Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 for Minolta M/MD

[ELS]

Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 for Minolta M/MD

Hello,

I am curious to know, (as I continue learning about the World of Sony),
- would this lens mount fit and work on my Sony A300 DSLR camera..?

Thanks to all who answer and contribute to my question...

Have a nice day,

Ed

[OldClicker]

Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 for Minolta M/MD

Hello,

I am curious to know, (as I continue learning about the World of Sony),
- would this lens mount fit and work on my Sony A300 DSLR camera..?

Thanks to all who answer and contribute to my question...

Have a nice day,

Ed

The Sonys use the A-mount which came out in about 1985 (Minolta) along with auto focus. The Minolta non-AF mount used before this was the SR-mount which included the MD and MC lenses. Bottom line - won't fit. - Terry

[ELS]

Hello Terry,

Is it possible to use the lens, on the Sony A mount, with an adapter?

I was thinking that I read that there was an Minolta M/MD to Sony A adapter?

Thanks,

Ed

[ELS]

Hello Terry,

Would this adapter work?

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter - Minolta MD, MC, Rokkor Lens to Sony Alpha (AkA Minolta AF A-type, Maxxum or Dynax) Camera, fits Sony DSLR-A350, A300, A200, A700, A900, A100, A330, A230, A380, A500, A550, A850, A450,A290, A390, A580, SLT-A33

Thanks,

Ed

[logbiter]

I used a similar one on a maxxum & the a100. Worked fine, as long as you understand the limitations that all your settings will have to be done manually.

[ELS]

Hello logbiter:

Did you need an adapter to use on your A100 (which has - if I am correct- "A" mount, correct, like my A300)?

If so, which adapter did you use..?

Thanks for your help...

Have a nice day,

Ed

[OldClicker]

Hello Terry,

Is it possible to use the lens, on the Sony A mount, with an adapter?

I was thinking that I read that there was an Minolta M/MD to Sony A adapter?

Thanks,

Ed

I have never tried it, but the recommendations are generally that it's not worth it.

The problem is that the SR-mount is too large to fit inside the A-mount. This means that the adapter places the lens farther away from the sensor than design. If you use an adapter without a compensating lens, you cannot focus to infinity (or even close). If you get an adapter with a lens, unless you get something that is $250+, the adapter lens is so bad that the image quality really suffers. The exception is with a good Macro lens since you can get away without the adapter lens since you seldom focus more than a foot away.

Also, you need a chipped adapter for the camera to recognize that there is a lens attached.

Terry

[OldClicker]

Hello Terry,

Would this adapter work?

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter - Minolta MD, MC, Rokkor Lens to Sony Alpha (AkA Minolta AF A-type, Maxxum or Dynax) Camera, fits Sony DSLR-A350, A300, A200, A700, A900, A100, A330, A230, A380, A500, A550, A850, A450,A290, A390, A580, SLT-A33

Thanks,

Ed

It will mount the lens, but it is not chipped. Here is one of the Amazon reviews:

"I was led to believe from the description that this adapter would work on the Sony Alpha series. When it arrived I attached it to my camera which would not work because the camera would not acknowledge the adapter ring. The camera said "No Lens Attached". If you have an Alpha series DO NOT BUY THIS ADAPTER."

Be sure that the A300 will work without a lens attached.

Terry

[logbiter]

Listen to old clicker!

Sorry, I didn't look closely at the one you linked to & had forgotten about the need to be chipped part.. the adapter I had was for the maxxum & worked ok on my alpha. It's been a long while & I'd given up on using it, so don't recall the brand. It's a pain to go full manual with metering, etc...

I'm using mostly minolta maxxum lenses on an a100... "beercan" 70-210/f4, a 200/2.8 APO, 50/2.8 macro & 1.7 prime, and a "plastic fantastic" vivitar 100 macro. Sold off my old SRT & assorted m/md lenses quite a while ago.

[ELS]

Hello logbiter:

What is the Vivitar "Plastic Fantastic" 100 Macro..?

(I take it, that it is in Sony "A" mount)?

Have any photos of the lens, and samples from it?

Thanks,

Ed

[logbiter]

I don't have any photo's handy. But there's an image or 2 in this old thread where I posted some macro shots. Man, I need to shoot & share more. Dang toddler's always sucking up my time!

Anyway, vivitar/cosina produced an inexpensive 100/3.5 macro lens for the maxxum's waay back when. Build quality is cheap (hence the "plastic fantastic" moniker), but the glass produces some good images.
I picked it up from Adorama used for well under $100. There's been reviews on dyxum.com & other sites.

