Toronto Photography Meetup Group

I've been living with the two kit lenses that I bought with my Sony Alpha 300, since I bought it. I have a pretty wide range of capability with them, and the center is sharp as a tack, it's the edges that are not perfect.

I want to expand my kit with some new lenses. I just got a used minolta 50mm f1.7 prime lens. Hello there, shallow depth of field, my old friend. I've missed you. The sony kit lens starts at f3.5. The minolta 50mm (@35mm sensor) works out to approx ~75mm using my body (APS-C) sensor.

So here's what I would like suggestions on:

1. what is my best way to get great macro close-up capability on this camera? What lens? What macro adaptors? I want to do true macro photo on my Alpha. Right now I use a Canon G10 P&S for not-quite-1:1-macro stuff.

2. what else is the must-have piece of old minolta AF to watch out for? The beercan? The baby-beercan? Bearing in mind that a long term approach will pay off, I'd like to collect full-frame classic film minolta lenses, use them for now on my A300, and at some point go up to something in the A850/A900 range.

Lenses are forever, almost, whereas bodies come and go, imho.


W

The best macro options are IMHO the Minolta/Sony 50mm Macro (f3.5 or f2. or the Tamron 90mm Macro. Both options go to 1:1, the 90 gives more working distance.

As to Minolta lenses to look out for, the ones that come to mind are the Beercan (70-210/4), the 35-70/4 (a great little zoom with good bokeh and the size of the 50/1.7), the 28/2 and 100/2, the 35/1.4 and 85/1.4, the 200/2.8 and the 20/2.8.

The biggest problem with older Minolta glass is that some of the more desirable everyday lenses are somewhat rare and thus expensive. The 35/2 is probably the most guilty of this, running around $7-800 on the used market for a lens that's normally around $400 from Nikon or Canon.

Welcome to tpmg, W.

I suspect since you are already aware of some classic lenses you've been to dyxum.com and read up on the forums there, as well as the (complete?) lens database.

I echo what Mawz has to say, and I own one earlier edition of the Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro (not the D version). Alternatively, you can get a set of Kenko extension tubes to fit MinAF/Sony (try to ensure the tubes are 8-pin).

For your aquarium work, I suspect you are doing little in the way of flash photography (either on or off camera), so not getting a "D" lens is not going to be a big deal for you. Correct me if I'm wrong.

In terms of the lenses you currently have, the two kit lenses you have are acceptable kit lenses, but what you are saying is indicative that you've outgrown them.

Other lenses cited by Mawz seem to be listed on Craiglist right now, though I'm not in the market for anything of late so cannot comment on the prices. I might have a few lenses for sale, though I'm not sure they're in the realm of what you're specifically looking for. PM me for a list.

Can you clarify what you mean by the baby-beercan? 100-200/4.5?

Important question: what is your budget?

If live view is not a big deal to you, the a850 and it's big brother the 900 are amazing cameras, but along with that comes the need for good glass (some lenses just can't keep up with the 24MP sensor), as well as extra computing horsepower.

On the other hand, if you're looking for fast glass, there are certain current generation lenses that while expensive, are well worth the money IMHO.

If you can make it out to the social next week in the Beaches (I refuse to drop the plural), we can talk more about it.

Cheers.

I could swear I responded to this thread earlier but my reply is not showing up.

The best zoom you can get would be the Minolta 28-135mm f4-4.5.
I had 2 and loved them both.

Here's one: http://kitchener.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-cameras-camcorders-Minolta-AF-28-135mm-f-4-4-5-Zoom-Lens-for-Sony-Alpha-Mount-W0QQAdIdZ198627550

I also sold my 50mm f/1.7 and got the original 50mm f/1.4 and it was nicer.
I had the beercan but sold it for the 70-300G cause it was a little slow focusing for me.

I also had the mini beercan 35-70mm f4. It goes for under $100. I got mine for $60. For the price it's a good lens with good build. But nothing exceptional.

Aquariums and flash: I have a flash unit that mounts onboard my Alpha, it's a third-party one with Sony DSLR TTL support, but it is not the Sony alpha brand flash. On-the-camera is useless, and I don't have a flash cable to move the flash around.

But... I have a third-party off-camera flash master unit and three slave units, I ordered from a place in hong-kong.

My aquarium photography is mostly without flash, but when I feel like really mucking about, I have rigged up a two-flash remote-trigger system, with inexpensive radio-flash signal devices, and old classic manual SLR flash units, setting the flash output manually, aiming and diffusing it. It sounds like a lot of work, and it is. I have found that the only suitable way to do it, is top-lighting the tank, and diffusing or bouncing the light.

There are nifty things where I don't bounce and diffuse as much. Such as when I can get beams of light coming down through the water, backlighting a nice black angelfish. Then, the flash is emulating "sunbeams" in the water. All lots of fun.


Where I am most limited is in the macro department. I would like to be able to take a fish, put him in a special glass box that I have, and do a macro-closeup, on the fellow. This is what aquarium and wild-fish-collectors do when they want a proper identification on a species, or want to take pictures suitable for academic or breeding interests. Right now, that sort of thing, calls for bringing out my Canon G10, or a fujifilm P&S that have very close-range macro focus, though neither can do true 1:1 macro.


W