Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

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darkslide18
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Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by darkslide18 »

Looking for a "new" zoom. I presently own a 100-200 Minolta but I need more reach and my budget doesn't allow for a 75-300G. So I am thinking one of these may be my best bet. Problem is I cannot decide. Both get high marks on Dyaxum. Seems to me the biggest factor is weight. Would I mind lugging around a tank like the Beercan? Not really. Would either of these be good on my a77? What says you? I can get each for around the same price on Ebay.

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peterottaway
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by peterottaway »

I've never used the Big Beer Can but I do own the 100-300 APO which for its size and weight is a very nice lens especially for packing a smallish travel kit. The BBC will be an older lens which means that you are more likely to run into mechanical problems. This is a risk although with any second hand lens.

If you are likely to want to do video in the future then I think it may pay to look at a new Tamron and Sigma lens instead. Also either one of them will come with a full warranty. Lens design and manufacturing has moved on since these lenses were new and the new lenses should give you years of first class performance.
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mikeriach
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by mikeriach »

See if you can elicit a response from DK (or PM him). He bought a Sigma 70-300 APO and I believe he was very happy with it.
I haven't used my 100-300 APO on the A77 but it is certainly very compact and light.

Mike
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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pakodominguez
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by pakodominguez »

For what camera? the new 55-300 Sony seams good -I haven't really see any review, but if it is au pair with the 55-200 it is a good inexpensive lens http://www.adorama.com/ISO553004556.html
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mikeriach
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by mikeriach »

Good call Pako, hadn't thought of that one.

Mike
All my Sony SLT gear gone. Still got my RX100 though.
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edrice
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by edrice »

I had the 100-300 APO and liked it for my long distance hiking lens because it was compact and light weight. I also have the 100-400 APO and consider it a better lens than the 100-300 APO. The 100-400 APO is slightly lighter than the 75-300 beercan and yet offers better reach, so that is something to consider. Of course, it probably goes for a bit more money, but money nevertheless well spent.

I only reason I sold the 100-300 APO is because I'm paring down my A-mount gear in the move over to NEX (again for compactness and light weight) and the only A-mount lenses I have left now are the CZ16-80 and the 100-400 APO and I will keep these until suitable replacements come along in E-mount.

The new 55-300 may be a good candidate as Pako mentioned.

Ed
maxxuus
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Re: Minolta 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6 APO or 75-300 Beercan

Unread post by maxxuus »

I have the 100-300 D APO. I was thinking of selling it, but with the A77 it focuses so much better than with the A700, I decided to keep it. The D version is apparently better at the long end than the wide end although I really don't see any difference. Everything looks good to me.
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Re: Minolta AF Apo 100-300 mm or AF 75-300 mm Beercan

Unread post by 01af »

The Minolta AF 75-300 mm 'Beercan' used to be my workhorse telephoto lens on both the Konica-Minolta Dynax 7D and Sony Alpha 900 ... until I got the Sony SAL 70-400 mm G SSM which is even better but also significantly bigger and heavier.

I compared the AF 75-300 to its own successor models of the same zoom range (several of them), to the AF 100-300, and to the AF Apo 100-300. I found the Beercan the best, overall, of all these. Only at 300 mm specifically, the AF Apo 100-300 outperforms the Beercan; however it's worse than the Beercan at 100 mm and 200 mm. So if the performance at 300 mm is paramount then get the AF Apo 100-300 (w/ or w/o '(D)' doesn't matter but 'Apo' is important). If overall performance across the whole zoom range is important then better get the AF 75-300 'Beercan'; it's better than the AF Apo 100-300 over the better part of the zoom range and only slightly inferior at 300 mm. Also the shorter short end (75 mm vs. 100 mm) is very useful ... to me anyway.

Steer clear from the other AF 75-300 non-Beercan models as well as from the AF 100-300 non-Apo. The Sony SAL DT 55-300 SAM sure is an interesting alternative when the budget is limited—but keep in mind this one is for APS-C format only; it does not cover the 35-mm full-frame format (which is perfectly fine unless you plan to acquire an A99 anytime soon).
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