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Minolta MD 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 6:30 pm    Post subject: Minolta MD 28-85mm f/3.5-4.5 Reply with quote
This one was missing in my collection of MD lenses. It's not often for sale in NL, for this one i had to buy a complete set. It also contained the 4/70-210MD. Both lenses are like new, as if they had never been used before.

I was really very pleasantly surprised by it, it's really a superb lens, nothing less, nothing more. Made some quick shots with it during a break today, all of them are straight out of the cam jpgs, Sony ILCE-3000.

Some say it isn't as good as the 35-70, but i can't see a difference to be honest, the range is much better, plus it also has the macro mode which goes to 1:4.
Sharp from wide open, last shot taken at f/3.5.

Zero PP!

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 7:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Congrats on completing the collection! I really enjoy the car shot. Cheers


PostPosted: Thu Jul 09, 2015 10:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
It has to be a very good lens to compete with the 35-70, and it looks like a very good lens. Cool


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Very nice! Smile How does this lens compare with the 35-70 in terms of size and weight?


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 12:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The Minolta MD 28-85mm certainly is MUCH better than eg the Tokina AT-X 3.5-4.5/28-85 (which wide open is incredibly unsharp in the corners); it was a top midrange zoom in the 1980ies, and the same optics were also used for the Minolta AF 28-85mm lens. However, the second (14 lenses) Minolta MD 3.5-4.5/35-105mm is even better! Also the MinAF 3.5-4.5/35-105mm and the MinAF 4-4.5/28-135mm are better than the MD 28-85mm (all tests on 24MP Fullframe)

Stephan


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks all!

@Stephan: i never tested corner sharpness, i used the AT-X 28-85 and this one on APS-C, where corner performance isn't that important. I have no doubts though that the MD lens is much better than the Tokina!

I have the MD 35-105 as well, still not used it (too little time). What are your thougths on the MD 50-135? I recently acquired one, also still unused.....


PostPosted: Fri Jul 10, 2015 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
The Minolta MD 28-85mm certainly is MUCH better than eg the Tokina AT-X 3.5-4.5/28-85 (which wide open is incredibly unsharp in the corners); it was a top midrange zoom in the 1980ies, and the same optics were also used for the Minolta AF 28-85mm lens. However, the second (14 lenses) Minolta MD 3.5-4.5/35-105mm is even better! Also the MinAF 3.5-4.5/35-105mm and the MinAF 4-4.5/28-135mm are better than the MD 28-85mm (all tests on 24MP Fullframe)

Stephan


Don't tell me that.....I'll have to go and buy them now! Laughing


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
TrueLoveOne wrote:
Thanks all!

@Stephan: i never tested corner sharpness, i used the AT-X 28-85 and this one on APS-C, where corner performance isn't that important. I have no doubts though that the MD lens is much better than the Tokina!

I have no doubt at all, that on 24 MP Full Frame (Sony A7II) my Minolta 28-85mm is much better than my AT-X 28-85mm (in pristine condition, like new). You may be right that the differences using APS-C cameras are not that visible. I'll post images sooner or later on artaphot.ch.

TrueLoveOne wrote:

I have the MD 35-105 as well, still not used it (too little time). What are your thougths on the MD 50-135? I recently acquired one, also still unused.....

I haven't used the MD 35-135 that often, and it's one of the few Minolta lenses i haven't tested yet on the A7II. The lens wasn't considered stellar in ancient times, but was said to be fairly useful because of its range (50mm, 85mm, 100mm, 135mm) and speed (f3.5).

I know however, that the small MD-III 4/75-150mm is an excellent lens on 24MP FF. Apart from distortion and (obviously) speed, it is as good or better than the best Minolta primes of its range (MD 2/85mm, MD 2.5/100mm, MC/MD 2.8/135mm [4/4]).

Stephan


PostPosted: Sat Jul 11, 2015 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm sorry, but this 'information' about the Tokina AT-X 28-85 being 'much worse' than the Minolta 28-85 is incorrect.

They are the same lens and if one copy is worse than another, that is just the vagaries of quality variation.

At the time, both Minolta and Tokina were part of the Asanuma Marketing Group and they co-designed and patented several lens designs, the 28-85 being one of them, it was manufactured by Tokina to Minolta standards. The 4/70-210 being another joint design, although that lens was not sold as a Tokina.

