Ugly Hedgehog Newsletter

Pondering the jump from film to digital. I have a lot of Minolta gear and I can't make up my mind whether to switch to Nikon or Canon or go with Sony and use the existing Maxxum AF Lenses. I could stay with the Minolta set-up and start over with a new brand DSLR. The following list of lenses I currently have are making this decision difficult. There is some good quality glass on this list.


50mm f1.4 Minolta AF
50mm f1.7 Minolta AF
85mm f1.4 Minolta AF Portrait
90mm f2.8 Tamron SP AF Macro
135mm f2.8 Minolta AF
21-35 f3.5-4.2 Sigma AF
28-85 f3.5-4.5 Minolta AF Macro
28-105 f2.8 Tamron SP LD XR AF
28-200 f3.8-5.6 Tamron XR AF
28-300 f3.5-6.3 Tamron XR AF
70-300 f4 Minolta Beercan AF

Help me out here. Loyde.

Raymond Loc: Portland Oregon

Get a Sony!

Randyb1969 Loc: Armpit of California

Yeah, that's way too much glass to go to waste and you'll never get enough selling them used to replenish even part of that set on another format. But then again, you obviously have doubts about the Sony Alpha or this wouldn't even be a question. Maybe it is time to move on.

llfost

Raymond, which Sony body do you own and are you sold on the features and performance?
Thanks for your response.
Loyde

llfost

Thanks Ned's Dad, you are reading my mind. Appreciate your taking the time to give me a little push.

Loyde

Len

One thing to consider ( and perhaps muddy the waters a little more ) is the use of an adapter.
I had an old Minolta MD 50mm 1.7 lens laying around and found an adapter to go from the MD to my Canon rebel on Amazon.com. It works just fine and I eve have an old set of extension tubes to boot. HOWEVER,

Baldegle

June 5, 2000 I took two Canon Bodies, 4 Canon lenses, misc flash, etc and traded them in to get a NIKON Coolpix. Now on my fourth or fifth Nikon - S-10 with 10x zoom. Digital is a whole other world, so be prepared to spend time learning and using new technology. Have fun. I have not bought a roll of film in 11 years!
Baldegle

llfost

Thanks Len. Excellent idea but I have checked and there are no adaptors for Minolta/Sony to any other camera mfg or visa versa.
Loyde

llfost

I hear you baldegle....thanks for the warning!

Len

Pardon me. I pushed the wrong key.
I was about to say that; you will lose camera control of the aperture and auto focus with this set up. Which might be a big deal for you. Especially if you can find a Sony body that retains those features with or without some kind of adapter. Such adapters are available for Nikon as well.
If I were to start down this road anew with DSLRs I would very consider Sony. They have become the most innovative company with cameras like the A33 & A55; the Zeiss lenses, and they just feel good in my hands.

llfost

Thanks again Len.
Loyde

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Sony Alpha 55! You've got too much invested in glass to change brands now. All your lenses will work on it perfectly. You will never find a less expensive way to have all the versatility that your lenses offer and be digital. You will be very impressed at the combination of the Sony body and Minolta lenses!

You have some redundancy in your list of lenses. Since everybody on eBay knows that Minolta AF (d) lenses work on the Sony, you could probably sell off three or four and almost pay for a Sony Alpha 55 body.

llfost

Thank you Marco. I appreciate the specifics of your suggestion and value your experience and knowledge.

Loyde

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

Thanks. I have the Sony Alpha 55 and one of the first things I did within a week was buy a new "old stock" Minolta Maxxum 28 to 100 mm macro zoom on eBay. Took it out of the box, mounted it, and TA-DA - perfect match. The quality is every bit as good or better than the Sony lens that came with the camera.

If you want to use a TTL external flash with internal power zoom, the camera has to send "distance" or "D" info to the flash so it can power zoom to the correct length to match the lens (it's not accurate but close). "D" information also adjusts the flash's electronics so its infrared beam can accurately calculate how much flash power to put out. For that you need to use Minolta lenses that have a "D" printed on them. It's right on the front of the lens. Some of yours may or may not have the "D" but they will still work, auto-focus, etc. but not relay that information. I believe non-d lenses have one less electrical contact on the rear.

When using your lenses there is a full-frame 35mm film to digital sensor error concerning the focal length markings on your lenses. A 28mm length lens on a 35mm film body is actually more like a 40mm length in the digital world. There's a precise calculation and explanation readily available on Google but I usually just think in terms of adding 40% to the 35mm full frame lengths to estimate the digital length.

The lens that comes with the Sony Alpha 55 is marked 18 to 55mm and it doesn't need to be converted because it is actually that perceived length for the digital sensor because that lens is made for a digital body. I estimate my purchased 28-100mm zoom to be approximately 40 to 140mm in digital terms.

Hope that helps too.

llfost

Thanks for following up and filling me in on facts I need to know.
Loyde