Playing With Lenses: Does weight predict quality? Maxxum AF Zoom 28-135mm 1:4 (22)

Monday 2 November 2020

Does weight predict quality? Maxxum AF Zoom 28-135mm 1:4 (22) - 4.5

Cost: $25 (average cost: $50, to over $500 if in perfect condition)

I expected much more of this lens after the glowing reviews by Ken Rockwell or Kurt Munger, but I can't really say it followed the expectation. In all fairness, my copy had a dent at the front, so maybe it did have some internal damage. But autofocus was still working.

This lens was one of the first Minolta auto-focus zoom lenses with the AF mount. Being almost all metal, it feels very solid. But in practice, it also makes it very heavy to use. I had it on a small tripod for a moment, and it just kept falling over.

The lens is also know as the "secret handshake" lens, with the idea that it was the result of a secret partnership between Minolta and Leica and sold by Minolta at a lower cost to say thanks to their customers. There is however no proof of this, and pretty unlikely to be true. The rumor is persistent though and refuses to go away.

For looks, it aligns with most other Maxxum AF lenses. The range is very nice from wide to a reasonable zoom. Perfect for a nice nature walk, but who want to carry such a heavy lens with him. The lens has a Macro setting (losing the auto-focus capability), and although it did work, I was not able to take one Macro picture I was pleased with.

For the rest of the image quality, I found the lens to be very soft (to soft) when wide open, creating a soft glow. It's sharper when dropping a few stops, but I still found the pictures dull and not as sharp as other reviewers were raving about. also be very careful for the sun, as the flares are heavy in this one. It is weird that it was never sold with a hood, as a hood is strongly recommended to control flares.

Can it take good pictures? Yes, but in most cases I was wondering how much nicer the picture would have been with a better lens.

Again, it might be just my copy of this lens. As a Minolta collector, you need to have this lens. With the (mis)nomer of the "secret handshake" lens, it's a collectors item. And maybe one day, I will buy another one to see if I can find why it's liked that much.

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 28-135mm
Maximum Aperture: F4-4.5
Minimum Aperture: F22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: Minolta AF
Optics: 16 elements, 13 groups
Blades: 7
Focusing: Auto (+ Manual)
Minimum Focus: 2.44m in Macro
Filter Size: 72mm
Weight: 762g
Length: 110-144mm
Production: 1985
Serial Number: 1023419
Made in: Japan

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