Other examples of Tokina-built lenses include the Konica Zoom-Hexanon 4-4.6/28-135, which is superb, also sold as a Tokina AT-X and the Rollei/Voigtlander 4/80-200 also sold as a Tokina RMC.

In the early 80s Tokina were at the forefront of zoom lens design and worked with many manufacturers.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:


They are the same lens


I really doubt that. I took both lenses for a quick comparison. Just looking inside from the front glass is quite different, and not only by a completely different coating, although i am not an expert. I did try google for some lensschemes of both, but i can't find any. It would be interesting though to dive a bit more into this theory of them being the same or not.

Here's a quick shot of them, both at the 28mm end. The Minolta is much longer here. Also: see where the macro function is situated. Minolta: at the 28 end, Tokina: at the 85 end.



PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
TrueLoveOne wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:


They are the same lens


I really doubt that. I took both lenses for a quick comparison. Just looking inside from the front glass is quite different, and not only by a completely different coating, although i am not an expert. I did try google for some lensschemes of both, but i can't find any. It would be interesting though to dive a bit more into this theory of them being the same or not.


At least I would be more than surprised, as Minolta used to cooperate with Tamron for the production of cheaply made "standard" zooms in the later years, which BTW are all rather bad, even in the Minolta branded versions. I use them instead of camera caps but not for photography. Wink
I've never heard of any cooperation between Tokina and Minolta before. However, I don't know everything. Laughing


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
tb_a wrote:
as Minolta used to cooperate with Tamron for the production of cheaply made "standard" zooms in the later years


Interesting. Which ones are that? MD series or A-mount (AF)?


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
TrueLoveOne wrote:
tb_a wrote:
as Minolta used to cooperate with Tamron for the production of cheaply made "standard" zooms in the later years


Interesting. Which ones are that? MD series or A-mount (AF)?


AF lenses such as the 18-70mm zoom made of plastic are all made by Tamron. Just look if the same lens is available in both brands and you know who produced it. Wink


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 8:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, if you have both lenses in front of you and they are clearly different, I will defer to this direct experience.

In 1986, Minolta signed deals with four companes - Kobori, Tamron, Tokina and Cosina, to produce lenses for them. Therefore an AF Minolta lens could be built by one of those four.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 9:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I do know for sure that the MD 28-70mm f/3.5-4.8 is a Cosina lens. I've had it branded as Petri and some other brands as well, a small leightweight plastic lens.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 3:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Well, if you have both lenses in front of you and they are clearly different, I will defer to this direct experience.

In 1986, Minolta signed deals with four companes - Kobori, Tamron, Tokina and Cosina, to produce lenses for them. Therefore an AF Minolta lens could be built by one of those four.


Thanks for this information - i knew about Tamron (many re-branded Zooms, eg 2.8/28-75mm) and Tokina for sure (the Minolta AF 100-400 APO is a Tokina calculation, exclusively made for Minolta), and i know that Cosina is producing one of the Sony Zeiss ZA lenses, but i didn't know about the collaboration with Kobori.

Stephan


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have long had a suspicion that several of the original Minolta AF lenses are pretty much the same as early AF Nikkors. The 28-85 being one example.

Also, the Yashica AF lenses, several of those are spookily similar to the Minolta AF ones.

This would hint at a common supplier I think.

Zoom Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5~4.5s MACRO, 15 elements in 11 groups.



Is this the Tokina AT-X 28-85 in disguise?


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:

Is this the Tokina AT-X 28-85 in disguise?


That looks like a match! Focus direction is the other way around, other than that it looks like a twin. Does it also have a close-focus/macro switch at 85?


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think the macro works like the Minolta AF 28-85 - from the 28mm end.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 12, 2015 10:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I have long had a suspicion that several of the original Minolta AF lenses are pretty much the same as early AF Nikkors. The 28-85 being one example.

Also, the Yashica AF lenses, several of those are spookily similar to the Minolta AF ones.

This would hint at a common supplier I think.

Zoom Nikkor 28-85mm f/3.5~4.5s MACRO, 15 elements in 11 groups.



Is this the Tokina AT-X 28-85 in disguise?


