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MC Rokkor QD lens?
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:03 am    Post subject: MC Rokkor QD lens? Reply with quote
I have been given a Minolta MC Rokkor-QD 135mm lens in very good condition.
I was wondering if it is suitable to be used on a DSLR, presumably with some kind of adapter.
I imagine that it will not fit my Nikon D300, but will it fit any other DSLR camera?
Your help is appreciated.
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Please to click a bit more I think there are sticky threads in DSLR and/or adapter forums.

Rokkor means Minolta MC/MD mount I think, dont know about QD

MC/MD mount means Minolta AF/sony cant take it without glass in adapter (bad quality) or losing infinity. See "flange focal distance". You don*t get the lens close enough which means it*s basically inbuilt bellows.

MC/MD are pópular with mirrorless users (NEX etc) because these can adapt anything. Prices have risen quite a bit


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 4:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thank you, I will check the Stickys again.
I thought that the MC Rokkor - QD was an earlier lens than simply MC MD Rokkors.
Will it take a MC adapter for the camera it is intended for?
Still puzzled
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Thank you, I will check the Stickys again.
I thought that the MC Rokkor - QD was an earlier lens than simply MC MD Rokkors.
Will it take a MC adapter for the camera it is intended for?
Still puzzled
OH


You can get one on Ebay no problem. On a Nikon it will turn the lens into a macro lens.

If you need more help send me a PM.

Tom


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Thank you, I will check the Stickys again.
I thought that the MC Rokkor - QD was an earlier lens than simply MC MD Rokkors.
Will it take a MC adapter for the camera it is intended for?
Still puzzled
OH


I think QD refers to the number of groups/elements in the lens' optical scheme.
Minolta MC and MD mounts are basically the same and AFAIK fully compatibile.

Sadly rokkors won't work with most of the dslrs with simple adapters, you need one with glass, towards which i have contrasting feelings: sometimes they look ok, sometimes they behave awfully, depending on the adapter itself and the shooting conditions (none of the ones I had produced usable pics when the lens was wide open).
I saw someone modify canon dslr's mount in order to accept minolta mc/md lenses, and some lenses can be converted to other mounts, but using them on mirrorless seems the easiest solution to me.
All the rokkors I had were very good lenses, btw.


EDIT
QD means four groups/four elements.
The first letter refers to groups number, and comes from the Latin word, so T=3, Q=4, P=5 and so on, and the second letter (elements) works like A=1, B=2, C=3 etc

Last edited by Aanything on Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:52 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:51 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
parabellumfoto wrote:
Oldhand wrote:
Thank you, I will check the Stickys again.
I thought that the MC Rokkor - QD was an earlier lens than simply MC MD Rokkors.
Will it take a MC adapter for the camera it is intended for?
Still puzzled
OH


You can get one on Ebay no problem. On a Nikon it will turn the lens into a macro lens.

If you need more help send me a PM.

Tom


Many thanks Tom.
I have tried some M42 lenses with glassless adapter on Nikon D300, and yes infinity is lost, but they will still focus out to usable distances.
I am happy to try a glassless adapter with this lens on my Nikon.
I will check Ebay.
So - just to be clear - I am looking for Minolta MC to Nikon adapter?
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Aanything wrote:
Oldhand wrote:
Thank you, I will check the Stickys again.
I thought that the MC Rokkor - QD was an earlier lens than simply MC MD Rokkors.
Will it take a MC adapter for the camera it is intended for?
Still puzzled
OH


I think QD refers to the number of groups/elements in the lens' optical scheme.
Minolta MC and MD mounts are basically the same and AFAIK fully compatibile.

Sadly rokkors won't work with most of the dslrs with simple adapters, you need one with glass, towards which i have contrasting feelings: sometimes they look ok, sometimes they behave awfully, depending on the adapter itself and the shooting conditions (none of the ones I had produced usable pics when the lens was wide open).
I saw someone modify canon dslr's mount in order to accept minolta mc/md lenses, and some lenses can be converted to other mounts, but using them on mirrorless seems the easiest solution to me.
All the rokkors I had were very good lenses, btw.


EDIT
QD means four groups/four elements.
The first letter refers to groups number, and comes from the Latin word, so T=3, Q=4, P=5 and so on, and the second letter (elements) works like A=1, B=2, C=3 etc


Many thanks for the feedback.
This is valuable knowledge.
Gratias
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm uploading a YouTube video about one of my Minolta lenses at the moment. In it I also talk about the adapter.

Will show once it's fully uploaded.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 6:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
parabellumfoto wrote:
I'm uploading a YouTube video about one of my Minolta lenses at the moment. In it I also talk about the adapter.

Will show once it's fully uploaded.


Many thanks Tom
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 8:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yeah, I second everything Aanything says. I tried 3 adapters with glass to use MC/MD lenses on my Canon and they were all
very poor quality optically, and they can't be used at all if you remove the glass, so buying one really is a complete waste of
money. I love using Minolta MC/MD lenses with film, so this was the main reason I chose a NEX over another DSLR.

The MC QD 135/3.5 is a very good lens, and the stop-down button makes it fun to use, but I couldn't say it stands out
among all the many other good quality 135s. My copy has developed a sticky diaphragm so I don't use it now, but I took this
with it in 2009 (on film).



PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
parabellumfoto wrote:
I'm uploading a YouTube video about one of my Minolta lenses at the moment. In it I also talk about the adapter.

Will show once it's fully uploaded.


