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 p.1 #1 · Ode to a lens - Minolta 35-70/3.5 Macro | |
So I thought I would post a small writeup for my favorite alt lens so far, the Minolta 35-70/3.5 macro, in case anyone's interested and to spread a little bit of Minolta love 
5D3_6967 by J L Smith, on Flickr
So what makes this lens so special? For me, it's the bokeh, which can be downright awesome. When used in a certain fashion, the lens can produce images hard to replicate with other lenses.
Let's get a few things out of the way -- The lens isn't small, not like an old macro prime can be. It's a bit larger and heavier than a Fuji 18-55, and extends as you approach 35mm, and then extends (from the 70mm position) again once you enter "macro" mode, which goes only up to 1:4.
Here it is sitting next to a 18-55 for comparison:
5D3_6964 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Handling of the lens is a bit tricky, because you're messing about with a focus ring, zoom ring, and macro portion of the zoom ring, which is accessed by depressing the small release button and twisting past the 70mm mark. Add in the adapter, and it can make for some strange handling, as the combo can feel a bit front-heavy.
5D3_6966 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Flare resistance? -- Forget it. I don't even know if the thing is coated at all (maybe?), but that's okay.
Sharpness -- Good stopped down a little - can be a bit tricky and ghosty at f/3.5, but that's usually at MFD, where I shoot a lot of the time.
So with all the downsides, what are the upsides?
Price - If you can find it (there are a LOT of lenses of similar designation but not the same), it's a pretty cheap lens. I think I scored mine for $50. I just checked Ebay and saw one copy for $89.
Bokeh - Yeah, there's that word again. Thing is, you have to know how to induce the bokeh on this lens --
This lens craves illuminated backgrounds, whether back-lit or not. That's essentially why it's my primary flower lens - the handling means it takes a bit longer to line up a good shot (so it's hard to catch my kids), and it wants lots of light and color 
(Taken with a NEX-5N -- flowers were horribly underexposed, thanks Sony DR!)
_DSC1737-Edit-Edit by J L Smith, on Flickr
(Another with a Sony NEX5N)
_DSC1596-Edit-2-Edit by J L Smith, on Flickr
With this lens, seemingly the busier the background, the better. Granted, post-processing can radically alter bokeh qualities, but if you're careful you can "preserve" the look.
Here's a JPEG from my XE1, with very slight brightness and contrast adjustments.
DSCF6287 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Not all is wacky, though -- some backgrounds can be very pleasing
DSCF6284 by J L Smith, on Flickr
But who the hell am I kidding? The busy backgrounds are the best with this lens. Here's one at I think f/5.6 or f/8
DSCF6780 by J L Smith, on Flickr
The particular shot above is a completely untouched JPEG from the XE1 - I really didn't know what to do to improve it.
The lens *can* be used for insects, but its working distance isn't all that great, so it takes some apathetic insects to be able to get closely (or better skills than mine, which aren't much)
DSCF6787 by J L Smith, on Flickr
More purple, without the bee
DSCF6788 by J L Smith, on Flickr
This should would normally play hell with some lenses, but I like how the minolta renders it
DSCF6795 by J L Smith, on Flickr
It's also pretty decent in non-macro settings. Here's 70mm and I think f/8
DSCF6798 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Sure you can see the straight aperture blades at play, but for some reason on this lens, it doesn't bother me
DSCF6801 by J L Smith, on Flickr
A rare bokeh-less photo from me, I wanted to see fine detail rendering - the original looks pretty darn good (f/5.6 I think)
DSCF6804 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Wider apertures and non-crazy backgrounds can produce very gentle rendering, I think these were f/3.5--
DSCF6805 by J L Smith, on Flickr
DSCF6803 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Fine-detail rendition exists, though -- This is straight from the camera JPEG with sharpening at 0 (normal), f/8 perhaps, maybe f/11 but doubtful
DSCF6809 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Another non-macro at 70mm
DSCF6810 by J L Smith, on Flickr
Probably f/8 or f/11, as the butterflies were extremely active so I was having to rush to try to get a shot and hoped the DOF would help
DSCF6837 by J L Smith, on Flickr
(not bad for ISO3200, that's a camera comment though )
DSCF6855-Edit by J L Smith, on Flickr
Wind blew this shot a bit, but I'm still happy with how it turned out
DSCF6867 by J L Smith, on Flickr
So, I'd say if you're a flower or bokeh enthusiast, it's worth a look. Also works fairly well with the Olympus OMD, especially the IBIS and the pivot LCD (I would set the IBIS to 50mm as a good compromise), but unfortunately I never got any really good shots with this lens on my OMD, guess I had parked it for a while during that time.
Thanks for reading
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