Minolta MD 2.8/35 on APS-C with lens booster + glass adapter

[alex ph]

I was curious to experiment with a combination of adapters extending the well regarded Minolta MD 2.8/35 on APS-C "as if" it was a full-frame unit. I used Sony Nex with a lens booster, on which an MD-Nex adapter was put having a lens inside which lets infinity. So, the combination gives a kind of 2/40mm Minolta MD with infinity.

The results are pretty OK (especially for a grey rainy day), even though the adapters combination seems to deteriorate a bit the "special" sharpness and clarity of the original lens.

#1


#2


#3


#4


For an indirect comparison, here is a couple of shots taken with the same lens put directly on Sony Nex.

#5


#6


#7

[alex ph]

I took some more shots in the same (more or less) grey light, with both lens booster and a lens equipped MD-E adapter. While close-ups are nice and neat, at distance of a couple of meters up to infinity the optical combination degrades both the lens' famous sharpness and corner performance. As you may see, the ex-center aberrations are so hard that wide open the lens character recalls Sankor 2.8/35 wide open. Well, I exaggerate a bit, still the difference between the bare Minolta and its adapted combination is clearly visible.

For the grey light autocontrast is applied to all the following shots. All taken with Sony Nex and two adapters. Most of the shots are wide open.

#1 WO MFD, the close focus is sharp and full of detail


#2 Close-up


#3 A 100% crop from the previous, with autocontrast applied


#4 Still stands well


#5 At larger distance some "milk" starts being visible in the corners


#6 Peripheral sharpness is really degraded


#7 Corners show pretty terrible (and rather uninteresting, unpleasant) aberrations, especially on the edge of the chimney with "S" letter