What lenses for Minolta Maxxum 5

Pinaki Sengupta wrote:
I have been following the discussion with great interest because I
also
plan to buy something similar in the not-to-distant future. My
questions
a
(2) How do these two zooms (28-105 and 28-85) compare with the
similar
zooms for canon and nikon?

Before you jump into Canon vs Nikon vs Minolta, I suggest consider the
following factors:

1. Budget - Needs no explaination. All choices revolve around it.

2. Needs - What is your requirement? Are you planning to take up
photography as a profession? Or are you going to take it up as a
serious hobby (astrophotography etc)? Or, you are a weekend warrior
(like me)?

Depending on the above, you will have to plan for photo equipment plus
processing equipment (darkroom, a quality film scanner or printing
facilities). If you just want to make your photos look better then some
entry level gear plus development and printing at a pro lab might be
the answer.

For eg, I found that the lowest SLR with a good set of features from
the Nikon stable is the N80/F80. But thats outside my budget. I have
used the Canon 300V and liked it but found that all features don't work
in all modes. Looked at Minolta Maxxum 5 and found that its cheap,
loaded with features and has good performance reviews. Ofcourse, it
does lack some features that pros might want but I am just starting
out. So I probably won't miss expensive features like mirror lock and
the fact that the camera is small (something pros detest) is a boon for
me because I have small hands.

3. Skill level - How long have you been shooting and how deep do you
plan to get into it? If you are beginner, I doubt you will appreciate
immiediately the difference between a cheap Nikkor and cheap Minolta
lens. Or between a good quality but cheap lens and a high quality
expensive lens.

Conventional wisdom says Nikon makes the best lenses but I don't think
that can be said for the bundled lenses or all the cheap ones that
Nikon makes. So determine your need (zoom, prime, wide-angle, sports,
wildlife, portrait, landscape, nature) and your budget and then see
which manufacturer gives the best performance for your money. For eg,
you might find that the 70-210mm f4 that Minolta sells is better than
Niikon's with the same specs and in the same price range.

Also, you might want to look at future upgradeability. That means if
you plan to buy a dSLR in the future, will the lenses you invest in
(lenses are a BIG investment) be compatible with the dSLRs from the
same manufacturer?

Last but not the least, google in "Web" and "Groups" for the products
you chose and read as many reviews as you can without getting confused


Hope this help,

Cheers,

Siddhartha

Pinaki Sengupta wrote:
I have been following the discussion with great interest because I
also
plan to buy something similar in the not-to-distant future. My
questions
a
(2) How do these two zooms (28-105 and 28-85) compare with the
similar
zooms for canon and nikon?

Before you jump into Canon vs Nikon vs Minolta, I suggest consider the
following factors:

1. Budget - Needs no explaination. All choices revolve around it.

2. Needs - What is your requirement? Are you planning to take up
photography as a profession? Or are you going to take it up as a
serious hobby (astrophotography etc)? Or, you are a weekend warrior
(like me)?

Depending on the above, you will have to plan for photo equipment plus
processing equipment (darkroom, a quality film scanner or printing
facilities). If you just want to make your photos look better then some
entry level gear plus development and printing at a pro lab might be
the answer.

For eg, I found that the lowest SLR with a good set of features from
the Nikon stable is the N80/F80. But thats outside my budget. I have
used the Canon 300V and liked it but found that all features don't work
in all modes. Looked at Minolta Maxxum 5 and found that its cheap,
loaded with features and has good performance reviews. Ofcourse, it
does lack some features that pros might want but I am just starting
out. So I probably won't miss expensive features like mirror lock and
the fact that the camera is small (something pros detest) is a boon for
me because I have small hands.

3. Skill level - How long have you been shooting and how deep do you
plan to get into it? If you are beginner, I doubt you will appreciate
immiediately the difference between a cheap Nikkor and cheap Minolta
lens. Or between a good quality but cheap lens and a high quality
expensive lens.

Conventional wisdom says Nikon makes the best lenses but I don't think
that can be said for the bundled lenses or all the cheap ones that
Nikon makes. So determine your need (zoom, prime, wide-angle, sports,
wildlife, portrait, landscape, nature) and your budget and then see
which manufacturer gives the best performance for your money. For eg,
you might find that the 70-210mm f4 that Minolta sells is better than
Niikon's with the same specs and in the same price range.

Also, you might want to look at future upgradeability. That means if
you plan to buy a dSLR in the future, will the lenses you invest in
(lenses are a BIG investment) be compatible with the dSLRs from the
same manufacturer?

Last but not the least, google in "Web" and "Groups" for the products
you chose and read as many reviews as you can without getting confused


Hope this help,

Cheers,

Siddhartha