Recommended adapters? Comparisons between sharpness of Minolta MD 50 mm f1.4 and comparable modern Canon or Nikon lenses? Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.
Thanks for the advice, and you are right--you can find Series 1 Zooms at pretty reasonable prices today, and switching out the front element is certainly worth considering. If my test shots don't pan out, I'll follow your suggestion.
I have a couple of Minolta X-700s. Once upon a time--long ago--I took hundreds of slides with Mamiya-Sekor DTLs and X-700s. So I'm kind of revisiting the past. But I am not considering permanently leaving the digital age!
Thanks to all who replied to my questions.
Thank you for responding. After reading the articles you provided, I am greatly encouraged! I'll take some shots soon and hopefully duplicate the findings in the articles. Thanks again!
Thank you for the quick response. I'll have it looked at by Joe on my next trip to Tempe.
Thanks for the fast response. I'll certainly do some shots at various apertures and distances and see how (if?) the damage shows up.
I recently purchased a 40 year-old Vivitar Series 1 28 - 90mm, f2.8-3.5 zoom, with a Minolta MD mount. Except for one (MAJOR) flaw, the lens appears to be in excellent condition (Aperture blades, zoom, mount, body, lack of hazing, separation, dust, fungus, etc., etc.). Sadly, the otherwise beautiful front lens element has a two-part scratch, beginning c. 1/2 inch from the glass edge (the deepest scratch) and ending at the edge of the glass. The scratch is perhaps 1/2 inch long, in total. The depth (fairly deep) and width (1/32nd of an inch, or less) of the scratch lead me to suspect that someone might have scored the beautiful glass with a diamond ring. Having just received this lens, which I understand has a great reputation, I have not had an opportunity to shoot photos with it.
My questions are three: 1) Is it possible that the scratch will not seriously degrade images made with the lens; 2) if it is usable, is there anything I can do to minimize the negative effects of the scratch; and 3) given that the lens appears to fully functional and in excellent shape otherwise, would it make sense to try to find a shop (suggestions?) to replace the front element, or should I just give up on it and turn it into a very attractive paper weight (I cringe at that prospect!)? And yes, I knew the lens was scratched beforehand, but the degree of damage was not apparent on-line, and I consider the price paid was very reasonable, even if I end up putting it on a shelf and admiring it from afar! Any responses/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks folks, for all the suggestions. It appears that e-Bay and Craig's List might be the way to go.
In general, will you get a better price for your clean mid-level used photo gear at e-bay or one of the big New York City photo retailers?