50mm manual focus lens for X Pro1?

Started 4 months ago | Discussion thread
Al Valentino
Senior MemberPosts: 1,487
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Re: 50mm manual focus lens for X Pro1?
In reply to Fenwoodian, 4 months ago

Fenwoodian wrote:

Al Valentino wrote:

Fenwoodian wrote:

I have tried a couple of the manual 50mm Nikkor lenses on my XP1 and found them to be "so so". They didn't compare with the Fuji glass. I did try Zeiss ZF lenses on my XP1. They were good, better than the Nikkors, but I'd rate them slightly below Fuji glass.

However, I do have the Minolta MC Rokkor 58mm f/1.2 lens on a Minolta/Fuji X adapter. Here's my comments on it:

1. The glass on this old lens has yellowed. I hear that this is fairly common. When shooting color, the yellow cast makes the colors look horrible. I suppose that if I were to fool around with different white balance settings or the hue in PhotoShop I might be able to correct it, but why bother when Fuji X lenses produce that special "delicious" Fuji color. So, I never shoot the Minolta using the color profiles.

2. Black and White photos from this lens are exceptional - bordering on world class! Paired with the X sensor, I have yet to see any black and white images that can top this combination. First, as you may have read, the Bokeh of the 58 Minolta f/1.2 lens is world class. Second, (and not so strange when you think about it) I believe that the yellow tinted glass from aging actually acts like a mild yellow black and white filter and actually enhances the sharpness and micro contrast of the images!

So, if you want a black and white only lens that in my opinion produces black and white images that are even better than Fuji X glass, buy the Minolta 58mm f/1.2 lens.

Apreciate the commensts on this lens. Kind of surprised that the auto white balance would not compensate for yellowed glass as the effect would be similiar to a yellowish light source. Regrading the potential virtue as a yellow filter for BW, theoretically that is not possible as a colored filter would only serve that purpose using BW film or a monochrome sensor like the new Leica Monochorome camera to brighten the color of filter and darken the oppsing color, blue, to create contrast. Either way, nice to know there is a inexpensive lens that does BW really well. I know my nikon f/1.8 E lenses is not fantastic but its was cheap and fills a gap.

Al, I'm no scientist, just a serious amateur photographer with 30 years of experience who knows what he likes. I'm sure that you are correct regarding your technical comments about the impact of the yellowed glass on my images.

But the bottom line to me is that for whatever reason color photos taken with the Minolta 58mm lens on the XP1 look absolutely horrible to the point of being completely unusable; while the black and white images it produces with my XP1 camera are terrific and make me smile and want to super glue this lens onto my camera.

P.S. The Minolta 58mm f/1.2 lens is somewhat rare and very much in demand these days for use on mirrorless cameras. A good copy will cost $700 - $800 on ebay, not an inexpensive lens.

Theory is one thing but I never argue to actual experience, especially 30 year. If that is the result you are getting with that lens, then that's that

Edited 4 months ago by Al Valentino
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