Minolta MD 50mm f2 - vintage lens review
Introduced in 1981 along with the X series of
cameras, improving on the previous MC and SR systems and dropping the Rokkor
name, this Minolta MD 50mm f2 was sold as the kit lens.
According to the owner’s manual, it was one of
four 50mm for the system, along with the f1.7, 1.4 and 1.2, but it was not
available in the USA.
So, how good can a 40 years old kit lens be?
Well, you’d be surprised!
The lens is
made out of metal and plastic, it weights 155g, it is 36 to 45mm long and has
an external diameter of 63mm, with a 49mm front thread.
It has a 47 degrees angle of view and a 6 elements in 5 groups
construction.
The iris has 6 blades, the aperture is clicked and it goes from f2 to f22
with half steps.
The focusing ring is rubberized, it turns 180 degrees and minimum focusing
distance is 45cm.
Flange distance for the Minolta SR mount is 43,5mm
The f2 and f1.7 versions are almost identical;
the only difference is that the 1.7 weighs 10 grams more.
Build quality is great, there is nothing loose
or rattling, both the focusing and aperture rings are precise, easy to grip and
right where you expect them to be.
Being a lightweight lens it balances well even
on smaller mirroless bodies.
Sharpness is great even wide open and in the corners. By f8 you couldn’t
tell it apart from a modern lens.
There is almost no chromatic aberration, to the point that you really have
to be looking for to find some.
Colors are neutral but a little washed out, lacking a little saturation and
contrast.
Specular highlights have the usual hard edges and lose roundness pretty
quickly off center.
Flares are very well controlled and only appear when shooting directly into
a source of light. Ghosting has never been a problem in my time using the lens.
As I’ve said many times, cheap
standard kit lenses are not necessarily bad and this Minolta once again proves
it.
In fact, it is even better than what I was
expecting, competing on the same level with other big names of their time, like
Canon FD.
I have really enjoyed using it, both on digital
and on film with the Minolta X500 I got it with, as it is very reliable, well
built, lightweight and produces great images.
Don't forget to check the video for all the samples!
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