MD lenses

Minolta MD 24mm lenses comparison:

• Minolta MD 24mm 1:2
• Minolta MD VFC 24mm 1:2.8

VFC lenses are rare and not common guests in comparisons, so, the article probably may be interesting not for photographers only but for researches too.

This comparison is correct only for conditions and equipment used for tests. Test results may differ if any element is changed.

Tested lenses reviews:

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
• Field curvature control on Minolta MD VFC 24mm f/2.8 is set in the center position because with any other settings for this scene the corners will be out of DOF.
• Sunlight changed during the session

Minolta MD 24mm lenses comparison – sharpness/resolution

Scene preview

Test results

Minolta MD 24mm lenses comparison – conclusion

Both lenses – Minolta MD VFC 24mm F2.8 and Minolta MD  24mm F2.8 – work almost similar at the center and middle. But in corners the non-VFC version shows a much better result – it becomes ready for landscapes on F5.6 or even maybe on F4 and it is totally sharpened over the whole frame at F8. But the older and much more expensive VFS can’t approach full sharpness over the frame even at diapason up to F16. The newer optical design of New-MD 24mm 1:2.8 has won by IQ. Anyway, the price of VFC looks reasonable at least because of the fact that only two lenses in the Universe have existed with this ability (Variable Field Curvature) and both of them – Minolta.