Minolta MC Rokkor QE 100mm 1:3.5 Macro vs MD 100mm 1:4.0 Macro – comparison

Published by Tony on 2019-07-102019-07-10

Minolta SR 100mm macro lenses comparison:

• Minolta MC Macro Rokkor QE 100mm 1:3.5 (Hills&Valleys/Knurled, MCII)
• Minolta MD Macro 100mm 1:4.0 (New-MD, MDIII)

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 100mm 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

Final conclusion

This test is enough ‘synthetic’ – usually, nobody is going to take landscapes with macro lenses and in telephoto-diapason. But in any way, we have the winner: it’s easy to see that the modern MD version is noticeably better than older Rokkor. Lenses became equal over the whole frame just at F8.

I wouldn’t say that MC Rokkor is a bad one, you know that a macro-photography just only starts from apertures around F8. The IQ of this lens is still usable, but it attracts mostly by unique feeling in the hands and strange construction. So, yes, I like to keep this Rokkor, but for a real photo-session, I’ll take the MD.