- Tamron 28-75mm 1:2.8
- Canon EF 50mm 1:2.5 Compact-Macro
- Canon EF 28mm 1:2.8
- Tamron 17-50mm 1:2.8
- Canon EF 24mm 1:2.8
- Konica Hexar AF
- Sigma 12-24mm 4.5-5.6 EX DG HSM
- Minolta MC W.Rokkor - NL 21mm 1:2.8
- Canon BG-ED3 Battery Grip
- Canon 10D
- Sigma EF-500 DG Super EO ETTL
- Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II
- Sears 55mm 1:1.4
- Minolta X-370
- Canon EF 28-90mm 1:4-5.6 III
- Canon 400D (Rebel XTi)
Minolta MC W.Rokkor - NL 21mm 1:2.8
Date:
9/24/2010 Manual focus camera gear is not the primary subject at Camerology. Even less often do I write about Minolta gear. But I jumped at the opportunity to use and review Minolta's relatively rare Rokkor 21mm. And I'm glad I did. This lens was both interesting and rewarding to use.
Before I could get too busy, I needed to familiarize myself with the camera system which I'd be evaluating the 21mm lens on. A Minolta x370 was procured and tested as no SR mount bodies were in the stable. A few rolls of film were invested in familiarizing myself with the x370 before mounting the 21mm. A short review of this simple and enjoyable camera body is posted here: Minolta X-370
With a 72mm filter this ultra wide angle is not small. Much of the lenses heft is due to it's all metal construction. The focus ring was perfectly damped. Light and positive feeling aperture detents as well. The construction of this lens gave a strong impression of quality. With one exception. There was a slight looseness in the 'lens shroud'. This concerned me so I investigated the 'normalness' of this looseness.
My research turned up good information. This version of Minolta's 21mm 1:2.8 is relatively rare being produced for only a year or two in the early 1970's before a redesigned version replaced it. A 'floating element' design is employed. It is well respected for its optics. But I found no reference to the 'looseness'. I contacted some folks who are more familiar with older manual focus gear but none had experience with this particular model. Nor were they familiar with the 'lens shroud' arrangement of this lens.
A quick 'lens shroud' description might be in order. When viewed from the side the lens barrel forward of the focus ring is what I am labeling the 'lens shroud'. This shroud moves forward and aft (but does not rotate) as you would expect during focusing. When viewed from the front the lens shroud has the 'Minolta Lens Made in Japan Minolta MC W.Rokkor - NL 1:2.8 F=21mm' descriptors engraved. The odd part of the mechanism, however, is that the lens glass moves for and aft and rotates during focus. My guess is that the shroud both protects the front lens element and provides a non-rotating filter or hood attachment point.
This 'lens shroud' was attached with just three screws (which are hidden by the focus ring in the images). After removal it was obvious that the wobbly shroud did not support any lens elements. The attachment point for the shroud, which is near the focus ring, had a slight wiggle what was magnified out at the end of the shroud. I was unable to verify the 'normalness' of this wobble but did verify it did not impact the optics of the lens. Which satisfied my curiosity and precluded the need for further dis-assembly.
The matching metal lens hood compliments the lens quality and is kind of cute. It is inscribed and includes a locking screw to keep it in place.
With this larger glass the x370 no longer felt small. Nor did it ride unobtrusively over my shoulder as when it wore a more compact 28mm or 50mm lens. The balance was not great with lots of heft riding up front. Right hand only shooting was not an option. The weighty x370 - 21mm combo was more fun shooting than carrying. To avoid the 'big lens' look while attempting to blend into the city, the hood was left at home and a 72mm UV filter was utilized for lens protection.
If I needed to parse down the shooting experience to one word it would be 'deliberate. A conscience choice is made when choosing this biggish lens. In composing with an ultra-wide I needed to be careful to exclude the many extra elements in the image. Even with the x370's aperture priority the aperture still needed to be selected manually. And exposure compensation had to be considered as the field of view increased compared to a wide or normal focal length. In this review I was free to take my time and enjoy the photographic process. The combination of the nearly featureless x370 and the challenge of this 21mm Rokkor seemed near perfect. Our time together was quite enjoyable.
Camerology doesn't do scientific lens reviews. But there are a couple technical issues that need mentioning. And both are pretty typical for this type of optic. The lens has some vignetting. And it isn't totally gone at f:4. The second is some wavy distortion. The 'Three Sinks' sample below, a shameless rip off of Ken Rockwell's Wall of Shame, demonstrates it pretty well.
Neither of the above nits stopped me from enjoying the images I made with this setup. The lens felt 'good ole days' well built despite the shroud wiggle. And the time and care in composing with an ultra-wide angle is in perfect harmony with the time and care in using a manual focus, manual wind camera system.
Shop for MC W.Rokkor - NL 21mm
Image Gallery
Historic Eddon Boatyard in Gig Harbor
Expired Kodak Gold 200
MC W.Rokkor-NL 21mm 1:2.8, Minolta X370
The Eddon Boatyard and the related Gig Harbor BoatShop organization are staples of the boating history preservation movement under way in Gig Harbor. This image shows the not-so-boaty street side of the building.
Please interpret this image with reservations. This is a hasty scan of the original 35mm color negative on my new Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II 35mm film scanner.
Full size image.
Bicycle Concessions
Expired Kodak Gold 200
MC W.Rokkor-NL 21mm 1:2.8, Minolta X370
The revived Nishiki Century is my usual partner for the 'photo bike' excursions. This time it was the subject.
Please interpret this image with reservations. This is a hasty scan of the original 35mm color negative on a Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II 35mm film scanner.
Three Sinks
Expired Kodak Gold 200
MC W.Rokkor-NL 21mm 1:2.8, Minolta X370
This building may be turn of the century old. But the tiles were straight. The artistic 'waviness' was supplied by the 21mm Rokkor.
Please interpret this image with reservations. This is a hasty scan of the original 35mm color negative on a Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II 35mm film scanner.
