Help with Minolta lenses [duplicate]

Question

I am looking for lens help! I am new to the DSLR world and just got a Canon T5.I posted on a local group looking for someone selling lenses. One person has gotten back to me so far and below is what they said they are selling:.

1. Minolta F=28mm 1:3.5
2. Minolta F=135mm 1:2.8 telephoto lense
3. F=135mm 1:2.8

I have a few questions: -can I use these with a canon t5? -are they auto focus? -are they good lenses? -what's the difference between the second and third one? -what would you say is a reasonable offer for these? Thanks!!!!

Answer 1

I'll try to give a concise answer to make things easy.

First of all, you cannot buy any lens and expect it to be compatible with your camera. The easiest way to proceed is to stick with Canon EOS lenses, which are designed to be compatible with your camera. Avoid Minolta lenses if you want to keep things simple.

Now... Do you have a lens for your camera already? If so, why do you need another one? Yes, your camera allows you to switch lenses, but unless you know you need another particular lens, just stick with the one you have. Learn a little bit about photography first - then you will know what lenses you may (or indeed may not) need.

As a first step, take a look at Canon's How-To Video Library and Canon's Digital Learning Center.

Answer 2

TL;DR: Insufficient information. Ask the seller your questions, and ask the seller for photos to help you (or others) identify the lenses.

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You haven't posted a lot of information (especially about the #3 lens, it could be almost any brand and/or mount). However, assuming the 1st two Minolta lenses are MD mount:

can I use these with a canon t5?

Not natively, no. You can get an adapter to mount the lens to the Canon body (for example: FotodioX Minolta MD to Canon EF adapter, amongst others), but the adapter has a focus-correction lens to maintain infinity focus. This is because the flange focal distance (FFD) of the Minolta MD/SR mount is 43.5 mm, whereas the Canon's FFD is 44.0 mm. Because the difference in flange distances is a mere 0.5 mm, no adapter could be made that thin. Instead, the adapter is substantially thicker (several millimeters, perhaps more than a centimeter). This would be like an extension tube, which would allow for focusing on closer subjects, at the expense of being able to focus at infinity. To allow you to focus at infinity a focus correction lens (refocuser) is built into the adapter.

There will probably be some loss of optical quality through the adapter.

are they auto focus?

Not enough information. You will have to ask the seller for more precise information (pictures of the lenses will help greatly in determining which exact lenses are for sale). Chances are, the #1 lens (28 mm f/3.5) is probably not an autofocus lens. There were several Minolta MD/SR/A-mount 135 mm f/2.8 lenses made, some with autofocus, some without.

are they good lenses?

For the #1 lens: nothing remarkable about it. Not worth the effort mounting it on your T5 body — there are plenty of more recent options available that are optically better, and made specifically for Canon EF/EF-S mount.

For the #2 lens: depending on which 135mm f/3.5 it is, it could be a decent lens, but again, probably quite dated. Again, you can find more recent designs (from Canon, and from third-party makers) that are optically better, and fairly inexpensive.

what's the difference between the second and third one?

Completely insufficient information to tell. The 3rd lens could be possibly anything. Again, go back to the seller and ask for more details.

what would you say is a reasonable offer for these?

That question is off-topic for Photo.SE. For somebody who has an emotional attachment or some need for those particular lenses, or looking to complete a Minolta collection, the offer could be anything. For somebody who is looking for a deal to mount them on their shiny new Canon T5, I think you should look elsewhere.

Answer 3

I am new to the DSLR world and just got a Canon T5

Stop here.

If you did not get a kit lens with this camera then you need one.

You need a Canon EOS lens and the cheapest, most cost effective lens to get would be a standard kit lens ( 18-55mm ). They're actually pretty good optically and it's where to start. They can be found used practically everywhere. Try and get one with a hood and end caps - the hood is useful for shading the lens from stray light and the caps keep everything clean and safe when not in use.

Forget the minolta lenses.

Take a deep breath and don't make the standard mistake of rushing into buying anything beyond the basics.

I have a few questions: -can I use these with a canon t5? -are they auto focus? -are they good lenses? -what's the difference between the second and third one? -what would you say is a reasonable offer for these?

At the risk of seeming sarcastic, when you have learned enough about your camera and basic kit lens to answer these questions yourself ( and you will ) you will be ready to consider if you need additional lenses and will have a reasonable idea what type of lens you need then. But you may not ever need additional lenses.

Answer 4

Generally, you should look for lenses that are made by Canon. These would include the letters 'EF' or EF-S' in their names. Canon lenses with 'FD' in their name are not compatible with your camera. A few lens brands MAY be compatible, such as Tokina, Tamron, and Sigma, if they are 'EOS compatible'. All other brands, such as Nikon, Minolta, Sony, etc will not be compatible. You often can get these other lenses to work, but you must purchase an adapter ($$), and usually this results in disabling autofocus or manually adjusting aperture controls or both.

If you are new, purchase a Canon EF or EF-S lens and enjoy your camera.