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Manual Focus Lenses Forum

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Minolta MD Rokkor 85mm f/1.7
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I just found these samples I took with this lens, I didn't remember this lens was that nice... I don't even remember why I sold it, it's just a bit soft wide-open but perfectly acceptable! at f/2.8 is great!

f/1.7



f/2.8



f/2.8



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looks nice, and similar to my hexanon 85/1,8, I haven't found such model yet Very Happy


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My Rokkor MD 85/1.7 is sharp enough wide open. I mean not as sharp as Canon 85L or Nikon AF-D but for me the sharpness is acceptable Smile

The MD is sharper than my MC. But the MC bokeh is bit smoother and the color is warmer.

Below is the 100% from various focus distance. Canon 5DII, standard setting, no sharpening.









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Nixland I'd like to see the whole version please. Especially the last photo.


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No problem. Here it is .... Smile

The photo is part of my portrait lens test project which involves about 24 portrait lenses. I am in the process of exploring & eliminating my lenses Smile



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Thanks. I really like this one. I am sure you won't eliminate 85mm Rokkor.


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Quote:
Thanks. I really like this one. I am sure you won't eliminate 85mm Rokkor.


+1

Tomas


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Hi Nixland! I like your pictures. And I have a soft spot for Minolta lenses even if I no longer have any.

A couple of things to think about -

In that last shot of the dark haired girl, looking at your crop I think you've actually got the point of focus on her hair line, slightly to the rear of the eyes. Hard to tell on a small screen, but maybe so.

You say no sharpening applied? Opinions may differ on this but I'm not convinced that is really fair to a lens whose capabilities you're exploring.

I think of the digital image as being like the latent image on a film emulsion. If we were looking for the capabilities of a lens with a film camera, would we develop that film in a "universal" or "fine grain" developer? No, we'd almost certainly use one which brought out the "adjacency" effects ( i.e. acutance) in the processed image. Now, no acutance developer can create sharpness where it doesn't exist in the latent image, but other types of devlopers can fail to realise the resolution of detail which does exist in a latent image.

Having wasted hours messing about with digital images I've not really learned very much, beyond finding out that much the same happens with sharpening in photo-processing software as with developing a film. Some degree of sharpening brings out what's really there, too much produces what is clearly a spurious type of sharpening - rather like devloping Tri-X in the old Kodak High Definition Developer where you were pretty much seeing the sharpness of the grain structure rather than the image in it.

Try as I might, I can't make digital images from my 50mm Domiplan produce real fine detail, or those from my 20mm Cosina, because it's not there.

Well, to each his, or her, own. But I guess your way does provide a particularly level playing field for comparisons though - different lenses do seem to reveal their greatest details at different levels of sharpening and contrast adjustment.

Time to shut up and drink my coffee
Wink


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Pancolart & Tomas: thanks Smile

Rokkor 85 surely wont be eliminated. It's one of my fav. The problem is I have to pick which one between MC (smoother bokeh & I like the color) vs MD (sharper)

@scsambrook: yes, the focus maybe miss a bit. It's hard to nail the focus on the eye at WO at that distance eventhough I used the 10x zoom live view and a tripod.

The 100% crop is original with no sharpening. But you could still see the 'glow' there a bit. But for its still acceptable.


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Ivan Lee wrote:

f/2.8


Great cat photo!!


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nixland wrote:
No problem. Here it is .... Smile
The photo is part of my portrait lens test project which involves about 24 portrait lenses. I am in the process of exploring & eliminating my lenses Smile


You can eliminate any lens you want, just don't eliminate this model! Laughing


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@Orio: hahaha ... Very Happy


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I like the way this lens absolutely isolates the subject ! But without being a stark isolation.

Makes me miss having a my Minolta fully functional. Of course the subject matter and your ability to compose the shot made just as much difference. A very fine shot indeed.

Eric


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You might find these comparisons between different Minolta 85mm lenses intresting. I have the MD Rokkor 85mm F2m, and it's a gem!!!

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/85mm%20Page%201.htm


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dnas wrote:
You might find these comparisons between different Minolta 85mm lenses intresting. I have the MD Rokkor 85mm F2m, and it's a gem!!!

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/85mm%20Page%201.htm


I read the rokkorfiles comparison before I bought the MC & MD.
The reason I skipped the 85/2 was at that time I was looking for faster portrait lens for each brand Smile


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nixland wrote:
dnas wrote:
You might find these comparisons between different Minolta 85mm lenses intresting. I have the MD Rokkor 85mm F2m, and it's a gem!!!

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/85mm%20Page%201.htm


I read the rokkorfiles comparison before I bought the MC & MD.
The reason I skipped the 85/2 was at that time I was looking for faster portrait lens for each brand Smile


Mine was a bargain, at around $20 in Tokyo..... Very Happy


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For portraiture I would keep the warmer and soft-bokeh version.


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Wow nixland, you do have a nice collection of portrait lenses, The MC is high on my list to get, but it will have to wait till next year.