Minolta Celtic 50/3.5 Macro

revers · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 12:19 am Post subject: Minolta Celtic 50/3.5 Macro

I have a Minolta Celtic 50/3.5 Macro coming in the mail but have found pathetically little info on this lens on the web. Anybody here have experience with this lens?

dnas · Joined: 14 Nov 2008 Posts: 488 Location: Japan

The Minolta "Celtic" line of lenses was an attempt by Minolta to make a cheaper line of lenses. (I did read somewhere that some components may have been outsourced by Minolta)

While it seems that the glass is identical to the MC Macro Rokkor 50mm F3.5(or the earlier MC Macro Rokkor-PF 50mm F3.5, or the MC Macro Rokkor-X 50mm F3.5, which was the US version), there is some debate as to whether the coatings are also the same.

The BUILD is definitely different, using cheaper materials, etc.

So from an optical point of view, if you can't find info on the Celtic version, you can look at general reviews for the MC Macro Rokkor 50 F3.5 instead.

See here:
http://minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/index.html

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

True to a point. But don't confuse early Celtic lenses with later Celtic Lenses.

I agree with you on the later lenses. Cheaper materials, posibly cheaper coating, ect.

But the 50mm macro was only made in the early style for the Celtic line.
They were very simmilar to the MC lens. different grips, and the markings
might be slightly different.They even weighed exactly the same!
Most of what I have read says the early Celtics even had the same coatings.

revers · Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 1:34 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys, I will check out the Rokkor version for reviews.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

Ron: How do you go about using the Minolta lenses? Your camera is a canon?

eccs19 · Joined: 15 May 2010 Posts: 118