minolta fit lenses

[Kev M]

With the recent talk about the quality of some sigma lenses and how people prefer to spend the extra on canon L and the equivelant nikon I was wondering if there is a similar high quality glass available for my minolta 5D. If so what is it called. I recently bought a 2nd hand sigma 28-105 2.8-4 in very good condition but sometimes the images don't seem too sharp. Maybe I'm using it wrong or something but I took some portraits the other day and either they're not sharp or the focus is off or perhaps both. The other problem with this lens is it's hunting to find focus. I mistakenly thought that being a faster lens than my kit lens and my 100-300 that it would focus quicker than them but I was wrong. I'm beginning to wonder if the KM was a wise choice or not. At the time it was the only brand with built in IS, I couldn't afford the 350D (wouldn't have bought it even if I could afford it, not being snobbish but it didn't feel right) and I prefered it to the D50 for several reasons. Had the mount not been continued by Sony, a fact I was aware of at the time then I wouldn't have considered the KM. Even though you read about there being somewhere around 16-20 million minolta fit lenses in circulation a quick look in any shop or ebay will show you there are many more Nikon and Canon lenses doing the rounds. Looking to the long term future of my photography is it wise to keep buying minolta or should I consider not spending any more money and switch to a better supported brand with better quality glass?

 

[Steep]

Make the most of what you have, for now, wait and see what Sony come up with and if it doesn't come up to scratch then take the hit and change format.

 

[Warspite]

Dont get to down, you may have these to look forward to, I can guarantee they'll be sharp - although I can guarantee even more they'll be expensive.

However whether Carl Zeiss lenses will be quick to focus I cant say, never used (or seen anything other than a manual focus Carl Zeiss SLR lens), but optically (so long as Sony dont interfere) they will be up there with the best.

 

[Kev M]

Judging by the lenses already offered by Sony they've added the usual Sony name premium to the lenses. Sony 300mm 2.8 G series (presume this is the equivelant to L glass) £4500, the canon equivelant is nearly £1000 cheaper.

 

[Catdaddy]

Dont get to down, you may have these to look forward to, I can guarantee they'll be sharp - although I can guarantee even more they'll be expensive.

However whether Carl Zeiss lenses will be quick to focus I cant say, never used (or seen anything other than a manual focus Carl Zeiss SLR lens), but optically (so long as Sony dont interfere) they will be up there with the best.

If the Zeiss ZF (Nikon mount) lenses are anything to go by, they're only going to be manual focus... (and, according to Ken Rockwell, they're actually made by Cosina, not Zeiss)