In this episode, I review the Minolta 28mm f/2.8 MD lens. This is an inexpensive but well-performing wide-angle lens built between 1977 and 1984. I have the very last MD III version here with the 5 elements in 5 groups design and we will discuss the versions a bit more in a minute.
This lens can be had for around 50-100 Euros. The main reason is that it was produced and sold in high quantities. This is not a collector piece but simply a very good performer that doesn’t break the bank. For somebody like me who just wants to have a 28mm in the lens collection, it is a fantastic choice in my opinion.
Long-time viewers of this channel will know that I am quite fond of Minolta lenses but also needed some time to get used to shooting 28mm and similarly wide angle lenses. So it might come as a surprise to see me using it. I have grown quite fond of the 28mm focal length by now as it nicely complements my favorite 50mm focal length without being too wide.
I took this 28mm lens with me on a recent trip to Tokyo, shooting it with my dad’s old Minolta XD-7 and mostly black and white film. On an emotional level, I felt a need to take the XD-7 home to where it was originally produced. I also took the lens out in and around Munich and to the Austrian mountains on the Minolta SRT-100X.
Gear used:
Minolta XD-7 & Minolta SRT-100X with
Minolta MD 28mm f/2.8 (5x5)
Films used:
Ilford Delta 400
JCH StreetPan 400
All films developed and scanned by my trusted ON FILM LAB:
https://onfilmlab.de
References:
https://minolta.su/minolta-md-28mm-f2-8-5el5gr/
https://minolta.su/minolta-lens-perfect-data/
https://minolta.su/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/MinoltaJournal_scan_p99-scaled.jpg
https://minolta.su/comparison-minolta-md-28mm-v2/
https://www.addieleman.nl/minolta/minolta-28mm-lenses.htm
https://minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/index.html
https://casualphotophile.com/2021/08/04/minolta-md-28mm-f-2-8-lens-review/
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