Home

Please support mflenses.com if you need any graphic related work order it from us, click on above banner to order!
SearchSearch MemberlistMemberlist RegisterRegister ProfileProfile Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages Log inLog in

Minolta MD Rokkor 35-70mm f/3.5 Macro first impressions.
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
View previous topic :: View next topic  


PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2024 4:47 pm    Post subject: Minolta MD Rokkor 35-70mm f/3.5 Macro first impressions. Reply with quote
This lens has a good reputation so I was interested to see how good it was when fitted to my Fuji X-T4 with an adapter.

Answer? It's very good.
These were taken on a trip to the local garden centre.


A little pixel peeping on a couple of images:



These are all straight out of camera with no exits other than crops (also done in camera).


So pros:
Fairly lightweight.
Smooth operation
Sharp
Good colours and contrast

Conservatory:
A little clunky to use.

Basically very good though finding the control rings is a bit hit and miss by touch. No doubt I'll improve with some practice.



Very pleased with these.


PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2024 6:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Like 1

The 1978 (first) MDII non-macro version of this lens is thought to be somewhat inferior by some; Minolta likely changed the optical calculation a bit for the later 1983 MDIII (macro) version.

Provided you get a good clean copy of the MDIII (Macro) 35-70/3.5, I have personally never seen anyone criticise its optical performance. It was a very fine lens when it was introduced in 1983, it is still a very fine lens today, living up to its reputation.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 2:18 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Great find, this zoom provides lots of bang for your buck. Question for you and other owners of this lens, do yours have some play in the focus ring? Mine has a lot of wiggle and it's the main reason I did let it sit in a cupboard for years before trying it (it came in a bundle with other lenses). My Rokkor primes have rock solid construction so I thought this one was either defective or a cheaply made lens not worth using. However, to my surprise, it provides great results. But maybe it needs servicing and could perform even better?


PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 3:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Perhaps some screws need little tightening.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 6:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
mouks wrote:
Great find, this zoom provides lots of bang for your buck. Question for you and other owners of this lens, do yours have some play in the focus ring? Mine has a lot of wiggle and it's the main reason I did let it sit in a cupboard for years before trying it (it came in a bundle with other lenses). My Rokkor primes have rock solid construction so I thought this one was either defective or a cheaply made lens not worth using. However, to my surprise, it provides great results. But maybe it needs servicing and could perform even better?


Sorry mouks; I have three copies (two MDIII and one MDII), and none have any play in the focus ring. Given the internal construction of the lens I can only think of three possible causes for a play/wiggle in the focus ring:

1) two of the three screws that hold the focus grip onto the focus helicoid have come loose. (I say two because if all three were loose then the focus grip could rotate freely without affecting focus, i.e. then there would be a very obvious loose focus grip issue)
2) the cam slot followers (posts) of the front zoom group (with focus helicoid) are either worn or damaged
3) one or more of the cam slot followers (posts) of the front zoom group (with focus helicoid) are loose

The below link (in Japanese, use auto-translate) gives you some idea of how the name ring of the lens comes off to reveal the three screws that hold the focus grip to the helicoid (6th, 7th, 8th and 9th images). It is worth checking that these three screws are tight.

https://minolta.eazypix.de/lr/z35-70_3,5_md3/nmd_zoom35_70.html


PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 7:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
RokkorDoctor wrote:
mouks wrote:
Great find, this zoom provides lots of bang for your buck. Question for you and other owners of this lens, do yours have some play in the focus ring? Mine has a lot of wiggle and it's the main reason I did let it sit in a cupboard for years before trying it (it came in a bundle with other lenses). My Rokkor primes have rock solid construction so I thought this one was either defective or a cheaply made lens not worth using. However, to my surprise, it provides great results. But maybe it needs servicing and could perform even better?


Sorry mouks; I have three copies (two MDIII and one MDII), and none have any play in the focus ring. Given the internal construction of the lens I can only think of three possible causes for a play/wiggle in the focus ring:

1) two of the three screws that hold the focus grip onto the focus helicoid have come loose. (I say two because if all three were loose then the focus grip could rotate freely without affecting focus, i.e. then there would be a very obvious loose focus grip issue)
2) the cam slot followers (posts) of the front zoom group (with focus helicoid) are either worn or damaged
3) one or more of the cam slot followers (posts) of the front zoom group (with focus helicoid) are loose

The below link (in Japanese, use auto-translate) gives you some idea of how the name ring of the lens comes off to reveal the three screws that hold the focus grip to the helicoid (6th, 7th, 8th and 9th images). It is worth checking that these three screws are tight.

https://minolta.eazypix.de/lr/z35-70_3,5_md3/nmd_zoom35_70.html


No play in mine either.
Silky smooth action with no binds or slop.


PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 8:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks guys, I will try to open it using the link from RokkorDoctor, I hope I won't mess it up.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 07, 2024 9:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
mouks wrote:
Thanks guys, I will try to open it using the link from RokkorDoctor, I hope I won't mess it up.


mouks, before you proceed with that; I just quickly checked on my MDIII (Macro) copy. There are two MDIII variants; the one shown in the instructions in the link I gave is the older non-macro MDIII. If you have the newer (Macro) MDIII version, they have changed the way that front ring comes off. On that newer version you will find that if you peel back the focus grip rubber covering nearer the front of the lens, there is black sticky tape underneath that holds the front name ring in place. You likely won't be able to undo (unscrew) that front name ring unless you first remove the sticky tape underneath the focus grip waffle rubber.

EDIT: I haven't tried it myself yet on the later MDIII version of this lens, so please proceed with care. It is entirely possible that there are no three small screws underneath this lens' name ring, and that the front helicoid and name ring are one machined piece on the later MDIII (Macro) version. In that case removing the black tape will also free the helicoid from its end stops and you need to mark the focus grip and name ring so you can tape them together in the exact same position, otherwise you could mess op the focus calibration.

On many of these Minolta MD (and older MC) lenses the focus grip rubber is not glued down, but it is a stretchy vinyl band that simply has been stretched around the focus grip like a wide rubber band,; it can usually easily be peeled back a bit, or on the smaller lenses be removed altogether without any damage.

EDIT2: I have just checked some on-line videos, and indeed, if you have the later MDIII (macro) version, do not try and remove the name ring. There won't be three screws underneath to be tightened, and removing the tape will simply make you loose the correct focus calibration if you are not careful.


PostPosted: Tue Jul 09, 2024 8:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Thanks Mark, indeed I have the macro version and the name ring doesn't seem to be a separate part. Do you have a link for the videos? I didn't find any explaining how to disassemble this particular lens. However, I came across a Reddit thread from someone who had the exact same problem as me: https://www.reddit.com/r/Darkroom/comments/qiz90h/loose_focusing_part_of_minolta_3570mm_f35_macro/

I will try to fix it tomorrow and I'll start a new thread in the repair sub-forum so I don't hijack this one further
Post new topic   Reply to topic
Home   Manual Focus Lenses
Page 1 of 1