minolta 58 mm f1.2 mc rokkor

[iori77]

plz i tried googling it but cant seem to find the core of this thing

what i understood is that is old minolta lens that doesnt auto focus on sony bodies
and need an adapter to work
any info i am missing

so is this a good buy or what

i have a one infront of me for 300 dollar or less
is it better than sigma 50mm 1.4

 

[RussAdams]

plz i tried googling it but cant seem to find the core of this thing

what i understood is that is old minolta lens that doesnt auto focus on sony bodies
and need an adapter to work
any info i am missing

so is this a good buy or what

i have a one infront of me for 300 dollar or less
is it better than sigma 50mm 1.4

That is a great lens. BUT.

You would ideally want to convert it to a Minolta/Sony AF mount. How are your 'tinkering' skills? It's a fairly involved process.

You could also use an adapter with an additional lens in the adapter. But then you lose what makes the lens great.

Check out this site on what's involved in converting:

http://www.pbase.com/pganzel/modification_of__58mm_f12_rokkor

Note that chipped adapters are available on eBay that could give you focus information. Won't give you AF nor will it give the correct aperture settings. It will still remain a manual lens.

Check out this site that compares several Rokkor 50-something lenses and gives samples of photos with the Rokkor 58 1.2:

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Battle%20of%2050s1.htm

Good luck and check back and let us know if you did it and were successful!

I'd LOVE to have a 58 1.2! Would make a terrific portrait lens.

Russ

 

[linhn]

Yes this is manual focus and aperture control only. The lens can be converted for the alpha mount but it requires special work because the required flange distance is actually less or very close to native alphas. You can buy a glassless adapter but it will not support focus to infinity. There are adapters with a glass element that supports infinity focus but then the quality is degraded. You can google Pete Ganzel... He has machined a special mount that can be fitted but personally I would not recommend the bother.

 

[cyainparadise]

When I bought my first Minolta in 1967, the 58mm f/1.2 was my first lens. I love it.

However, to use it on the AF Alpha bodies, you lose too much. Better if you use it on the NEX body, as you don't need to use an adapter that adds additional elements to achieve infinity focus.

 

[aksockeye]

I love the one I have. Does it really work on the NEX W/O coupling? I just dont use my SRT101 anymore.

 

[cyainparadise]

You can buy an adapter to fit the lens to the NEX bodies, and still retain infinity focusing. However, you'll have to use the lens in stop down mode.

 

[nemist]

I am very curious if Sony will put out a 50/52/58 f1.2 lens sometime again. Rumors on both Sony and Nikon rumors about 1.2s, but just formulas patents and such...anyone think Sony will put out a AF 1.2?

 

[iori77]

so do u think if its cheaper than the sigma 1.4 its a better buy

another thing the operation to transform the lens to af , can it be done by anyone , can i do ot for example

 

[Graham Best]

so do u think if its cheaper than the sigma 1.4 its a better buy

another thing the operation to transform the lens to af , can it be done by anyone , can i do ot for example

You can change the mount, or use an adapter, but the lens will remain manual focus no matter what you (or anyone else) does.

If you're looking for a cheap 50mm, try the Minolta 50mm f/1.7 or the new Sony 50mm f/1.8

Graham

 

[RussAdams]

so is this a good buy or what

i have a one infront of me for 300 dollar or less
is it better than sigma 50mm 1.4

There are currently 12 of these lenses on eBay completed listings that sold from a range of 313USD to 535USD in the original mounts. One nikon remount sold for 675USD and one Canon remount for 625USD.

A 13th one was a complete steal and the seller buried the lens along with 2 other lenses and an SRT101. In a classic example of how NOT to do a successful eBay auction:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MINOLTA-SRT-101-SRT101-CAMERA-ROKKOR-1-1-2-58-MM-LENS-/250887188301?pt=Film_Cameras&hash=item3a6a0aaf4d

Just a PAINFUL auction price of $65.00 USD!!!

If the lens is in decent condition the market value appears to exceed $300.00 USD.

Is it better than a Sigma 50mm 1.4? Is the Sigma autofocus and/or Sony AF mount? If it's not, then the minolta is definitely better, IMO. But you will need to get it converted.

Finally, what do you want to use it for? It's a beautiful portrait lens. It's a terrible action lens, as we've all become spoiled by autofocus.

HTH.

Russ

 

[alan900]

Check out Kurt Munger's review of the Sigma:

http://kurtmunger.com/sigma_50mm_f_1_4_hsmid174.html

This is a very good lens that will work perfectly on your camera straight out of the box. I've got one - it's fine on full-frame, and its bulk is pleasingly in proportion with the bulk of the A900.

