Investing on a dead camera system

#1 · February 7, 2022, 7:22 pm

Is it me or, as a hobbyist, now is the best time to invest on the Sony / Minolta A-mount system?

For those that don't know, the A-mount was killed by Sony sometime last year. Yet, there are sooo many good A-mount glasses that can be had for cheap!

Being mostly a Pentax shooter, the options for good glass, even film-era ones are very limited and can be somewhat expensive. Take for example the F 28mm 2.8 which is currently worth at least 150 EUR in Germany. The Minolta counterpart (AF 28mm 2.8) can be had for 50 EUR. The F 50mm 1.7 is around 100 EUR. The Minolta AF 50mm 1.7 is about 40 EUR.

The A-mount system also has modern wildlife oriented tele-zooms available such as the Tamron 150-600mm. Another potentially fun lens is Minolta that made the only AF mirror lens in the market, the Minolta AF 500mm f8. 🙂

So right now that my Pentax collection is 90% complete and I have all the lenses I will ever need, I'm thinking of trying out the A-mount! Scratch that, I accidentally won a Sony a77 for very little money so looks like I will also inevitably try out Minolta lenses too.

Anyone else doing / did something similar? What was the outcome? Was it worth it? Should I just flip the A77?

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#2 · February 7, 2022, 8:50 pm

Quote from tristancarlos on February 7, 2022, 7:22 pm

Is it me or, as a hobbyist, now is the best time to invest on the Sony / Minolta A-mount system?

For those that don't know, the A-mount was killed by Sony sometime last year. Yet, there are sooo many good A-mount glasses that can be had for cheap!

Being mostly a Pentax shooter, the options for good glass, even film-era ones are very limited and can be somewhat expensive. Take for example the F 28mm 2.8 which is currently worth at least 150 EUR in Germany. The Minolta counterpart (AF 28mm 2.8) can be had for 50 EUR. The F 50mm 1.7 is around 100 EUR. The Minolta AF 50mm 1.7 is about 40 EUR.

The A-mount system also has modern wildlife oriented tele-zooms available such as the Tamron 150-600mm. Another potentially fun lens is Minolta that made the only AF mirror lens in the market, the Minolta AF 500mm f8. 🙂

So right now that my Pentax collection is 90% complete and I have all the lenses I will ever need, I'm thinking of trying out the A-mount! Scratch that, I accidentally won a Sony a77 for very little money so looks like I will also inevitably try out Minolta lenses too.

Anyone else doing / did something similar? What was the outcome? Was it worth it? Should I just flip the A77?

I invested in the original Minolta 6D, like you said there's dirt cheap primes out there. I really enjoy it, it's a very quality built camera. I think I'd like to grab the A850 or A99 eventually, to shoot full frame A Mount, it'd easily be worth it with bodies sometimes being $350 for the 850 or less than 700 for the A99. I'd keep the A77, seems like a really good baragin APS-C body.

#3 · February 8, 2022, 2:57 am

Quote from James Warner on February 8, 2022, 2:57 am

Quote from tristancarlos on February 7, 2022, 7:22 pm

Is it me or, as a hobbyist, now is the best time to invest on the Sony / Minolta A-mount system?

For those that don't know, the A-mount was killed by Sony sometime last year. Yet, there are sooo many good A-mount glasses that can be had for cheap!

Being mostly a Pentax shooter, the options for good glass, even film-era ones are very limited and can be somewhat expensive. Take for example the F 28mm 2.8 which is currently worth at least 150 EUR in Germany. The Minolta counterpart (AF 28mm 2.8) can be had for 50 EUR. The F 50mm 1.7 is around 100 EUR. The Minolta AF 50mm 1.7 is about 40 EUR.

The A-mount system also has modern wildlife oriented tele-zooms available such as the Tamron 150-600mm. Another potentially fun lens is Minolta that made the only AF mirror lens in the market, the Minolta AF 500mm f8. 🙂

So right now that my Pentax collection is 90% complete and I have all the lenses I will ever need, I'm thinking of trying out the A-mount! Scratch that, I accidentally won a Sony a77 for very little money so looks like I will also inevitably try out Minolta lenses too.

Anyone else doing / did something similar? What was the outcome? Was it worth it? Should I just flip the A77?

