Minolta MC Rokkor NL 21mm 1:2.8 vs MD 20mm 1:2.8 – comparison

Minolta SR ultra-wide lenses comparison:
- Minolta MC W.Rokkor NL 21mm 1:2.8 (Hills&Valleys/Knurled, MCII)
- Minolta MD 20mm 1:2.8 (New-MD, MDIII)
One of the most interesting battles – the Legend vs. the Younger. Welcome to the ring
Copy #1 – MCII 21/2.8 |
Copy #2 – MDIII 20/2.8 |
|
Serial: | 1502057 | 8003731 |
Optical Condition: | Mint | Mint |
Mechanical Condition: | Near Mint | Near Mint |
Cosmetic Condition: | Near Mint | Near Mint |
This comparison is correct only for conditions and equipment used for tests. Test results can differ if any element is changed
Tested lenses reviews
Minolta SR 50mm Macro lenses comparison – sharpness/resolution
Long-distance test description
- Camera Sony A7II (24mpx, full frame) – RAW (ARW), tripod, A-mode, ISO 100, WB fixed, SteadyShot OFF, manual focus correction for every shot
- Targets (buildings) – fixed by gravity power on the distances in more than 200 meters
- ARW post-processing – Capture One, default settings, 100% crops 300×200 px
Scene preview
Test results
Minolta SR ultra-wide lenses comparison – final conclusion:
I love such battles – where every of fighters don’t give up. Here you can see enough unusual case:
- Center – both are similar
- Middle – Rokkor 21mm is better
- Corner – New-MD 20mm is better
(I judge in average over the entire range of diaphragms, from F2.8 to F11)
It seems to me that both lenses are winners. But I realize that fans of Rokkors will find advantages of MCII 21/2.8 and fans of New-MD will find advantages of 20/2.8. To avoid subjectivity I recommend both lenses. Enjoy!
2 Comments
Stefan · 2023-02-13 at 22:55
Nice work! Do you have a list of all Hills and Valleys Minolta lenses? That would be cool. I am slowly collecting them all, but I am not sure, whether I am missing something…
Tony · 2023-02-15 at 18:52
Hello and thank you. This list is very simple – just select all MC-II lenses from this list: minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/index.html (except 55mm F1.9 – this one was rubberized)
BTW, a full collection of Hills and Valleys Minolta lenses is still possible target, because this line doesn’t contain ultra-rare items, just a few bit expensive models (16/2.8 21/2.8 58/1.2 85/1.7)