Review of the Minolta AF 50mm f / 1.7 for Radozhiva prepared Sergey Dorodnykh (https://vk.com/morphinephotography).
Minolta AF 50mm f / 1.7
Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 - a lens with a fixed focal length and maximum aperture f / 1.7, manufactured from 1985 to 1990. (In 1990, it was replaced by a slightly improved version with the RS index, produced until 2006)
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
It has a Minolta A mount, suitable for Sony A DSLR cameras. The lens does not have its own AF motor, so focusing is carried out from the built-in motor in the camera. Focusing is fast, but quite noisy and sometimes a little shaky.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
The body is assembled quite efficiently and firmly from plastic and metal, the bayonet is metal, there is no rubber seal. There is a window for distance scales. AF / MF switch - missing. A small bonus - a built-in hood!
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Specifications:
- Focal Length 50mm
- Equivalent focal length (for APS-C) 75 mm
- Optical design: 6 elements in 5 groups
- Field of view: 47 degrees (32 degrees on APS-C cameras)
- Number of aperture blades 7, unrounded
- Minimum focusing distance: 0,45 m
- Maximum magnification: 0,15x
- Filter Diameter: 49 mm
- Minimum Aperture: f / 22
- Dimensions (diameter * length): 65 * 39 mm
- Weight: 186 gram
- Hood: integrated, retractable
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
I used this copy for about a year in conjunction with the full-frame Sony a850 and I can describe my impressions. (I did not test on cameras with APS-C)
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
The first thing to note is the lack of sharpness further from the center of the frame when shooting at f / 1.7. If you decide to shoot a half-length portrait of three people, then be prepared that only the face of the person in the center will be clear. With a full-height portrait, the situation is the same, the sharpness will be somewhere in the center, the legs and face of the person will suffer from a lack of detail. Plus, vignetting is added to this, quite strong, but this is inherent in many high-aperture fixes. The situation in detail and vignetting improves at f / 2, but at f / 2.8 it becomes very good, at f / 5.6 it is excellent.
Chromatic aberrations appear on contrasting objects, most often blue and green, do not deliver any special inconvenience and are easily edited in editors.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Minolta AF 50 f / 1.7 does not like the office light - glare appears, but the strongest drop in contrast in the picture interferes most of all. In the photo below, I give an example of the failure of the lens in backlight. The image was processed in Capture One Pro using local masks. With such results, it will not be possible to process photos in batches, since each one has to be approached individually and worked out in detail in order to save it.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Bokeh is not for everybody. You need to carefully select the background if you like soft unobtrusive bokeh, in other cases you will most likely see ghosting of contrasting objects and their hard borders. But sometimes you get just amazing pictures with a very pleasant background blur.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Distortion, surprisingly, does not rush into the eyes and does not spoil portrait shots, although it is present.
All photos are displayed in Capture One Pro without any corrections.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Pros:
- Small size and weight.
- High-quality assembly.
- Minor chromatic aberration.
- Low price in the secondary market.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Cons:
- Lack of detail on the open aperture at the edges of the frame.
- Strong enough vignetting in the open.
- Poor backlit performance.
Sample photo on a Minolta MAXXUM AF 50 F1.7 lens
Source files in 'RAW' format can be download from this link.
Conclusion:
Minolta AF 50 f / 1.7 - will not impress you with optical quality, but will like its low price. The lens is suitable for amateur photographers and enthusiasts who are not involved in commercial photography. But there are not so many autofocus lenses for a full frame in the Sony / Minolta system, at a price of less than $ 100, so I think every budget amateur should try this lens, perhaps you will like it and leave it in your arsenal forever.
The review was prepared by Sergey Dorodnykh specially for the site Radojuva.com.ua
and in the last photo with the bride - is it before and after processing?
The last photo shows an example of a backlit photo taken in a light backlight. That is, an example of how weakly this lens holds the light in the office, and how much work needs to be done to save the picture from being removed to the “basket”))
I had to write with what Minolta is compared in the last picture
Christmas tree sticks with itself. Before and after Photoshop.
And so, all the pictures in the article without any processing.
Thanks for the review. It was nice to read.
Thank you
How impressive! What is a "plastun". And the girls are stunning!
Thanks for the review. Everything is brief and clear.
At one time I bought one for $ 35 to understand what aperture is. The build quality is impressive - just a "monolith". Left in the "arsenal" because of the small size and convenience of working with macro rings. And there is no way to sell its benefits - the price is cheap.
I think it makes no sense to buy a native plastic Sony DT 50mm F1.8, while the secondary market is full of Minolta 50 / 1.7.
For cropped portraits, the 35-70mm F4 turned out to be better "loaded" to the 70-210mm F4. But that's a completely different story.
Objective what you need! The problem is that Nikon does not stand up, and Sony does not release DSLRs.
Sony got plenty of DSLRs.
Sony to this day produces SLT-cameras (A58, 77-2, 68-soon, 99), and this is a very SLR (IMHO). Bayonet A, of course, very slowly and reluctantly, but updated.
“Sony doesn’t make DSLRs”
Is it true???!
What does he do? the last one was announced 8 years ago (α99 II)
I also liked the photos from the review. Just super!
nice colors in the 850s ...
Quite a nice and plastic picture :)
thanks for the review, just let's stick to the template from the joyful in terms of the frame under the photo please)
And what's wrong with the frame? So even prettier as for me
There is a standard set by Arkady, let's stick to it.
