@andres could you explain which of the 24mm are the ones to go for? the Minolta MD W. Rokkor 24mm F2.8? osawa? mc? did you have any experience with the minolta 16mm and 24mm on the gh2?
The Minolta 24mm F 2.8 is a great lens, very sharp. The 35-70mm zoom is fantastic too, very close to primes in IQ and constant aperture (by mechanically adjusting while it's zoomed!). You may call Minoltas 'poor man's Leicas', since they are so close in philosophy. MCs are good too, but a tad more prone to flare, most MDs have improved coating.
@jimtreats: Leica-Rs are completely different from Leica-Ms. The latter are quite small, it's hard to get any FF attached and they'll only fit µFT, NEX or the like. Leica-Rs are much longer, anything below 50mm is retro-focus and, sorry @andres, some breathe quite a bit. The faster ones are getting very expensive, since folks are hunting them down to get them cinefied. Understandable, given the price of new PL-mount Leica lenses…
BTW, the prices from meister-camera look quite reasonable, given the crazy offers in the bay. But compare Minoltas too.
Think Minolta (or was it Sigma?) was commissioned by Leica in the 80s to produce a few zoom lenses, most noticeably the 28-85mm. So the joke that Minolta being a poor man's Leica is ironic. When you carry a Minolta, at least you know you're using the real thing. Some people dun even realise that the 28-85 Leica R is a rebadge
Sure it's ironic, and I don't subscribe to the rumor that they were tested to higher standards. Leica is good glass, without a doubt, but you are name buying too. I could never afford the pretty collection of Minoltas I own if Leica or Zeiss were written on them.
BTW, most Zeiss lenses for the Contax/Yashica mount are still cheaper than their Leica counterparts and they are no slouch either. If you need a name ;-)
Absolutely, that's why I'm sticking with all Zeiss lenses. Selling my last Leica R lens, the Angenieux 45-90mm f2.8. No doubt it's vintage year, plus the fact it was the first Leica zoom in history, farmed out to Angenieux only because Leica didn't hv the technical knowhow at that time, i still much prefer Zeiss colours on digital.
@nomad thanks for your infos, the 24mm f2.5 is a different cup of tea? I can get it for cheap... Is this one "the one" 24mm 2.8 MD? http://www.ebay.de/itm/Minolta-MD-2-8-24mm-Weitwinkel-E-55-/400331635710?pt=DE_Foto_Camcorder_Objektive&hash=item5d359ffbfe#ht_1090wt_1182
I have the LEICA ELMAR 50mm f/2.8. Still have not tested it on a digital camera but on 35mm it's an excellent lens. Portability is a plus. I think you can get it quite cheap.
@gameb That is a 24mm 2.8 and it's good. There never was a 24mm 2.5 to my knowledge.
Another one is at about 22 € right now, but four days to go…
@nomad thanks, here is a minolta 24mm 2.5: http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_nkw=minolta+24+2.8+md&_sacat=0&_odkw=minolta+24+2.8&_osacat=0&_from=R40
There is one made by Tamron, not by Minolta.
@nomad sorry, here is the right link to the 2.5 by Minolta, I also had it in my hand at my local dealer, its bigger than the 2.8, don't know if this has anything to do with Leica...: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Minolta-MD-Mount-24mm-F2-5-Wide-Angle-Lens-by-Quantaray-Very-Clean-Condition-/271077928514?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item3f1d80ee42#ht_3899wt_1107
It's not by Minolta, it's stated clearly: "Minolta MD Mount 24mm F2.5 Wide Angle Lens by Quantaray".
Never heard of that brand…
@nomad you are totally right, sorry, that was a mistake. But the one in the shop was a Minolta 28mm 2.5 and here is the link to a review: http://www.d2gallery.com/cameras/minolta_w-rokkor-si_28f25.html
Yes, the 28mm 1:2.5 is known, but it's an older design with radioactive glass and prone to yellowing. Rather get the newer 28mm 1:2.8, it's better.
@andres do you think this is a good buy? The lens has a very small nick in the front element. I have the chance to get it at a lower price than the one listed.
was the Minolta 28mm F2 also cloned by Leica? Anybody has experience with this lens?
No, it was not sold in Leica version AFAIK. But it's a great lens. At 2.8 it's better than the 28mm 2.8 wide open.
When I got a 2.0 for a decent price, I sold my 2.8.
Another fantastic lens in that class is the Zeiss Contax 28mm 1:2.8, you can still find it for less than 300 €, maybe 250 if you are lucky. The Zeiss 2.0 OTOH is massively overpriced.
which one do you prefer, 24/2.8 or 28/2.0?
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