Zerbphlatz Loc: Southern New Hampshire

I have a couple of old lenses for my Minolta XD-5. I liked those lenses. They were good solid performers 'back in the day'. I was debating with myself whether I should try a minolta-nikon lens converter (Currently using Nikon D200)

I'd hate to buy a cheap converter and find that the lenses were effectively unusable because of bad image quality, but I don't have a way to tell if more expensive ones would be any better. Most seem to have a focus correction lens on the adapter, and no spec on how the glass is made

Does anyone have any advice? Brands to stay away from? Brands to lean towards? Of course I want to get the best picture possible, but I don't want to get taken for a ride either.

Any advice/pointers appreciated.

PaulDBowen Loc: Belfair, WA, USA

I have been using a Fotodiox adapter in order to mount older Minolta MD lenses on a Sony A-mount camera. So far I am both pleased with the results and surprised. The adapter sells for approximately $39 and does include an optic that is necessary to focus to infinity. The optic results in the adapter being in effect a 1.4X teleconverter. I can see little if any degradation in picture quality with the use of the adapter and the Minolta 58mm f1.4 Rokkor lens or the 70-210mm constant f3.5 lens. Both of these lens are very sharp without the adapter and that probably contributes to the good results. I am also using a cheaper adapter from China that does not have an optic, but does have electrical contacts so that focus confirm does work. All of the older Minolta MD-mount lens are manual focus anyway. The cheap adapter (approximately $20) without the optic is useful for macro only or close-up photography, since it does not focus to infinity. Since it does not have an optic, image quality in not affected. In conclusion, I would recommend either, depending on your intended use. I am really impressed with the Fotodiox since I expected a loss in image quality, but I have yet to see any. Hope that helps.

Zerbphlatz Loc: Southern New Hampshire

Thanks Paul. This helps alot. I didn't equate the extra glass in the adapter with infinity focus. Can you use the Fotodiox adapter for close-up/macro also or do you loose a little at that end of the range?

Thanks again.

PaulDBowen Loc: Belfair, WA, USA

Yes, the Fotodiox basically will convert the lens to which it is attached to a fully functional lens, but will behave as if a 1.4X teleconverter has been attached. Therefore, if attached to a 50mm lens, the lens becomes a 70mm lens (50 X 1.4) and, like a teleconverter, you will lose approximately 1/2 stop of light; so if the lens were a 50mm f1.4, it will become a 70mm f1.7. If the lens was a true macro able to focus to 1:1, adding the Fotodiox would now allow the lens to focus to 1:1 but at a greater working distance from the object.

However, if macro photography is your goal, it may be better to use the cheaper adapter without glass, since you would be able to focus that adapter even closer, meaning greater magnification than 1:1 and the lens would not loose the 1/2 stop of light. So the choice for macro would depend on how much working distance you need between the object and the camera.

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