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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Minolta Rokkor Survival Guide

The 2/100mm mc is great. The 2/135mm md is I think incredible but different to mc's and closer to modern than classical lenses.
I still also love 70s olympus as they look so different from the others and are magical.
 
dean vian said:
The 2/100mm mc is great. The 2/135mm md is I think incredible but different to mc's and closer to modern than classical lenses.
I still also love 70s olympus as they look so different from the others and are magical.
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Yeah I had Adorama lend me a Nex so I can test out the 100/2 MC in the store. The bokeh was crazy. Swirly, and vintage, and fantastic. And the colors were great too. Flared very nicely. I was smitten instantly.
 
Certainly a special lens. I find it strange that in the 70s when Nikon and Canon (even Konica and Pentax as well) were getting PL/BNCR mount and Panaflex conversions Minolta seemed to be totally left out. I have a Konica Hexanon in pl mount however that is mind blowingly dramatic (50mm 1.7) but I bought a few more 50mm 1.7's and they were much softer. Not sure why the one I converted was so good. Looks a bit like the Canon Scoopic lens but sharper and even more over the top dramatic and magic.
 
dean vian said:
Certainly a special lens. I find it strange that in the 70s when Nikon and Canon (even Konica and Pentax as well) were getting PL/BNCR mount and Panaflex conversions Minolta seemed to be totally left out. I have a Konica Hexanon in pl mount however that is mind blowingly dramatic (50mm 1.7) but I bought a few more 50mm 1.7's and they were much softer. Not sure why the one I converted was so good. Looks a bit like the Canon Scoopic lens but sharper and even more over the top dramatic and magic.
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Good question. Not sure either. My father used to own a photo store in Madrid and noticed that lots of the "pros" walking in were buying Rokkor (when not buying Leica or Zeiss), and that's how he got hooked.

I guess Rokkor was always a bit of a smaller, more refined, acquired taste.
 
I just saw this thread for the first time today. Glad it resurfaced. If feel very fortunate to have inherited a pretty nice complement of Rokkors from my father, 35mm -135mm set including a 35-70 zoom. Lacking only an 85mm.

What a treasure trove of information! I might have missed scanning through, was there anything on a 55mm f1.7 macro?
 
David Rasberry said:
I just saw this thread for the first time today. Glad it resurfaced. If feel very fortunate to have inherited a pretty nice complement of Rokkors from my father, 35mm -135mm set including a 35-70 zoom. Lacking only an 85mm.

What a treasure trove of information! I might have missed scanning through, was there anything on a 55mm f1.7 macro?
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There's a 50 3.5 macro. Excellent. And a 100 3.5 (MC) and f4 (MD) macro. Also excellent. 1:2 macros. Can go 1:1 with an extender.
 
Interesting. I definitely find color matches unlike other still lenses.
I am surprised the article describes pentax as sharper. I dont notice 70s pentax lenses being sharper. I do notice nikon and konica as sharper but not all.
 
I think while Zeiss were always really good in measuring resolution, Minolta was into colorimetry. Consequently, they used these strengths for their main target in lenses.

The only thing that's left from Minolta these days is a very high competence in colorimetry…
 
Just got a 135mm f2.8 in today. Quick test shot on my 7D (rigged till I get a mount). Very sharp, but even more appealing is the smooth bokeh, and the color rendition. I really like what it does with the greens. It has nice contrast with a fluid sort of "pop" to it. It feels organic and has more of that feel that I remember from film. Good find, and thanks both Uli and Nick for the info. Paid $65 for this lens, unbelievable.

Rokkor135mm2_zpsbb850f11.jpg
 
Nick, no adapter yet. I Jerry-rigged it. Pressed the glass against the body and focused, that was all. I was eager to see what it looked like :). I'm still waiting to get the rest of my glass in before I send it off for modding.
 
Interesting thread. Came upon it randomly. I've been using Minolta Rokkors for some time now. I started in still photography with Minolta XE7 and XE1 bodies. My Dad used to have a camera shop. When I moved on to cinematography I was able to use the Minoltas with different adapters. First with my DVX100, then the HVX200 (using Redrock Micro adapters)....and then with the 5d, finally with the Epic.

