Minolta Maxxum 100-300mm lens w/ Sony LA EA5 Adapter
In this short review of the Minolta Maxxum APO 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 lens, I discuss how well it works on newer mirrorless cameras with the LA EA5 adapter. I also provide sample photographs.
When I arrived home from work today, I grabbed the Sony A7Cii, the LA EA5 adapter that I discussed yesterday, and a Minolta Maxxum 100-300 f/4.5-5.6 lens. I headed down to the lakes at Green Valley Park in the hopes of photographing some wildlife. There were a lot of people out walking their dogs. The ducks were very photogenic. As I was walking around the lake in the hope of catching something somewhat wild, I discovered the same great blue heron that I had photographed on Wednesday.
The heron was standing regal, facing into the wind. He ignored me for the most part, perhaps because we had met before. He stood there for a bit, turning for me to get a good shot. The Sony A7cii has character recognition. It can detect animals and birds and their eyes. It is amazing how well it works. I took a $20 lens that you can purchase on ebay and got some amazing results. It does suffer from chromatic aberation, but most lenses from the 80’s do have this issue. In fact, some brand new lenses suffer from it.
You can spend $1500 and get sharper results, but why would you do that unless you’re shooting wildlife all the time and make money from it? It’s a logical question, right? I have all of these old AF Minolta A-mount lenses from the 80’s and 90’s. Why not make use of them. Some are better than others, of course, but they work surprisingly well with the new adapter. For any of you with a fairly new Sony mirrorless camera, get the adapter and a few A-mount lenses. You will not be disappointed. Below you’ll find a sample gallery from today’s shoot.
Sony LA EA5 Adapter
Last week, I ordered a LA EA4 adapter after doing a considerable amount of research about the five different E to A Mount adapters that Sony has offered over the years. These adapters are used to adapt older Sony and Minolta A-Mount lenses to modern Sony E mount mirrorless cameras. The first few iterations were clunky and the autofocus was slow. After doing a bit of research, I ordered the LA EA4 adapter. It arrived on Tuesday. When I got off of work, I peddled home in a hurry to discover to my horror that after waiting a week for the treasure, it turned out to not be supported for my camera, the Sony A7cii.
I put it on the camera, along with an A-mount lens that was supported by the adapter and nothing. I could adjust the aperture, but I could not get auto focus to work. I did more digging and discovered on Sony’s Japanese website that the LA EA4 is no longer supported and would not work on my camera. So, I disappointingly packed it back up and processed the return with Amazon. Once that was done, I ordered the LA EA5 adapter, which is cheaper and is supported on my camera and older ones.
It arrived yesterday, and to my incredible excitement, it actually worked like a charm! The great thing about the 5 over the 4 is that it doesn’t have a translucent mirror used for focusing, which means that all the beautiful light streaming through the lens hits the sensor directly without any interruption. I eagerly put a few of my favorite lenses on it, and to my delight, it worked seamlessly with each of them. Even better, the EXIF data transferred over perfectly as well, making the whole experience even more satisfying.
Early this morning, I headed down to Green Valley Park with the camera, the adapter, and a Minolta 35-70mm f/4 macro lens. The lens isn’t fast, but it is very versatile and a macro to boot. The lens is sharp and the autofocus, although not as fast as a native lens, is fast enough for what I do. I had a great time shooting with this lens and using autofocus. The subject recognition in the Sony A7cii does work through the older lenses. I had it on Animal/Bird, and it recognized a Great Blue Herons eyes and the subject. The autofocus is a little noisy compared to modern lenses, but for photography work, it is great. I will be taking the 70-200mm f/4 beer can lens out tomorrow to test it.
Thus far, I am incredibly happy with the performance of this adapter and the lenses used that I already have. This little adapter will save me thousands of dollars, and that, ladies and gentleman, is of the utmost importance. You can buy these old A mount lenses for pennies on the dollar compared to their native new counterparts. There are a few photographs below for your enjoyment. I could not get too close to the heron with a maximum range of 70mm. What are your thoughts on these adapters?
Favorite Medium Format Camera of 2024
A short review of the budget friendly medium format film camera with sample photographs.
In my previous post, I enthusiastically discussed my preferred 35mm film camera for 2024. However, I should have clarified that I was specifically referring to my favorite 35mm film camera of 2024. Today, I will shift gears and provide a detailed analysis of my favorite medium format film camera for 2024. What criteria led me to select this particular camera?
There are several important components to consider when picking out a favorite camera for an entire year of photography adventures. In my wee opinion, it absolutely has to be a camera that a person has put many rolls of film through over countless creative sessions. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, you need to truly enjoy using it. The camera must seamlessly become a part of you, almost like an extension of your own self, and you need to take the time to understand all of its wonderful quirks and genuinely appreciate them, as they often contribute to the magic of capturing unforgettable moments.
Every camera has quirks. This camera has a few, such as the slower top shutter speed, but the ease of use and versatility make up for it. I am referring to the Agfa Isolette I. This camera is an amazing medium format camera for the money. It is a standard 6x6 folding camera with an Agnar 85mm f/4.5. It modern times, that aperture seems slow and small, but it was great for its time. These can be purchased on eBay for around $20-$50 in decent condition. I’ve had three of these and never had a problem with the bellows or light leaks.
When shooting with these folders, I’m usually in bright sunlight and shooting at f/8, so the slow 1/200th of a second shutter speed isn’t that bad. It is fast enough. Below, I’ll have a few sample that I took with this camera. One thing to be careful of is double exposing (exposing the same frame of film twice). There is no safety, so you have to remember to wind to the next frame. My cheat for this is to go ahead and wind to the next frame as soon I take a shot. I still do it on occasion.
This camera purchase was pure luck, really. I decided to put in a bid of just $10, thinking it was a fun experiment, and a few days later, I was pleasantly surprised when I received the notification that I had won the auction. Not only did I win the camera, which turned out to be in fantastic condition, but I also scored a case and a little rangefinder tucked away in its own pouch! As I examined the photos of the ad, I noticed the rangefinder pouch attached to the case strap and immediately recognized exactly what it was. I took a chance and ultimately secured a wonderfully charming little camera and rangefinder duo. Together, they are an absolute joy to use, and I can’t imagine my photography adventures without them. Without a rangefinder, it would undoubtedly be a significant struggle to accurately guess the distance with my limited vision.
Keep all of this in mind when looking at these cameras. They do not have a rangefinder or a light meter built in, so you either have to have really good eyes to accurately estimate distance and a light meter or only use it at infinity. Agfa/Ansco are, for the most part, one and the same. The 50’s.and 60’s cameras were of great quality for the price. The Agfa/Ansco that survived into the 70’s was of lesser quality, in my wee opinion.
The main point of all of these posts is to encourage you, the reader, to get out there and shoot stunning photographs, whether it is with a classic 35mm camera, a versatile medium format, or a large format. Photography is an adventure waiting to be explored! If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about any of these articles and reviews that I create, please feel free to reach out and use the contact page. I’d love to hear from you and help in any way I can!
