Suggest me a Minolta prime (not AF)

[santino]

Hi fellow RFFers!

I recently got a Minolta XG-M which I'm really starting to like. The lens that came with the camera is a crappy Tokina zoom.

Now I think of getting a 50mm (maybe 45mm) prime for that beauty.

Any suggestions? (I'm a total newbie to Minolta stuff).

Thanks in advance ! 🙂

 

[kanzlr]

85/2 (late lens, superb in every way. sharp wide open, nice bokeh, superb color and contrast. one of their best)

 

[xayraa33]

The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work is the older MC ROKKOR-HG 35mm F2.8 lens if you want a "wide view" standard lens.

These old Japanese Rokkor lenses come closest in my opinion to giving that look to photos of the pricier German lens classics of the late 1950s and early 1960s period that most folks really like and desire.

 

[kmallick]

Any Minolta 50mm (1.2, 1.4, 1.7 or 2.0) is good. You can't beat the MD 85mm f/2 suggested above or the older 85mm f/1.7. The 24mm f/2.8 apparently is fashioned after the Leica Elmarit 24mm f/2.8 and is highly regarded. My favorite is the 45mm f/2 pancake. Good luck in your hunt.

 

[MIkhail]

The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one

I had this lens, and while it was not all that sharp (at least my copy of it) it had wonderfull out-of-focus rendering. In fact I still have it, but changed the mount to Canon EOS and use it sometimes.

Simple 50/1.4 will give you excellent sharpness. I have taken many pictures with it. It is not "clinically sharp" as they say, like Zeiss, it has more qualities of sonnar lens, I think. Especially printed on paper.
Sharp in the middle, kind os softens at the edges.

 

[kkdanamatt]

Almost any Minolta Rokkor prime lens is a safe bet. You need an MD (not an MC) version for complete metering and aperture readout. They are all excellent and dirt cheap. The 100mm f/2.0 Rokkor is one of their best. I would suggest 28mm, 50mm and 100mm as a starter kit. Because these lenses are decades old, be sure to check them carefully for fungus, mildew, oil on the blades, etc. Don't buy any lens that needs service because there are thousands available that are near perfect, so why settle for less?

 

[kmallick]

The 100mm f/2.0 Rokkor is one of their best.

Was there a 100mm f/2 Rokkor? I know that the f/2.5 is a pretty decent one.

 

[kanzlr]

Santino? like...Santino Marella? 🙂

oh, if you want something longer: the 200/4 MD is awesome. Pretty much as good as the 200/2.8 APO


Blümchen am Vogelfelsen von kanzlr auf Flickr

if you happen to be in Vienna, you can lend it if you want, as I do not need it any more (no MD bodies...)

 

[santino]

thanks for the offer kanzlr 🙂 (btw. the flowers look great and the 200/4 seems to be tack sharp!).

I'm kinda tempted by the 85/2 (I like that focal length) but it seems to be 250 €+
Maybe I should give the 50/1,7 a try
<is there any difference between the 50/1,7 and the 50/2 except for aperture value ?

 

[kmallick]

<is there any difference between the 50/1,7 and the 50/2 except for aperture value ?

decide for yourself:

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Battle of 50s1.htm

 

[santino]

decide for yourself:

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Battle of 50s1.htm

thanks for the link, I'll give it a read.

 

[Nokton48]

XGM is a cool camera. Have a look at my Minolta thread here: http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=110411

 

[Dirk]

Any of the 50's are good, depends on your budget and whether you "need" a really fast lens (1.4 or faster). Having said that, don't overlook the 45/2. I happen to like the way it renders. I think it's quite special and dirt cheap, to boot.

 

[Pherdinand]

no-brainer. especially since u r looking for a fifty-ish.
58mm f/1.2 .

 

[Nokton48]

All the Rokkors are great. Here's my collection, taken a while ago. It has grown since then.

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=89545&d=1323980034

 

[filmfan]

MD 50mm 1.7

 

[xayraa33]

Quote:
Originally Posted by xayraa33
The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work

I had this lens, and while it was not all that sharp (at least my copy of it) it had wonderfull out-of-focus rendering. In fact I still have it, but changed the mount to Canon EOS and use it sometimes.

Simple 50/1.4 will give you excellent sharpness. I have taken many pictures with it. It is not "clinically sharp" as they say, like Zeiss, it has more qualities of sonnar lens, I think. Especially printed on paper.
Sharp in the middle, kind os softens at the edges.

"The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work "


Versus

"The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work is the older MC ROKKOR-HG 35mm F2.8 lens if you want a "wide view" standard lens."

Editing quotes sometimes can convey the wrong meaning. 🙂

My favorite for Black and White work is the MC ROKKOR-HG 35mm F2.8 lens but I agree with you the popular 58mm F1.4 was never a razor sharp lens but it does create nice OOF areas in photographs at large apertures.
Which is nice for portraits in a widely available fast lens that sells for a low price these days.

 

[MIkhail]

Quote:
Originally Posted by xayraa33
The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work



"The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work "


Versus

"The 58mm f1.4 lens is a popular one and my favorite lens for black and white work is the older MC ROKKOR-HG 35mm F2.8 lens if you want a "wide view" standard lens."

Editing quotes sometimes can convey the wrong meaning. 🙂

My favorite for Black and White work is the MC ROKKOR-HG 35mm F2.8 lens but I agree with you the popular 58mm F1.4 was never a razor sharp lens but it does create nice OOF areas in photographs at large apertures.
Which is nice for portraits in a widely available fast lens that sells for a low price these days.

Corrected.

 

[Ranchu]

MC (not MD) Rokkor 50mm 1.7 for color. MC (not MD) Rokkor 50mm f2 for black and white.

 

[santino]

thanks for the input guys!

I've ended up with a 45mm f2 md rokkor for 10 € 🙂
it's small and beautiful.