Heavy Reach: RMC Tokina 100-300mm 1:5 Close Focus

 Cost: $19.99 (market price around $40)

  

Let's not kid ourselves. This is a heavy lens compared to newer zoom lenses, but possible smaller and lighter than some of the latest zoom beasts out there. 

It's a good traditional looking metal lens, with a build-in hood, and smooth focus, zoom and aperture rings. Very easy to focus, pretty fast in the tele range, and a pleasure to take pictures with.

Again not to much to be found on the lens, as it seems to be more rare then it's brother, the 1:5.6, but also stated to have better quality.

Rich colors, but strong color aberration in the tele-zoom range. Where the lens really shines is in the close focus range. Very sharp with a lot of depth. a reason to keep this lens. 

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 100-300mm
Maximum Aperture: F5
Minimum Aperture: 22
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: OM
Optics: ? elements, ? groups (?)
Blades: 8
Focusing: Manual 
Minimum Focus: 200cm, 48cm in Macro Focus
Filter Size: 62mm
Weight: 880g
Length: 170-178-mm
Production: 1980's?
Serial Number: 7916377
Made in: Japan

More information on Tokina

Samples:

Handheld

Handheld Close focus

Handheld Close focus

Handheld

Handheld

Handheld

Handheld

Reference:

AllPhotoLenses.com

Underwhelming: Cosina AF Zoom 28-70 f3.5-4.5 MC

  Cost: $29.9 (market price around $25)

   

As this lens was manufactured by Cosinon under license by Minolta, it should be very comparable in quality to a Minolta Maxum lens of the same era. Indeed, the lens feels very solid and has a nice quality feel to it. It kind of pushes me to collect more Cosino lenses.

But in use, I did feel a little underwhelmed. Even though the auto focus worked with the "Monster Adapter", the focus was rarely accurate, and even when in focus I thought it could be a lot sharper. 

Colors are accurate, but not very rich. 

There wasn't much to find online about this lens, but the few reviews I found thought it to be pretty good for an early auto zoom lens, on par with some of the better kit lenses. this was not the case for me, but it could have been the adapter instead of the lens. 

I will probably keep it as it is a little rare, but don't expect it will be used much.

Lens Specification:

Focal Length: 28-70mm
Maximum Aperture: F3.5-4.5
Minimum Aperture: 
Image Format: 35mm
Lens Mount: Minolta AF
Optics: 7 elements, 7 groups (?)
Blades: 8
Focusing: Auto 
Minimum Focus: 0.8m
Filter Size: 52mm
Weight: 335g
Length: 79-mm
Production: 1990's?
Serial Number: 99073018
Made in: Japan, licensed by Minolta

More information on Cosina

Samples:

1/50 sec - f20 - 62mm - ISO100 - Handheld

1/50 sec - f20 - 50mm - ISO100 - Handheld

1/50 sec - f13 - 40mm - ISO100 - Handheld

1/50 sec - f8 - 62mm - ISO100 - Handheld

1/80 sec - f4.5 - 62mm - ISO125 - Handheld