First test shots (all handheld)

11.	12.	13.
11. Aperture at minimum	12. Aperture at approximately middle	13. At maximum aperture (f4)
14.	15.	16.
14. Left button is focus hold, then Auto Focus - Manual Focus selector	15. Zoom at 70mm.	16. Zoom at 300mm and with petal lens hood.

Comments

This lens was purchased new at a discount camera store for 88,000 yen. I had the choice of either that or for 140,000 yen a Minolta 80-200mm.

Specifications: Its minimum focusing distance is 120cm [1]. Its maximum aperture is f4.5 at 70mm, f5 at approximately 90mm, and f5.6 at 135mm. It's not for low light, but I wanted the focal length. In contrast, my other option was the 80-200mm, where maximum aperture is 2.8, making it better for low light. Both lenses have 9 aperture blades which form a circular hole, which apparently creates excellent bokeh. It uses the SSM inbuilt motor for super fast focusing. The first time I used it, I didn't think it was focusing as it did it so fast, but then I was only familiar with older and much slower Sigma, KM, and Minolta lenses.

Made for digital: As said, this lens was made for full format, which means that the surface is 'optimised' to transmit light and colour well to a digital sensor. Also, this lens will work on 35mm film, with normal 70-300mm performance. Though, on an APS-C sensor (28mm sized frame), it has an equivalent of about 105-450mm, giving it a telescopic advantage, which should be of joy for bird and wildlife photographers. It also takes advantage of the "sweet spot" of the APS-C sensor, so any vignetting is not present, though it may be present on a full frame sensor and film.

Image Quality: Between about 80-200 it can be superb, from about f6.3 to perhaps f11 it's wonderful. I feel that it tends to be soft and perhaps lackluster at 300mm. Chromatic aberrations are minimal, perhaps just a slither on the edges, which are often easily dealt with in LightRoom. Otherwise it can be wonderfully sharp and colours vibrant.

Focusing: This is also considered as it can be taken as a sign of build quality. The manual focusing ring is firm, not tight, and can allow for very fine manual focusing. Also, in auto focus mode, it can be super quick. The first time I tried out the store demo lens, it focused so fast that I didn't notice and thought that it wasn't working. It took several attempts to realise how blistering quick it is compared to the lenses I've had in the past.

Money Talks: A new 70-300mm G is a little over half the price of the supposedly slightly higher quality Minolta 80-200mm second hand. There doesn't seem to be any vignetting nor barrel distortion [2]. I was surprised to find that blue Chromatic Aberration crops up, albeit, a tiny slither, but fortunately it happens much less often than the 75-300mm kit lens, and is far, far less pronounced. Considering it's a G lens at a budget price, it does give great performance.

Flexibility: As mentioned before, it isn't a low light lens, but does have a longer focal length. It is much smaller and lighter than other white / silver telescopic G lenses, but is heavier and bulkier than the 75-300mm kit lens. Because of it's size and ability to be a standard member of the camera bag kit, it's considered, by me, flexible, and pretty versatile.

Filters and lens hood: The front screw mount element does not rotate when focusing or zooming, which is great for mounting filters, especially swiveling polarisers. The screw mount is 67mm, so that means you need a different adapter for Cokin filter mounts, as your kit probably has 55mm or 49mm fronts. The oddest thing to me, is that the lens hood is so big and long. When mounted it makes it look really cool, but also kind of private-eye-ish, especially when fully extended to 300mm.

Quality Controls: The lens is made of what seems to be a durable plastic, which makes it lighter; I think I appreciate this. If I had've bought the 80-200mm, I would be leaving it at home more often. There has been some manufacturing problems reported [3], though my lens seems fine. It lacks a built on tripod mount, which can be considered very unusual for a top-level lens, and for one that is rather front heavy when mounted on a tripod. The weight of it is more than the 75-300mm kit lens, and so the centre of gravity is significantly forward, too. To overcome this I've had to purchase a lens tripod adaptor (seen in the picture at the top). Consider getting one, especially if you plan to use a monopod, as using one helps to keep the camera-lens combination balanced, and ultimately, less strain on your wrists and forearms.

References

[1] Mhohner.de, Accessed 8th Sep 2009 Lens tech data for Sony Alpha 70-300/4.5-5.6 G SSM, http://www.mhohner.de/sony-minolta/onelens/af70-300f45gs

[2] PhotoZone, Accessed 8th Sep 2009 Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 SSM G (SAL-70300G) - Review / Test Report, http://www.photozone.de/Reviews/47-sony-alpha-aps-c/388-sony_70300_4556

[3] Kered, "Beads in lens". Accessed 9 Sept 2009, http://www.dynaxdigital.com/index.php/topic,11105.0.html