Many thanks Tom
OH


Here you go OH

http://www.parabellumfoto.com/stunning-test-results-for-minolta-md-35-105mm-f3-5-4-5-macro-zoom/

You can see the adapter on the camera. This is the actual adapter I bought on Ebay Click here to see on Ebay


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 10:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
parabellumfoto wrote:
Oldhand wrote:
parabellumfoto wrote:
I'm uploading a YouTube video about one of my Minolta lenses at the moment. In it I also talk about the adapter.

Will show once it's fully uploaded.


Many thanks Tom
OH


Here you go OH

http://www.parabellumfoto.com/stunning-test-results-for-minolta-md-35-105mm-f3-5-4-5-macro-zoom/

You can see the adapter on the camera. This is the actual adapter I bought on Ebay Click here to see on Ebay


Many thanks Tom.
I watched your video and it was very informative.
If the lens is like other SLR lenses, the green lock button at f22 is to lock it for automatic aperture control, when shutter speed priority is selected.
Minolta lenses are so good because they used to make their own optical glass, from which they then made their lenses - not just grinding lenses from someone else's glass.
I will give the adapter that you have mentioned a go.
What do you think is the maximum focusing distance on the Nikon for this lens with the adapter fitted?
I know that it won't be infinity, but am interested to see how the adapter affects focusing distance.

Cheers
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
OK, I have ordered an adapter from Ebay.
Probably a three week delivery I'd guess.
Here is the lens.
I am looking forward to trying it out.
OH








PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
If the lens is like other SLR lenses, the green lock button at f22 is to lock it for automatic aperture control, when shutter speed priority is selected.

The round green button is to put the lens into macro mode. The f22 lock is a square sliding latch which engages in a notch
when the lens is at f22. You can see the end of it at 10 o'clock in this pic:


You should be able to reach infinity focus on the Nikon with a MD/Nikon adapter that has a lens - after all, this is the whole purpose of it! As I said, the optical quality is likely to be very poor.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Peter.
I can do without infinity if the price is a sub standard piece of glass in the adapter.
I have ordered a glassless adapter and will see where this takes me.
Tom - in his video - discovers the green macro button, but was at a loss for the use of the green locking button at f/22.
I guessed at it being aperture lock for AE.
This is such a great forum.
We learn things here every day.
Cheers
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Thanks Peter.
I can do without infinity if the price is a sub standard piece of glass in the adapter.
I have ordered a glassless adapter and will see where this takes me.
Tom - in his video - discovers the green macro button, but was at a loss for the use of the green locking button at f/22.
I guessed at it being aperture lock for AE.
This is such a great forum.
We learn things here every day.
Cheers
OH


That sounds right because it is not on earlier MC lenses. Only on later MD lenses when all the automation started to appear.

As for focus distance I recon you will get a bit more than my Minolta Zoom. At 105mm I can get about 1.5m as I said in the video. On my MC Rokkor 50mm 1.4 the maximum distance I get is about 40cm. From this information I am guessing you will get about 2m maximum focus distance.

I don't seem to lose any image quality from the glass-less adapter. Some claim because the lens is further away from the film plane that there is also a loss of image quality but I have not noticed any difference to my other proper Nikkor lenses. In fact I reckon Minolta is better but I still think I'm too inexperienced to judge properly.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
parabellumfoto wrote:
Oldhand wrote:
Thanks Peter.
I can do without infinity if the price is a sub standard piece of glass in the adapter.
I have ordered a glassless adapter and will see where this takes me.
Tom - in his video - discovers the green macro button, but was at a loss for the use of the green locking button at f/22.
I guessed at it being aperture lock for AE.
This is such a great forum.
We learn things here every day.
Cheers
OH


That sounds right because it is not on earlier MC lenses. Only on later MD lenses when all the automation started to appear.

As for focus distance I recon you will get a bit more than my Minolta Zoom. At 105mm I can get about 1.5m as I said in the video. On my MC Rokkor 50mm 1.4 the maximum distance I get is about 40cm. From this information I am guessing you will get about 2m maximum focus distance.

I don't seem to lose any image quality from the glass-less adapter. Some claim because the lens is further away from the film plane that there is also a loss of image quality but I have not noticed any difference to my other proper Nikkor lenses. In fact I reckon Minolta is better but I still think I'm too inexperienced to judge properly.


Apart from the modification to the focusing distances, there should be no loss of quality I am thinking.
Thanks for this information Tom.
I'll get back to the forum with my own findings with this lens after an adapter arrives.
Cheers
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 11:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Hi, I'm looking for this lens. If you get tired of it...

The aperture lock comes on the later lenses meant to be used with automatic cameras. Yours will not have it. I have 2 lenses from that period and am very happy with the results.

check out this website, informative and interesting. It tells you what the QD and others mean. http://www.rokkorfiles.com/

You could pick up a nice SRT100 body or something for less than $10 and use it.


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 12:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
philslizzy wrote:
Hi, I'm looking for this lens. If you get tired of it...

The aperture lock comes on the later lenses meant to be used with automatic cameras. Yours will not have it. I have 2 lenses from that period and am very happy with the results.

check out this website, informative and interesting. It tells you what the QD and others mean. http://www.rokkorfiles.com/

You could pick up a nice SRT100 body or something for less than $10 and use it.


Thank you philslizzy - good suggestion.
I will keep the lens until I can see how well it performs - after that I may keep it or pass it on.
Thank you for the link to the very informative Minolta website.
Much appreciated.
OH


PostPosted: Mon Jun 03, 2013 1:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Oldhand wrote:
Tom - in his video - discovers the green macro button, but was at a loss for the use of the green locking button at f/22.

Ah, that makes sense now. When I watched it, the video cut out suddenly about halfway through and I couldn't make it play the last part, so I missed that bit, also about the adapter. My apologies.
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