The Pentax SMC 4/100 Macro is a small and affordable macro lens from the 70’s. In this review I check if it can still deliver on today’s 24 Megapixel Sony a7.
Sample Images
f/5.6
Review: smc Pentax-M Macro 1:4 100mm
Minolta MC / MD Macro Rokkor 100mm 1:3.5 – Review
Minolta MD 3.5/100 Macro – Specifications
Diameter: 75mm
Length: 89mm
Filter Thread: 55mm
Weight: 600g
Max. Magnification : 1:2
Close Focusing Distance (from the sensor/from the front of the lens): 45cm /27cm
Number of aperture blades: 6
Elements/ Groups: 5/4
Price: (February 2015): 90-150€ in good condition at ebay.de or $110-170 at ebay.com (affiliate links)
i want to thank Marc for borrowing me the lens to write this review!
Image Samples in low resolution
Continue reading Minolta MC / MD Macro Rokkor 100mm 1:3.5 – Review
Minolta MC Tele Rokkor 100mm 1:2.5 – Review
Despite it’s age of more than 45 years the Minolta MC 2.5/100 is a very good lens with great built quality and bokeh for a very affordable price.
Sample Images
Continue reading Minolta MC Tele Rokkor 100mm 1:2.5 – Review
Defects in Manual Lenses and lens buying advice
This blog is mostly about manual lenses which are usually 30 to 50 years old. And while most of them are surprisingly reliable the are a few things you should check before or after buying a lens.
This checklist is based on the experience I gained from buying more than a hundred lenses since I discovered how much fun it is to use them on Sony’s Alpha cameras.
If you have additional info about a defect not listed or disagree with my assessment please leave a comment!
Scratches on the lenses
Use a large light source like a window and place the lens between you and the light so that you can see the colorful coating of the lens.
Scratches are seldom a problem in the real world but they lower the resale value of a lens. In theory they could reduce the contrast of a lens or cause some flare but I have never seen that happen.
You can’t really do anything to restore coatings but it sometimes makes sense to fill larger scratches with black paint to avoid light scattering.
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Test: $20 Minolta MC 1.7/55 vs $1000 Zeiss 1.8/55
In this comparison I want to compare two very different lenses.
The Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 55mm 1:1.7 was introduced in 1968 and it was always an affordable lens. Today it usually sells for around $20 at ebay.com (affiliate link).
I like it because it has very nice bokeh, the nice focusing feel and the small size. I is not one of my sharpest manual lenses, the Canon FD 1.4/50 for example is noticeably sharper but it has very nice character, not far away from the much heavier and more expensive Minolta MC 1.2/58.
The Sony FE 1.8/55 ZA was introduced 45 years later in 2013 and it costs around $1000 or 50 times as much as the Minolta. It has received very positive reviews and is considered to be one of the best normal lenses available today.
The question I try to answer with this test is: How different are the results I can expect from the lenses? I will look at smaller images optimized for the web but also at 100% crops to judge print quality.
All images are developed from raw and I used a tripod unless I mention otherwise. Please click on them to see them in full size (1500px wide).
Scene 1: Bokeh and Sharpness in the center wide open
The same settings applied to the image taken with the Minolta 1.7/55
Continue reading Test: $20 Minolta MC 1.7/55 vs $1000 Zeiss 1.8/55