PLEASE PLEASE do some research before writing nonsense Wink
The Nikkor 3.5-4.5/28-85mm has quite a different lens section than the Minolta 28-85mm, be it the MF or AF version (both have identical optics).

The Minolta 28-85mm is a 13 lens design, the Nikkor 28-85 a 15 lens design.

Stephan


PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2018 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark Do you think it would be better this Minolta md 28-85 or the Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 or still contax 28-85 ? )


PostPosted: Sun Jan 21, 2018 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
sergun wrote:
stevemark Do you think it would be better this Minolta md 28-85 or the Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 or still contax 28-85 ? )


On 24MP FF the Minolta MD/AF 3.5-4.5/28-85mm has the better resolution than the Canon nFD4/28-85mm. I haven't compared those two lenses when it comes to bokeh @85mm, but the Minolta has a really nice "soft" bokeh @ 4.5/85mm. I don't know the Zeiss 28-85mm at all, but it might well be the sharpest of the bunch. Certainly it was the most expensive back in those days.

On full frame cameras, the Minolta has some pretty strong vignetting in the 28-50mm range, especially wide open. Stopping down to f11 solves the issue.

Stephan


PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2021 9:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I'm sorry, but this 'information' about the Tokina AT-X 28-85 being 'much worse' than the Minolta 28-85 is incorrect.

They are the same lens and if one copy is worse than another, that is just the vagaries of quality variation.

At the time, both Minolta and Tokina were part of the Asanuma Marketing Group and they co-designed and patented several lens designs, the 28-85 being one of them, it was manufactured by Tokina to Minolta standards. The 4/70-210 being another joint design, although that lens was not sold as a Tokina.

Other examples of Tokina-built lenses include the Konica Zoom-Hexanon 4-4.6/28-135, which is superb, also sold as a Tokina AT-X and the Rollei/Voigtlander 4/80-200 also sold as a Tokina RMC.

In the early 80s Tokina were at the forefront of zoom lens design and worked with many manufacturers.


It's not the same Lens. My ATX 28-85 falls apart optically vs. my Minolta MD 28-85. It's unsharp & fuzzy at the corners, into comparsion.
Of course, if weight is no thing, then i'd go with my Contax 28-85 Vario-Sonnar Zeiss, but i really enjoy the MD 28-85 on either way mounted onto my X700, or XD7 Minolta.


PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2021 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
sergun wrote:
stevemark Do you think it would be better this Minolta md 28-85 or the Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 or still contax 28-85 ? )


On 24MP FF the Minolta MD/AF 3.5-4.5/28-85mm has the better resolution than the Canon nFD4/28-85mm. I haven't compared those two lenses when it comes to bokeh @85mm, but the Minolta has a really nice "soft" bokeh @ 4.5/85mm. I don't know the Zeiss 28-85mm at all, but it might well be the sharpest of the bunch. Certainly it was the most expensive back in those days.

On full frame cameras, the Minolta has some pretty strong vignetting in the 28-50mm range, especially wide open. Stopping down to f11 solves the issue.

Stephan


I owned an imperfect copy of the nFD. It was tilted. However I remember the field was flatter than the Minolta's which was good for corners.


PostPosted: Fri May 07, 2021 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
I'm sorry, but this 'information' about the Tokina AT-X 28-85 being 'much worse' than the Minolta 28-85 is incorrect.
They are the same lens and if one copy is worse than another, that is just the vagaries of quality variation.

FALSE
Minolta is 13/10 // Tokina is 15/10 elements

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
At the time, both Minolta and Tokina were part of the Asanuma Marketing Group .

Asanuma was the marketing company for Tokina in Japan and also sold tokina lenses under their own tm (but it seems strange that tokina was part of asanuma)
Minolta i presume not (never heard about that)


iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
and they co-designed and patented several lens designs, the 28-85 being one of them,

false

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
it was manufactured by Tokina to Minolta standards.

perhaps

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The 4/70-210 being another joint design, although that lens was not sold as a Tokina.

to be confirmed

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Other examples of Tokina-built lenses include the Konica Zoom-Hexanon 4-4.6/28-135, which is superb, also sold as a Tokina AT-X and the Rollei/Voigtlander 4/80-200 also sold as a Tokina RMC.

Exact

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
In the early 80s Tokina were at the forefront of zoom lens design and worked with many manufacturers.

To be exact: mostly before 1980
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