The other day my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR finally broke.  I’ve had it for something like 18+ years and boy did it produce some memories.  I probably took like 300,000+ photos with it over the years across many Nikon DSLRs.  Every camera/lens company has a pro lens of this type going back many decades, and it’s probably the most used zoom lens for photojournalism next to the 24-70mm. Such a lovely do everything lens.

A few months before that the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 that I used for almost as long finally broke again for the 3rd time.  After repairing it twice now over the years I finally relegated it to the bookshelf with sundry items.  My mind recalls Megatron crying out “…I still function…” to Starscream in the OG Transformers animation, as he chucks him out of Astrotrain.  I too now have no problem retiring gear that is just faulty or risky to use for work or for fun.

As I pondered what to do next in terms of gear, I revisited the idea of using the first gen Sony A7’s that I have here as lighter replacements of the gear that I’ve used/broke.

So that’s what this post is (finally!) about:

Using CHEAP Minolta Lenses on Sony mirrorless with the LA-EA4 adapter

In the case of the Sony LA-EA4, it gave me access to 3 cheap but surprisingly good old Minolta lenses that I had just sitting on the shelf.  Not the broken shelf, but the other shelf that has lenses that have been thrifted or gifted!

A Minolta 50mm f/1.4 that I got for $4!!!!!
A Minolta 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 that I got for $12 I think?
A Minolta 70-210mm f/4 that I got for like $10

These Minolta lenses have different manufacture years, but pretty much they go back to the 80s, when upstart Minolta really captured the attention of regular folks with their autofocus line of cameras (Maxxum/Dynax/Alpha). I obviously wasn’t into photography at that time, being a little kid, but that’s how I recall one of the eras of photographic equipment.

A little bit of trivia, my first “pro” camera was a hand me down Minolta SLR from an uncle back in the day. A Maxxum 7000 that I shot many photos of families and friends with.  An amazing first camera for anyone really, back then or even now.  I still have two of these cameras sitting on the shelf and I would have no problem using them right now for portraits on film.

To think, even back in the early days of Digital SLR tech in 2004ish (think Nikon D70 and Canon 20D’s) I still lugged around a 35mm film camera and shot that with black and white film as the side option.  Now in 2025 folks have literally created empires online with videos about film photography and their journey and passion with the medium.  Guess I missed that ship too, but as with all things online and trend pandering, my answer to all that would be, it wouldn’t bring me as much joy as the source of it all, which is just taking photos of life.

Anyways, back to the lenses.

The Sony LA-EA4 I bought from KEH. It’s really well built and this particular model has a built in motor that drives the screwdriver to focus the older Minolta lenses that I have.  If only Nikon would release an adapter for their AF-D lenses soon for Z mount.  They have so many lenses and it would unlock a totally new skill/crafting tree for Nikon users.

Ever since the mirrorless revolution of about 2011 I’ve window shopped countless times these adapters that normally run in the couple hundreds of dollars range.  This post was a long time coming as well.  I think to myself, is it really worth it, and does it solve a problem or make things a bit easier in some way, and can I actually use it for real work events.

Because if you buy enough adapters like I do, it adds up, and I could have bought yet another prime lens instead. I will have to say though, these recent adapters I’ve gotten are really worth the money. The LA-E4 actually works faster in AF with these ancient lenses better than some of native FE mount lenses just due to the slow contrast detect on the sensor. The LA adapter turns the Sony A7 into a snappy autofocusing camera like the Sony and Minolta crop DSLRs that I also have sitting on the shelf.

Minolta 70-210mm f/4 “Beercan–Nope Coconut Can!!”

The lens that I thought would be a good temporary replacement for the Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 was the Minolta 70-210mm f/4.  I had no idea how popular and well respected this lens was until I searched online for it years ago (search for Minolta “Beercan”).  I’m in agreement with the meta of the interwebs.  This lens is very good, especially for the price on the used market.  I’m looking right now as I write this and see one for $25. That’s insane for a lens with constant aperture that is only one stop down from f/2.8.  In 2025 lens manufacturers want to give us lenses with f/6.3 or even f/8 at the long end so this is like getting a Honda CRX engine or something.

