Konica Minolta AF 24-50mm f/4 Maxxum Reviews

Rating
Reviewed by: Oleg Andrienko
(Expert)

Review Date
July 23, 2007

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Review 1 of 10

Price Paid: $150.00 from www.keh.com

Summary:

Good lens, sharp and fast (autofocus). The frontal optic element moves fast. Especially suited for reportages and for landscapes. I do not recommend it for people's reportages or portraits, unless the subject is moving fast because it renders badly face shapes and distorts everything (mind, I mean only people's faces).
It is also wonderful for architecture, especially at 24 mm. Gives your pictures more dynamics with its non-exaggerated perspective distorts at 24 mm.
I had best results with it when used with polariser and the slide film Konica SRT100.
To my mind f/4 remains unused for the most of the time because this lens excells in making everything sharp from 1 m to infinity at f/16.

Strengths:

Nice, very subtle perspective distorts at 24 mm. Best results when photographing 3D objects with f/16.

Weaknesses:

Not nice facial distorts at 50mm. Can't be used for portraits. Frontal element rotates.

Similar Products Used:

None

Customer Service:

None

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Rating
Reviewed by: MLeensen
(Intermediate)

Review Date
September 7, 2003

Overall Rating
3 of 5

Value Rating
4 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 2 of 10

Price Paid: $100.00 from ebay

Summary:

I bought the 24-50 this summer as a cheap alternative to be used in the egyptian desert (less changing of lenses). I bought a fairly used specimen, it shows quite somewear on the exterior. I read a lot of good reviews on this lens. Thereby. the results after the trip were a bit discouraging. Noticably softer than my primes, vignetting and more flare.

Strengths:

Small, cheap and lightweight. It takes 55 mm filters, as most of the other Minolta lenses. Fairly sharp for a zoom lens.

Weaknesses:

Shows vignetting at 24 mm, even with just one filter. Just a tad softer than my prime lenses. f/4 is not really fast. Flare-prone

Similar Products Used:

tokina 20-35/2.8, Minolta 24/2.8, 35/2, 50/1.4

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Rating
Reviewed by: Chat Ming Woo
(Intermediate)

Review Date
March 5, 2003

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Review 3 of 10

Price Paid: $147.00 from used Hong Kong

Summary:

I used this lens on Dynax 5 and printed the photos to 8x12. Excellent sharpness. Beautiful image.

Strengths:

Excellent Sharp ! Excellent color, contrast. No dark corner even at 24mm. Minimal distortion. Fast AF. Close focus distance. Constant aperature.

Weaknesses:

No "D" version available.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 28-80 D Minolta 200mm APO

Customer Service:

Good at Hong Kong. Service centre is helpful.

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Rating
Reviewed by: Ron Streetenberger
(Intermediate)

Review Date
January 2, 2003

Overall Rating
5 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Review 4 of 10

Price Paid: $0.00

Summary:

Best lens, zoom or standard, that I have ever used. I have used Linhofs, Leicas, Rolleis, and Graflex XLRF with 2.8 planar. Forgot to mention Nikon F and F2. Never has any other lens produced so many smiles from the business end of my finder.

Strengths:

Sharpness Contrast color fidelity

Weaknesses:

None

Similar Products Used:

Maxxum 70-210

Customer Service:

None needed

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Rating
Reviewed by: Dalyp
(Expert)

Review Date
September 3, 2002

Overall Rating
4 of 5

Value Rating
5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Review 5 of 10

Price Paid: $450.00 from In the U.K

Summary:

Nice lens. Works very well on the Dynax 7 & 9. But not too well on my 800SI body. Good zoom range, focusing if fast. Picture quality is good. Images are nice and sharpe with good contrast. Its a pity it was not a faster lens, aperture wise. But you get what you pay for. So I shouldn't complain

Strengths:

Good Focus speed. Sharpe images. Good zoom range.

Weaknesses:

Doesn't work so well on the 800SI camera. Minolta need to up-date ALL their lens range.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta 24-50 Minolta 28-105XI(CRAP) Minolta85 1.4 Minolta 70-210 F4 Sigma 70-210 f2.8 Sigma 24-70 f2.8

Customer Service:

Minolta UK Very good. Fixed my Dynax 7 in good time.

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