135mm F 2.8

How many variations on theme is something one could ask when it comes to telephoto lenses and even telezooms but the honest answer has to include something like "when each has it's own strength" that is of use in the field.

 

Take this, a example of the ever popular during Minolta's manual focus hayday classic 135 mm lens where I have a mid 70's MC series example in F 3.5 and the later post 1982 type III MD F3.5 with it's minimum aperture lock for the X700 introduced that year.

 This shot of the rear of the lens shows the big difference of this Type II MD F 2.8, that wider aperture that can make focusing a tad easier in gloomy conditions although it comes with 100 gram extra weight. It uses thicker glass that aids the optical quality compared to the last type III version of 1982/3.

 

 The all important Japan Industries quality mark is on - a sign of quality - that aided your confidence way back then and note the focal length is marked clearly in orange. 

The rear showing the automatic diaphragm pin which is sprung enabling  focusing at the widest aperture for rapid picture taking with the camera shutting it to the set value by the camera during exposure.

The meter coupling and minimum aperture pin for the XD5/7 and X700 shutter priority and program modes respectively can be seen.

This lens is one I've always coveted not least having used F2.8 designs before and I'm looking forward to using it soon.

35mm F2.8 MD moderate Wide angle

There I was thinking I'd pretty much wrapped up this business of MC and MD coupled lenses for my X500 and XD7 as I came by another I couldn't just pass up.

This is the later post 1981 version of the MD 35mm F2.8 moderate wideangle with the plastic aperture control and the Minimum Aperture lock for the X700's program mode and potentially at least the Shutter Priority mode of the XD7.
Serial # 8005455
Perhaps unlike a good number of amateur photographers, I find this focal length is my wide angle go to one, packing in more of a scene, adding that distant perspective without  as many issues with converging verticals all in a light pin sharp form.
It lends itself to vacationing as the on the body general purpose one not that I don't have a use for the Tamron 28mm F2.5 for pure landscapes where it's greater distant perspective adds something.
The 50mm always lives in my bag or coat pocket for anything requiring a more neutral perspective or coupling to the Teleplus 2x Macro converter for upto 1:1 reproduction ration close ups.
Like a few pros I feel that 28mm isn't a good choice for group shots as it leads to people at the edges looking distorted proportionately.
The other change of this era was new designs of lenses lost the Rokkor branding and at least two zooms were made for Minolta under license by Cosina to fight off independent zoom options that were packaged by photo retailers instead of their own which didn't quite match the performance of their earlier versions