Minolta 53mm F2 should i buy??

Layer-cake · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 560 Location: Cape Town

was at a camera dealer today and I came across the first 53mm Minolta I've seen. from reviews it seems to be a nice lens but I couldnt find relative prices for it as it isn't a common lens!

he wanted $40, is this decent?

Gardener · Joined: 22 Sep 2013 Posts: 950 Location: USA

Probably a relative of 55/1.8 I had once on SR-1. It had unusual looks for a rokkor - silver nose, shiny 8-blade aperture. I don't think it was something special IQ-wise. I'd get only if I was bent on collecting every rokkor in 50mm range.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7554 Location: Hong Kong

You should be able to buy much more valuable lens with $40 in your hometown. Wink

Layer-cake · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 560 Location: Cape Town

yeah that's what I thought, there aren't stellar reviews and its not really sought after as rare lens. I have a 50mm F2 and love it but I don't really need it.......too many 50's already Wink

Calvin;) funny story from the same guy I bought for $30 a Carl Zeiss ultron 50mm 1.8 Very Happy

it does have a finger print on the inner front element so I need to figure out how to get it out but I was still pretty chuffed with myself!! and a Minolta SI 28mm 2.5 for $30 so it was a good day......not sure why he wanted $40 for the 53mm.

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

An underdog Minolta 50 I like that can be had for peanuts is the 55 1.9. It was only a kit lens for a couple of years and there is talk of substandard coatings but it's the smallest of their 50s and is quite sharp.

Gardener · Joined: 22 Sep 2013 Posts: 950 Location: USA

In fact, at least the earlier, knurled focus ring version of 55/1.9 is exactly the same lens as 1.7, the only difference is the size of the aperture plate. I've always like both better than 58/1.4.

Lightshow · Joined: 04 Nov 2011 Posts: 3666 Location: Calgary

Layer-cake · Joined: 18 Mar 2013 Posts: 560 Location: Cape Town

Indeed, from first impressions I am rather impressed with the 28mm, its leagues above the Vivitar 28mm I have!!

I am just rather surprised on how many minolta lenses there are that I have never heard of!!

kenetik · Joined: 02 Mar 2014 Posts: 521

Minolta was always prolific in their lens line and they were around for a lot of years. It seems like the ones you've never heard of are all the 60s stuff. The most interesting "I never noticed it existed" one for me (even though it was on the Rokkor files and I missed it) is that 18mm F9.5. Talk about a lens that would appeal only to collectors!

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I remember reading that during the height of the SLR dream, I think MAXXUM era, they were manufacturing 30,000 lenses a month. They were always tooled up as well as diverse!" target="_blank">Click here to see on Ebay