AGeoJO Offline Upload & Sell: On
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I played with the idea of adding a longish lens to get more reach and to dabble into the realm of "wildlife" using a mirror-less system for quite some time. Finally, I decided to bite a bullet after the availability of IBIS in the A7II. Frankly, at this point I didn't feel like spending big bucks on one of the new Sony SSM lenses for that purpose, especially since my DSLR system is performing just fine and currently unmatched in that respect. In addition, those big lenses are unwieldy and are more designed to be used for dedicated birding/wildlife trips. For sure not something you can take leisurely with you to go to a local park or zoo with your grandkids, for example.
After doing some research, I found out that Minolta used to make a 500mm reflex lens with AF. Maybe the only company that offered AF in such a lens. Due to its design, mirror or catadioptric lenses are light and compact. So, I placed a bid on that on-line auction and I won! The lens arrived the day before yesterday and yesterday, I took it out for a spin to a local park and here are the images it generated. I used a monopod for the duck image but handheld for the other shots.
While the speed of the AF is sufficient to catch some action but it makes that whirring noise. Yes, it uses a dated AF system alright. However, the IBIS of the A7 II works wonder and it is a life saver for me, at least. And the camera recognizes the FL and chooses the IBIS mode optimized for that FL automatically. The sharpness and contrast of that lens is excellent. Is it comparable to my DSLR lenses? Well, not quite but not too bad for a tiny fraction of the price ($360+ shipped) and especially, the ease of handling is significantly better. I can't complain too much about anything really. The bokeh? Well, that's a different story and I am not a fan of the bokeh to be honest. Sometimes, it is just fine, like in the duck image but not quite to my liking in the BIF shots. The highlights are donut-shaped but I knew that upfront. Again, the handling and ease of use is really remarkable; the setup is a joy to use. Weighing only 700 grams, I can carry that lens all day long .
That lens on the Sony A7 II + LA-EA4 and plate for mono/tripod mount
On monopod and uncropped - OK bokeh
Cropped of the image above - Great details
Full image
Gull in flight
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