Minolta 200mm 2.8 APO unbreakable ...

[InTheSky]

I was at a concert yesterday night, shooting almost everywhere in the theater. I was to finish to climb a ladder when I feel a little less weight on my camera bag ... and just a micro second I saw a beautiful white lens trying to make is first fly (by forgetting it has no wing ) and BOUM ! and reBOOM on the floor ... Yes your heart stop when you see that ... I think there is some $$$ passing to your mind and in this kind of lens how you will be able to find another one.

I think the lens has fall from almost 4-5 feet directly on the floor.

The result : Nothing ... not event a scratch or a ding ... Like a miracle ... , but like the same miracle I have experiment before two time with my 100mm F/2.0 and a few time with my 28mm 2.0. Those lens have been built like a tank. Even the 85mm D G has fall almost the same one or two times.

I do not recommend try this at home

I'm pretty sure I have been lucky again ... and probably I should be more careful , but in another view, If I'm to protective with my lenses I will never use then in any situation.

Does anybody has experiment same accident with old G lenses ?

[Dr. Harout]

Not with a G lens, but with the Minolta 70-210 f/3.5-4.5 (not the beercan) that my secretary dropped while lifting my bag. It was a bit more than 1 meter height. Nothing bad happened (I even suspect it got better )

[Greg Beetham]

You guys are lucky! My like new crossed X Minolta 135 2.8 (poor man's G) fell 4 inches onto concrete at a football game and it broke. It tweaked something inside and now focus is sluggish in the close focus range. I have been using my beat up spare 135 (purchased off Dyxum that way) for the last two years and I am actually looking for someone to repair my beautiful copy on the cheap or semi-cheap!

-Sonolta

I was wondering, if you had the lens service manual http://www.dyxum.com/columns/other/pete ... ganzel.asp it might be possible too diagnose the possible cause of the problem, and if it's possible to repair easily....just a thought...
Greg

[redsim74]

The result : Nothing ... not event a scratch or a ding ... Like a miracle ...

That's encouraging to know. My 200/2.8 will likely go to Australia with me next month.

[Ghor]

Hi! Do you use Minolta TC (1.4 and 2x) with this lens and what do you think about loss of image quality wide open?

[InTheSky]

The 1.4x is near than perfect. Width open at F/4.0 on A900 at 24mp you can almost see not a big difference. If I have time I will try to post some picture with the 1.4TC on it.

For the 2x it is another story, you can see at almost any aperture under F/8.0 that the TC is there. And I can say that even at F/8.0 you will know that the TC is there. It is not that bad, but far beyond compare to the 1.4x.

For me the 1.4x is a must to have with this lens, and the 2x has no advantage compare to the 1.4x (if you have already the 1.4x).

Unfortunately I have sold the 2x (following my experience with it) but it will be interesting to see at F5.6 or a little more from the same distance of a subject with the A900 (or higher sensor resolution in the APS-C word) that the 200mm + 1.4x will remain better detail resolution than 200mm +2.0x.

Regards,

Frank

[Ghor]

Thank you Franck for your very interesting answer. That's exactly what I wanted to know. I've just received a Minolta TC1.4 and you're right concerning image quality: almost no difference even at 100% pixel peeping, amazing! But much slower autofocus

[Mr_Canuck]

I'll have to get on a ladder and try dropping mine.