Playing With Lenses: An updated beercan: Maxxum AF Zoom 70-210 1:3.5(22)-4.5

Monday 16 November 2020

An updated beercan: Maxxum AF Zoom 70-210 1:3.5(22)-4.5

Cost: $25 (average cost: $30)

As the successor of the famed "beercan" Minolta Maxxum AF Zoom 70-210 F4, it came with high expectations. Not only is it a little faster with a variable aperture (half a stop in the wide range), it's a heck of a lot smaller and lighter then the original "beercan". But if that comes at the cost of image quality, is it really progress?

Without having tested the original beercan, I can't really say that is the case. I was actually pretty pleased with this lens. Light, easy to use, fast focus across the range, and decent image quality. It's sharp across the image, and across the full range. It has rich colors, and I did not notice any significant colors aberration beyond what you would expect from an older lens, aside from some purple when pointing in the direction of the light. It is strongly recommended though to use the included hood, in order to avoid flares.

Aside from the good performance, I also liked the look of the lens. Not as solid as other older Minolta Maxxum AF lenses, but it still oozed quality with it's looks, while looking nimble for the range, and the fact it's an auto focus lens. Compare that to the beast of modern zoom lenses.

The "hold" button is use to hold focus or DOF, but only works with compatible camera's and my Sony is not.

As a warning, I did hear that not all copies of this lens performed as good, but if you can find a good copy, as I did, you might be very lucky.

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 70-210mm
Maximum Aperture: F3.5-4.5
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: Minolta AF
Optics: 12 elements, 12 groups
Blades: 9
Focusing: Auto (+ Manual)
Minimum Focus: 1.1m

Filter Size: 55mm
Weight: 423g
Length: 96-160mm
Production: 1988
Serial Number: 37301601
Made in: Japan

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