The Essential Minolta Lenses for the A-Mount Shooter

If you relatively new to the A-Mount or, you are hunting around wondering what lenses to buy for your Minolta or Sony DSLR (etal), these are a list of 'must have' lenses for your kit. Know that none of the lenses listed here will break your wallet, and they all offer excellent optical performance in one or more important practical performance characteristics ( performance you'll appreciate when printing or looking at the images). Links are the best I could find for Amazon, just as a quick reference.

Tenpa Eyepiece Magnifier

High quality gear. I've only found them on Ebay for sale and they will come direct from China to anywhere in the world. I own three Tenpa magnifiers. Two are the same model for different mounts (Pentax and Minolta), and yesterday arrived my 1.22X Tenpa magnifier for my 7D. It also works very well on my Maxxum 9 film camera- and can you imagine the Maxxum 9's viewfinder being magnified 1.22x without vignetting in the corners?!

Compare to Sony FDAME1AM Magnifying Eyepiece (Black)

Currently Testing- (Cameras on the Red Carpet)

A quick look under the Photographic-Central hood: Currently testing two cameras, the Panasonic G3 (and several lenses) and a throwback bargain hunting DSLR, the Nikon D80 (w/35mm f/1.8 G lens). Both cameras arrived yesterday and I familiarized myself with most of the necessary functionality last night. One of the points of my camera testing here is to find good deals for photographers whether it's an older camera or the new with zero brand bias.

Nikon D80 10.2MP DSLR

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Digital Camera (Body)

Konica Minolta 100-300mm APO D f4.5-5.6 Lens Review

Konica Minolta 100-300mm APO D f4.5-5.6 Lens Review
May 2012, Carl Garrard

Konica Minolta may no longer be in the camera business officially (at least for the time being) but that doesn't mean they aren't in many of the hearts and minds of the photographers who still use their equipment. With 17 million lenses available still on the used market (the number at least in 2006 when they handed Sony the business), that means that a great deal of lenses not only still exist, but that there is quite a range to choose from. And out of that range stand out a few classic Minolta lenses that are wildly popular in the "KM" A-Mount community. One such lens is the Konica Minolta 100-300mm APO, which has seen two different versions with the "D" version being one of Konica Minolta's last and the subject of this review.

Konica Minolta 100-300mm Used Prices

Konica Minolta 7D- Notes and Update

Today I did some basic maintenance servicing on both of my 7D's. I removed the focusing screens (no tool needed if you know how) and cleaned off  a couple of annoying dust specs/threads out of both viewfinders- both are perfectly clean now. I'm a stickler about my equipment being spotless, so it's nice to do this maintenance myself. I've also cleaned both of the 7D's exterior very thoroughly. More...
 Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D 6MP DSLR Availability and Price

Canon Powershot G1X Review

Canon Powershot G1X Review
April 2012, Carl Garrard

Canon Powershot G1X Review- Every once in a while a camera will come my way that blows my ship right out of the water. I'm glad its a rare occurrence because if it weren't I couldn't make that statement with the same enthusiasm or honesty. So, is the Canon G1X one of those rare cameras? First, know that I am a huge G12 fan- up to today's date it has remained my favorite all round serious compact camera.

G1X Price and Availability

Nikon D700 Coming Down!

Prices on the Nikon D700 are looking real good for those who don't want/need all the newest gear but want a real solid DSLR body instead. The Nikon D700 is one of my favorite DSLRS that I have yet to own. It's still a very very solid all around camera that will do much of today's demanding tasks, and is quite a bargain on the current market both used and new alike. If I were shopping today for a full frame camera I'm likely to go the route of picking up a D700 myself. My short time spent with this camera was very positive and left a lasting impression of durability, handling, features, and performance.  Current prices on the D700 are below (there are used D700's too!).

