SAL70300, G!


A700 with Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM.


A700 with Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan.


What a long, long box.


Not so invisible when sniping. Chunky body, but it looks very industrial, like the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8 SSM or the Sony Carl Zeiss 85mm F1.4. The single barrel is sexy.


Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM, in the hood.


Left: Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan; right: Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM. The Sony is shorter and stumpier. Solid build.


The Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan, at maximum extension, is shorter than the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM at 300mm.

Ironically, the Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan is an internal zoom, extending focus lens, while the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM is a extending zoom, internal focus lens.


Full extension + hood. I sincerely hope Sony doesn’t go the Canon way; that is, design oversized lenses to attract men who seek to compensate. Minolta had always kept its lenses conservatively small, and lenses didn’t have to be big if they didn’t have to.

The hood does not have a sliding window to access polarizers. This may be a minus point for some people, but I don’t use a polarizer on a telephoto lens.


Sony 2x teleconverter versus my Kenko 2x teleconverter (not documented this purchase yet!)

Note the protruding front element on the Sony teleconverter, which prevents about all Sony lenses except the Sony 70-200mm F2.8G SSM, Sony 300mm F2.8G SSM and Sony 135mm F2.8/T4.5 Smooth Transition Focus from being mounted. Yes, the Sony teleconverter does not work with the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM. 🙁


The rear side; note the amount of clearance! My guess is that Sony teleconverters are matched to the big Gs which is why they are so frontward.


Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM at 300mm F5.6. EXIF included. Bokeh is classic Minolta G type, OOF highlights always have a glow about them.


EXIF included. Sharpness? All there!


Testing LCA on the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM. Very subdued, with modern color.


In comparison, this is from the Minolta 70-210mm F4 beercan – magenta/green LCA is very apparent. I prefer these classic Minolta colors.


100mm F4 with the beercan.


100mm F5 with the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM.


Sample shot from the Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM with EXIF data.

So what does the SSM on this one feel like? A lot more responsive. It doesn’t take a fraction of a second to kick in, like I’ve experienced some times on the Sony 70-200mm F2.8G SSM or other brands’ equivalent 70-200mm F2.8s with internal motors. Not quite as instant as the Carl Zeiss 24-70mm F2.8 SSM, but definitely as responsive as its screw driven brethren.

Sony 70-300mm F4.5-5.6G SSM apertures:
70mm onwards F4.5
90mm onwards F5.0
135mm onwards F5.6 (yes, disappointing)

2 thoughts on “SAL70300, G!

  1. Templar Post author

    Ouch !

    I wonder what is the damage for this lens ? Would it be the "cheapest" G lens ?

    Reply
  2. Albert Ng Post author

    RM3499 Sony Recommended Retail Price. I have not asked what the street price is. Yep, it is currently the cheapest G lens. Also updated my blog entry with the brightest aperture at each focal length!

    Reply

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