Production
1981 – 1985
Country
Japan
Optical
7 elements in 6 groups (Double Gauss)
Updated
Feb 15, 2026
Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4
Minolta MD
Overview
The Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4 is the people's fifty — Minolta's everyday standard lens that shipped with countless X-700s and X-570s. It's one of the most common vintage lenses you'll find, which also makes it one of the best values. Don't let the ubiquity fool you — this is an excellent lens with beautiful rendering and Minolta's signature color science.
Verdict: Best value in vintage fifties. The MD 50mm f/1.4 delivers Minolta quality at thrift store prices. If you're starting with vintage glass and want maximum return on minimal investment, start here.
Optical Character
Bokeh
Bokeh is neither a strength nor a weakness of this lens. The Minolta MC 1.2/58 has nicer bokeh, but the Minolta 50mm's bokeh is seldom distracting.
Sharpness wide open
Sharpness is very good in the center at f/2, excellent in the center and midframe at f/2.8-f/8, with very good corners. Diffraction reduces quality to very good levels at f/11.
Flare resistance
About average performance - can't shoot directly into the sun, but with less powerful light sources there is only a small drop in contrast and little flare.
Contrast
Low at f/2, improving to excellent at f/2.8-f/8.
Vignetting
Minimal, no visible distortion.
Community Insights
Summary: The Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/1.4 lens is praised for its impressive image quality, particularly the pleasing bokeh, and is considered an affordable yet high-performing vintage lens for video use. The Minolta MC W.Rokkor-HG 35mm f/2.8 lens is also well-regarded for its excellent sharpness and character, though it has some minor issues. Sentiment: Positive Top Praised: - Impressive image quality, especially the bokeh, of the Olympus 50mm f/1.4 - Affordable price point of the Olympus 50mm f/1.4 - Excellent sharpness and character of the Minolta 35mm f/2.8 - Robust build quality of the Minolta 35mm f/2.8 Top Complaints: - Softness at wide apertures on the Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 when compared to the Olympus 50mm f/1.4 - Occasional oil issues on the Minolta 35mm f/2.8 Use Cases: - Vintage lens use for video production (Olympus 50mm f/1.4) - Street photography (Minolta 35mm f/2.8) - General photography with a classic look and feel Disagreements: None noted. Confidence: 0.9 (The sources provide a consistent and comprehensive overview of the user experience with these lenses.)
What people love
- Excellent value ($40-80)
- Beautiful Minolta color science
- Great build quality
- Smooth, precise focusing
- Common — easy to find good copies
- Lovely bokeh for the price
What people dislike
- Not 'special' — very common lens
- MD mount is less popular than Nikon/Canon
- Some prefer the older MC versions
- Doesn't stand out in any particular way
Pro Tips
- One of the best value vintage lenses period
- Great first manual focus lens
- The f/1.7 version is even cheaper and sharper
Sample Photos
Sources (4)
phillip_reeve-
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/minolta-md-50mm-2-review/
myfavouritelens-
https://www.myfavouritelens.com/minolta-mc-rokkor-hg-35mm-f2-8-lens-review/
phillip_reeve-
https://phillipreeve.net/blog/minolta-md-50mm-2-review/
Lens Heritage 2nd JSONsecondary
The Minolta MD 50mm f/1.4 is the people's fifty — Minolta's everyday standard lens that shipped with countless X-700s and X-570s. It's one of the most common vintage lenses you'll find, which also makes it one of the best values. Don't let the ubiquity fool you — this is an excellent lens with beautiful rendering and Minolta's signature color science.