Quest for Greatness in the Great Land!
Written: Feb 01 '01 (Updated Feb 03 '01)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: A picture perfect blend of mid-range and long-range lenses for the Alaskan photographer.
Cons: Manual focusing is a little bit cumbersome.
The Bottom Line: This lens has provide me a perfect bridge between mid-range shots and zoom shots. A wonderful lens for the all-around amateur.
|
|
|
| flak-attak's Full Review: Konica Minolta Dynax 5 35mm Film Camera |
A Minolta Maxxum 5000 camera found under a car seat proved to be my undoing. It didn't work too well indoors; it had a 50mm lens and a 70-210mm lens; and it included a broken AF Minolta flash. No work indoor. No problem.
In Alaska, the sun rises in May and sets in August. Not to worry, Sammy Boy. So I took up Alaskan scenic photography. A bit difficult with a zoom lens and a fixed 50mm. But I began my quest for greatness...
That was in my high school days. And I took many truly great shots, mostly with the 70-210mm, before a new camera setup waltzed into my life. I bought a Minolta Maxxum 400si setup (more on that in another epinion) that included a 28-80mm lens and a 100-300mm lens. (It also included a wonderful [working] flash.)
Suddenly, I found myself having two zoom lenses and not knowing what to do with both. So I gave away my 70-210mm lens to my mother who likes (loves) bird-watching and obviously needed a zoom. Duh. No brainer. I didn't need two zoom lenses. I thought.
Wrong again, Sammy boy.
Once I had given away the lens, it was unbelievable how much I missed the small gap between 80mm and 100mm. Being that I have photographed several weddings since I acquired my 400si two years past, I found that there were many situations that called for a series of mid-range and long-range shots. Since all that I had was the wide-angle and the zoom, I had to quickly switch back and forth between lenses. I finally decided that it was time to begin my search for the missing link.
Wanting to save money, I began searching the infamous ebay for 70-210mm lenses. Finally I found one, bid on it..... and promptly lost it in the waning minutes of the auction. I went through at least three before I finally settled on one that I felt I had a remote chance of getting a good deal on -- and finally my "Missing Link" was on the way.
Below are some great characteristics of my new lens which makes it the perfect choice in many different situations.
PERFORMANCE. The performance of this lens is very smooth. For instance in a wedding shoot in which I was photographing the bride and groom exiting the wedding, I was able to take some zoom shots of their faces as they first entered the aisle. Then I was able to quickly pan out and take several more good shots; including a final picture of them at very close range -- without changing lenses.
SPEED. Another great feature of this lens is its speed of (auto)focus. One wedding I did with a colleague of mine showed me a striking difference between her Canon EOS Rebel lenses and my Minolta AF ones. I could take at least three shots to her one because of the quick focusing that my zoom provided. More specifically, the lens speed for this lens is 70-210mm 1:4.5 (22) - 5.6.
MINOLTA VS. SIGMA. The original 70-210mm lens that I owned was a Sigma; and my present lens is a OEM Minolta. I have noticed a slight difference in sharpness and quality of the pictures, but that is about the only one. The ease of use is about the same for the Minolta and the Sigma.
PRICE. I'm not certain of the exact price of the Minolta 70-210mm lens new, but I believe it is in the $200 – $300 range. I believe that the Sigma version is about 50 – 75 dollars cheaper.
QUALITY AND CONTRAST. A good percentage of my scenic and wildlife pictures are shot to be enlarged; thus the resolution (or lack thereof) of my lens becomes absolutely paramount. I'm happy to say that I have not noticed, nor have I had any complaints from customers about any distortion, low contrast, or even softness because of extended zooming.
MACRO. For those interested in macro settings, this lens has macro settings as close as 1.1 metre. Admittedly, I'm not too familiar with macro photography. The small amount of close-ups that I have done have been done with my Minolta 28-80mm AF lens.
MANUAL VS. AUTO FOCUS. One final piece of information I have discovered from using this lens. Because it is designed for auto focus, this lens works the best when used on automatic settings. I have found that the lens is a little bit difficult to use manually because the focus ring is all the way forward and is a little too thin. Fortunately, most of my work is done with program cards and is automatic, but for the serious photographer this lens may not be the best choice.
Since I filled the needy space in my camera case, I have felt so much more prepared in my continuing quest for greatness in Alaskan Photography. I never tire in my search for great shots of Alaskan wildlife: Whether it be a hungry winter moose, a black wolf on a dusk dinner foray, or the neighbor's kids on the prowl --- all have a unique ethos, or lack thereof, that only surfaces in quick flashes of brilliance. Armed with my 70-210mm lens, I am now prepared to acquit myself in picturesque fashion whether at close range or from long distances simply with the flick of my wrist.
Postscript:
Unfortunately, I am still an amateur that is valiantly attempting to become as smart as my camera (and because I have not yet succeeded), I tend for the most part to let my camera and its many automatic program cards do the communicating with my lenses. I trust this review will be of help to other amateur photographers who, like me, are still searching for greatness. :)
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
flak-attak
|
|
Member: Sam Flack
Location: Copper Center, Alaska
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 23 members
About Me:
WORK HARDER! Millions on welfare depend on you....
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.