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Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 vs Minolta MD III 28-85mm f3.5-4.5
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PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 10:44 am    Post subject: Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 vs Minolta MD III 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 Reply with quote

Test is performed on a full frame camera Sony A7R
Participants:
Canon nFD 28-85mm f4
Minolta MD III 28-85mm f3.5-4.5

The control frame 28mm


28mm f4 (minolta f3.5) The left side


28mm f4 (minolta f3.5) Centre


28mm f8 The Right side


50mm f8 The left side


85mm f4 (f3,5)


Here's an archive with all the full size examples. (100MB) https://yadi.sk/d/mtgj9miE3T2wnm

The result:
I've been walking around for weeks with both lenses. Based on that, some thoughts.
Canon nFD 28-85mm f4 - The best corners at all focal lengths. Best chromatic aberrations (CA). The sun F11 shows great rays (8-end) On the 85mm has a certain soft effect.
Minolta MD III 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 - The sharpness of similar results with Canon. It seems that the overall contrast is slightly better. On the 85mm is a little better. Flash resistance is about the same depending on the conditions.

canon nFD 28-85mm f4 examples


minolta md III 28-85mm f3.5-4.5 examples


Last edited by sergun on Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:18 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 11:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my most used Minolta lenses.
Whenever i want to take only one lens on a trip and am in doubt which one, i usually grab the MD 28-85. It does it all and includes a very useful macro setting.

From what i see the Canon is also a steady performer. Thanks for posting this comparison!

René!


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great, I have a pleasure of owning this Minolta too, most interesting lens Friends

And about the Canon, how well does it function mechanically? I heard that some plastic insert within the nFD zooms has a bad habit of deteriorating over time, damaging the focusing mechanism.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anatol_M wrote:
Great, I have a pleasure of owning this Minolta too, most interesting lens Friends

And about the Canon, how well does it function mechanically? I heard that some plastic insert within the nFD zooms has a bad habit of deteriorating over time, damaging the focusing mechanism.


I initially bought a Canon nFD 24 mm 2.8 (not a zoom) for my Sony 6000 with this problem, gave it away and built a Minolta set of lens. An advantage of legacy lenses is the better quality/durability than modern lenses... the nFD series being the exception to the rule on the legacy side.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 5:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed, i’ve seen a lot of old Canon lenses with problems. Sigma even more so (usually fungus/ sticky apperture).


PostPosted: Mon Mar 05, 2018 7:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have some nFD's - the 35 f2.8 and 50 f1.4 are ok (the 35's diaphragm is somewhat stiff, but they all are)). In my 200 f4 something clicks, exactly at the point when going from 10m to infinity. Although it's probably not a bug, I guess, it's something like non-uniform helicoid path to ensure more precise focusing at the long end. But of cause, those nFD's may look nice from a distance, but Minolta's build quality is a lot better)


PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anatol_M wrote:
In my 200 f4 something clicks, exactly at the point when going from 10m to infinity. Although it's probably not a bug, I guess, it's something like non-uniform helicoid path to ensure more precise focusing at the long end.


To me it seems unlikely that this click is by design. As far as I know non-linear focusing ("vari-pitch cam") is not a feature of this lens. And I haven't heard non-linear focusing lenses (e.g. New FD 300m 1:4) making a click sound.

Sometimes one of the springs inside the bayonet part of the lens is slightly out of its position causing a click sound when the rear lens group moves. With the New FD 200mm 1:4 only the rear lens group moves during focusing.


PostPosted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 9:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anatol_M wrote:
And about the Canon, how well does it function mechanically? I heard that some plastic insert within the nFD zooms has a bad habit of deteriorating over time, damaging the focusing mechanism.
´

For my experience there are two parts which often are deterioriating in Canon lenses:

1) The rubber ring of guide rollers - often found in Canon lenses with floating elements. That results in play in the focusing mechanism and in play in the mechanism driving the floating element. If deterioration is really bad the floating element makes a rattling noise when the lens is shaken along the lens axis.

2) Some small rubber pieces which sit in a slots in the inside of the focusing ring part (guiding the front lens group). Examples are New FD 35-70mm and New FD 28-85mm zoom lenses. Results in a little play in the focusing mechanism. Not as bad an issue as the guide rollers.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 6:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

fdlenses wrote:
Anatol_M wrote:
In my 200 f4 something clicks, exactly at the point when going from 10m to infinity. Although it's probably not a bug, I guess, it's something like non-uniform helicoid path to ensure more precise focusing at the long end.


To me it seems unlikely that this click is by design. As far as I know non-linear focusing ("vari-pitch cam") is not a feature of this lens. And I haven't heard non-linear focusing lenses (e.g. New FD 300m 1:4) making a click sound.

Sometimes one of the springs inside the bayonet part of the lens is slightly out of its position causing a click sound when the rear lens group moves. With the New FD 200mm 1:4 only the rear lens group moves during focusing.


So far I can tell, that it clicks when going back from infinity past 10m (not like I wrote it in previous post). The click sound indeed goes from the bayonet part. When going from 10m to infinity it becomes a bit stiff, like running on an obstacle, and softens back past this 10m point. Really must be the spring sticking out.
Guess, I'll have to watch this lens closely as I wanted to use it a lot when spring kicks in.


PostPosted: Thu Mar 08, 2018 10:13 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Anatol_M wrote:
... those nFD's may look nice from a distance, but Minolta's build quality is a lot better


Very well said Wink