Vivitar 28-300mm Series One Zoom Lens for Minolta-AF SLRs

Rating:
Summary: Great All-around Lens
Review: I decided to give the 28mm - 300mm Series 1 Zoom a try since I also own a 25 year old Vivitar Series 1 90mm Macro lens for my old Minolta SRT-101. I have owned mostly Minolta branded (Rokkor) lenses so for me to purchase a non-Minolta lens, it had to be outstanding. You won't be disappointed. It is a sharp, well-built lens and gives me an all-around lens for virtually all situations. I agree with the other reviewer that this is not a heavy lens. Maybe I am old-fashioned but the push-pull zooming works just fine. I will still hang on to my Minolta 28mm-80mm Zoom that I got with the STsi but more as a back up. Vivitar does warn the user to not attach the included lens shade if you are using the camera's built-in flash in the wider angles as the lens shade may cast a shadow on your picture. I have used my built-in flash with this lens many times mostly for fill-in lighting with no problems. You have to remember to unlock the lens lock button when you turn your camera on but it really has not been a nuisance for me at all.

Rating:
Summary: Decent lens
Review: Nice to only have to carry around one lens, but it is a rather heavy lens. Works great, though. To zoom with the lens, it just slides in and out, you don't rotate it like you normally would operate an SLR lens (at least any I've seen). Kind of weird to get used to sliding the whole lens instead of turning it. I much prefer the turning method for zooming.

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT LENS!
Review: Run- don't walk to buy this lens if you are considering it. I found to work excellently and take razor sharp pictures. No offense to the reviewer above, but I found it to be a surprisingly light lense. Don't let weight keep you from buying it. 28-300 is worth a TON on convience. It sometimes is slow taking the picture working with AF with my Minolta 7xi, but that could just be my camera. Also I have a tad of trouble getting the lens cap on all the way (with a UV filter on). But these are minor and I HIGHLY recommend this lens.