need opinions on minolta lenses

[enliten]

Hey guys,

So I've acquired some Minolta lenses and want to convert the mount from MC/MD to Canon EF, the question is, are any of the following lenses worth converting?

35-105mm F3.5-4.3 RMC Tokina
28-105mm F3.5-4.5 Tokina SZ-X
200mm F3.5 Soligor
80-200mm F4.5 Soligor
50mm F1.4 Rokkor-PG
55mm F2 Rokkor-PF

Do any of you have any experience with these lenses? If so, which ones are keepers?

Personally I'm thinking the 1.4 rokkor would be the ideal candidate, thoughts?

Cheers,

-Ben

[vlousada]

As you said, I think the rokkor 50 1.4 worth a conversion.
( i am not sure if the conversion of the 50mm is that simple as 58mm)
Then maybe the 80-200 and the 200mm.

[Ash]

Rokkor 50/1.4 is really good but it conversion is tougher than 58mm which is like a breeze!

I dont think any zoom would be easier to convert anyways. Very hard to hit infinity focus at each focal length.

[revers]

Don't spoil a good lens, get a micro four thirds camera & a MD to m4/3 adapter & have fun.

Yes the 50/1.4 is a sweet lens, here are samples in very low light no flash @ f2.


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[nemesis101]

Brilliant shots.. I use LOADS of MD lenses, especially the f1.4 MC and the 35-70mm non macro (the one they developed with / for Leica) and they are great on my G2. You might also consider the bigger sensor and lower noise of the NEX range too?

I didn't like the less flexible pull out screen and the lack of an eye level finder (I am too old to hold something steady at arm's length) but many like them! Now a NEX with a fully articulated screen and an ELF would be ok!

[Attila]

50mm F1.4 Rokkor-PG
55mm F2 Rokkor-PF

but don't ruin each lens with conversion , m4/3, sony-nex, samsung nx second hand bodies are inexpensive and not require conversion.

[peterqd]

Hi Ben, out of your list, the Soligors should go first, then the Tokinas and the Rokkors are the keepers. I agree about using them on a different camera, but if you're definitely going ahead with trying to convert one, then I'd say start with the Soligor 200 and find out the difficulties before you risk ruining the Rokkors. It ain't simple to chop 1mm off the back of the lens.

Better still, get yourself a nice Minolta film camera !

[Lloydy]

I've just run a film through each of the two Minolta XD7's I got a while back, and they are good camera's. I'm very impressed with them.
But I'm even more impressed with the Rokkor lenses ( 135 / 2.8, 50 / 1.4, 100 / 3.5 macro ) and personally I wouldn't risk wrecking them by converting them. I'm going to go down the 4/3 road and get a camera that will take all my lenses.

[enliten]

thanks guys, I can't really justify the purchase of another camera, even though the format is interesting to me...

I currently have a 7D, so the sensor is slightly larger and gives some benefits over a smaller sensor for light, depth of field etc.

as for ruining the lenses with a conversion, I understand that the 1.4 would be a difficult conversion, however at the moment I'm getting some experience with a vivitar series 1 70-210 FD -> EF conversion.

im getting excited

[woodrim]

Somethings to consider... The NEX is APS-C sensor size, crop factor 1.5, so is not a reduced size like the 4/3. The NEX also has outstanding performance from the images I've seen posted. Also, there is a cost of lens conversion, whether actual currency or in time. The NEX 3 and even the NEX 5 can now be had for cheap if you look hard enough. Once you acquire a NEX, it opens up loads of lens opportunities. I have yet to purchase one, although I have some lenses waiting on the side for when I do. I've given up the idea of doing mount conversions, mostly because it's too time consuming and infinity is tricky, not to mention that I have a few disassembled lenses that I can't get back together again.