Minolta Lens Coating (35mm, 135mm, 200mm ...)

[InTheSky]

Hello,

I am actually owner of old an newer version of some good Minolta's gears . But, i was curious about what lens i should take and what i should sell because i have not enough money to support both .


I was wondering if anyone of you have ever search about the coating technology of Minolta for the lens.

It's appear that almost all the newer version has a Blue/brown reflect on halogen lighting and green on the old one. I was curious about who is the best coating for color rendition or any other science options.

I have attached some picture of the old and the new :
135mm 2.8 Front (old , new)


135mm 2.8 Back (old , new)


200mm Front (old , new HS)


200mm Back (old , new HS)


I have two 28mm 2.0, and both serial number are really near and there is no difference in the coating color reflection.

full gallery again in my pbase account: http://www.pbase.com/nadeauf/minoltacoating


Regards,

Frank

[Javelin]

Those 200mm APO 2.8's are just horrible lenses .. wrong colour.. so big and heavy ... I'll just drive over to your place and help you dispose of them. you shouldn't have to put up with those things laying around!

In fact I should be in Montreal in a couple of weeks so if you really want to sell some of your duplicates I'd be interested... and of course i'll help you get rid of those silly white ones

[David Kilpatrick]

If you look at the new coating, you will see the reflection is much weaker. This indicates a more efficient coating. In a perfect multicoated lens, you would see no reflections at all!

So the answer is simple enough - the later lenses have a more efficient multicoating. Whether they have such accurate colour matching as earlier ones in doubtful though. Minolta originally used the coatings to ensure a very close colour transmission match across the range - the newer coating probably increase contrast, but each lens may then have its own character and not necessarily be such a good match to others.

David

[01af]

Minolta lenses' coatings seem to change with every odd batch of manufacture. Generally, later coatings are more effective (better) than earlier ones ... but I wouldn't take that for granted in every single case.

So in order to decide which of two samples to keep and which to sell, carefully shoot some test shots, check them for contrast, flare, and sharpness, and then keep the best performers. Individual sample variation will affect performance more than date of manufacture (and thus, coatings' colours), in particular with well-used lenses.

-- Olaf

[Greg Beetham]

Very nice collection Frank....decisions, decisions.
Greg
ps. I could be wrong but I thought Minolta gradually replaced the crown, flint, zeroder type glass with (in some elements) some kind of plastiglass (can be moulded rather than cast and ground/polished and much easier to control laminar flow) but much harder to put the coatings on, it having a much lower melting point, and as the coatings are applied under quite high temperature there was a danger of slump, so that was the reason I thought Minolta invented a new system of putting the coatings on (yet another Minolta first) and hence some difference in the colour. (like I say I could be wrong though)

[InTheSky]

Thank you for the information, i will do some tests, but probably focus on the newer one,

And Javelin, for you offer to meet, just let me know when you are in Montreal, I was targeting to put the lens on Ebay, but if you are interest in the horrible white lens you will have to move quickly.

In fact this horrible 200mm APO white lens are almost the best lens i have ever use from Minolta .

Regards,

Frank

[KevinBarrett]

That's a beautiful display, whatever the quality of the coatings! I suppose the 58/1.2 is a keeper?

[InTheSky]

Yes i keep the 58mm 1.2 for now, but i need to take more and more shot with it, because this lens has hard limitation at full open aperture. with some angle of light, the lens tends to flare or do some weird things. This seams to be flare problem but I'm not sure. I have found that the lens hood of the 70-300mm 4.5-5.6 of Minolta fit perfectly in the front of the lens with some tape to get is there. With a very good filter on the front (like Super Pro HMC) i have found that this help a little bit the lens for flare effect.

For now i have choose this lens to help me in Very low light situation with underground band playing in Montreal's Bar.

Here is my first try last month all at F/1.2, only for the saxophone i have cropped it from a very small part of the center image (thanks to the 24mp of the A900)

(ISO 1600 or 3200 ...)







Yes the focus is on the glass but i like the effect this gives to the picture ...


Regards,

Frank

[pakodominguez]

And Javelin, for you offer to meet, just let me know when you are in Montreal,

hum, a meeting in Montreal: Can I show up too?

[01af]

Frank,

great photos, an nice lens performance ... but your focusing seems less than perfect at times. I'd say: try without any filters (hood will provide protection enough) and improve your focusing skills.

-- Olaf

[Javelin]

woo .. Magnon's for Prime rib and a beer!!! (Canadian beer that is) ...

As much as I'd love to have a 200mm prime I can't justify the cost of it. So some other poor soul will have to aflict himself with the white lenses.
I'll post here again when I'm going. I ave a achine to finish for a company in Lachine.. I was gong to spend an extra day and shoot maybe nortre dame cathedral and some of old montreal. it's been so lng since I've been there it'll be cool to see.

And Javelin, for you offer to meet, just let me know when you are in Montreal,

hum, a meeting in Montreal: Can I show up too?