 Micro Four Thirds User Forum |
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Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm f/1.4
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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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2
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2801
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Wed March 7, 2012
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$55.00
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8.0
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Description:
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Fast standard lens from the XD7 era, just before 1980. Closest focussing distance 0.45m, weight is a mere 260g, filter thread diameter 55mm. Aperture run from f/1.4 to f/16, between f1.4 and f/2 and between f/11 and f/16 there's no click-stop, rest of the range has click-stops every half-stop.
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Keywords:
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Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm f/1.4 f1.4 |
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Untalented amateur
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Posts: 1,042
Registered: August 2010
Location: The Netherlands
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Author
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addieleman
Untalented amateur
Registered: August 2010
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 1042
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Review Date: Fri January 28, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $55.00
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Image quality, mechanical build, fairly light-weight
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Cons:
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Needs stopping down to f/2.8 for very good IQ
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I use it on the Panny G1 and GH2. Wide-open it shows some purple fringing, but it's relatively mild and doesn't spoil the picture which is soft and flary, but has good detail in the center and nice bokeh. Stopped down to f/2 the very center is sharp but going to the edges sharpness and contrast quickly deteriorate; ideal when you want to emphasize a subject in the center. Bokeh is a bit nervous at f/1.4 and f/2. At f/2.8 most of the image is quite sharp, beginning to look more universally useable and bokeh improves as well. At f/4 and f/5.6 it is very sharp and contrasty, bokeh is fine too. At f/8 and beyond diffraction takes its toll on resolution. Remarkably flat field, even wide open.
The lens is beautifully built. The focus ring has absolutely no play and the inner barrel does not show any sign of wiggle. Handling the aperture ring (quite important on a G1!) is a joy, soft and well-discernable click-stops. This is of the highest quality. The lens balances quite nicely on the G1, much better than my Nikkor 50/1.8 which is 15g lighter but feels more front-heavy.
Can't give it the highest rating because IQ isn't perfect at f/1.4 and f/2, but as others mentioned this lens has a special, endearing image rendition. I took a lot of product pictures of it to prepare putting it on eBay, but that isn't going to happen anytime soon! You can easily get this lens for (much) less than € 100, can't go wrong with this one.
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Best regards, Ad.
Pictures | Equipment | Minolta collection | All lenses
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Justified_Sinner
Mu-43 Regular
Registered: February 2010
Location: Scotland, UK
Posts: 193
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Review Date: Wed March 7, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: None indicated
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Sharp, fast and can give some really dreamy effects wide open.
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Cons:
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Loses contrast wide open.
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I bought this lens having seen a shot on Flickr which showed the remarkable bokeh it is capable of rendering. This was my first - of now many - Minolta lens and remains a firm favourite on the G1.
It is built like a tank but while chunky, not too long or heavy to be useable on the G1 or E-PL1 body. Of course, it behaves like a short telephoto on these cameras and not like the standard prime it was designed to be, but that gives the remarkable joy of being able to work with a 100mm equivalent f1.4 lens.
Like so many fast lenses, the main reason for many people to have it is for shooting in low light or to create shallow DOF effects and bokeh. Stopped down, it is a sharp lens:
SCRAP by the justified sinner, on Flickr
This was taken at f8. As a test of diffraction softening, I took this shot at f16, the maximum f-stop:
Necropolis by the justified sinner, on Flickr
It produces neutral bokeh wide open though these are very noticeably hexagonal when behind the subject:
Acer sp. by the justified sinner, on Flickr
Less pleasing when in front:
Stained Glass Night by the justified sinner, on Flickr
Berberis Berries by the justified sinner, on Flickr
The lack of contrast wide-open, especially when shooting towards the light, can create some odd dream-like effects, especially noticeable in this shot:
Sleepy Heads by the justified sinner, on Flickr
Overall, a cracker of a lens!
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Panasonic G1 and GH2; 20mm f1.7; Leica Elmarit 45mm f2.8 Macro; Olympus 12mm f2; Nokton 50mm f1.1; Nokton 25mm f0.95; Samyang 7.5mm f3.5; Complete set of Pentax Auto 110 lenses and adaptor; large collection of Minolta MC/MD lenses and adaptor; various "toy" lenses.
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