Minolta MC Rokkor 58/1.2

[rover]

I finally got around to scanning some shots I took this summer. This is a great lens to handle, pretty big, but extremely well built and solid feeling. I find it GREAT!!!! I am very happy with the results I got from it. Here is a link to a gallery with some of the shots I scanned today. The lens is great, the photographer continues to need improvement, but he is pretty happy. ;D

www.flickr.com/photos/roversworld/sets/72157594366608910/

[Just Plain Curt]

Nice work Rover. I can almost hear and smell the steam from those engines. Seems like your lens is a keeper.

[nikonbob]

Good set of photos and that lens is really no slouch either.

Bob

[Peter S.]

Hi Rover,

enjoy Your new toy! The pictures are nice, but of course way too small to judge
the lens' performance. The one showing the trellis lets me seem the out-of-focus
rendition of it - and that's the generally accepted key characteristic of that big,
great lens.
The remainder of the photos seems to have been taken at apertures of 5.6 or
higher. Here the 1.2/58 is tack sharp - one can read far less on this virtue of the
1.2/58. IMHO the only nit of it is the weight - and the poor balance. I always have
the impression the camera with the mounted lens would tilt to its face.

Btw: what incarnation of the lens do You got? I hear that very early versions
could suffer from lens yellowing (I have cured this one time for a MC Rokkor-SI
2.8/28 using a UV source we got in the lab at work).

So many say, this is the best normal lens Minolta ever made (I found no
evidence to negate this). Nevertheless I use the MC Rokkor-PG 1.4/50 more
often. It is as sharp as the big one, doesn't offer that super good out of focus rendition,
but it balances better. Did You try out one of these already?

Best regards
Peter

PS: never thought big moronic word brother is watching so closely...
PS2: the prices of the 1.2/58 went up like sky rocket. I wonder,
whether there were so much MF Minoltians out there.

[rover]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Peters, I believe mine is a early lens, but it is crystal clear, no yellowing. The barrel has some wear, but the glass is excellent. I really love this lens, and have always liked Minolta glass. I sought it out because of its smooth bokah reputation, just as I did the MC 85/1.7. I use it with an SRT, so it balances pretty well I think. Heavy lens, heavy body. I will be shooting more with these combos and will keep posting photos over at flickr as I do.