Image quality - that's why we spend money on good lenses isn't it? Sharpness, contrast, accurate colour rendition, defocussing quality, unnoticeable distortions, positive AF, beautiful handling, exceptional build quality.

I suppose the weight - but there are 19 (4 of which are AD) elements in there, it is a 70-200mm f/2.8 constant aperture - that's the nature of these lenses.

So far taken a couple of hundred shots with this lens so I feel able to submit a review. And price paid is UK Pounds not dollars. Well I've found lens Nirvana. I've been a Minolta user for over 20 years now with forays into Nikon & Canon and I'm convinced that from an ease of use point of view Konica Minolta outclasses its competition. I found the delay into KM going digital unbearable and the 7D for me is only a stopgap until the 9D makes it to market. I took the plunge and, after endless research on what others felt about this lens, I'm so glad I did. Apart from tha fact that the lens is gloriously sharp, has perfect contrast, has no colour vices (i.e. perfectly neutral and records what you see), no vignetting and no visible distortion, this review is about something else. It's about the fact that this lens makes you want to take pictures. After all that's why we love photography - the joy of capturing the perfect image. There is simply no compromise in its design or ease of use. Closest focus is at a wonderful 1.2m (a whisker under 4 feet) and that's the distance to the film/sensor plane. The SSM focusing is near silent and fast enough - but you've got a focus limiter to play with for action. It doesn't hunt - ithe focusing just snaps into place. There's a really useful focus preset facility. You can override the AF and any time and tweak the focus manually. There are three focus hold buttons just in the right places - but not where you'd touch them accidentally. The lens is weighty (1,340g) but somehow it doesn't become a burden in the field. Hand held keeps giving you the opportunity to 'connect' with the lens. And we're back to the joy of the lens - you keep wanting to find opportunities to use it. As one of the other reviewers here said, this lens is the mothership. It's true. Bokeh is yummy - and yes, not quite as perfect as the KM 85mm f/1.4 G (D) but then again way, way up there - and your clients will keep asking how you get your pictures to pop like that. In terms of 'consumer' lenses this is orders of magnitude better in terms of defocusing. For a comprehensive review of this lens, take a look at http://www.marcuskarlsen.com/PhotoBag/Minolta_70-200_f28_SSM.htm for Marcus's very informed views. It took me ages to open my wallet up to get this lens. Yes, it's expensive but I've had twenty years of selling and buying lenses hoping for something better each time. This is a lens of a lifetime. I only wish I'd stopped messing around and bought it sooner.

Customer Service

Not needed on this product - but over the years (Konica) Minolta (in the UK) have been fast and efficient and have always sorted any problems.

Similar Products Used:

Endless lenses and camera combination over the years. Currently using 7D bodies (digital), 7 & 9 35mm bodies. Anyone want to buy a Sigma 70-210 f/2.8 EX Minolta fit?!!?

Superb resolution / sharpness simply no reflexes, even under most difficult conditions

Bokeh (perfectly cicular up to about 5.6, but a little bit "mirror-lens-like")

I bought this lens as a replacement for my older Minolta AF 2.8/80-200mm APO HS. Resolution / sharpness of the new SSM is superb, even at f/2.8, and reaching is optimum at f/4. Up to know I have simply NOT observed ANY reflexes, even under difficult conditions such as concert photography. Bokeh is less than perfect (compared e. g. to the Minolta 1.4/85mm or Minolta 2.8(4.5)/135mm STF), but the cirular aperture helps to minimize this little disantvantage. Building quality is superb as well, even though some parts of the lens are made from high-quality polycarbonate. AF velocity is OK (SSM), and the weight is appropriate. The SSM has become my standard lens both at the digital Dynax 7D and at the Dynax 9, replacing the older combination "MinAF 2.8/100mm Macro plus MinAF 2.8/200mm APO". This means a hellovalot, since these two primes are among the ten best 35mm lenses ever built, according to the german "colorFoto" magazine. To summarize: one of those lenses that you'll never give away any more ...

Customer Service

Good-very good (Switzerland)

Similar Products Used:

Minolta AF 2.8/80-200mm APO HS Minolta AF 2.8/200mm APO HS Minolta AF 2.8/135mm Minolta AF 2.8/100mm Macro Minolta AF 2.0/100mm Minolta AF 1.4/85mm

It's a very sharp lens. Its auto focus is very fast and extremely quick. The build quality is all metal and feels very well constructed. Shooting wide-open at 2.8 is a treat. The lens is just as sharp at f/2.8 as it is at f/8.

The lens hood sometimes is tough to twist on... no big deal.

This superlative lens produces pictures of extraordinary quality. The sharpness, contrast and the fidelity of the colors are supreme from any other lens I have used. With proper technique, you can use a lot of the slow grain film’s resolving ability with this lens, making it perfect for a drum scan to extract every bit of detail from a chrome or negative. This lens is expensive, and should be used by anyone who has discriminating taste in photos they make; it’s worth it once you use it. The auto focus is near silent and is extremely fast on my Maxxum 7, making it ideal lens for nature photography too. It’s the fastest lens I’ve ever used. It’s faster then Nikon’s 70-200/2.8 VR Silent Wave lens. When I used the Nikon lens, don’t expect miracles from the VR feature, you still need steady hands. I don’t believe VR is important; if you want study shot, use a tripod. I use this lens to do portraits too at the 200mm business end. The front lens eliminate is non-rotating. This makes it ideal for filters as a polarizer. The build quality is superbly, it feels and looks and operates like a $1900 lens. The zoom ring is very smooth, and it also has a full time direct manual focus switch. You can take control and manually focus even in the middle of the auto focus operation! It also has a useful focus limiter, which will speed up the focusing speed of far objects. If you’re serious about photography and can afford this lens and need a tele-zoom, this is your mothership. Bokeh is great looking with this lens. It produces a creamy diffused background at wide apertures while being razor sharp on the focused subject. No regrets buying this lens, in the hands of an accomplished photographer, this can make your work look better though better imaging quality.

Customer Service

never used it.

Similar Products Used:

I've used the Nikon 80-200/2.8VR - I like the 70-200/2.8 handling, speed and final image better. Canon 70-200/2.8L IS - Seems to be about equal with it in contrast/sharpness/colors. Minolta 85/1.4G(D) - The 70-200SSM lens could replace it if speed isn't an issue, I can't tell the difference in sharpness between the two. 28-70/2.8G - at 70mm, the 70-200SSM lens is sharper at all f stops. Auto focus speed is night and day between the two.