Nikon D700 SLR Digital Camera (Body Only)

Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Review

Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Review
March 2012, Carl Garrard

Sony 85mm f/2.8 SAM Review: In July of 2010 Sony released 3 lenses, two of which were from its newer budget line SAM (smooth auto focus) series. Of those two the Sony 85mm f/2.8 was introduced to give photographers on a budget an affordable budget medium telephoto portrait lens option in this focal range (which equates to roughly 128mm on APS-C sensor sized cameras). The 85mm f/2.8 retails for about $249.00 (Amazon price) in the US making it a budget lens indeed. The design is simple and lightweight, and comes equipped with a lens hood and front and rear caps. Typically lenses of this price range do not include a lens hood. More... Sony 85mm f/2.8 Best Price (Amazon) and Sony 85mm f/2.8 B & H Price

Voigtlander Bessa R3A Review

Voigtlander Bessa R3A Review
March 2012, Carl Garrard

Voigtlander Bessa R3A Review - Handsome, isn't it? For the rangefinder fan in me, the Bessa R3a exemplifies rangefinder camera design. It's simple, affordable, well built, and beautiful. Its looks belie a camera that above all things functions well, and its form factor is designed primarily around that concept. Cameras that look nice but perform well  are, at least in my eyes,  the best of both worlds. Make no mistake, the Bessa R3a is a film camera- and it's glorious.

Voigtlander Bessa Used and New Prices

Pentax DA645 25mm f/4 lens Announced!

March 22, 2012- PENTAX Introduces New 25mm f/4 Lens Designed Exclusively For Company’s 645D Medium-Format Digital SLR Camera

Denver, CO (March 22, 2012) – PENTAX RICOH IMAGING AMERICAS CORPORATION today announced the introduction of its new DA645 25mm f/4 lens, designed and optimized for exclusive use with its popular 645D medium format digital SLR camera. 

 By combining its ultra-wide perspective with exclusive PENTAX Super Multi-Coating (smc), Aspherical Elements (AL), Supersonic Motor Drive (SDM), and all-weather (AW) construction, PENTAX has created a lens that will render super-sharp images with performance levels photographers have come to expect from original PENTAX lenses.
Pentax 645D Lenses Best Price Check

Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM Lens Prices

Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM Lens Prices

Sony's 16-50mm f/2.8 SSM lens is their best kit lens to date that comes in with great performance and a very reasonable price. This is a versatile lens that covers 24-75mm @35mm equivalent which should cover most photographic needs both outdoors and indoors alike. Prices are starting to slowly drop on this lens now so check here for the latest prices and availability. Spend more on a lens like this and it will likely be all you'll ever need.
B&H Photo Price Check:

Sony 16-50mm f/2.8 Standard Zoom Lens

Sony Alpha A600 Coming? (Updated 3-06)

(Not an actual A600 image, obviously)

Recently I received information from an apparently well informed gentleman about an upcoming A600 DSLR from Sony. I'm not normally in the rumor business here but I wanted to share this with readers mainly because of the source of the rumor. I also think it's directly related to a highly debated topic and therefore newsworthy. Yes this is about an actual DSLR rumor, not a rumor about an SLT model. This person who shared this information has given me inside (and secret) information in the past, but has not contacted me in about 2 years.

Oben 1410 Tripod Review

Oben 1410 Tripod Review

March 2012, Carl Garrard
 

Oben AC-1410 Tripod Review: Tripods may not be everyone's forte but for some photographers they are just as vital for photography as a camera is. There are many manufacturers that make tripods on the market but only a relative few that make tripod that are competitive for light duty field work. Typically I like tripods that are lightweight, compact, and offer a lot of full size tripod features in a much more svelt and compact form. Today I'm reviewing the Oben 1410, which is a medium height tripod that comes in at a relatively middle of the road price of $119.00 retail. What does the Oben 1410 offer for the price? We'll depending on your needs the Oben seems pretty well spec'd on paper.  I've been using the Oben 1410 for about a month now and I'm reporting my thoughts here on this review.

Oben AC-1410 Best Price Check

Fujifilm X10 Review

Fujifilm X10 Review
February 2012, Carl Garrard

Fujifilm X10 Review: Ever daydream of your own perfect camera design? I do. I do it all the time. Two years ago I daydreamed about a compact camera that I'd make. In that daydream I decided that I'd like to have a manual zoom bright aperture lens, 2/3" sensor, and a rangefinder styled camera with a better than average optical viewfinder. Fuji must have been listening to me. Or wait, maybe it wasn't just me, maybe it was many who were having the same very daydream and Fuji caught onto it. That sounds more plausible to me, and it's probably true.