"Standard" - according to GOST, or what? ))
As a person did, it is, fits into the general concept of the BLOG, Arkady missed it, so everything is ok.
When you write your review, you can strictly follow the "standard")
And what does not suit you? The shooting data is imprinted, the authorship and the website are there, the camera + lens is. Everything is ok, everything is readable.
answered above
Author, demand more reviews on Minolta AF & Sony A! The owners of these systems will be very grateful.
It’s not difficult for me to get a couple of reviews yet, although I don’t know how to write beautifully, I just want to share the experience of owning a full-frame Sony system. Arkady does not seem to mind)
Kalyakayut, Kalyakay will be happy. Yes, if with frames
The system has riveted a lot of good stuff. “Macro-weaving”, “baby”, “bank”, “big bank”, “old man”. All this is the legendary legacy of Minolta, and sin will not share it with the people)
I also advise you to read the review of another beautiful lens from Sony
https://radojuva.com.ua/2016/02/sony-85mm-f-2-8-sam-sal85f28/
The frames are made in a very stylish way, so it seems to me now, in general, every review should be designed like this
Well, if only Ilyas will not be capricious.))
“Standard” frames are hard to read, but these are stylish and functional, I liked the review but the frames are bigger :)
Poor review to do the framework?))
next *
By the way, about the double X in the inscription MAXXUM. On my XX lens as a double cross (Crossed XX). I heard that there was some difference with just XX. You did not deal with this?
And the lens is nice. Like the baby - from the category of mast have. And it is described quite correctly. The bokeh is really harsh ..
Minolta Maxxum Crossed XX - the first lenses of the Minolya AF system (1985-86). This marking (crossed letters XX) did not last long, since the American Exxon, which already used the same crossed letters XX, filed a lawsuit against Minolta. The company was forced to change the name (labeling).
Nowadays, Maxxum Crossed XX are COLLECTIVE due to their small quantity and exceptional workmanship (metal parts were used with crossed Xs, as well as watch bronze, for example, in the diaphragm control mechanism).
The cost of "crossed" ones is at least 2-3 times more than the standard ones.
More likely one and a half times the price is higher. Personally, I would not overpay.
> Minolta Maxxum Crossed XX - the first lenses of the Minolya AF system (1985-86).
Not certainly in that way.
The presence of crossed Xs in the name only indicates that the lens was produced in 1985, before the lawsuit with Exxon, and was put on the US market.
> and exceptional workmanship
Yes, they do not differ in anything except the front ring with the name, all of them were made in one production. It’s just for the USA they went under the Minolta Maxxum brand, for the rest of the countries it was just like Minolta AF, and in 1985 they all came with a metal helicoid, which later, as production was optimized, was replaced with ABS plastic.
Thanks to the author for the review. Little, but in essence. Only “office” I advise you to write “counter”. Reviews of the Sony A system are really not enough, so if you have something to share, share.
Thanks for the feedback. And I apologize for the errors)
Great review, Sergey!
I read it with pleasure. When I chose a DSLR, I also thought about Sony, including, precisely because the worthy legacy of Minolta is very much in demand.
Thank you!
Very beautiful photos in the review.
Thank you!
The objective is more afraid of anything against a backlight hike ...
A little even a hint of backlight and glass no ..
I used this lens on a crop, only positive impressions remained. In terms of image quality, it has no equal in this price category, Kenon Nikon has 50 1,8 of them on the sidelines. It has, in my opinion, “oily” bokeh. From Minolt I had Minolta AF 24 f2.8, Minolta AF f28 2.8, Minolta AF 50 f1.7, Minolta AF 35-70 f4, Minolta AF 50 2.8 macro. Sony and he is faced with the choice of lenses, I would recommend this lens as a “must have”. The only thing is that the restyled version of RS is a little better.
Tell someone about the difference between the Minolta MD 50 mm f / 1.7 (MAXXUM and ROKKOR)
Minolta MD 50 mm F / 1.7 was released under another earlier non-autofocus mount and has a rear section of 43.5 mm, which excludes its installation on modern DSLRs without significant alteration. Optical design plus or minus the same.
Hello
So which version will be better
With baptized xx simple or rs?
And the rs index is somewhere on the lens itself
In the middle of the article, photos of the right-wing travelers are shown (navigate f5)
A. Dumb. There I conceived ..
Thank you very much for the information, very succinctly and in the case, I found out everything I wanted
Good day! Tell me please, is it worth taking Sony 50mm 1.8 dt sam or not to steam and take Minolta 50mm 1.7? Do they have a big difference in quality? I will be very grateful for the detailed answer! :)
I would advise everyone to take the Sony SAM, since being the owner of this minolta I can say that it holds back light very weakly and the detailing at full open really suffers greatly, with F 2.2 - 2.5 already more or less + quite serious chromatic aberrations. Sony 50 does not have these problems, as I understand it. And MDF 35 mm, against 45 in minolta
Plus minoltas except that in that it will stand on full-frame cameras, and Sony 50, only for crop.
Sony is more correct and sharp in the open, Minolta 50mm 1.7 seems to me more interesting. They are different. Look at examples on the net from these glasses, what you like more and take it.
Dabbled in such recently.
I liked how to make a fool