Minolta lenses compatibility

[grego123]

[h=2]Minolta lenses compatibility[/h]

Hi, I have several lenses belonged to a Minolta Maxxum 3000 and apparently they fit a Sony DSLR. 3 lenses in total, Prime AF 50MM F1.7, AF 35-80MM F4-5.6 and AF 80-200MM F4.5-5.6, Autofocus/manual. 20 years old. I have recently been told that the auto focus will not or might not work on Sony DSLR's. is this true? I was thinking of buying a Sony DSLR but would like to know if all my lenses will work in AF and manual modes.

Also if they work, are they slower since the motors are not in the lenses but in the body only?​

 

[cosmonaut]

Yes they will focus. The 50mm is quite popular even today. They will focus fast as well. The 70-210mm 4.0 is a cult classic. It's nick named the Beercan due to its size.

 

[DiskoJoe]

Any Minolta Maxxum lens will work with AF. Rokkor lenses will not fit without an adaptor and will still not have AF, of course they didnt to begin with.

 

[dxqcanada]

As they said already ... all Maxxum lenses will work ... I have not found one that will not work on my Alpha's.
Focus will be faster as the mechanism's in the camera have improved, which is the thing driving the focus in the lens.

 

[minicoop1985]

To add to what everyone (and dxqcanada particularly) have said, they will work much better on the newer DSLR cameras than on the old Maxxum cameras. The AF units are driven by a motor in the camer that turns something that looks like a flathead screwdriver bit, and that bit turns a small flathead screw looking device on the lens. To illustrate what I mean, look at the top right of the mounting ring (well, what would be the ring, but this one's plastic) in this photo:


PA010023 by longm1985, on Flickr

That little screw drives the AF system in the lens. Sony Alpha cameras started with that system before they went to the SAM system, with an AF motor in the lens, but have that screw system as a secondary for all the legacy/original Alpha lenses out there.