Just seen on Ffordes site - four 'unused' Minolta 24-105mms at £199 each; one unused 50mm macro at £199; three unused 75-300mm Minolta D lenses; a whole stack of unused special leather shoulder cases for the Minolta CLE outfit. One or two single 'unused' further vintage Minolta items scattered around such as a 100-300mm xi zoom (!), all listed as s/h (used) but also labelled as unused, which means boxed as new stock - unsold old stock.

The macro I would buy if it was a later D type but this is a classic original AF - unused, boxed unsold stock with caps - http://www.ffordes.co.uk/product/11081215511281

The 24-105mms (http://www.ffordes.co.uk/product/11081215431581) look a very good deal and I am tempted to get one now that ACR/LR has full correction for the CA and distortion, but I've just ordered a cheap 28-75mm SAM so that will have to be missed.

The prices are very good (the burgundy leather cases are £39 each - I remember how good those were, but a bit feminine - the space for the lenses might be a bit too tight to fit NEX kit instead of CLE kit but I'm thinking of getting one).

David

Checking the site, they have some Canon EF and FD, some Contax and other fits mainly Sigma and Vivtar oldies - long deceased Sigma designs for certain, from the 1990s, on the same basis. Looks as if they cleared out the stock of a dealer going broke who had loads of unsold boxed items (also probably why they went broke).

David

I thought you didn't rate the 24-105D very highly on digital David?

Yes Marco, but that was before Adobe Camera Raw/Lightroom Profiles were introduced. I always like the 24-105mm on APS-C and used it all the time. But on full frame the distortion and CA was too much for me, the older 24-85mm (which I use) still has some, but it's much cleaner.

Now you can run the raw file with the lens profile automatically applied, the distortion and CA of the 24-105mm can be fully corrected. Admittedly, that does involve losing some of the angle of view, so it becomes more like a 26-100mm after the corrections.

Also, there is always the possibility that an individual sample of the lens might prove to be better, and for £199 could be worth trying. But I do not intend to.

David