These twin A7’s have made me not want to get a modern Nikon mirrorless camera just yet.  The sensors are almost the exact same as the ones I’ve used in the D600/D610 for ages now.  So from a sensor/image recovery potential they are basically the same tier. Offering the same shadow pushability as the older cameras. The raw starting point looks a tad bit different, and since I don’t use a one stop shop like Lightroom to edit photos I prefer using the camera maker’s software.  So Nikon Capture NX2/NX-D/Studio for my Nikon cameras.  Canon DPP for my Canons, and sometimes even the clunky Sony Edit for these Sony files.

I know it’s easy to critique Sony camera’s out of camera files for the questionable color casts for people, but seriously guys you have to edit the raws. That’s just how digital photography has been since the early days.  With not too much effort you can really get the most out of the Minolta glass and Sony sensors and get all levels of nice color.

Here is an example of a colorful plumeria.  Dok Champa, one of the best smelling flowers in the world, I wish I had an infinite supply of that fragrance for my car, room, everywhere.

Seriously, if you really enjoy editing photos and have the time, give the manufacturer’s software a go.  Sure they can sometimes not be as user friendly, but it’s the desktop version of the imaging engine that’s inside your camera.  Plus they are free.

While it’s not as trendy as moving some sliders and curves in Adobe Lightroom and selling that as presets…I think for those of us not trying to be YouTube salespeople, it can really give you a new appreciation of the camera and imaging tools we have from the different gens.

It does have a fitting nickname, the “beercan,” but I’ve always wondered how come no Asian person ever anointed it the “coconut can,” since it’s clearly the same size as your standard Chaokoh or Foco coconut juice drink that has been in every Asian grocery store since the beginning of time.

The Minolta 70-210mm f/4 is a non extending zoom lens with such a small form factor that would fit in most side bags.  The more modern “luxurious” Canon 70-200mm f/4 has crept up in price a good bit over the years.  I remember when it could be had for around $350-400.  This Minolta is also about the size of a Pringle’s can and literally as cheap as chips.  Image quality to price ratio can’t be beat. (There’s even a cheaper variable aperture 70-210 that I see in thrift stores and pawn shops all the time.)

More Sony A7 + LA-EA4 Adapter and Minolta 70-210mm f/4 Samples (again this lens can be had for around $20 online!):

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Sony A7 + LA-EA4 Adapter and Minolta 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6

This lens I didn’t have high expectations for but it’s pretty good too!  I’ll shoot my big prime lenses on the Nikon and Canon platforms wide open, but for these cheaper older lenses I have no problem stopping them down all the way in bright daylight.  F/8-11-22 still looks good on Full Frame as opposed to the light throttling that APS lenses do to the smaller sensor.

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Sony A7 + LA-EA4 Adapter and Minolta 50mm f/1.4

Just look at this amazing Boiled Peanut art.  It says so much.  Also, the boiled p-nuts were pretty good!  Not as salty as the ones we sometimes get from an old rusty barrel from some country roadside store. 😉 $6 for a big cup.

Thanks for reading along everyone.  I’ll add to this post throughout the days.  It’s funny how folks online are still abhorred over using cameras like the A7 from 2013, wondering if they are still good.  The Minolta lenses featured on this post are like 30 years old.  The amazing green Celica GT above is 50 years old.  Other desirable photography gear are even older than that.

At first this was going to just be a simple photo post with examples for posterity, but then I just started writing and rambling.  My first camera brand (Minolta) and what they turned into (bought by Sony) deserved a bit more words.

Every photo in this post was shot with Sony A7’s with the Minolta lenses.

If you enjoyed this post, please check out the professional work on my website frontend.  If anyone has a need for Event Coverage, Documentary work or Photojournalism around the Atlanta metro area and SE US let me know!