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You guys are driving up the prices of the lenses!

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Buddy at work, who wanted to stick with minolta
and a girlfriend of ours, who has a XTsi
--
Dave Patterson
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Midwestshutterbug.com
----------------------------------
'When the light and composition are strong, nobody
notices things like resolution or pincushion distortion'
Gary Friedman
 
Look on the bright side. When manufacturers like Sigma pull their fingers out and produce fast, HSM lenses for the Minolta mount, beercans will be worth peanuts again.

I got my beercan at a 'reasonable' price but even so I expect to lose money on it in the long run.
 
Hoarding lenses, does not a good photographer make.

Worry about the shot...not the lens.

--

 
But I'm not ashamed of it! I love the old Minolta lenses. I have two beercans, two 28 - 135's, two 50 1.7's, and 'just' one 100 2.8 Macro.

All lenses are more than 20 years old. I realy love them, but I'm also realy afraid that one of them will be damaged. In that case I'm glad I have a spare one.

In Europe the prices are less high (or should I say ridiculous) than in the US. I bought my spare beercan foor 70 Euro recently).

I don't think I'd buy a sigma to replace the Minolta's I have. I have a sigma 90mm 2.8 Macro which I don't use anymore. It's faster than the 100mm 2.8, but I don't like the colours as much as I like the colours of the Minolta.

Hope you don't hate me for saying so!

--

Greetings
Dave

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Let's show the world there's more than Canon and Nikon!!
 
Me too, sort of. I have two 50 1.7s, but I also have two bodies to put them on. I often loan out my 5D and I didn't want to be without the option of the 50mm when I do.
 
50mm= 75mm .....good for portraits..but not much use for general work..

You guys are nuts to pay those prices anyway.....good luck on that one!

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007peter said:
007peter said:
Have you picked up the Canon 70-200/4?
Click to expand...
Off couse, the Canon 70-200 f/4 is the first lens I've bought along
with my Canon 30D + 17-85IS in a kit package. Ironically, it is a
fellow KM forum member who clue me the canon white "beercan." Even
though the lens cost around $600 USD, I consider it a BARGAIN!
This lens is easily the sharpest lens I've used so far, and the USM
speed is incredible. From my experience, this lens is both sharper
and auto focus faster than the canon 70-200 f/2.8 @1/3 the cost and
1/2 weight. This lens is usable both indoor (iso 800-1600) and out
(iso100). I just got back from shooting an indoor funeral with
this lens. I was worry about shooting @200mm f/4 without the
anti-shake support, but canon's superior iso1250 save the day. I
can post some photo if you're curious about this lens's bokeh in
indoor setting.
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..FANBOY(i)sm is a NEUROSIS, Get Help!
Click to expand...
Yes please post some photos from this lens.

Could you also explain to people why USM is so nice. I have tried out my friend's Canon 20D with the 70-200/f4 USM and another friends D200 with the 70-200/2.8 AFS. I love USM/AFS (haven't tried SSM - not willing to sell my 1st born :).

--
fjbyrne
 
50mm 1.7 is a GREAT indoor low light lens. Cropping of realy sharp pictures is not a problem at all. Besides, I hink 60 Euro for such a fine lens is not much.

So there is not one problem!

--

Greetings
Dave

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's show the world there's more than Canon and Nikon!!
 
fjbyrne said:
Yes please post some photos from this lens.

Could you also explain to people why USM is so nice. I have tried
out my friend's Canon 20D with the 70-200/f4 USM and another
friends D200 with the 70-200/2.8 AFS. I love USM/AFS (haven't
tried SSM - not willing to sell my 1st born :).

--
fjbyrne
Click to expand...
I'm willing to trade by firstborn for a 70-200 SSM! He's 15 and about to learn to drive. Please contact me in you are interested! :-)

--

Thanks,

Allan Marcus
Maxxum 5D
Olympus C-750
Mac OS X
 
... some lacks of photographic skills? or something even more physical and tough to admit! ,-)

I do believe that since Sony launched their alpha, the KM used lenses market has been invaded by avid people who totaly deregulated the pricing situation. They now complained this is because Sony doesn't deliver any new lens.... like if suddenly, number of people who needs KM lenses was just multiplied by 4 (rule of offer and supply!)... I don't think so... I just think that people new to KM lenses are also totaly unaware of their fair prices, making a bad deal for them, a bad deal for the others KM or Sony photographs...

Being wiser while purchasing these lenses should be recommended to all. Anyway, I know that here, we can still purchase some 70-210 f4 for 60-80 USD, mint... What a beautiful life here in the Old Europe! ;-)

--
http://superjuju29.deviantart.com
 
JulienHG said:
... some lacks of photographic skills? or something even more
physical and tough to admit! ,-)

I do believe that since Sony launched their alpha, the KM used
lenses market has been invaded by avid people who totaly
deregulated the pricing situation. They now complained this is
because Sony doesn't deliver any new lens.... like if suddenly,
number of people who needs KM lenses was just multiplied by 4 (rule
of offer and supply!)... I don't think so... I just think that
people new to KM lenses are also totaly unaware of their fair
prices, making a bad deal for them, a bad deal for the others KM or
Sony photographs...
Click to expand...
You've got it Julien. Mounting a 50mm lens on my 5D really improves my self esteem.

