Best 50mm MD lens?

[cliff_gallup]

I am thinking of picking up an X-700 and a 50mm Minolta manual focus lens to

go with it. KEH sells a bunch of fast 50's, including f/1.4 and f/1.7 MDs and

MD-Rokkors. Prices are all insanely cheap. Any consensus as to which of

these is the best in terms of image quality? I don't need the extra speed of

the f/1.4 and am more interested in things like bokeh and overall look,

sharpness, contrast etc.

 

Any other legendary manual focus Minolta MD lenses -- primes or zooms -- I

should be looking for?

 

Thanks.

[andykowalczyk]

The MC 58mm f/1.2

<p>

See "The Ultimate Normal Lens Challenge":

<p>

<a href="http://rokkorfiles.com/Battle%20of%2050s1.htm">

http://rokkorfiles.com/Battle of 50s1.htm

</a>

</p>

[hans_weber]

The MC Rokkor PG 1:1.4 50mm together with the

MC Rokkor 1:2 50mm for best sharpness.

Both are absolute razor sharp from center to edge at

f5.6 to f8!

 

If you want MD functionality you can use the nearly

equal good early MD ROKKOR 1:1.7 50mm (important the

one with 55mm filter diameter).

 

But nothing beats the late MC ROKKOR PG 1:1.2 58mm

concerning over all IQ. Bokeh that is unbelivable!

Sharpness more than you ever need.

 

The differences between above lenses I analysed with

a 10000dpi Microscope!

 

Greetings Hans

[manuel_zamora_morschhaeuse]

All of the 50s are very sharp. I own both the MD 1.7 and 1.4 and the latter is just a tack sharper at medium apertures, at least in my experience. Bokeh-wise the rule is, the faster the better. So, either buy the MD 50mm/f1.4 or the f1.2 (if you can find it). The most creamy ist surely the 58mm/f1.2, from all of the 50s this is the best looking, but definetively not the sharpest. As suggested, check rokkorfiles.com for the "battle of the 50s".<br />

<br />

<img src='http://zamora.de/pb/images/20060311153220_sabine-poster-900.jpg'><br />

<br />

Taken with a X-700 and the late MD50mm/f1.4 at f4.<br />

[manuel_zamora_morschhaeuse]

Oh, and for other legendary Minolta manual focus lenses: The 28mm/f2, 35mm f1.8, 85mm/f2 and the 135mm/f2 (next to the mentioned 50mm lenses) all have a stellar reputation and feature excellent IQ.

[jeroen_b1]

Off topic: the 135mm f/2 is very very expensive. If you can get it from someone who doesn't know the reputation of this lens than you are very lucky, but I doubt this will ever happen. It's price wise the same league as the more exotic 85mm varisoft and 35mm tilt shift lens.

 

The 85mm f/2 can be found for a reasonable price (my MD lens was 125 euro's, few months ago), the 100mm f/2.5 could be a good and cheaper alternative. 135mm f/2.8 can be found everywhere for a nice price.

 

Back to the topic: I own a MD rokkor 50mm f/1,4 and it's a fine lens. I have read on Yahoo, MinoltaManualFree about a 50mm lens test, the MC 50mm f/1.4 is sharper (corner + center) at the larger apertures but also more prone to flare. The guy who tested it said that with normal photo shooting (no tripod, hand held) the differences are almost invisible. He had to check his test results with a microscope to see it. For flare control he recommended MD-rokkor 50mm f/1.7, 55mm thread. Don't know what's wrong with the 49mm thread (I have one and it's fine)

 

So when you don't use a tripod and use fast film like ISO 400 I think you will not see any differences, even with the bigger enlargements.

 

Also someone from this group told me the plain MD 50mm f/1.7 is a very very sharp lens, and this one should cost not more than 5 aprox. 5-10 euro. And the 135mm f/3.5 is also a lens that is underrated, it is said it is a good performer that can be found for almost nothing (mine was 7 euro)

[User_502260]

I have the 50/2, 50/1.7 and 50/1.4 MD lenses. All are good but I think the 50/1.7 MD is the sharpest. I also have the 50/1.7 and 50/1.4 MD Rokkor-X lenses and the 50/1.7 and 50/1.4 MC Rokkor-X lenses. All four of these are nice. I like the heavier feel of the 50/1.4 MC Rokkor-X (I also have the one marked MC Rokkor PG). The older 55/1.7 MC and 58/1.4 MC lenses have their own character. When they were replaced, the 50/1.4 MC was more of an improvement over the 58 than the 50/1.7 MC was over the 55. The 58 is a six element lens and the 50 which replaced it had seven elements. The 50/1.7 MD doesn't look like much but it's very sharp.

[terry_rory]

I happened upon this page via a google search for reviews of the Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm f/1.7 and f/1.4

 

 

I read it for about 30 seconds until seeing Manuel Zamora-Morschhaeuser's fantastic photograph.

 

Kudos sir. The photo, the girl (wife or GF?) fantastic.

 

How can you guys continue discussing lenses after that?

 

:-)

[manuel_zamora_morschhaeuse]

Thank you, Trevor. The girl is just a friend, nevertheless it was a fun and rewarding (and quite low tech) shooting.

 

And yes, sometimes we gearheads on photo.net forget about the one thing that matters the most about our dearest hobby and/or profession: the photograph itself.