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Minolta MD rokkor 50mm F1.4
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PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 7:13 pm    Post subject: Minolta MD rokkor 50mm F1.4 Reply with quote
I haven't posted many pictures lately.
Unfortunately my most beloved subjects for testing out my lenses, my cats, have all passed away in a very short period of time and this has been hard on me.

I have this lens since sunday and have been taking it out on little trips the past couple of days. It is a superb little gem.

First 3 are definately wide open. For the rest of the photo's I did not remember the aparture.

























Last edited by !Karen on Fri Apr 29, 2016 1:00 pm; edited 3 times in total


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 7:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice shots,beautiful Feline and obviously a great lens Smile


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 8:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
wonderful bokeh. Seems like a great lens.


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 9:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice pictures. Sorry for your pets.

The MD Rokkor 50mm/F1.4 is an excellent lens. I own one since I bought my first Minolta back in 1981 and still like it very much also on digital.

Which version is it?
The older or the newer design, i.e. 55mm or 49mm filter thread?


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It takes 55mm filters


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 10:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
!Karen wrote:
It takes 55mm filters


OK, then it's the older one. Basically the same design as the MC version with 7 lenses in 5 groups opposed to the later MD versions with 7 lenses in 6 groups. In some of the pixel peeping discussion groups it is said that the older version is somehow the better version. It's more like the 58mm/F1.2 lens from the lens design. However, I think that it is more a matter of taste and not of quality.
For digital photography it's not important anyhow whether this or that lens has got a slightly higher resolution or not. So far any difference of the concerned Minolta lenses in the 50mm/F1.4 class (1 MC, 3 MD and 1 AF) could not be proofed on sensors up to 24x36 and 36MP. On high resolving film that might be another story if maximum resolution is required at all.
So at the end of the day for digital the only difference might be, that one might like the bokeh of the one style more than the other. That's more or less (if at all) the only visible difference from what I have seen so far. However, it's nice to know the specific variant, that was the reason why I was asking.


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 11:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Blinded with science,how will I ever be able to make up my mind which one to buy Rolling Eyes


PostPosted: Thu May 14, 2015 11:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If the house catches fire, I'll rescue my Rokkor 50 1.4, the later 49mm filter version. It's such a joy to use when you get such lovely pictures as Karen has shown us.

lovely cats as well, I miss ours and it's been over 10 years since she ruled our house. Laughing


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Agree with all, a special lens, in everyday use a lot easier to nail focus than the 1.2, even though I'm moving on all my Minoltas that one's staying with me Smile


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 1:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
kryss wrote:
Blinded with science,how will I ever be able to make up my mind which one to buy Rolling Eyes


That's not difficult. Each one is excellent. Just go for the best offer. Wink

Even the F1.7 lenses from Minolta are excellent lenses all together. Although I do not have all sub-versions personally which vary insignificantly, I must state that all of these lenses are a good choice anyway. I never had any dead duck among those Minolta lenses and I have really many of them. If you are looking for special effects like bokeh than the best would probably be the MC Rokkor 58mm/F1.2.
However, it greatly depends also on the camera you are using. On FF sensor I prefer to use rather the fast 85mm lenses which compare best to 58mm on APS-C. I've just bought the Minolta 45mm/F2 for the smaller MFT sensor very cheap. Still waiting for delivery. Smile


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 7:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you for the additional information about the lens. I did not realise there were different versions. I wasn't exactly looking for another 50mm lens but then there it was for a bargain price.
I forgot to mention but the images were shot on an a6000.
I'm not really a pixel peeper but i could post 100% crops as actual photos and still be happy with the quality. I will post some more later on.


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
!Karen wrote:
I did not realise there were different versions. I wasn't exactly looking for another 50mm lens but then there it was for a bargain price.
I forgot to mention but the images were shot on an a6000.
I'm not really a pixel peeper but i could post 100% crops as actual photos and still be happy with the quality. I will post some more later on.


It doesn't really matter anyway as mentioned earlier.

In the old film times I didn't like the 50mm lenses too much. 85mm was the more preferred length. On APS-C like your camera such 50's are at least for my taste far better. But as already stated, that's only a matter of taste and practice.

Finally, after more than 3 decades with Minolta equipment I know a little bit about their lenses. Wink


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Beautiful! I have the later 49mm version, but don't get such nice results wide open. In fact both at f/1.4 and f/2 mine produces quite glowy and not that sharp pictures. Then from f/2 to f/2.8 there's a huge step in image quality and it becomes a very good lens.


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 11:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
miran wrote:
Beautiful! I have the later 49mm version, but don't get such nice results wide open. In fact both at f/1.4 and f/2 mine produces quite glowy and not that sharp pictures. Then from f/2 to f/2.8 there's a huge step in image quality and it becomes a very good lens.


Which camera, i.e. sensor size?
Don't forget, that it is rather difficult to focus very precisely with such very fast lenses, especially for rather close distances.
Hence I cannot confirm that my "newer" version delivers "unsharp" or fuzzy pictures, even wide open.
However, for maximum performance in terms of sharpness and resolution you should stop down even to F5.6 and that is true for almost any fast lens ever produced.


