New Member Registered: February, 2012 Posts: 17 | Review Date: December 20, 2013 | Recommended | Price: $20.00
| Rating: 7 |
Pros: | Good colour, relatively fast at long end, strong at long end, handling | Cons: | | Sharpness: 8
Aberrations: 8
Bokeh: 6
Handling: 9
Value: 8
| | I found one of these on e-Bay, the first I have ever seen. I wasn't certain that it was an 04A rather than a 104A, but in my determined pursuit of Adaptalls I had to go for it.
Although its body and mechanicals appear unused, my copy has more fungus than any lens I have ever owned; it disfigures the majority of the internal glass surfaces, and the front looks scrubbed. Bear that in mind.
I am comparing the 04A to the Tamron Adaptall 80-250mm Z-250, the Adaptall 80-250mm f3.8-4.5 QZ-250M, the Adaptall-2 75-250mm f3.8-4.5 104A, and also the Adaptall SP 60-300mm f3.8-5.6 23A.
Wide open, it is relatively strong at the long end. In this respect, it resembles the QZ-250M, which it replaced, though according to adaptall-2.org their optical formulae are different, and they are different lengths.
In spite of the fungus, my 04A 'snaps' into focus. Although the contrast is low, the absolute detail wide open in the centre of the frame at 250mm is really good, and the colours are nice. The 04A colour fringes seem less intense than those of the others.
Weight-wise, the 04A is similar to the 104A. I prefer the built-in hood on the 04A, but otherwise they are both one touch zooms which balance nicely on the Samsung GX20.
Bokeh is just like the QZ-250M, the 104A, and the 23A; not that good. The Z250 is much better in this respect.
The 04A is a stop faster than the 23A at the long end, and the resolution wide-open is similar.
So in summary, optically it most resembles the QZ-250M, whilst in handling terms it is very like the 104A. So, I guess it would appeal to someone who wants an inexpensive, relatively fast longish manual zoom like the QZ-250M, but prefers a one-touch to a two touch zoom.
Recommended.
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