I have most of the prime lenses from 17mm - 135mm. Included in the set is the infamous 58mm F1.2. I also have 2 - 50mm 1.2's. I tend to lean more towards the 50mm 1.2 because it has closer focus than the 58mm (1.5 ft compared to 2 ft). I have some random adapter I purchased off of ebay. It has a glass center so when you open up it blurs the edges (which can be a cool effect).

I was wondering which other adapters work effectively so I can mount the Minoltas to my Epic. I currently use the Canon mount with the Epic.
 
Anybody know a good reliable shop for cleaning and servicing Rokkors in the US? I live in the Southeast between Atlanta and Charlotte. There used to be a local shop that maintained them for my dad, but they are long gone.
 
Eric Giovon said:
Interesting thread. Came upon it randomly. I've been using Minolta Rokkors for some time now. I started in still photography with Minolta XE7 and XE1 bodies. My Dad used to have a camera shop. When I moved on to cinematography I was able to use the Minoltas with different adapters. First with my DVX100, then the HVX200 (using Redrock Micro adapters)....and then with the 5d, finally with the Epic.

I have most of the prime lenses from 17mm - 135mm. Included in the set is the infamous 58mm F1.2. I also have 2 - 50mm 1.2's. I tend to lean more towards the 50mm 1.2 because it has closer focus than the 58mm (1.5 ft compared to 2 ft). I have some random adapter I purchased off of ebay. It has a glass center so when you open up it blurs the edges (which can be a cool effect).

I was wondering which other adapters work effectively so I can mount the Minoltas to my Epic. I currently use the Canon mount with the Epic.
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Eric I wouldn't use the adapter with the glass because that glass is just going to degrade the image quality. Ideally, you need a DIRECT connection to the camera w/out glass.

Unfortunately, because the falange length of Rokkor and EOS are so similar, there aren't any "infinity" adapters that work. The only way to make a Rokkor lens EOS is to have a lens tech MACHINE an EOS mount onto the back, which is a timely (and often expensive) exercise. Jim Buchanon is a well known tech who specializes in these conversions.
 
David Rasberry said:
Anybody know a good reliable shop for cleaning and servicing Rokkors in the US? I live in the Southeast between Atlanta and Charlotte. There used to be a local shop that maintained them for my dad, but they are long gone.
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Jim Buchanon is a domestic Rokkor "expert" tech. Also RP lens I'm sure can clean them up for you!
 
For service john titterington jtcamera@aol.com in kansas. He was minolta trained I believe. Nothing short of a perfectionist and very nice guy.

I just did a big test with varisoft and will post. Ultimate in 80s look. You can get an 80s school yearbook look if not careful. I prefer to use full soft on very dramatic harsh lighting as with already soft lighting it tends to look cheesy.
The lens on sharp still has very smooth feel. Pushing dial to 1 gives very subtle hardly noticeable soft while 3 sends it into overdrive. You can get a nice 40s 50s abstract fashion look like the feel of old vogue on setting 3. 2 maybe less distracting though.
 
Nick Morrison said:
Jim Buchanon is a domestic Rokkor "expert" tech. Also RP lens I'm sure can clean them up for you!
Click to expand...

dean vian said:
For service john titterington jtcamera@aol.com in kansas. He was minolta trained I believe. Nothing short of a perfectionist and very nice guy.

I just did a big test with varisoft and will post. Ultimate in 80s look. You can get an 80s school yearbook look if not careful. I prefer to use full soft on very dramatic harsh lighting as with already soft lighting it tends to look cheesy.
The lens on sharp still has very smooth feel. Pushing dial to 1 gives very subtle hardly noticeable soft while 3 sends it into overdrive. You can get a nice 40s 50s abstract fashion look like the feel of old vogue on setting 3. 2 maybe less distracting though.
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Thanks for the contacts guys. Much appreciated. Now if I can just find an 85mm at a reasonable price to fill out the set. :001_smile:
 
The 85mm mc 1.7 is awesome. I think a mint one is about $500
 
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