Optical Review Blog No. 53 – Minolta Zoom AF 24-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 D

The Minolta Zoom 24-105mm is Minolta’s late-model elevated kit lens, released initially with the Maxxum 7. It was designed to be better than the lower spec kit lens, the 28-100mm. And you know, when you put the two lenses next to each other, the 24-105 is a far better lens and doesn’t carry a hefty price tag. In all fairness, I was not happy with the results I got from the 28-100, and my copy broke and had to be fixed with a doner lens. However, the 24-105 is only slightly better as a lens because despite being an elevated kit lens, it is still a kit lens and has some of the same issues that most kit lenses have. It isn’t a great lens, but it is a good one.

Lens Specifications
Make: Minolta
Model: 24-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 D
Focal Length: 24-105mm
Focal Range: ∞ – 0.5m
Aperture: f/3.5-4.5 – f/22-27, 7 Blades
Structure: 12 Elements in 11 Groups

Build Quality
The 24-105mm is a surprisingly well-made optic despite being a kit lens. It is a hybrid construction with a mix of metal and plastic parts, but the parts that took the most stress, such as the lens mount and the internals, are made from metal. The only downside is that the front sections where the lens hood connects and the filters are plastic. The best part about the lens is that at the 24mm mark, the lens is surprisingly compact and fits and looks good even on my Maxxum 9 and Dynax 600si with the grips attached. The downside is that the front section telescopes out from the main body a fair distance but doesn’t throw off the camera’s balance. The hood is decent and fits through a bayonet mount, and the front filter ring is 62mm, which means that I don’t have any filters for this lens, but they can purchased, and it is a standard size. The zoom ring is big, well textured, and doesn’t take long to travel from 24mm to 105mm with enough resistance to help with feedback; the focusing ring is smaller, has a different texture, and focuses quickly enough, but it is a secondary consideration. The autofocus is decently fast on both my cameras, far quicker than the 28-100 and certainly over the older 28-135mm lenses. While this isn’t a lens that could take hits, it certainly can stand up to some abuse without breaking. Overall, the lens build is good, not great, but good.

Image Quality
The lens doesn’t have a good first impression starting at the widest focal length, 24mm. First, when focused in close, there is a lot of distortion; it is near, but even at further distances, it can be noticeable. When the lens is shot wide-open at f/3.5, the images are soft, but there is no evidence of fall-off or vignetting at the corners, so the lens does have that going for it. You improve your sharpness once you stop past f/5.6, and things improve on the sharpness side. At 105mm, things are a little better, while the image is still reasonably soft at f/4.5. Again, getting past that f/5.6 mark, things improve greatly. For the 24-105/3.5-4.5, the lens has a sweet spot from f/5.6 to f/22 in terms of sharpness, and for ideal focal lengths, you sadly have to get into the normal range. The best performance is from 35mm to 100mm for sharpness and lack of distortion. There is also nothing unique about the out-of-focus rendering, although it is far better at the longer focal lengths than the wider ones. The lens also tends to flare when used without the hood, but that stock flower-petal hood keeps that flare down.

Applications
If you’re looking for something a little bit smaller and having a bit more versatility than the lower-spec kit lens of the era (28-100mm) then this is certainly a lens to add to your kit. Also if you want that genuine look and feel to your Maxxum 7 then this is the lens for you. It is a jack-of-all-trades but a master-of-none when it comes to lenses. It is a great option when you’re doing most of your work outdoors, perfect for travel and fits well with all your A-Mount cameras. I find it works great for photo walks, travel, and run and gun applications. It works well for wide angle work and long work, but isn’t the best at either. It also works well when weight is an issue, because my other choice the ‘secret handshake’ lens is a beast and makes even my Maxxum 9 a bit front heavy.

The Low Down
Ultimately the 24-105mm is a kit lens, it’s a little better than other kit lenses, but it is still a kit lens. It’s like similar offerings from Canon and Nikon that I’ve reviewed in the past. It’s a good lens, but it is not a stellar lens. In the hands of a competent photographer it will produce good work, but it still has limitations. The build quality is good, the image quality in average conditions and settings is good but once you get to the extremes you’re going to see the problems start to crop up. On the used market you’re going to pay between 85-150$, I wouldn’t pay anything over that 150$ mark as the lens isn’t worth anything more than that. And you might even get lucky and have one on the front of a Maxxum 7. If you are running the 28-100mm it is a worthy upgrade and will certainly be a better lens than that. While it is not the one that I reach for the most, I don’t want to get rid of it also because of the small size and compact nature makes it a great pairing for my Dynax 600si Classic despite being a generation older.

Further Reading
Don’t just take my view on the Minolta 24-105/3.5-4.5, check out these other reviews.
Imaging Resource – Konica Minolta 24-105mm f/3.5-4.5 D AF
Dyxum – Minolta AF 24-105mm F3.5-4.5 D A-mount lens reviews