No doubt the Rokkor is a beautiful thing, but it sounds like a lot of hassle to me!

 

[iori77]

thanks guys
appreciate all replies

 

[Lord Ashbury]

I own and

use this as my main work lens. I was able to secure an original issue copy from ebay with a retrofitted Amount in lieu of an adapter, so it is chipped for focus confirm AND focuses to infinity. Set me back about $550 and I would take it over a Sigma 85 1.4 or Zeiss 85 any day of the week if APS-C sensor noise wasn't a factor. I own several Sony lenses and one other Minolta, and I don't care that it's manual because the colour tone/bokeh it produces is just outstanding. On the 50 1/4 for instance, the bokeh is smooth, but with the Rokkor PG it's buttery. Backgrounds defocused don't look like blurs, they look like painted backdrops. About the only thing that you miss is the auto meter (which can sometimes be a pain) and granted, it is not as sharp as the Zeiss, and perhaps not even the Sigma (I would guess that of all of the 85s you can put on a Sony, it is indeed the softest, even though technically it's a 58 and not an 85). But I can attest that if you shoot in RAW, this is not a problem.
Here's an example of my work http://lordashbury.com

 

[RandyPD]

I don't think the seller even had an idea on the value of the lens, lol.

 

[jakobr]

I have one that is converted from alpha mount (manual fokus on A900).

I use it for Nex7 using the alphamount adapter.

I like it a lot, but the value is F1.2 and fullframe. Else the 50F1.4 (I have the minolta version), will be a better fit.

So it is for the love of F1.2 and exceptionel Bokeh

/Jakob

 

[Lord Ashbury]

RandyPD wrote:

I don't think the seller even had an idea on the value of the lens, lol.

On ebay they typically fetch for between $600-$700 I got a slightly better deal because I agreed to do the transaction offline (which, I would highly not recommend unless you're dealing with a power seller in which case, I was). I love the 58 specifically because it functions like an 85 1.2 on an APS-C (with the correct mount, which is a critical caveat). Yes, the bokeh is phenomenal and I think possibly unmatched by anything Sony has to offer outside of the 100/2.8 and the 135/1.8 Zeiss. With focus peaking turned on I do not miss AF at all and have come up with some exceptional shots in RAW. While I'm dying for Zeiss to make an 85 1.2 (I think a ZA 50/1.2 is in the works), I'm afraid that Sony will charge north of $2000 for this kind of glass.

 

[Stflbn]

IMHO, if you're looking to use old manual A-mount lenses there is no better system than the Sony Nex. Cheap adapters without Glass elements. IMHO it's just not worth using them on A-mount via adapter or conversion when the Nex is such a good platform for them.

 

[jakobr]

Stflbn wrote:

IMHO, if you're looking to use old manual A-mount lenses there is no better system than the Sony Nex. Cheap adapters without Glass elements. IMHO it's just not worth using them on A-mount via adapter or conversion when the Nex is such a good platform for them.

I general you are right (I'm using both Nex7 and A900), but the point is that F1.2 is much more attractive on fullframe that on the APS-C sensors. That is why we are hoping for a fullframe NEX (I have the Canon FD 85F1.2 waiting for that to happen)

 

[RandyPD]

They didn't call this lens the 'Bokeh King' for nothing. I had three of these lenses in the past year; two, I sold in Ebay for $600 But It Now and the third I'm keeping because its the best copy of the three. The yellow tinge (because of the radioactive contamination of Thorium) does goes away after prolonged UV exposure (aka sunlight). I will be using it on a NEX 6, which is on its way.

 

[Lord Ashbury]

jakobr wrote:

Stflbn wrote:

IMHO, if you're looking to use old manual A-mount lenses there is no better system than the Sony Nex. Cheap adapters without Glass elements. IMHO it's just not worth using them on A-mount via adapter or conversion when the Nex is such a good platform for them.

I general you are right (I'm using both Nex7 and A900), but the point is that F1.2 is much more attractive on fullframe that on the APS-C sensors. That is why we are hoping for a fullframe NEX (I have the Canon FD 85F1.2 waiting for that to happen)

The NEX system is most definitely excellent.. but with the way I shoot I need the DSLR type body. The fact that the a99 has 3 dials that you can operate simultaneously adjusting aperture, ISO and shutter is mechanical advantage for shooters like myself who prefer to stay in full manual mode. But, to not get too far off topic. I did expose my copy to lessen the yellow tinge but I did not wipe it completely out as it adds a tone to the images that's difficult to replicate in lightroom or photoshop. I love my copy and only wish it were a true 85.