 Review:
Minolta Sweet S
Reviewer: Rob Wood
Always on the lookout
for a bargain, I picked up this little SLR on sale in Japan, complete
with a couple of Tamron Lenses as well as the rest of the standard
offering in any "kit." The carry case, tripod and other
paraphernalia left a lot to be desired, but I wasn't expecting much
at the US$370 price tag. It was the SLR and the lenses that were
the make or break factors of this deal, and while I wouldn't recommend
either these lenses or this SLR for traveling the third world or
taking action shots, the purchase has not been a complete loss.
Firstly the lenses: The
Tamron AF 28-80 lens is not my favourite for uncontrolled shooting
environments. With a minimum aperture setting of f3.5, the depth
of field control is not as good as most Canon or Nikon lenses of
the same size. Like most photographers, I like to really open up
the lens. Being unable to open the lens that little bit more really
restricts you in cramped environments and leaves the photos looking
a little flat. The auto-focus feature is also not particularly fast
and is exceptionally noisy - both are traits that would be major
drawbacks for shooting in the third-world - especially if shooting
people. If that little extra ability to open the aperture and AF
speed are minor considerations then the Tamron AF 28-80 has several
excellent features that could benefit the world traveler. If keeping
the weight down in your pack is a big priority (as it usually is)
then this lens is as light as they come at only 237 grams. The other
great thing about this lens is the price tag. While I got mine in
a package, it is easy enough to find it online for around the US
$100 mark.
- Probably a 2 out of
5 rating for this one.
The big brother is the Tamron AF 75-300, which has many of the same
benefits and drawbacks. The minimum aperture setting is f4, again
restricting that ever-important control over depth of field. The
auto-focus is painfully slow and noisy, meaning that if you are
trying to take a candid shot of a person, you may both alert them
to your intention when they hear the lens, and lose the shot too!
This has happened to me several times with this lens. However, a
lens this big really allows you to get up close and personal with
your subjects from a distance, so the noise complaint can be avoided.
Again it is also super light at only 435 grams and super cheap at
around the US $150 mark.
- I like this one a little
better so I give it a 2.5 out of 5.
Onto the Minolta Sweet
SLR: This camera is a reasonable lower-end buy. It has many of the
standard SLR features with a fully automatic mode that allows for
various settings such as portrait, landscape, action, etc. It also
has a handy function that allows you to move straight to fully automatic
mode with the press of one handily placed button. It has the standard
built-in flash with a mount for a more serious flash if the need
should arise (which I imagine it would if you liked flash photography).
While it has most of
the standard features of most SLR cameras, I do have one major complaint.
This camera is complicated. Excluding the aforementioned button
for fully auto mode as well as the lens speed, the controls are
not very intuitive at all. Changing the aperture setting requires
you to hold one button with your left thumb in a very awkward position,
while toggling the speed control with your right forefinger, again
in an uncomfortable position (maybe I just have big hands?). The
button to invoke the auto-focus is also in a very inconvenient position,
generally requiring the photographer to take his eye away from the
viewfinder in order to find it. Once again, if speed is an issue
for you, then you may not want to go with this SLR for these reasons.
- 2 out of 5.
Overall however, if the
price and weight are two big factors, as they always are for travel
with a pack, then it is hard to complain. If you want to take predominantly
landscape and stills, then this camera and the lenses will be everything
you need. If people and action shots are your main shooting priorities,
then you will be left disappointed.
Author: Rob Wood
Contact: news@polosbastards.com
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