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 12:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lovely pictures !Karen, especially bokeh in the first photo is sensational.

Both PG and 49mm versions are pleasure to use-focusing ring is so buttery... Laughing

On the other hand- both of my Minoltas were bested by other brands, -but could be a sample variation (since then I have 2nd PG lens-I will retest). It is a shame as they are just pleasure to use. Wink
Cheers,
rado


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
tb_a wrote:
.............. It's more like the 58mm/F1.2 lens from the lens design. However, I think that it is more a matter of taste and not of quality. ..............


Yes, of course.

The bokeh of the 1,2/58 seems to me to be better than the one of the MC 1,4/50.

The 1,2/58 has a particular "artistic" touch that kill me each time I use it. From F/2,8 to F/11 is really a great lens, but from F/5,6 to F/8 has an excellent rendition.

My 1,2/58 surpassed my MC 1,4/50 by far to me.

The first is an expensive lens, yes. But it's a great one.

The MC 1,4/50 suffer strong CA, specially at F/2 and F/2,8.

Horacio.


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 4:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK, to enlighten the darkness I've made some sample shots of some Minolta lenses I have easily found (others are somewhere in boxes..).
As usual (for me) there was NO MANIPULATION what so ever (except resizing WITHOUT sharpening)!
Camera: Ricoh GXR-M (RAW) and Ricoh GF-1 flash.
The flowers are really purple on the edges in real life. So that's not any failure.
You should also be aware that you see here the worst performance of these lenses as all pictures have been taken with MAXIMUM aperture. Focus was always on the green vertical stem (middle of crop) and distance approx. 90cm and for the 85mm lens 1m.
So to the contrary to some other folks who prefer to show how excellent their lenses are (after some manipulation in Photoshop and alike) I am showing you here the REALITY from the lenses in their weakest performance. (The 85 and 45 lenses I've added for personal interest and share the results also here).
The main pictures are clickable to be seen in a larger size.

1/1 Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm 1:1.4 (49mm filter thread):



1/2 100% crop:



2/1 Minolta MC Rokkor -PG 58mm 1:1.2 (55mm filter thread):



2/2 100% crop:



3/1 Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 50mm 1:1.7 (55mm filter thread):



3/2 100% crop:



4/1 Minolta MD Rokkor 45mm 1:2 (49mm filter thread):



4/2 100% crop:



5/1 Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 85mm 1:1.7 (55mm filter thread):

[url=http://forum.mflenses.com/userpix/20155/big_2460_Example142_1.jpg]
[/url]

5/2 100% crop:



PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 4:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
More samples of the Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4 can be found at http://www.talkemount.com/threads/974/

I like mine.


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
@tb_a

any effort to do lens performance test is appreciated, but where is your focus point I wonder? Shocked
Cheers,
Rado


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
radissimo77 wrote:
@tb_a

any effort to do lens performance test is appreciated, but where is your focus point I wonder? Shocked
Cheers,
Rado


As stated in my posting: "Focus was always on the green vertical stem (middle of crop)....."


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 8:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
May be my ageing eyes but I see 50mm f1.7 as being sharpest Embarassed


PostPosted: Fri May 15, 2015 9:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
kryss wrote:
May be my ageing eyes but I see 50mm f1.7 as being sharpest Embarassed


I am sharing your impression. Generally the F1.7 class tend to be better than the super fast lenses fully open.
A real fair comparison would be to test all lenses at the same aperture. However, this was not the intention of this comparison, because stopped down are all excellent anyway and I doubt that on digital the differences would be obvious at all.
My intention was rather to find out, whether the subjective criterias such as bokeh justify to spend 10 times more for a Minolta lens in this class than for another.
For instance for the 45mm/2 lens including original caps and rather expensive B+W filter inclusive posting I've spent 30 Euro (received today) and I've seen that for the 58mm/1.2 lens prices around 500 Euros are spent nowadays, to name the two extremes.
The 50mm/1.7 in the old version as tested can be found even from a (not so cheap) dealer in excellent condition for 69 Euro:
http://www.leicashop.com/vintage_de/minolta-mc-50-1-7-rokkor-pf-sku24266-1.html
The F1.4 versions are at least above 100 Euro, depending on version and condition.
So from my point of view the F1.7 would the best choice in terms of quality versus price and definitely my recommendation. Maybe the bokeh is not as "sexy" as from the F1.2 version. I don't know. This would still be another test. Wink
If the most shallow DOF is a criteria, then the F1.2 lens wins anyway. That was clear even before.
Back to the start: The 50mm/1.4 lens even in the newer version is an excellent lens. I think at least this should be clear now.


PostPosted: Sat May 16, 2015 11:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Amazing shots!!
!Karen Smile


PostPosted: Sat May 16, 2015 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Pentax M 50mm f1.7 wide open. This lens is sharp wide open whereas the 50mm f1.4 needs to be stopped down at least one stop and of course is far more expensive,go figure.




PostPosted: Sat May 16, 2015 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
To my eyes, OP !Karen's shots are so much better - natural and tasteful.
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