Minolta Md Tele Rokkor X 100mm 25 Lens Review

Review of Minolta MD 100/2.5 on APSC

Rod McD • Veteran Fellow member • Posts: seven,916

Review of Minolta MD 100/2.five on APSC

Jun 24, 2017

2

Hi,

This is a review of the legacy Minolta Doctor 100mm f2.5 lens on APSC.  (I use a Fuji XT1.)   The lens is the final MF lens (Version III) before Minolta went AF. I originally posted a version of this in the Fuji forum a few days ago, which had comments that were more Fuji oriented - referring alternative lens options, etc.  I've edited this to exist a chip more generic.

The Short Version.....

If you would like something smaller, lighter and faster than OEM AF zooms, lighter than AF primes, and cheaper than whatever of them, you could consider adapting a short tele prime. If that appeals, the Minolta 100mm f2.v is IMO an excellent selection. Information technology'due south well fabricated, small and lite for the FL, and offers great IQ.  There are images of the lens below and I'll postal service images from information technology in a reply post.

The Long Version........

I savour having a small tele lens a step longer from standard zooms and primes. I sometimes like a longer FL to reach or isolate subjects like long landscapes, animals, flowers, performers, musicians, perhaps the odd architectural detail, etc.

I'd already experimented with a handful of legacy brusque  teles over the last few years, just constitute most wanting for a variety of IQ-related reasons - commonly wide-open up performance and CAs. A recent back injury atomic number 82 me to rekindle the search for a pocket-sized, low-cal, fast lens – faster than f2.viii - and I decided to endeavour an Dr. 85/2 or 100/2.5. I won a mint 100mm start. I'one thousand enjoying the lens - it seems to 'tick the boxes' (for me at least).

Build Quality…..

Information technology'due south a typical late-MF picture show lens – metal with a rubber focusing grip. The build quality is fine. And it has the much needed discontinuity band. The specs.....

• 100mm f2.5, 5/v optical design, manual focus, and multi-coated
• Diaphragm : vi blades
• MFD : 1.0m
• Filters : 49mm
• Length : 65mm
• Weight : 300g, 375g on my Kipon adapter
• Congenital-in two-phase telescopic lens hood.

Image Quality.....

The lens is sharp. It'south usable broad-open up. It's sharper from f4 and and then quite an even performer through the apertures. On APSC, yous're taking the FF sweet-spot, and so if you're a lover of cross-frame sharpness, you get information technology.  It gets a plus from me for its relatively low level of CAs. In that location is some color fringing (PF) in extreme contrast situations at f2.5 – eg on trees with intensely bright cloud behind them. On subjects with a more normal level of reflected contrast, the CA's are low. There are a few traces at f4, and it's gone at smaller apertures. In most uses, color fringing is simply not an issue. Vignetting and baloney are low. The bokeh as well seems fine to me, but that'southward subjective.

If the lens has a weakness, information technology's flare. You get veiling, ghosts and other furnishings if the sunday gets to the forepart element. Film-era short fast teles just aren't a flare-resistant genre. At least there's a decent hood right at hand. Look elsewhere if your goals include a lot of into-the-sunday work and sun-included images. C'est la vie

If yous desire extra magnification, you can get it with the usual accessories - an extension tube or CU lenses. For the tape, it gives almost 1:3 with a 16mm tube and double that (1:1.five) with a Canon 250D CU lens. Its macro images are very good.

There are additional benefits not available with all of my Fuji OEM lenses.

• It works well on my Fuji ane.4X TC mounted behind the adapter to requite a 140/iii.5 with negligible loss in IQ. This may exist viable with TCs in other systems too.
• I read that it also works well on a speed booster to give a seventy/1.7. I don't own one, just that FL would certainly be handy….

Value is subjective, just I think the US$177 I paid for a mint one was excellent. They vary widely in price, but are normally dearer. If you lot're interested, they trickle slowly onto e-Bay. Expect for the 49mm filter size to distinguish the MD III from earlier models. Exist enlightened that they seem to sell quickly. Perhaps it'southward the reputation, maybe the more recent aesthetic, or peradventure it's their smaller size that appeals to mirror-less users.

Images of the Doctor 100/two.5 below. I'll post images from the lens in a reply mail.

Hope this is useful to someone. Anyone.

Regards,

Rod

The MD 100/2.5 (eight) in my big paw

View: original size

With the two stage telescopic hood extended. Why don't manufacturers still fit these on longer FL lenses? They're right where yous want them, when you lot want them and store invisibly on the lens. You tin can't fumble them, drop them or forget them. Perfect.

View: original size

On the XT1. A good balance on the camera.

