Can I use older Minolta SLR lenses on a Sony A230, and what changes on APS-C?
Asked 2/5/2011
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I’m new to DSLR photography and have a Sony A230 with the 18–55mm kit lens. I know Sony A-mount cameras can use some Minolta lenses, but I’m confused about which older film-era lenses will actually work.
If I buy Minolta lenses originally made for 35mm film SLRs, what should I expect on my APS-C camera? How does crop factor affect the field of view, and how do I calculate it? Does aperture change? Will autofocus and camera communication still work? Also, why do some listings say “not for digital SLRs” — does that mean they are incompatible, or just less ideal optically?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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Minolta, like Canon, changed their mount when they moved to AF in the 1980s. Only Minolta AF lenses can be used on Sony's Alpha mount.
The field of view will be cropped due to the fact that the sensor in your camera is smaller than the imaging size of film. So a 50mm lens will have the field of view of a 75mm lens, as the crop factor is 1.5.
Here's a good answer about crop factor in DSLRs
Aperture is unchanged. AF should work fine!
Originally by user3114. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user3114
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Your Sony A230 uses the Minolta/Sony A-mount, so the key compatibility point is this: only Minolta AF lenses for that mount are usable. Older Minolta manual-focus SLR lenses used a different mount and won’t directly fit.
If the lens is an A-mount AF lens, it should work, including autofocus and normal lens communication.
What changes on your APS-C camera is the field of view, not the actual focal length or aperture. The A230 has about a 1.5× crop factor, so multiply the lens focal length by 1.5 to compare its field of view to 35mm film/full frame. Example: a 50mm lens gives a field of view similar to a 75mm lens on film. Aperture does not change.
Film-era lenses also project an image circle large enough for full-frame/35mm, so your APS-C sensor uses only the center portion of that image.
“Not for digital SLRs” usually does not mean the lens cannot function. It often means the lens was designed before digital and may be less optimized for digital sensors, sometimes with more flare or reflections. Many such lenses still produce good results.
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