Minolta MD 24-35mm 1:3.5 Zoom vs MD 24mm 1:2.8, MD 28mm 1:2.8 (5×5), MD 35mm 1:2.8 – comparison
Minolta MD 24-35mm 1:3.5 Zoom vs primes comparison.
- Minolta MD 24-35mm 1:3.5 Zoom (MD III)
- Minolta MD 24mm 1:2.8 (MD III)
- Minolta MD 28mm 1:2.8 (5×5) (MD III)
- Minolta MD 35mm 1:2.8 (MD III)
It is believed that the sharpness of prime lenses is better than that of the zooms… Mostly.
Tested lenses reviews:
Minolta MD 24-35mm 1:3.5 Zoom vs primes comparison – sharpness
Long-distance test description
- Camera Sony A7II (24mpx, full frame) – RAW (ARW), tripod, A-mode, ISO 100, WB fixed, SteadyShot OFF, manual focus correction for every shot
- Targets (buildings) – fixed by gravity power on the distances in more than 200 meters
- ARW post-processing – Capture One, default settings, 100% crops 300×200 px
Focal distance 24mm
Scene preview (24mm)
Test results (24mm)
And the bonus one diagram – Zoom vs Zoom – New-MD 24-35/3.5 vs New MD 24-50/4.0 on 24mm focal distance
Focal distance 28mm
Scene preview (28mm)
Test results (28mm)
Focal distance 35mm
Scene preview (35mm)
Test results (35mm)
Minolta MD 24-35mm 1:3.5 Zoom vs. primes comparison – final conclusion
24mm focal distance:
- Center – Zoom has the same resolution and contrast in the center as the prime.
- Middle – Zoom has the same resolution and contrast in the center as the prime.
- Corner – Prime gives very good corners at F5.6 and totally sharp at F8, but Zoom can’t provide the same sharpness and looks average at F8-F11. In other words – the maximum possible sharpness of Zoom looks like Prime just on F4.
BTW: the special guest MD-III Zoom 24-50mm F4.0 had a victory against Zoom 24-35mm F3.5 on 24mm focal distance.
28mm focal distance:
- Center – Zoom has the same resolution and contrast in the center as the prime.
- Middle – Zoom is slightly worse than Prime if wide open, but the difference is really little and at F5.6 lenses are the same.
- Corner – Prime is very good at F4 and very nice at F8, Zoom can compete with Prime at F11 only.
35mm focal distance:
- Center – Zoom is the same as Prime at F5.6 and all next apertures. Actually, the difference at wide opened F3.5 is a little, but it presented
- Middle – Prime is better at any apertures
- Corner – Prime is better at any apertures
As a result:
Yes, this zoom can’t win against these primes. On the other hand look at these primes – two of them (Minolta MD 24mm f2.8 and MD 35mm f2.8) are the world-famous “razors” for such focal distances, and Minolta MD 28mm F2.8 is a not bad at all too, so I was surprised that sometimes the difference had to be sought with a microscope. And don’t forget about Middle on 24mm where Zoom wins.
Is the weakness of Zoom a good payment for compact size and convenience in using? It depends on the photographer and answers for questions like – what are favorite focal distances, what a target of the shooting, what a goal of the trip, what size of a bag, what ‘crop’, etc. But anyway, this zoom is the one another hidden gem of Minolta.
