Lense Reviews

I had minolta maxxum st si camera and this lens is a perfect match for that silver color camera.

This lens not only looks great, but is an outstanding performer on my Minolta HTsi Plus. This matchin silve lens and body is a nice touch, but should not be mistaken for quality. This lens is much wider than the 30mm or 35mm lenses many cameras come with and a f3.5 is relatively fast compared to other lenses like it on the market. It's large 62mm filter ring size also give you flexibility with your other lenses. Just by 62mm filters and step-up rings for your other lenses. I have been very happy with the lens, and highly recomend it.

The Minolta Maxxum AF 28-80mm f3.5-5.6 II Silver Zoom Lens with Lens Hood is a very good quality camera and has a low price that comes with it.

If you are tired of the point-and-shoot cameras and want to upgrade to a more sophisticated, yet VERY easy to use camera, the Minolta Maxuum is the one to buy! Have gotten a ton of compliments on the results. I love to take pictures of my neices and nephews, and with the 300 zoom lens, you can be on the other side of a room and take great candid shots. What I also love about this camera is you can attach different filters (I'm using Cokin) to create even more spectacular pictures. Can't say enough about it. Did I mention that it is extremely light-weight?!

I JUST BEGAN STUDIYING PHOTOGRAPHY AS A HOBBIE; AT FIRST I COULDN'T MAKE UP MY MIND AS TO WHICH CAMERA WOULD BE BEST, BUT AFTER MANY QUESTIONS AND THE PURCHASING OF THE MAXXUM QTsi, I JUST HAVE MANY GREAT THINGS TO SAY: THIS CAMERA OPPERATES AS A PROFFESSIONAL SLR BUT IS VERY PRACTICAL TO USE, ALSO OFFERS MANY ACCESORIES TO MAKE IT BETTER. THIS CAMERA IS VERY LIGHT AND THE QUALITY OF THE PICTURES IS JUST AWESOME.

This camera is so easy to use and great pictures too!! It's amazing what this camera is able to do...manual focus, auto focus with a touch of a button. Very light and comforatble to hold. So many extra features as well. I would never buy a different type and will recommend this camera to my friends...Amazon prices are the best I've found also so that makes it an extra special buy!!

I purchased this lens for use with a Minolta 600si body. This was my first experience using either a zoom or an autofocus lens as I have been an ardent "manual" equipment photographer for over 40 years. Well, I am very surprised to find this piece of glass a pleasure to work with and I now use it for most of my photos. The mechanics have worked flawlessly and the photos are clear and sharp. I do find the lens rather "slow", although at f3.5-4.5 it is still faster than most zoom lenses in this price range (maybe I've been spoiled by my faster fixed lenses). I therefore use 800 ASA film. The lens mates very well with the Minolta camera, is well balanced and lightweight. For the money it is an excellent choice for wide-angle to portraits and low power zoom. All in all I find the lens to be an excellent choice for an "all purpose" lens.

Great versatility. A little more than the 28-80 but worth it for the time you save changing the lens and greater scope it gives you in pictures. Consider buying just the body of the camera and fixing it up with this lens rather than going with the standard 28-80.

This camera has been one of the best investments I have made. I spent a year studying and traveling in Europe with it and got some GREAT pics. The lighting is always near perfect... great for shots of people, landscapes, pretty much anything. One of my profs reccomended it to me and I am SO happy I took his advice. I've had it for about two years now. GREAT CAMERA!

I got this camera after a long confusing time of research for a photography class. After shooting two rolls of film i am very impressed with the ease of use and quality of pictures that have resulted from my camera. It's also a Nikon so I can be sure that there are plenty of upgrades that I can buy if I ever wanted to go further into photography. But 400 some dollars is alot to pay for it (i got it at my local talls camera for 280). Definately go out and buy this camera if you were lost and confused like me. It's also cool when you see every one walking around with their Rebels taking worse pictures than you are.

This is so much better than the lens hood that comes with the camera, especially if you have a circular polarizer filter. With this you can adjust the filter without taking off the hood.

Another fine job by Tiffen. Does a great job of reducing flare and stops extra light from entering the camera. Get this and guarantee yourself better photos.

I was looking forward to using this lens and it didn't let me down. The pictures I've gotten with it are very sharp and surprisingly balanced in light and color. Only drawback: weight. This is not a lens to carry around or take quick snapshots because, in addition to the weight, which makes the camera too heavy to hold adequately, the focusing can be a little tricky and easy to lose. Once I got used to these "difficulties" I really enjoyed this lens. The zoom is outstanding!! I would recommend buying a tripod w/this lens--which is, by the way, a real value for the money.

this lens is a beuty it creates clear precise photo's with excellent clarity. this one should be number one on your christmas list.

This is definitely the best buy for that kind of range (75-300mm), although it doens't have IS (Image Stabiliser), which means that you must use a tripod when using your lens at full zooming capacity (300mm) or have a left arm made of plastic and hold your breath!

All in all, it's quite bright (f5.6 at 300mm) which means you get decent amount of light at full zoom, allowing you to get clear shots of a hare in a pretty dark wood, to set an example. But don't try to shoot indoors with it, it wasn't built to nor meant to (unless you have a studio and like shooting portraits from afar).

