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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

Fighting my LBA ;-)

For the last one I miss – the 21mm Distagon – I'd need to sell all my Rokkors. I'm not going to do that!

But I got the 28 to 85 Vario yesterday in pretty good condition. I wanted to try it at least, even if I'm so skeptical about one-touch zooms.
Maybe it's still good for run-n-gun, and for the price I paid I could always sell it if it doesn't grow on me.
 
Uli Plank said:
Well, maybe we need to bug Allstar or ciecio7 about making one, but for now, cross-adapting is a solution: there are adapters from Minolta SR (aka MC/MD) to Leica-M…
Click to expand...

Yeah we need to bug All-Star about making adapters for Minolta. Or Jim Buchanon in England has a lot of experience working with Minolta lenses and swapping their mounts (he does a lot of changes to EF).

I'm sure Peter at RP lens can do a mount change. He does them for Canon FD's, which have similar falange issues.

Probably a swap to Nikon or M42 is most useful (the M42 Allstar adapter are the cheapest).
 
Nick Morrison said:
I'm sure Peter at RP lens can do a mount change. Probably a swap to Nikon or M42 is most useful (the M42 Allstar adapter are the cheapest).
Click to expand...
Good thinking, Nick...I'm seeing Peter tomorrow, so I'll ask him about what it would take (cost & time) to change out to Nikon or M42...
 
An Allstar mount adapter would be cool. I've been tempted to buy some of these Minolta lenses recently as they are for the moment affordable. :-)
 
Just got my two 58mm F1.2 Rokkor's back from being serviced. Perfect. Might sell one eventually, but really nice to see them both functioning properly.
 
BTW, today I tried the Minolta 135mm 2,8 (4/4-Version) against a Contax Zeiss with identical length and max aperture.
These are very close in optical and mechanical quality, but the Minolta is still far cheaper in the bay. WO the Minolta is even a tad sharper in the corners than the Zeiss, at 4 it's the same, both biting sharp and the Zeiss C/Y is just a bit punchier in contrast.

This is not saying much about the shorter Zeiss, their tele lenses of that period were not as good as the rest.
 
Great post Uli! I have one of the older 58 1.2's, and adapter with one of Jim Buchanon's kits to EF. Super easy. Hadn't heard much about the other lenses you reccomend, but am excited to check em out. I love my 58..the bokeh, in certain shots is really incredible. Thanks again!
 
Clayton Burkhart said:
Just got my two 58mm F1.2 Rokkor's back from being serviced. Perfect. Might sell one eventually, but really nice to see them both functioning properly.
Click to expand...

I'm fucking jealous. No one talks about this lens on Ruser that much, even though it's a LEGEND.
 
Watch out! The next addiction…

Is it the one with the knurled metal ring for focus or the one with "pyramid" rubber?
 
Uli Plank said:
Watch out! The next addiction…

Is it the one with the knurled metal ring for focus or the one with "pyramid" rubber?
Click to expand...

One of the old ones, an MC-PG. I was avoiding the new ones on purpose. Kinda taking the Contax AE approach. Hoping an older one has more flare and character...
 
The 250.xxx series is legendary. Often people say the beaten up ones are the best, they have been used for years and once you try them, you know why.
I have to say every time I shoot female talent and need a 50mm, I try my C/Y Zeiss 50/1.4 and end up turnIng to the 58/1.2
It's just so much more flattering. Incredible.
 
The MCs with rubber are the ones without radioactive glass. Not that I'm concerned about this type of radioactivity (you'd need to grind and inhale or eat the lens to do any damage to your health), but they are yellowing and I didn't get rid of it completely by UV bathing. Since I appreciate the consistency in color from Minolta, I decided not to keep one of those. How is yours?

Mine – well, the one I kept – is in 276.xxxx range, but it flares beautifully. Actually, I never saw an 58mm that didn't.
 
No problems with yellowing on mine. I have an old Pentax SMC Takumar that has that issue, but not my Rokkor.
 
Clayton Burkhart said:
The 250.xxx series is legendary.
Click to expand...

Yup that's mine. Considering getting a 35 and 85 to match. I do a lot of interviews. I'm getting the mounts changed though. To M42 probably, and then I'll throw an All-Star adapter on them.
 
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