Fujifilm X10 Digital Camera (Black) (B&H Best Price)

Olympus Pen E-P1 Review

Olympus Pen E-P1 Review
February 2012, Carl Garrard 

Olympus Pen E-P1 Review- Not only do Olympus have a rich history of camera making and innovations that spans over decades, they also have made at least a couple classic designs that have not only stood the test of time but have engraved themselves into camera lore. Olympus have much of my respect as a camera maker and despite some recent financial hiccoughs with the parent company (putting it mildly), I see no reason they won't continue to make more wonderful cameras in years to come. Today, I'm talking about the Olympus Pen E-P1, Olympus's first mirrorless camera to the market.


Olympus PEN E-P1 Body Only Current Best Price Used and New

Sony Alpha 500mm G SSM Telephoto Announced

Sony Alpha 500mm G SSM Telephoto Announced
February 2012, Carl Garrard

Today Sony has silently announced the arrival of the 500mm f/4 G SSM Super Telephoto lens for Alpha DSLR's and SLT model cameras. This lens has been on display in various forms at photo trade shows for the last 3-4 years and finally makes it to the production line. Just in time for the new pro camera's coming later on this year, I'd say. This lens marks Sony's commitment to higher end camera models and shows they are more serious about DSLRS/SLT's than all the talk over the last 6 years.  Read on for the full press announcement, or check here for price:
Sony SAL 500mm f/4.0 G Lens

Pentax K-01: Reviewing the New Direction

Pentax K-01: Reviewing the New Direction
February 2012- Carl Garrard 

Pentax K-01- Reviewing the New Direction: My first thought when holding a K-01 at CES was "whoa.". Certainly Marc Newson makes striking designs but I never thought I'd see him co-design a camera. But lately there is a market for looks in just about every device in electronics on the market, and photographic manufacturers have started to give that crowd something to chew on. Not everybody wants an all black camera that reminds them of Darth Vader ( I would), some would like a bit of style to tote around. Well Pentax listened to that crowd, now they need to get one in your hands.


Pentax K-01 Best Price Check

Fujifilm X10 Review Coming Soon

Fujifilm X10 Review Coming Soon
Fujifilm X10 Digital Camera (Black)

Yep the Fuji X10 has finally arrived into my hands. I haven't even opened the box yet but I am VERY excited to get this camera in the field. I had a chance to meet up with Fujifilm at CES in Las Vegas and handle all of the new cameras they announced. As well we chatted a lot about future developments, the XPro1 and other topics I shall not discuss! Fujifilm has been making very interesting cameras of late and this one in particular is special to be because I called for a camera almost exactly like this a couple years before its announcement.

Fujifilm X10 Digital Camera (Black)

Pentax Introduces New Optio VS20 Dual Position Compact and 20X Zoom

Pentax's Optio VS20 20X Zoom w/Vertical Shooting Enhancements
January 25th, 2011- Carl Garrard 

Pentax's Optio VS20 kind of breaks new ground for portrait photographers by being the first ever compact fixed lens camera to include an extra zoom lever and shutter release designed solely to aid in portraiture/vertical shooting. The VS20 also includes a secondary grip on the face plate that further aids in vertical shooting ease of use. Besides these stand out features, the VS20 is equipped with a 20x 28-560mm f/3.1-f4.8 (faster aperture than the usual superzoom) equivalent zoom lens and a 16mp 1 2/3" CCD sensor (that's right, it's not a BSI CMOS sensor).

Pentax VS-20 Best Price Check

Sony Cybershot DSC-V3 Review- A Cybershot Powerhouse

Sony Cybershot DSC-V3 Review- A Cybershot Powerhouse
January 2012, Carl Garrard 
Sony DSC-V3 Price Check

Sony V3 Review: As Canon clearly shows with the G1X, the age of the enthusiast level rangefinder styled compact is far from dead. Sony's DSC-V3 was the last of its kind, unfortunately, and one has to wonder just how far along that camera's successor would be now if Sony had only continued the V series lineup. Although the V series is seemingly a forgotten line for Sony, it still remains a unique and interesting camera some 7 years after it's introduction for some shooters like me. I've even made Sony a V5 blueprint/concept in this review (complete with image!).

Sony DSC-V3 Price Check