Film camera lenses.

[Phil Pascoe]

:?: I have reached the point of submitting to digital photography - does anyone know if any digital camera will accept Minolta dynax/maxxum lenses? I don't want to waste good lenses.

Thanks, Phil.

 

[RogerP]

:?: I have reached the point of submitting to digital photography - does anyone know if any digital camera will accept Minolta dynax/maxxum lenses? I don't want to waste good lenses.
Thanks, Phil.

All Sony dSLR and SLT cameras and Sony NEX with an adapter.

Here's a database of Minolta A mount lenses. http://www.dyxum.com/lenses/index.asp

 

[Unib]

^+1 The dyxum forum is a great place.

Minolta lenses are superb, I use them on my Sony a900 and the colour rendition is fantastic, and they're nice and sharp too. I also use Pentax m42 lenses with my Sony (with an m42 adaptor) - much better than all this overpriced modern rubbish.

 

[brianhabby]

The fact the Minolta AF lenses work with the Sony cameras has kept their value much better than some other brands. Just be aware that you will need to allow for the apparent increase in focal length because of the smaller sensor in your digital camera.

For example a 200mm lens will appear closer to a 320mm

regards

Brian

 

[RogerP]

The fact the Minolta AF lenses work with the Sony cameras has kept their value much better than some other brands. Just be aware that you will need to allow for the apparent increase in focal length because of the smaller sensor in your digital camera.
For example a 200mm lens will appear closer to a 320mm
regards
Brian

But not with the A900 which is full frame. I've had mine since it was first released - great camera!

 

[brianhabby]

Fair enough Roger, but I think most digital SLRs use the smaller (APS size) sensor

regards

Brian

 

[dickm]

If the Minolta lenses will fit on a Sony, well worth using them and seeing what happens.

The various camera-interest forums seem to debate endlessly whether the computation of 35mm lenses is such that when used with APS-sized sensors, they work well because the centre of the field is where best performance is found, or badly because the performance is a compromise over the whole 35mm field, rather than optimised for the APS size. Which suggests that the difference is undetectable for the average user.

My ancient Sigma 200mm f2.8 with Pentax bayonet works fine as a 300mm approx on a Pentax ist DS. But old Vivitar zoom, which was brilliant on film, is not good on the digital body.

 

[cambournepete]

The various camera-interest forums seem to debate endlessly whether the computation of 35mm lenses is such that when used with APS-sized sensors, they work well because the centre of the field is where best performance is found, or badly because the performance is a compromise over the whole 35mm field, rather than optimised for the APS size...

Olympus claimed that as their 4/3 cameras and lenses were designed as a system they worked better than using film lenses on a digital body. I don't know how true it is, but their system certainly work very well, I just wish this photographer did

Pete
(Olympus E1 + too many Olympus Zuiko digital lenses )

 

[Phil Pascoe]

:wink: I've no doubt that purpose designed lenses perform better - I'm just not going to buy stuff if what I've already got is adequate.

 

[RogerP]

:wink: I've no doubt that purpose designed lenses perform better - I'm just not going to buy stuff if what I've already got is adequate.

Many of the current Sony lenses are just cosmetically upgraded Minolta lenses - some possibly with different lens coatings. I use several older MInolta lenses on my Sony a900 and they are excellent.

 

[brianhabby]

:wink: I've no doubt that purpose designed lenses perform better - I'm just not going to buy stuff if what I've already got is adequate.

Makes sense - 'suck it & see' as the saying goes. Why not take your lenses with you when you go to buy your new camera? That way you can try them out before you buy.

regards

Brian

 

[Phil Pascoe]

No mention of Konica yet?
Thanks for everything up to now!
Phil.

 

[RogerP]

No mention of Konica yet?
Thanks for everything up to now!
Phil.

Konica and Mikolta joined for a short while - "A" series lenses marked Konica-Minolta are the same as the Minoltas - just a re-badge job.

 

[dickm]

One thing noone has mentioned directly is that, as a consequence of the small sensor size and hence effective focal length multiplication compared to film, it's difficult (well, actually almost impossible) to find an affordable film lens that will give true wide angle on a digital camera. On 35mm, a 28mm focal length lens is about the affordable limit for wide angle, and that equates to nearly 40mm focal length on most digital bodies. So if wide landscapes are your thing, then you'll probably have to bite the bullet and buy an expensive dedicated w/a lens.

One thought - didn't Minolta make a 110 film SLR? Wonder how the lenses for that (if you could find them) would perform, as the sensor size of 110 film is nearer to APS? Or possibly, lenses for an APS film camera if Minolta/Konica made one?

 

[RogerP]

One thing noone has mentioned directly is that, as a consequence of the small sensor size and hence effective focal length multiplication compared to film, it's difficult (well, actually almost impossible) to find an affordable film lens that will give true wide angle on a digital camera. On 35mm, a 28mm focal length lens is about the affordable limit for wide angle, and that equates to nearly 40mm focal length on most digital bodies. So if wide landscapes are your thing, then you'll probably have to bite the bullet and buy an expensive dedicated w/a lens.

One thought - didn't Minolta make a 110 film SLR? Wonder how the lenses for that (if you could find them) would perform, as the sensor size of 110 film is nearer to APS? Or possibly, lenses for an APS film camera if Minolta/Konica made one?

As I said in a previous post in this thread not all dSLRS have small sensors - the Sony a900 is full frame and the widest lens I have is 17mm and, of course, there is NO crop factor so it's performs as a 17mm lens.

Minolta made APS interchangeable lens cameras - the Vectis. But no adapters have ever been made commercially to fit them to either the Sony dSLR/SLT or Sony NEX ranges.

110 size is tiny 13 × 17 mm - APS is 30.2 × 16.7 mm. A 110 lens would vignette dreadfully on a APS-C sensor - if you could find a way to fit one.

 

[cambournepete]

One thing noone has mentioned directly is that, as a consequence of the small sensor size and hence effective focal length multiplication compared to film, it's difficult (well, actually almost impossible) to find an affordable film lens that will give true wide angle on a digital camera.

My 11-22mm zoom gives a 22-44mm 35mm equivalent on my E1 which is wide enough for me.

So if wide landscapes are your thing, then you'll probably have to bite the bullet and buy an expensive dedicated w/a lens.

Like this one :shock:

 

[DTR]

One thing noone has mentioned directly is that, as a consequence of the small sensor size and hence effective focal length multiplication compared to film, it's difficult (well, actually almost impossible) to find an affordable film lens that will give true wide angle on a digital camera.

My 11-22mm zoom gives a 22-44mm 35mm equivalent on my E1 which is wide enough for me.

Finding an affordable wide angle prime for a cropped sensor is a bit more tricky

 

[Benchwayze]

:?: I have reached the point of submitting to digital photography - does anyone know if any digital camera will accept Minolta dynax/maxxum lenses? I don't want to waste good lenses.

Thanks, Phil.

The Pentax range of DSLRs accept the bayonet-fitting lenses from film SLRs. If that's of any help.

However, you lose a lot of the automatic features that come with Digital Cameras, and it can be like going back to film; for which I use a Mamiya 645 Pro Med/format, and a Weston light meter!

 

[brianhabby]

Like this one :shock:

That's just silly =P~

Mind you I'll bet it gives some pretty cool views

regards

Brian

 

[cambournepete]

My 11-22mm zoom gives a 22-44mm 35mm equivalent on my E1 which is wide enough for me.

Finding an affordable wide angle prime for a cropped sensor is a bit more tricky

Maybe, but it's f2.8 at the wide end and really clear - many reckon it's as good as a prime and it's more useful...