There is nothing unfair or bad about free exchange between a willing seller and a willing buyer. It benefits both parties. That's the wonder of a market regulated, as you suggest, by the law of supply and demand.
 
Barry Fitzgerald said:
50mm= 75mm .....good for portraits..but not much use for general
work..

You guys are nuts to pay those prices anyway.....good luck on that
one!
Click to expand...
Barry, I agree that a 50mm prime isn't much use for general work. But for the specific task of taking pics in an especially dark gym it works for me. I admit I do a lot of cropping, but that's OK for Web work. In better light my Sigma 24-135 is much preferred. I just use the tools I need to get the shots I want. What is nuts about that?
 
fjbyrne said:
Yes please post some photos from this lens. Could you also explain to people why USM is so nice. I have tried out my friend's Canon 20D with the 70-200/f4 USM and another friends D200 with the 70-200/2.8 AFS. I love USM/AFS (haven't tried SSM - not willing to sell my 1st born :).
Click to expand...
There is no point trying to explain the greatness of usm to anyone here. The minoltan hardcore has gotten by without SSM for a long time, and they can lying to themselves, its their right. The competition, however, will not wait! Nikon has made a bold USM statement with their introduciton of a (AF-S) only Nikon D40 slr, pentax will be introducing their DA (ssm) lens shortly along with K10d, and every 4/3 Olympus is already usm. That leave sony as the last fool to remain with screw-type af. For what is worth, as long as you can afford minolta prime lens like the ($1499 200 f2.8 prime), you won't notice much difference. However, if you're poor and shoot with the consumer 70-210 beercan, the KM70-300, or the Sigma 70-300 APO telephoto lens. The need for USM/SSM cannot be denied.

168mm F4 iso1600 1/320s.



200mm F4 iso1600 1/100s



140mm F14 iso640 1/80s



163mm F5 iso1600 1/80s



200mm F16 iso640 1/80s.



--
..FANBOY(i)sm is a NEUROSIS, Get Help!
 
007peter said:
There is no point trying to explain the greatness of usm to anyone
here. The minoltan hardcore has gotten by without SSM for a long
time, and they can lying to themselves, its their right. The
competition, however, will not wait! Nikon has made a bold USM
statement with their introduciton of a (AF-S) only Nikon D40 slr,
pentax will be introducing their DA (ssm) lens shortly along with
K10d, and every 4/3 Olympus is already usm. That leave sony as the
last fool to remain with screw-type af. For what is worth, as long
as you can afford minolta prime lens like the ($1499 200 f2.8
prime), you won't notice much difference. However, if you're poor
and shoot with the consumer 70-210 beercan, the KM70-300, or the
Sigma 70-300 APO telephoto lens. The need for USM/SSM cannot be
denied.
Click to expand...
Assuming you mean the KM 75-300, those are three lenses that I own and shoot sports with regularly. I'll deny the need for USM/SSM because I rarely have any autofocus problem.

Would I prefer to have SSM in all these lenses? Of course. But I wouldn't pay much more to get it.

Would I trade AS/SSS for USM/SSM? No way.
 
garykohs said:
Assuming you mean the KM 75-300, those are three lenses that I own
and shoot sports with regularly. I'll deny the need for USM/SSM
because I rarely have any autofocus problem.
Click to expand...
Well I have the KM 75-300 on a KM 5D and while I don't get many out of focus shots I do think that SSM would help me get more shots.
garykohs said:
Would I prefer to have SSM in all these lenses? Of course. But I
wouldn't pay much more to get it.
Click to expand...
Canon & Nikon seem to have gotten the price down quite a bit. Would you pay $30 extra?
garykohs said:
Would I trade AS/SSS for USM/SSM? No way.
Click to expand...
And you wouldn't have to because they have nothing to do with each other.

--
fjbyrne
 
I agree. Tried a Canon USM for the first time...it was refreshingly quiet. But Minolta drive doesn't bother me much...unless I use Sigma lenses. ;-)

Greg
 
Myself, I don't think that it's the "Lens-Hoggs" that are driving the Minolta lens prices up.

If you have purchased any Minolta product since the collapse, I think we can all take a little responsibility for this. The market forces of supply and demand are working as they should.

1- Long time new and old loyal Minolta (DSLR) users for one. In my case, in the past six months I've purchased a half dozen new and used lenses. Why? I've made the commitment to stay with the Minolta/Sony line, so I'm busy completing what lenses my photo requirements demand since they are not being manufactured any longer.

2- New Sony A100 owners who are looking for lenses that will give them all the benefits of DSLR ownership. It also doesn't help that Sony lens stock is slow coming to the retailers and what does, is priced exceptionally high, driving them to the e-Bay Minolta markets.

"Jumpers" are dumping hi-end product on the market and old Minolta film users who did not go Minolta digital are busy dumping their one or two lenses now that their film cameras are shelved.

However, IMHO much of the lenses being sought after are "value-added" glass. That is, lenses that were not that easy to locate even when Minolta was up and running or glass the we secretly longed for but never got around to owning. You still can't give away the bottom-feeder lenses.

The part that mystifies me is the high volume of Minolta lenses available for resale has not "flooded" the market to saturation (yet) and driving the prices down as one would anticipate should be happening.

There is a lot of pent-up demand here. Will all this end with a whimper or crash with a loud BANG! Only time will tell.
 
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