Lens Review

Minolta MD 35-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 Zoom Macro – 14 elements 12 groups – review

Minolta MD 35-105mm 1:3.5-4.5 Zoom 14el 12gr Macro lens review

  • Official classification: New-MD
  • Collector’s classification: MD III

Almost 3-x zoom with convenient focal distances from enough wide to enough telephoto. The candidate to be the only one lens in a photographer’s bag but… Tests below show that the lens has not enough power to become a favorite. In other words – it’s a really good lens, but not ideal. Such a case often happens with middle-range zooms, even more – this Minolta is not bad by IQ among other lenses with the same diapason.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor HG 35mm 1:2.8 W – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor HG 35mm 1:2.8 W vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC W Rokkor-HG 1:2.8 f=35mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

This is the first lens that has been acquired after I decided to test every prime lens from Hills&Valleys generation. I have got the copy in “near mint”, or even maybe “like new” condition – almost no signs of use. My interest is enough big because one of the best ever among any other in the whole world (my most favorite too) lens is New-MD 35/2.8, and I was very curious about the IQ of the predecessor from MC-era. But something went wrong and my first “like new” copy is showed a strange result – the huge lack of resolution in middles and corners. But right after that sad day, I was lucky to get another copy. The second one has a lot of signs of use, signs of disassembling, and removed aperture clicker-ball, even one of the screws has been lost. But after CLA it displays the really nice sharpness.

I still don’t know what is the reason for the difference in IQ between these two copies – a quality deviation, or damage of the first lens but without signs of an impact. This article is based on test results from the second good copy, but photos of the exterior were made with both.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MD 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 Zoom Macro Lightweight – review

Minolta MD 28-70mm 1:3.5-4.8 Lightweight-version Zoom Macro lens review

  • Official classification: New-MD
  • Collector’s classification: MD IIIa

This lens is from the latest generation of manual lenses with the Minolta logo. However, it is not ‘truly’ Minolta because it was developed and produced by some third party company. There were two (at least?) different MD 28-70/3.5-4.8 lenses, the first one “the heavy” has been reviewed here,  and now the article about the “lightweight” version is finished too.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 55mm 1:1.9 – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 55mm 1:1.9 vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 1:1.9 f=55mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

This lens is much more interesting to collectors than for photographers. This is because it has a special place in the line of Minolta lenses. Though of course photographers can use it too.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 55mm 1:1.7 – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 55mm 1:1.7 vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 1:1.7 f=55mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

It is difficult to predict the test results by lenses with average specifications. Sometimes they can give us surprises because are working better than more powerful sisters. This Minolta 55/1.7 also has such a chance: it is not ultra-fast and not from the top-end of the products line, but F1.7 still sufficient for a photographer. And the one more nice feature – low price makes it affordable for everyone.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor PG 58mm 1:1.2 – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor PG 58mm 1:1.2 vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 1:1.4 f=58mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

This lens has “The legend” status, it’s well known and demanded by collectors or photographers. The popularity is happened because of the fact that Minolta MC PG 58mm 1/1.2 is on the top in the list of ‘bokeh monsters for a whole human history of photography’. Even, maybe, it is Number One Monster by popularity. If a photographer thinks about bokeh rendering, cares about the “3D effect” on photos, and looking for the best bokeh-tool ever – then this lens should be in a photographer’s bag.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 58mm 1:1.4 – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor PF 58mm 1:1.4 vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC Tele Rokkor-PF 1:1.4 f=58mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

This is the well known, enough cheap, and very popular ‘near fifty’ lens, which can be an easy find in auctions or flea-markets around the whole world. I’ve read a lot of different opinions from skeptical to over-positive and this review is another one try to sort out with this lens.

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By Tony, ago

Minolta MD 35mm 1:2.8 Shift CA – review

Minolta MD 35mm 1:2.8 Shift CA – vintage manual lens test and review

  • Official classification: New-MD
  • Collector’s classification: MD III

This lens is enough rare and if I were not a fan of New-MD I think I would not hunt for it at all, even for the review. It is not difficult to find one of the predecessors – Rokkor Shift MD 35mm 1:2.8 but this latest New-MD version is from the top of the list ‘disappeared from all radars’.

Shift lenses are born for professional using by photographers with a narrow specialization – wikipedia.

Anyway, I was lucky to get one for the review.
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By Tony, ago

Minolta MC Rokkor QE 100mm 1:3.5 Macro – MC II – review

Minolta MC Rokkor QE 100mm 1:3.5 Macro – vintage manual lens review (Minolta MC Macro Rokkor-QE 1:3.5 f=100mm)

  • Official classification: MC
  • Collector’s classification: MC II, Hills &Valleys, Knurled

The first feeling: it’s not a lens – it’s a howitzer. Every Rokkor from pre-rubberized generations looks like a rock, but this macro-hundred is the champion among others. Even huge and twice heavier Rokkor MC 300mm 1:5.6 looks more elegant than this hunk of metal with a few pieces of glass.

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By Tony, ago