I had that same thought earlier last year and that's why I bought the Sony A100. I am not as concerned about having a top performer for something like wildlife, but I think if someone was the idea is still good for the reasons you listed. Lots of lenses available, and as people switch over to mirrorless some potential deals to be had. But as good as the deals were I was surprised at how well many of the models of cameras and lenses were holding their value. People who shoot the A mount are pretty committed it seems. Sort of like Pentax. Not that the K mount is dead, but I imagine if they ever killed it people wouldn't be listing their Pentax cameras and switching to mirrorless in hoards 😛

I'm curious what you think of the camera. I say go for it, unless there's a different system/set of lenses you want to chase. The old AF minolta glass is a pretty good bargain these days and I'd say pretty unique.

Quote from tristancarlos on February 7, 2022, 7:22 pm

Is it me or, as a hobbyist, now is the best time to invest on the Sony / Minolta A-mount system?

For those that don't know, the A-mount was killed by Sony sometime last year. Yet, there are sooo many good A-mount glasses that can be had for cheap!

Being mostly a Pentax shooter, the options for good glass, even film-era ones are very limited and can be somewhat expensive. Take for example the F 28mm 2.8 which is currently worth at least 150 EUR in Germany. The Minolta counterpart (AF 28mm 2.8) can be had for 50 EUR. The F 50mm 1.7 is around 100 EUR. The Minolta AF 50mm 1.7 is about 40 EUR.

The A-mount system also has modern wildlife oriented tele-zooms available such as the Tamron 150-600mm. Another potentially fun lens is Minolta that made the only AF mirror lens in the market, the Minolta AF 500mm f8. 🙂

So right now that my Pentax collection is 90% complete and I have all the lenses I will ever need, I'm thinking of trying out the A-mount! Scratch that, I accidentally won a Sony a77 for very little money so looks like I will also inevitably try out Minolta lenses too.

Anyone else doing / did something similar? What was the outcome? Was it worth it? Should I just flip the A77?

I had that same thought earlier last year and that's why I bought the Sony A100. I am not as concerned about having a top performer for something like wildlife, but I think if someone was the idea is still good for the reasons you listed. Lots of lenses available, and as people switch over to mirrorless some potential deals to be had. But as good as the deals were I was surprised at how well many of the models of cameras and lenses were holding their value. People who shoot the A mount are pretty committed it seems. Sort of like Pentax. Not that the K mount is dead, but I imagine if they ever killed it people wouldn't be listing their Pentax cameras and switching to mirrorless in hoards 😛

I'm curious what you think of the camera. I say go for it, unless there's a different system/set of lenses you want to chase. The old AF minolta glass is a pretty good bargain these days and I'd say pretty unique.

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Happy snappin' 🙂

#4 · March 15, 2022, 10:49 pm

Quote from grover on March 15, 2022, 10:49 pm
I got into digital photography with the Sony A100 not long after it was released. The idea that one could draw on decades worth of Minolta glass and use those lenses natively without downside on a modern digital body with built in "Anti-Shake" was a major attraction. I believe only Pentax and Sony prioritized backward compatibility to such a high degree around that time. Other brands were either switching mounts or had limitations when using older lenses. My infatuation with Minolta grew and I soon started acquiring a range of lenses including old manual focus lenses, and 80's / 90's era Minolta AF lenses. Between my brother and I we collected many of the available AF Minolta lenses ( including the beautiful APO line ) and many of the more popular MF lenses.

Minolta had many stand-out lenses that didn't break the bank including the "beer can", and the "secret handshake" to name but a few. This ecosystem of great affordable lenses, combined with Sony who was going "all-in" on digital photography at the time, created a real value proposition that was a lot of fun. Sony gained a real cult following around the A-Mount.

When Sony effectively discontinued the A-Mount ( aka Minolta mount ) it was a real downer for those who had invested in the A-Mount system. To mitigate the pain, I bought a Sony LA-EA4 adapter and continued using my A-Mount glass on a Sony A-6000 that had Sony's new E-mount. Adapting the A-Mount lenses to an E-Mount camera always felt second class. The auto-focus wasn't as good and there was loss of light due to the translucent mirror in the adapter. I've since given my LA-EA4 adapter to my brother who is converting it with the "Monster Adapter" kit so that he can continue to get more life out of his (still large) A-Mount collection.

