sigma 105 macro ex I have and again the sigma is much sharper and there is much less distortion. So I have bought a lens which basically will work for me from 30-100 ish, on zoom and with my dynax 7 gives a DOF reading on the view finder and takes cokin P filters. If I could take the Minolta 24-105 back for a refund I probably would and stick to the sigma 28-70 even with its limitations which can be taken care of by my other lenses.

Customer Service

not needed

Similar Products Used:

sigma 28-70 ex minolta standard 28-70

Compact light weight, fast focus

For its class lens, none

Lens is sharp through out its zoom range. Color is normal not over rich or under. Contrast is good. close up shots yeilded fabulous results, real sharp w/good color and contrast matching a 100mm macro at same working distance. Works great w/Maxuum 7. For professional it would produce good results most of the time however a better choice would be a 28-80 2.8 highly corrected lens would give more consistant results and stand a better chance as publishable quality. If your looking more for art gallery quality stick with fixed focal lengths. I am pleased with this lens but will use some of my fixed focal lengths when I want the very best photograhps for 8x10 or 11x14 blow ups and publishable quality.

Similar Products Used:

Canon 35-105, 75-150, Vivitar 75-205, Nikor 28-80, Olympus OM 75-150, 65-200 (super lens)

Light weight, small in size, good range 24mm to 105mm. Fast auto focuing with the focuing ring free from turning when in auto mode. Sharp photo.

Color rendition not as I hope to get. Found color neutral. Contrast good.

Bought this lens for travel. Light weight, sharp and high speed for its range.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta AF 28-70/2.8 G Minolta AF 28-135/4 Minolta AF 24-85/3.5-4.5 Sigma AF 28-135/3.5-5.6 Macro

Versatile zoom range from 24mm to 105mm. Compact Size, non-rotating front. Smooth manual focus with wider focusing ring. Excellent image quality.

None

When Minolta introduced the 24-105, I was seriously thinking about replacing my Minolta AF 28-135 with it. Initially I wasn't sure about the image quality and performance of this lens because it is so new. I decided to find out myself. I bought the lens and did some test slides comparing it with the 28-135. The test slides were shot at different zoom ranges and apertures, I concluded that the 24-105's image quality is as good as the 28-135. True, the 24-105mm does not have the reach to 135mm but the 24mm wide angle is much more useful than 28mm. Also the handling of the lens (non-rotating front, wider manual focus ring) is much better. The compact size also make it an ideal travel lens. I highly recommend this lens to all Minolta AF users.

Customer Service

Do not need.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta AF 20-35
Minolta AF 24-85
Minolta AF 28-85
Minolta AF 28-135

Compact size, low weight, sharpness that almost compares whith my 28-135 but sure beats the crap out of the 28-105.

The lens hood can not be used when using a pol. filter. Id which for a tad more sharpness.

The wide range and compact size makes it an ideal lens to have 90% of the times. Especially if your out trevelling. Im using it with my Maxxum 9 which has a built in flash that cowers 24mm. Perfect for fill-flash. The quality is high but not top of the line.

Similar Products Used:

28-105
28-135

Small, light, well build and a effective zoom-range.

Nothing is perfect.

I've had the chance to compare it to the Sigma EX 28-70 2,8. I took a couple of pictures at same zoom length with teh sigma and the minolta just one after another (the camera didn't move). I have enlarged a couple of those pictures on 20x30 and i came to the conclusion that the minolta was sharper, brilianter and had less manipulation of straight lines.
A shop-maneger that i know has done similair test with other lenses and the only thing he could say is that this lens is underpricesed for the quality you get. It could easily be sold for 20-30% more and would still be worth it, especialy when used woth a dynax 7.
Its very good.

Customer Service

Not used yet

Similar Products Used:

Sigma 28-70 2.9 EX

Compact
Build Quality
Useful focal length range
Excellent image quality

I wish it was a constant 1.4 and reached upto 300mm
:-) Just Kidding!

This is an ideal lens. I highly recommend it. It is almost as good as its big brother, the Minolta 28-70 2.8 G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Customer Service

Excellent

Similar Products Used:

Tamron 24-135 SP
Minolta 28-70 2.8G
Canon 28-135 USM IS

Very, very, very sharp. Very little distortion at 24mm. Gives faster focusing compared with the 28-80 standard lens.

This lens is more expensive than my 505si body itself!

I used the standard lens that came with my 505si and wasn't satisfied witht the results. Bought this at the recommendation of a friend and I must say that this lens is MILES ahead of the standard lens. Absolutely no regrets.

Customer Service

never tried but heard that they're pretty good

Similar Products Used:

minolta 28 - 80 zoom