View: original size

Canon PowerShot G1 Ten Olympus Tough TG-4 Fujifilm X-T4 Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 APO-Lanthar SL 2 Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +18 more

OP Rod McD • Veteran Member • Posts: vii,916

Re: Review of Minolta Dr. 100/2.5 on APSC

In respond to Rod McD • Jun 24, 2017

Hi,

These images are from the XT1 and Minolta MD 100/2.5 and are total size jpegs SOOC - so no editing or corrections past me except where cropping has been indicated. They're just a range of subjects I've taken around where I live to try the lens out in contempo weeks. FYI. I hope they give an thought of its capabilities. I'm very pleased with it.

Regards, Rod

A portrait..... A 100mm (150mm FF equiv) is a more often than not bit long for portraits on APSC but it has its place. This was shot wide open up at f2.5 at a range of about 5-6 metres. It has been cropped.

View: original size

A long mural. This epitome was shot on low contrast wintertime afternoon with the sun backside the clouds and the hill to the rear. Yet the lens has caught enough of particular in the copse and y'all can even make out the tread in the soles of the shoes of the man reclining on the backyard. Dandy for a thirty year old lens.

View: original size

A flake closer in..... Sorry, the heron flew off, just these reeds prove both the lens's cross frame sharpness and its lack of CAs. As does the skylight through the trees. I've tried other legacy tele lenses in this location and they haven't done as well.

View: original size

This black swan was more than bold.......

View: original size

A 100mm is overnice to pick out architectural details.

View: original size

Or a flower.

View: original size

Information technology performs well with the Fuji ane.4X TC. You put the TC backside the adapter with the protruding front elements upwardly inside the adapter. The Australian Sacred Ibis - posted before.

View: original size

I too gives pretty crisp images with the Fuji extension tubes. From the Australian $50 note.

View: original size

Canon PowerShot G1 X Olympus Tough TG-4 Fujifilm Ten-T4 Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 APO-Lanthar SL II Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +18 more

Belgarchi • Senior Fellow member • Posts: two,492

Re: Review of Minolta Doc 100/ii.5 on APSC

In answer to Rod McD • Jun 25, 2017

Yes, a superb lens. The 85/2.0 is too excellent, and fully usable at full discontinuity.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300 Leica D-Lux 7 Olympus PEN-F Pentax KP Fujifilm X-T3 +109 more than

Becksvart • Contributing Member • Posts: 875

Re: Review of Minolta MD 100/two.5 on APSC

In reply to Rod McD • Jun 25, 2017

Thanks for the review. I have the prior version (Doctor-II) that I quite like. Since I'm on the lookout for a 100mmish macro option I've ordered the Catechism 250D thanks to you (and a step-down ring) so we'll see how that fits (Used to have a Raynox DCR-250 then I'm a chip familiar with the challenges involved).

One thing to note is a matter Phillip Reeve oft harps (justifyibly so) on, which is those half-dozen aperture blades and bokeh highlights when stopped down.

OP Rod McD • Veteran Member • Posts: 7,916

Re: Review of Minolta MD 100/2.five on APSC

Hi,

Yes I read the Phillip Reeve reviews. He's generally very free about the lens. I agree most the bokeh, though I know information technology's subjective. It isn't i of those really stellar bokeh lenses, but to me it's better than some, and acceptably smooth and not-agonizing plenty to alive with for it's other benefits. (The bokeh in the offset photo with the leaves and branches would have been a challenge to any lens.)

I don't know what the alternative pocket-sized and light tele would be (in the region of 100mm) if you're a bokeh connoisseur..... Phillip Reeve and a number of other writers reckon the Md 85/2 isn't as good in a bokeh sense, despite beingness faster. All the 85/i.ii & one.4s and 135/2s are massive. I oasis't tried the Canon FD 100/2, which gets good reviews. Information technology has an eight blade diaphragm, and is both dearer and heavier (at 440g). And then there'southward the dux of adjusted lenses, the Zeiss 100/2, which is heavier once more (at 660g) and a lot dearer than the superb current Fuji 90/2 AF lens, and and then makes no sense from either a calorie-free-weight or economic perspective.

I recall I'll stick with the MD 100/ii.5 - it's a skilful all-rounder and affordable. If I was making a living every day from portraits and weddings I'd simply buy the Fuji 90/ii. As it is, I'yard an occasional user of the FL and an adjusted solution ticks the boxes.

Cheers, Rod

Canon PowerShot G1 10 Olympus Tough TG-4 Fujifilm 10-T4 Voigtlander 90mm F3.5 APO-Lanthar SL II Fujifilm XF 35mm F1.4 R +18 more

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