And now we come to the present day. Sony has abandoned the A-Mount with the exception of some recent adapters. The price of an aging Sony A99ii is through the roof as users try to get the most out of their existing A-Mount lenses. Meanwhile, Pentax is sticking to the K-Mount and producing great cameras to boot. It's the horse I should have bet on back in the day. Had I collected Pentax glass back then, I'd still be using it now.

My Minolta lenses are now relegated to use on old bodies. I personally see the proposition of buying Minolta lenses as a nostalgic affair. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just less enthused by it to the point that I can confidently say I'll likely not buy another A-Mount lens as it no longer represents what made the A-Mount special to me. I liked that I could take any A-Mount lens and use it on a film body for that "special film look" or put that same lens on a modern digital camera to scratch that "IQ" itch or create a unique retro look. On Pentax, I can still do all this (for now). Pentax is the last survivor in this regard... they look forward while honoring the past. They strike that "best of both worlds" balance and it's why I switched!

Just some ramblings based on my experience. I used the poop outta my A-100 and it was/is a great camera!

I got into digital photography with the Sony A100 not long after it was released. The idea that one could draw on decades worth of Minolta glass and use those lenses natively without downside on a modern digital body with built in "Anti-Shake" was a major attraction. I believe only Pentax and Sony prioritized backward compatibility to such a high degree around that time. Other brands were either switching mounts or had limitations when using older lenses. My infatuation with Minolta grew and I soon started acquiring a range of lenses including old manual focus lenses, and 80's / 90's era Minolta AF lenses. Between my brother and I we collected many of the available AF Minolta lenses ( including the beautiful APO line ) and many of the more popular MF lenses.

Minolta had many stand-out lenses that didn't break the bank including the "beer can", and the "secret handshake" to name but a few. This ecosystem of great affordable lenses, combined with Sony who was going "all-in" on digital photography at the time, created a real value proposition that was a lot of fun. Sony gained a real cult following around the A-Mount.

When Sony effectively discontinued the A-Mount ( aka Minolta mount ) it was a real downer for those who had invested in the A-Mount system. To mitigate the pain, I bought a Sony LA-EA4 adapter and continued using my A-Mount glass on a Sony A-6000 that had Sony's new E-mount. Adapting the A-Mount lenses to an E-Mount camera always felt second class. The auto-focus wasn't as good and there was loss of light due to the translucent mirror in the adapter. I've since given my LA-EA4 adapter to my brother who is converting it with the "Monster Adapter" kit so that he can continue to get more life out of his (still large) A-Mount collection.

And now we come to the present day. Sony has abandoned the A-Mount with the exception of some recent adapters. The price of an aging Sony A99ii is through the roof as users try to get the most out of their existing A-Mount lenses. Meanwhile, Pentax is sticking to the K-Mount and producing great cameras to boot. It's the horse I should have bet on back in the day. Had I collected Pentax glass back then, I'd still be using it now.

My Minolta lenses are now relegated to use on old bodies. I personally see the proposition of buying Minolta lenses as a nostalgic affair. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just less enthused by it to the point that I can confidently say I'll likely not buy another A-Mount lens as it no longer represents what made the A-Mount special to me. I liked that I could take any A-Mount lens and use it on a film body for that "special film look" or put that same lens on a modern digital camera to scratch that "IQ" itch or create a unique retro look. On Pentax, I can still do all this (for now). Pentax is the last survivor in this regard... they look forward while honoring the past. They strike that "best of both worlds" balance and it's why I switched!

Just some ramblings based on my experience. I used the poop outta my A-100 and it was/is a great camera!

#5 · March 16, 2022, 2:47 pm

The Sony a100 seems like a super cool dead system. I love Minolta and Minolta glass. If I’m not mistaken there are the newer a series DSLRs that it all adapts onto as well, right? Such as the A77?

#6 · March 16, 2022, 4:40 pm

Quote from grover on March 16, 2022, 4:40 pm

Quote from HeggenDazs on March 16, 2022, 2:47 pm

The Sony a100 seems like a super cool dead system. I love Minolta and Minolta glass. If I’m not mistaken there are the newer a series DSLRs that it all adapts onto as well, right? Such as the A77?

