Lonleyppl,
I have a Minolta MD 45mm f2. I like it wide open for central subjects and at f5.6 or so it's sharp across the frame. I saw Peire recently post some photos with it. I like the size. I don't use it often in the sun...so not sure about flare. I like it for dark scenes on a tripod (where autofocus fails - I shot my fireworks shots with it around July 4th).
Todd