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Poor people can play full-scale! Sony A7 series most cost-effective lens evaluation article 1: Minolta old mirror "small three yuan" of the AF17-35mm f2.8-4
**Foreword**
Those who have ever played with a camera might have heard of Minolta. Although the name is mentioned less and less these days, it was once a highly respected brand in the photography world. To this day, the Minolta X700 remains popular among many photographers.
The camera industry has always been tough. Companies that prioritize quality and integrity often struggle to survive. Minolta and Pentax were two of the most sentimental brands in the Japanese camera market, both thriving during the film era. However, with the rise of digital photography and the increasing demand for cost-effective solutions, things changed. In the film era, cameras used metal lenses with a solid feel. Some brands started cutting costs to gain market share, with Canon and Nikon leading the way and quickly rising to prominence.
Pentax and Minolta, on the other hand, remained more traditional and resistant to change. While Pentax still exists today, it's mostly known as a niche brand, focusing on sentiment and value, and even sold its camera business to Ricoh. At least the brand lives on.
Minolta had a tougher time. It first merged with Konica and eventually exited the camera market entirely, selling its business to Sony.
Sony took over Minolta’s camera division and introduced the first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera without a mirror, followed by the micro-four-thirds system, which significantly reduced the size of interchangeable lens cameras.
The well-known Sony A7 series is a full-frame mirrorless camera, making high-end photography more portable and affordable. However, the lens ecosystem is still developing, and compared to Canon and Nikon, the cost-performance ratio isn’t as strong. Also, there’s limited support from third-party manufacturers like Tamron or Sigma.
But Sony’s advantage lies in the short flange distance of its micro-four-thirds mount, allowing compatibility with a wide range of lenses. This opens up a vast selection of options for photographers. However, most of these lenses are manual focus, which can be challenging for portraits or fast-moving subjects.
Still, Sony’s acquisition of Minolta wasn’t just about technology—it was a continuation of Minolta’s legacy. Sony’s E-mount is compatible with Minolta’s A-mount, and even Minolta’s autofocus lenses can be mounted on Sony’s mirrorless cameras using an adapter.
Unfortunately, the E-mount isn’t fully universal. But Sony has made things easier with the fourth-generation LA-EA4 adapter, which allows you to use Minolta’s autofocus lenses on the A7 series with fast focusing performance.
That said, I’m getting a bit off-topic here.
Back to the main point: Minolta had a great lineup of autofocus lenses, and three of them stand out—known as the “Small Ternary.†These lenses are praised for their excellent quality at a reasonable price.
They are:
- AF Zoom 17-35mm f/2.8(22)-4
- AF Zoom 35-70mm f/4(22)
- AF Zoom 70-210mm f/4(32)
These lenses are often referred to as the “Small Ternary†because they offer great performance at a low cost.
I happen to have one of them in my collection—specifically the AF Zoom 17-35mm f/2.8(22)-4D. This lens was produced during the period when Minolta was merging with Konica, so it's often labeled as “Konica Minolta†or “Kemei†in some contexts.
For this test, I used it on a Sony A7 with the LA-EA4 adapter.
**Price**
Since we're talking about a budget-friendly option, the price is important. Among the Small Ternary, this lens is the most expensive. How expensive is it? Let me check. On secondhand markets, it usually goes for around 2000 RMB. That’s not bad at all.
**Exterior**
[Image 1](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/04eac866923.jpg)
[Image 2](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/0eab5733407.jpg)
[Image 3](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/267fe815802.jpg)
[Image 4](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/196494d6465.jpg)
[Image 5](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/33ce2a64937.jpg)
[Image 6](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2c/456ba8f3568.jpg)
It looks good, except for the back cover. The lens is quite large, with a 77mm filter thread. The body is made of plastic, and the zoom and focus rings are rubber-coated. The rotation feels smooth and satisfying.
**Focusing**
Since this is an older lens being used on a modern mirrorless system, I was initially worried about the focusing speed. Let’s see how it performs.
The test was done under low-light conditions, and even then, the focusing speed was impressive.
**Sharpness**
Here are the results:
[Image 7](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/72e208e4877.jpg) – 17mm
[Image 8](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/ada76192776.jpg) – Center at 17mm
[Image 9](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/7a31a553851.jpg) – Edge at 17mm
[Image 10](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/75d2ad62031.jpg) – 24mm
[Image 11](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/d665fe15699.jpg) – Center at 24mm
[Image 12](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/d8686ed5105.jpg) – Edge at 24mm
[Image 13](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/d9642d82728.jpg) – 35mm
[Image 14](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2d/fdd96692747.jpg) – Center at 35mm
[Image 15](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2e/0021a3c821.jpg) – Edge at 35mm
[Image 16](http://i.bosscdn.com/blog/59/e2/2e/013b67e8529.jpg)
Even at its widest aperture, the resolution is very high, and the sharpness across different apertures is consistent. The performance is really good.
**Out of Focus**
Despite being an ultra-wide-angle lens, it still offers decent bokeh. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a minimum focusing distance of 30cm, it's easy to create soft backgrounds. The circular aperture produces a nice, round blur that's smooth and pleasing.
**Glare Control**
This old lens handles flare exceptionally well. Even under harsh lighting, it doesn’t produce much unwanted light.
**Color**
Minolta lenses are known for their "oily" color rendition. However, this lens is less oily than others in the same family. Comparing it with the 70-210mm lens from the Small Ternary, the difference is clear.
**Distortion**
At 17mm, there's noticeable barrel distortion and some dark corners. By 24mm, the distortion is minimal and almost unnoticeable. At 35mm, there's a slight pincushion distortion, but overall, the image quality is very good.
**Close-Up**
The closest focusing distance is 30cm, which is quite close. For a wide-angle lens, this is impressive.
**Summary**
1. The lens is relatively large, which affects portability slightly, but the build quality is solid.
2. Focusing speed is surprisingly fast.
3. Center sharpness is excellent, while edge sharpness is average.
4. Bokeh is soft and pleasant.
5. Flare control is outstanding for an older lens.
6. Color is less oily than other Minolta lenses.
7. Barrel distortion is more visible at 17mm, but it improves at 24mm and 35mm.
8. Close-up performance is good, with a 30cm minimum focusing distance.
Overall, this lens truly deserves the title of “Small Ternary.†And at a second-hand price of under 2000 RMB, it's a fantastic deal for budget-conscious photographers.
Just saw the DXO score for the FE16-35mm F2.8 GM, and it's the best in its class! It beats many SLR competitors from Canon and Nikon. That’s a real achievement for the E-mount system.
Looking at the price on JD.com, it’s around 17,000 RMB. Still, I know I’ll find a way to get it.
Next time, I'll take a look at the AF Zoom 35-70mm f/4(22), another member of the Small Ternary. It’s even more affordable and definitely worth checking out.