After years of using compact 35mm advantix cameras, I recently purchased a Minolta STsi from a national internet source ... This particular model came with a Minolta 35 - 80mm lens. As an accessory, I also purchased a Minolta 75 - 300mm ultra zoom lens. Thus far, I have taken approximately 300 pictures with both lenses, using primarily 400 or 800 speed film. I have encountered no problems of any kind with either the camera or lenses, and have been quite satisfied with all aspects of the camera... to include picture quality. To assist a prospective buyer, I offer the following opinions and suggestions:

1. Overall impression: This is a good, all-around "keep it forever" camera for the recreational photographer. It has an optional date stamp feature, which helps to identify when a photo was taken after you have posted it to a scrapbook and forgotten everything about it. It also can be switched to panorama mode at anytime during a roll of film, if desired. Perhaps most importantly, it is very easy to use. The controls are simple and straightforward. The autofocus mode works well, and makes the camera extremely user-friendly.

2. Lenses: In hindsight, I made a poor choice by buying the separate 75 - 300mm zoom. For approximately $50 more, I could have bought a single telephoto lens (for example, 28 - 300mm) which covered my entire desired ranges. This, in turn, would have made it much easier to take spontaneous pictures without having to stop and change lenses. Perhaps this is an insignificant issue to most people, but consider it if you plan on using your camera for overseas or domestic travel where you might need a close-up shot followed immediately by a telephoto zoom shot of something else in the distance.

3. On size: While I enjoy this camera and it's advanced capabilities, it has occasionally proven to be a burden compared to a small, handheld camera... particularly during overseas travel. In order to present less of a profile to potential thieves or terrorists, I usually end up taking only the short lens and securely wrapping the strap and camera (without the case) around my hand for a greater degree of security and cover. If considerations such as this do not apply to you or concern you, then you should have no complaints.

4. In closing, I conducted approximatly 14 hours of internet research for SLR cameras in the $400 - $500 range. In the end, I chose the STsi due to the following factors by priority: Price (...w/ the 35 - 80 lens), features, retailer reviews and brand/style. In my case, a more expensive and capable SLR camera would not have been worth the money. Bottom line, the STsi was a good choice.

I got this camera as a birthday present in December of '00. The camera is great. In automatic mode it is very easy to use. Just point, autofocus, and shoot. The camera is also very light. And because what you see in the viewfinder is exactly what the lens sees, you know exactly how the photo is going to turn out. In manual mode you can set your own apeture and the camera will choose the shutter speed, you can set the shutter speed and the camera will choose and apeture, or you can set the shutter speed and apeture. The camera has a setting to remove red eye, and to make multiple exposures on one frame. Plus, Minolta makes over 40 different lenses that will fit this camera. So you have a wide variety of lenses to choose from if you want to get wider, or closer shots. So, if you are planning on buying a camera for a beginer or a pro, this is an excelent gift.

I purchased this camera for my mother a year ago. I think I have used it more than her! I have finally decided to purchase one for myself. It is so easy to use. The lenses change easily. The auto focus makes it almost impossible to take a "bad" picture.

This is a 'bump' cushioner as well as well functioning lens shade. I recommend it, definitely, as a minimal basic purchase. You'll never regret it.

This is the kind of product, you must have in your camera bag because you don't know exactly when you are going to use it but, I'm sure you are going to need it sometime. Compact, light and price affordable, don't hesitate and order yours.

This item retracts when not in use so that you can put your lens cap on. I use it after my UV filter and it serves as a "bumper" for my lens.

I've had my Canon EOS Elan II for almost seven years and though my technique has advanced, this camera is still home to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for improved technology -- digital cameras, memory cards, photo quality printers, etc should not be ignored. But nothing beats a 35mm SLR, especially with this kind of setup. What's so great about the Canon EOS is that it gives the photographer the power of choice. Unlike simple point-and-shoots, the Elan II offers the option between automatic and manual exposure settings (or even somewere in between) to ultimately empower the photographer to gauge how much creative/technical input he/she wants in his photographs. In addition, features like focus lock, bracketing, depth of field control, dual exposure for creative superimposed images, almost seem like welcome icing on the proverbial cake.

Abuse is the order of the day with my camera, and I'm happy to say that my Canon has held steadfast in this regard too. Durability is not a problem here. If you're thinking seriously about taking better photographs, you can't go wrong with this one. It's well worth the investment.

Let's start with durability. I've had this camera for two years, and even though I've dropped it, left it in the sun, gotten it wet (with sea water!) and done about a hundred other things to it, it still works perfectly. That is impressive.

But you buy a camera for the quality of its pictures, and the Elan II excels in this regard. I agree with other reviewers that you should upgrade to a better lens than the one that comes with it, but this body will help you get the outstanding photos you want.

This is the perfect camera for all levels of expertise, except perhaps for the total professional. I was a beginner when I bought the Elan II, and it was simple enough for me to use out of the box. Now that I've been studying photography for a couple years, I still haven't outgrown this camera. It has all the advanced features you want. It allows you to go fully manual or fully automatic, plus any combination in between. The controls are intuitively laid out and simple to use. And don't underestimate the value of having access to Canon's complete line of EOS lenses.

I've owned this camera for three years and have yet to had any problems with it and it's quality never ceases to amaze me. I highly recommend this camera to amateur-professional photographers. Whether you are new to the photography world or a seasoned photographer this camera allows for versatility, capatablity, and most of all, convenience. Functions as a simple automatic camera to complex fully manual camera w/lots of extra features for creative photographers!