The "look" of lenses. Your favourite?

[Rob-F]

… also I confess a weakness for Rokkor glass. It's no wonder that Leitz asked Minolta to form a partnership, and not only some Leica cameras, but also quite a number of Leica-R lenses are in fact Minolta designs.

Quite a number? I know about the 24mm f/2.8, and the 35-70mm f/3.5. Which others were Minolta designs?

 

[rybolt]

Quite a number? I know about the 24mm f/2.8, and the 35-70mm f/3.5. Which others were Minolta designs?

16mm, 500mm and most of the zooms. I think there was only one zoom that was Leitz engineered and made in Germany?

 

[Greyscale]

Auto-Yashinon 5cm F2 (from the J series cameras).
Zeiss Jena Tessar 50/2.8 preset M42
Minolta ML Rokkor PG 50/1.4

Three magical lenses.

 

[GarageBoy]

Zeiss 35 1.4 distagon for contax yashica - first time I had a portrait with it... Wow
Zeiss spent lots of time and money trying to get a body made for their awesome lenses, dodging patents, coming up with ridiculously complex cameras like the contarex, partnering with Rollei, then yashica...

If only they made ZF lenses for Nikon mount earlier...

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Quite a number? I know about the 24mm f/2.8, and the 35-70mm f/3.5. Which others were Minolta designs?

16mm, 500mm and most of the zooms. I think there was only one zoom that was Leitz engineered and made in Germany?

Yes, AFAIK, the thumb rule is: if the Vario-lens has a filter thread E 67, then it's Wetzlar, otherwise it's made in Japan.


— Here I found an interesting text regarding MINOLTA lenses:

Historical perspective on Minolta lens design philosophy

by David Kilpatrick ©2007


Nice side blow against Canon lenses:

[..] Canon owners have no real idea why Minolta owners get so deeply into lens quality (Canon lenses don't have a 'look')[…]

😉

 

[MIkhail]

My favorite lens look was from simple Voigtlander Nokton 35/1.4 MC
I was stupid enough to sell it.

 

[rybolt]

— Here I found an interesting text regarding MINOLTA lenses:

Historical perspective on Minolta lens design philosophy

by David Kilpatrick ©2007

Really interesting read on Minolta lenses. Thanks for sharing it.
I recently picked up an Auto Rokkor 58mm f1.4 PF lens on an SR7 body. This is the earliest f1.4. Tests, so far, on the Fuji XT1 show it to have some great out of focus highights.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

Really interesting read on Minolta lenses. Thanks for sharing it.

My pleasure 🙂

I recently picked up an Auto Rokkor 58mm f1.4 PF lens on an SR7 body. This is the earliest f1.4. Tests, so far, on the Fuji XT1 show it to have some great out of focus highights.

The SR-7, particularly the last version, is a greatly underrated camera — one of my favourites.

I have to add something, an odd choice perhaps:

I do like the look of ENNA lenses. Their contrast is rather low, but their resolution is very good.

 

[narsuitus]

Which SLR lens system has the most pleasing "look" to you?

Nikon and Pentax for small format SLR (examples: Nikon 180mm f/2.8, Nikon 55mm f/3.5 macro, 8-element Pentax 50mm f/1.4, Pentax 105mm f/2.8)

Zeiss for medium and small format SLR (examples: Zeiss 28mm f/2 ZF.2, Zeiss 135mm f/2 ZF.2)

Fuji for large format, medium format, and small format (examples: Fujinon 135mm f/4, Fujinon 90mm f/3.5, Fujinon 16mm f/1.4, Fujinon 50mm f/1.4)

 

[f16sunshine]

Some of my favorites are also others favorites.
For example, Tunalegs Yashica 50mm f2. The ML version was my first lens in 1983 for my Yashica FR.

I'm going deep into Autofocus in the last few years. The Low priced and cheaply made Eos 50mm f1.8 is definitely a Fav. Canon re-introduced the lens with a quieter stepper motor and metal mount. It's still under $150 new.

Eos (Old) 50mm f1.8 metal mount
FF Digital

On film

 

[benlees]

I liked my old Pentax Tak 50mm 1.4 with the radioactive stuff going on, particularly with colour.

 

[raid]

I like the vintage Sonnar 5cm 1.5 and 2.0 lenses by Zeiss, in addition to the look I get with the vintage Nokton 50 1.5 by Voigtlaender (for the Prominent). Other winners in my book are some lenses made for the Rollei QBM SLR system, such as 35 1.4 Distagon, 50 1.4 Planar, and 85 1.4 Planar.

Awesome lenses.

 

[Emile de Leon]

Noct F1/75mm Summilux/2.8 Elmar-m

 

[xayraa33]

The Rokkor lenses never disappoint me in their pleasant drawing ability and they come closest to the classic German lenses of all the Japanese made lenses.

I agree with a commentator on the Zuiko OM lenses, they bring something special to photos that is hard to define.

For pleasant colour reproduction the Canon FD lenses are hard to beat and most produce very good bokeh too.

My favourite budget lenses are the J3 and the Helios 103 and 44-2 and the Meyer 30mm Lydith lens in its Meyer or Pentacon form plus their legendary fully manual 135mm, also labelled under both names and this comes from a person that is not a fan of that focal length lens.

 

[Jake Mongey]

After thinking about my Pentax lenses I went and purchased a KM as the main problem with my k1000 was the lack of DOF preview and cant wait to put my Ricoh 50mm 1.4 into service (must repair the aperture first)

 

[Jerevan]

I am starting to find the 50 focal length a bit too narrow but two stand out for me: the Nikkor non-AI 50/2 (I have 3) and the early M42 Super Takumar 50/1.4 (which I sold and still miss).

I'd like to revisit the 35/1.4 Nikkor AIS - it had a special look.

 

[Thomas78]

Is there a noticeable difference between the 8 and 7 element Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 ?

 

[f16sunshine]

Is there a noticeable difference between the 8 and 7 element Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 ?

If you asked me, I would say only really in price and demand. 😱

 

[kxl]

I generally like the micro contrast typically exhibited by Zeiss ZF (or ZE) lenses. Then again, sometimes I like the rendering (different from the Zeiss rendering) of Sigma ART lenses.

 

[Daryl J.]

While I prefer RF glass to SLR glass in 35mm film format, the 1.4/58mm MC Rokkor PF brought me back to photography due to its interesting draw. The 4/100 Rokkor is excellent too and if coupled with a short extension tube renders closer images beautifully.
Film of choice: Portra 160.