I won a bid on MINOLTA MC ROKKOR 1:1.2 f=58mm lens with the No. 2768478 from ebay.in for Rs.10,000 plus Rs.450 Shipping fee. The price of the lens is on the expensive side (for me). This is the fastest lens that I have had or even used till date and also it will be my 4th 58mm lens after the 3 HELIOS lens that I have. Pretty much excited about it.
I picked it up from the courier service- Bluedarth this evening and it was only a while ago that I could test it so here are few of the test photos with the photo of the lens.
I have used my cousin- Hukpi and my big Barbie as models.
MINOLTA MC ROKKOR 1:1.2 f=58mm under the light for inspection. It had few fungus marks on the rear side of the lens but it doesn't show even in small aperture so I am happy with the lens.
***Tips: When buying old/ used lens, inspect it under strong light and see through it or if there are no natural light then lit a torchlight through it and check for possible fungus, dust and scratches. Usually small scratches and even few dust and fungus marks doesn't affect the photo quality but look out for the major damage which may soften the image.
Taken with Canon 40D and Super-Takumar 50mm f/1.4 lens. ISO-200, Exposure time 2.5 Sec, Aperture- f/8 with a macro tube. MINOLTA MC ROKKOR 1:1.2 f=58mm on Olympus E-Pl2. The lens is large and stands out but like other Minolta Manual lens, it is built well and looks good.
ISO- 400, 1/2sec, f/1.2, pattern metering.
Hukpi, my 10 yrs old cousin. Taken in the widest aperture f/1.2, I am not dissapointed. It was taken in very low light situation, handheld and for me it is quite sharp enough.
ISO-200, 2sec, +1 step, pattern metering, f/1.2. Set on a tripod.
Barbie under the distant street light.
ISO-200, 1.6sec, +1 step, pattern metering, f/1.2. Set on a tripod.
ISO-200, 0.6sec, +1 step, pattern metering, f/1.2. Set on a tripod.
ISO-200, 2.5sec, +1 step, pattern metering, f/1.2. Set on a tripod.
ISO-200, 1.6sec, +0.7 step, pattern metering, f/1.2. Set on a tripod.
ISO-200, 4sec, +0.3 step, pattern metering, f/2.8. Set on a tripod. Here, I decreased the aperture to f/2.8. One can see the polygonal bokeh pattern behind because of the 8 bladed diaphragm.
ISO-200, 1.6sec, +0.3 step, pattern metering, f/1.4 Set on a tripod.
ISO-200, 2.5sec, +0.3 step, pattern metering, f/8. Set on a tripod. It is a sharp lens at all the apertures.
Seen here is a Yashica 35 GSN, a common, affordable and very popular rangefinder camera with a telephoto and wideangle converter filters.
*Note: All the photos were shot in JPEG and re-sized to a smaller size in Photoshop to share online since my net is slow and also contrast +5 added in PS4. Otherwise no other editing/ post processing done.
I have not extensively tried the lens but after testing it today, I am very happy with the lens. It is sharp at all apertures. Worth the money and the hype.
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24.08.2013, Saturday
I went out and clicked few more trials in daylight at the widest aperture f/1.2.
The lens and sharp and I am happy. Best thing about the lens is at all aperture values the exposure value is not compensated but at f/8, f/11 and f/16 I see change in the white balance which can easily solved with manual white balance (not shown in the photos).