The early 1980s seem to have been the glory days for manual Minolta zooms. The 24-35mm f/3.5, released in 1981, was among the early wave of MD III lenses introduced between 1981 and 1983. Many members of this group — 35-105mm f/3.5-4.5, 28-85mm f3.5-4.5, 70-210mm f/4, and the last version of the 35-70mm f/3.5 are highly regarded. On the other hand, the 24-35mm f3.5 is rarely mentioned.
The one technical review of the lens gives it good marks. Aside from that, I’ve only come across a few mentions on blogs or forums. My most comfortable shooting focal lengths are 35 to 100 mm, so if not for the VMLP, I doubt I would have bought it. Having shot a few rolls of film with it, I can say my fears of not being able to make use of the lens were unfounded.
For me, the most challenging aspect of using lenses this wide is learning to judge the distance from the subject to achieve the desired framing. With 50mm and 100mm lenses, distance is becoming second-nature. However, once I get below 35mm, I spend a lot of time walking back and forth to find the right spot. A second issue is selecting the best subjects for the focal range. Subjects shot head-on have little to no distortion, but those shot close-in can cause “extension distortion,” altering the image’s perspective. Sometimes this is desirable, and sometimes it isn’t. The mental framing required to create a desirable image at 24mm is not something I’m used to doing. That being said, the more I use the lens, the more I understand its utility.
Background
The official Minolta Retail Price List from February 1, 1982, gives a price of 298.00 (US) for the 24-35mm f/f3.5. That would be over 1000.00 in today’s dollars, so it wasn’t cheap. Between 1978 and 1983, Minolta released most of its manual zooms, matching the appearance of the XD, XG, and especially the X lines (X-700, 1981; X-570, 1983) of cameras. These zooms were expensive—most cost more than $300.00, and the 24-50mm f/4 was over $500.00.
Technical Specs
The minimum focus distance (MFD) is a little more than 0.3m (~ 1 foot). I love the MFD of the wide-angle lenses because it allows one to get really close to subjects. It has a 55mm filter size and separate zoom and focusing rings (2-touch). Size is another plus of this lens, as it is only slightly larger than my MC Rokkor 50mm PG 1.4 and weighs 16 grams less, at 289 grams (~ 10 oz.). A clip-on hood is available, but not easy to find. (For more detailed specs, see the Minolta SR Lens Index).
Buying
A recent eBay search returned no results for US sellers, though a few were available from Japan in the 160.00+ range. Only one had been sold in the US over the last six months. I could not find an official sales quote for the number Minolta sold, but judging by how long it took me to find one on eBay in the US two years ago, it seems not many were sold here. This scarcity may explain why there are so few mentions of this lens on blogs and in forums.
Shooting Experience
This lens feels like a 50mm lens on-camera. It is relatively light and small. It has a short-ish focus throw, making it quick to focus. There are separate rings for zooming and focusing, which, after using the one-touch 50-135mm f3.5, feels somewhat less convenient, but that is a minor complaint. I have the OEM hood, but that seemed mostly useless in mid-day sun. The aperture and focus rings turned smoothly. I shot 72 frames with the lens between June and November using an XG-M and an X-700, and it worked well with both cameras. In all, it was a pleasant shooting companion.
Images
Color images are Fuji Superia X-400, processed using the CineStill 2-Step Color kit. Unfortunately, they were overdeveloped at 120°F due to a faulty thermometer. Color shifts have been corrected as much as possible. Also, there is more grain than usual.
Black-and-white images are Kodak Tri-X developed in CineStill DF96 monobath. All images were scanned using the Epson x60 and Epson Scan 2 software. Not all went well with the Tri-X. This roll was left on the studio table, and later that afternoon, the sun hit it directly. I forgot about this until I developed the roll. The first eight frames show classic light piping artifacts. However, the end of the roll was spared. There is more grain than expected in many frames, which I think may be due to the light piping. Overall, many turned out well enough to use for this post.
It was difficult to judge how close I could get to a subject before causing extension distortion. The mural with people running was taken about 20 feet away, at an angle, because a direct view would have required standing in the roadway. Cars were coming around a corner behind me, and they may not have seen me in time to stop. For the pumpkin image (B&W), I was about four feet from the closest pumpkin. The black-and-white photo of the mural along the walkway looks exactly as I hoped. The same is true of the stele with Japanese writing.
Landscapes offer little complexity at 24mm, as scenes are captured from a sufficient distance to avoid extension distortion. I am comfortable with the 35mm FL, but 24mm will take more time.
Impressions
The previously mentioned technical review noted that corners can be soft until f/11. I agree with that, along with center sharpness being good at all apertures. Oddly, while the focus ring turned smoothly for most of the focus range, it seemed to click into place at infinity. Whether this is a defect in this lens or a design feature, I have no idea. Since the frames shot at infinity seem fine, I assume the click was just a quirk.
My major issue with this lens is the 24mm FL—my mind is not quite ready for it as a general use FL. Would I recommend this lens? For someone comfortable with focal lengths under 35mm, it could be a handy, pocketable wide-angle zoom, as long as soft corners aren’t a dealbreaker. Keep in mind that these lenses rarely appear for sale in the US, so it may take a while to find a copy. If not for the VMLP, I would not have tried this lens. Now that I’ve done so, I’ve come to appreciate the 24mm for landscapes, especially since I can use a tripod and shoot at f/11 when necessary. The next time I visit the north Georgia mountains, I may take it with me.