There were quite a few A-Mount Sony cameras that natively use Minolta lenses.

All of these to be exact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony_A-mount_cameras

Digital Sony A-Mount cameras can be broken down into two main groups:
DSLR
SLT

Here is my understanding of the difference between an SLT and DSLR desgin. Anyone please feel free to correct me.

DSLR is what the world was used to at the end of the film camera era. It's what Pentax still uses. A mirror reflects light to a Pentaprism (how Pentax got it's name) which then reflects light to an optical view finder. When the user takes a picture the mirror flips up and the light hits the senor (or film). In the Sony digital camera era, SLT was the next evolution. Like a DSLR, an SLT camera has a mirror, but unlike a DSLR the SLT mirror is fixed and doesn't move. Instead, the SLT mirror is translucent and reflects some portion of light up to where a DSLR would normally house a pentaprism. The rest of the light would be allowed to pass through the translucent mirror and hit the sensor. Essentially the light is split. Ok, so in both cases light is reflected up but unlike a DSLR where light hits a pentaprism, the light reflected by an SLT hits sensor which then transforms that light into a digital representation and sends it to an EVF (electronic view finder).

To take this a step further, SLTs have been replaced by mirrorless cameras. The need for an SLT to split light to two sensors was eliminated when engineers figured out how to combine two into one. Whereas before you had a sensor for the EVF and and another sensor to capture the actual photo, mirrorless sensors could now do it all. I beleive it's a bit more complicated than this because we haven't considered auto-focus and things like PDAF. Regardless, the elimination of the SLT mirror paved the way for true mirrorless cameras. When Sony shifted away from SLT and began designing mirrorless cameras, they realized that without a mirror the camera and lenses could be made more compact due to the shorter distance required between sensor and lens (no mirror in between). This is called "registration distance". THIS is what triggered Sony to make the new E-Mount which replaced the A-Mount (Minolta).

The difference between SLT and DSLR can be shown here. Notice that SLT doesn't use a pentaprism.

Quote from HeggenDazs on March 16, 2022, 2:47 pm

The Sony a100 seems like a super cool dead system. I love Minolta and Minolta glass. If I’m not mistaken there are the newer a series DSLRs that it all adapts onto as well, right? Such as the A77?

There were quite a few A-Mount Sony cameras that natively use Minolta lenses.

All of these to be exact : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Sony_A-mount_cameras

Digital Sony A-Mount cameras can be broken down into two main groups:
DSLR
SLT

Here is my understanding of the difference between an SLT and DSLR desgin. Anyone please feel free to correct me.

DSLR is what the world was used to at the end of the film camera era. It's what Pentax still uses. A mirror reflects light to a Pentaprism (how Pentax got it's name) which then reflects light to an optical view finder. When the user takes a picture the mirror flips up and the light hits the senor (or film). In the Sony digital camera era, SLT was the next evolution. Like a DSLR, an SLT camera has a mirror, but unlike a DSLR the SLT mirror is fixed and doesn't move. Instead, the SLT mirror is translucent and reflects some portion of light up to where a DSLR would normally house a pentaprism. The rest of the light would be allowed to pass through the translucent mirror and hit the sensor. Essentially the light is split. Ok, so in both cases light is reflected up but unlike a DSLR where light hits a pentaprism, the light reflected by an SLT hits sensor which then transforms that light into a digital representation and sends it to an EVF (electronic view finder).

To take this a step further, SLTs have been replaced by mirrorless cameras. The need for an SLT to split light to two sensors was eliminated when engineers figured out how to combine two into one. Whereas before you had a sensor for the EVF and and another sensor to capture the actual photo, mirrorless sensors could now do it all. I beleive it's a bit more complicated than this because we haven't considered auto-focus and things like PDAF. Regardless, the elimination of the SLT mirror paved the way for true mirrorless cameras. When Sony shifted away from SLT and began designing mirrorless cameras, they realized that without a mirror the camera and lenses could be made more compact due to the shorter distance required between sensor and lens (no mirror in between). This is called "registration distance". THIS is what triggered Sony to make the new E-Mount which replaced the A-Mount (Minolta).

The difference between SLT and DSLR can be shown here. Notice that SLT doesn't use a pentaprism.

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Investing on a dead camera system

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