Greetings from the RokkorDoctor

[RokkorDoctor]

Hi folks!,

I just joined as a new member and this is my first post.

I’m Mark, live near London (UK), and I enjoy taking a different manual focus lens out for a walk every day. I specialise almost exclusively in the use of Minolta Rokkor lenses.

I’ve never much cared for autofocus, so I guess this is the right forum for me. I’m also definitely not a pixel-peeper, I simply enjoy using vintage manual focus lenses and accept their “flaws”. E.g., I’m not one for spending time removing purple fringing etc. Bottom line: I enjoy my time best behind the camera, not behind the computer!

I have (just) over 40 years' extensive experience using most of the line of Minolta Rokkor lenses on Minolta SLRs and a SONY A7S (that is, most Minolta MF SR-mount lenses from 1959 to 1990’s, bar a few really rare ones).

Due to the economics of keeping such an extensive collection of lenses going I have learnt to service them myself. So far I have serviced over 150 SR / AR / MC / MD lenses (both fixed & zoom). This is definitely a labour of love, more than that it makes practical sense!

Questions on Rokkor lenses don’t come up here regularly (especially re. servicing), but I’ll keep an eye out for them and hopefully I will be able to make a contribution to the knowledge-sharing on this forum.

[DigiChromeEd]

Welcome to the forum Mark!

[55]

Welcome, Mark.

There are many Minolta fans here, so you're in good company. And maintenance knowledge is so valuable! I'm sure your experience will prove helpful for other members.

And now I have a (light hearted) question for you:

I've only recently begun to learn about Minolta lenses. And a couple weeks ago I bid for a poorly described, online Minolta gear lot. I won the lot, but one of the lenses I thought was a MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 turned out to be a MC Rokkor 85mm f/1.7.
We all have different preferences and priorities, but I'm curious to know which of those two lenses you would prefer?

[RokkorDoctor]

I wouldn't shed any tears over this,both the 58mm f/1.2 and 85mm f/1.7 are desirable lenses which share quite a few characteristics, think of them as brother and sister. The 85mm is perhaps a bit better for portraits being a bit longer, but the bokeh on the 58mm is arguably a bit better, if anything because the 58mm has eight semi-rounded aperture blades whereas the 85mm only has six.

Both lenses have a noticeable amount of spherical aberration when shot wide open (almost gone when stopped down one stop), which gives portraits the once popular sharply defined character yet with a soft glowing halo, a bit like using a portrait filter or using a Rokkor Varisoft. The spherical aberration can lend a slight nervous character to the background bokeh though, but again, stopped down one stop this also improves dramatically.

The 85mm is prone to flare, you really want to use a deep hood with that one. There is a dedicated one but this tends to be expensive, or you could save yourself some money and get the hood for the Rokkor MC 80-200mm F/4.5 zoom, which is almost identical to the hood for the 85mm f/1.7 (1mm longer and different engraving of course).

[visualopsins]

Mark! Nice to see you here!

[55]

[kds315*]

Welcome here Mark!

Glad to know that you are servicing ROKKOR LENSES!

Moved it to the EQUIPMENT CARE & REPAIR section so easier to find for others.

Cheers,

[RokkorDoctor]

[poilu]

Mark

[Knudsen]

I did not read this until today, so I give you a belated welcome aboard!