Dave Sanders
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 p.7 #4 · Introducing LA-EA5 | Mount Adaptor | Sony | Accessory | |
nehemiahphoto wrote:
Thanks for the back story—I enjoyed reading it.
I enjoyed writing it, a nice trip down memory lane! Has made me start looking for a light table so that I can start a long-delayed project of selecting and digitizing my favourite chrome shots. When I got the amazing Maxxum 7 I always used the data function and then would record the exposure info in a book. I'm quite sure the book didn't make all my subsequent moves but that would be a trip if it did!
I never shot the 28/2. I was curious about it, but after shooting the 35/2 and not being crazy about it, I decided to pass on the 28/2 as they looked similar. Things have changed quite a bit with modern optics, in particular below 35mm and wide open performance on fast lenses. Interesting though to hear all that. And the 200/4 never appealed to either.
Yes I doubt that it has aged well. We forget that even a few short decades ago the thought that a wide angle could be sharp across the frame anywhere but 3 or 4 stops down was crazy. The 28/2 was small and had a very nice look to it, especially with the films I shot. The wide lens I coveted most at the time was the Nikon 28/1.4 that a friend of mine shot and I felt that the Minolta was the closest to that and in a much smaller package.
Still, nostalgia being what it is, I might pick one up just for fun. Speaking again of lenses that share bag space...my main lens in that focal length now is the Loxia 25/2.4...I fear that Minolta will not fare well in that comparison haha.
I have owned the 85 1.4 limited twice. I did some testing comparing it to some classic 85mm’s here:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1402791
And then some more modern options like the Basis and Milvus 85 here:
https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1431311/chat.php
I personally enjoy the Minolta 85 1.4 ltd as the best 85mm ever made aside from the 75/80 Lux. Not for a technical perspective—it’s does quite well for a legacy 85, but the newest generation of glass trounces it thoroughly.
Except in the smoothness of rendering. The bokeh, and in particular, the transition zone is insanely smooth. Appreciably more than the GM 85 or Samyang 85 MF or Milvus 85 or Canon 85 1.2s (though I don’t know yet about the RF 85 1.2 DO) Of course, this comes at the expense of CA, which the most lenses handle much better, and the 85 Limited has quite a bit. Centrally the 85 ltd is sharp, but it’s not a comparison in the out 1/3 of the frame to modern options. There is a pinch of SA wide open as well, which works synergistically with the smoothness of bokeh and transition and richness of Minolta colors to give a gorgeous and unique rendering IMO. It was distinctly more pleasant than the Mino 85 1.4 D I owned. Like you say, not night and day I would think, but images from the Ltd just sings....Show more →
There was a certain 'look' that I felt the Minolta G and LTD had, and there was a synergy with Astia. At least I thought so at the time. Not just a smooth transition to the OOF area, but a kind of lower contrast yet sharp look, aided by Astia, that just made people look fantastic. That mental image has stuck in my mind ever since and even the way I process portrait photos in PS carries the soul of that 'look'. Memory being what it is, it's probably not even close...haha. But it definitely defined how I 'see' portraits of people, how I process in post.
And because of that, of course, I've have for years debated re-buying a Minolta 85 G. The Sony 100STF is better than any portrait lens I've ever used so that has quelled that a bit...but not totally. This adapter may prove to be problematic haha.
Having said that, the lens is 3k (at least), slow/loud AF, bulky, and not great (though not horrible) to MF. But it’s one the lenses I miss—not as a collector, but just because the images had this unique warmth of color vibrance and smoothness. Interesting you got your hands on one, even then.
Times were so different reading your post! Your impressions are quite excellent with no direct comparison and on film—I wouldn’t recall/know half that as well.
All below are 85 ltd on either an a7 or a7r2–and I already apologize for so many, but perhaps you’ll be interested.
Yes, it was luck to get an LTD. It showed up in a used camera shop in Chungmuro, Seoul, one with a huge selection of lenses, especially unique lenses. They always had 3 or so Canon 200/1.8's on display in the window! Now that was a lens I lusted after. But back then I didn't fully comprehend how rare the LTD was, I don't think the camera shop totally did either.
Thanks for the photos! They have some of that look I remember. The last photo is a nice example of what I remember in terms of smooth bokeh.
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