[ELS]

Hello logbiter:

Wow! Nice shots in your "old" thread, and I am checking out the link you provided to the Cosina lens too...

Is this "Cosina" lens: (a re-badged Vivitar or perhaps, vice-versa)?

I have this lens on its way (being shipped to me):

Vivitar 100mm f3.5 Macro 1:2X

I should receive it tomorrow, Wednesday, March 14th. :thumbsup:

However, I don't have any adapter to mount it yet to my Sony A300 ("A" mount DSLR camera yet)..

Hoping to get one for shipment to me buy the weekend..

(Having a lens you can't even mount onto your camera, is very disappointing..)

Hope to hear more from you and others about their "Macro" work..

Thanks a lot for sharing!

(I really appreciate it very much)...

Have a nice day,

Ed

[logbiter]

Hello logbiter:
Is this "Cosina" lens: (a re-badged Vivitar or perhaps, vice-versa)?

I have this lens on its way (being shipped to me):

Vivitar 100mm f3.5 Macro 1:2X

Ed

Ed, hope the adapter & m-mount lens works for you! Like we said earlier, it's a whole lot easier to go with some a-mount glass.

It seems that there's 4-5 companies (cosina, vivitar, pheonix, etc) that put out the 'plastic fantastic' lenses, just peruse the cosina reviews at dyxum. I'd really like to have a sony/minolta 100/2.8 macro, but not in the budget for a while.

Depending on your macro needs, a set of extension tubes & whatever a-mount lenses you have will provide lots of fun. You just don't have the reach & depth of field as with a dedicated macro. Loupey made a nice post on extension tubes, if you're not familiar with them.

[ELS]

Hello logbiter:

Thanks a lot for the encouragement, and the link to " Loupey's " extension tubes thread..

I certainly am going to read that thoroughly, and hope to pick up additional (much needed) knowledge...

Appreciate the help...

Have a nice day,

Ed
.
.

[Greg McCary]

I am not sure about the older Sony cameras but my NEX 7 and also the NEX5n has a lens release setting that has to be set before adaptors can be used. I have a Leica M to NEX adaptor for my Leica and Voigtlander lenses that works fine. Terry is right that some adaptors are so big what's the point? End the end I think it's best just to shoot what was designed for the camera in the first place.

[ELS]

Hi Greg:

I agree in part of the "more desireable" lenses (in the case for the NEX-5N camera), to use "Sony designed - "E" mount lenses.

I would really like to be able to get the 30mm Macro and the newly released 50mm lens in "E" mount for the NEX-5N.

If I had those two lenses, I might even consider not "investing" too much into the Sony A300 DSLR camera system I have...

Thanks for the comments, suggested advice...

Have a nice day,

Ed

[bakerk]

It will mount the lens, but it is not chipped. Here is one of the Amazon reviews:

"I was led to believe from the description that this adapter would work on the Sony Alpha series. When it arrived I attached it to my camera which would not work because the camera would not acknowledge the adapter ring. The camera said "No Lens Attached". If you have an Alpha series DO NOT BUY THIS ADAPTER."

Be sure that the A300 will work without a lens attached.

Terry

there is in the menu on Sony Alphas, at least my A55 has it, a setting to allow the camera to function without the lens so it ignores the fact there is no electrical connection to the lens. You need this if you use extension rings etc for macro work.
Make sure you have the camera set to "P" (menu items are specific to the setting you are using) then go to menu > cog symbol > "release w/o lens" set to enable.
Hence if you use an adaptor for mounting it to the camera, you can use a good variety of cheaper lenses although you will possibly only be able to use manual focus.

STOP PRESS!!!

I have just researched this and the A300 will work as required by the OP by making sure it is set to manual focus "M" mode.

[ELS]

My 1st Attempt at Macro - A-r-g-h
- very hard to do!

Hello (to everyone that commented):

I have been talking about getting various lenses, the Minolta M/MD mount, (Vivitar 100mm Macro) lens, and I needed the Minolta M/MD to Sony MA/A adapter to use it, mounted onto my Sony A300 camera.

Well... The Fotodiox adapter I got (used) is similar to this one:

Amazon.com: Fotodiox Lens Mount Adapter - Minolta MD, MC, Rokkor Lens to Sony Alpha (AkA Minolta AF A-type, Maxxum or Dynax) Camera, fits Sony DSLR-A350, A300, A200, A700, A900, A100, A330, A230, A380, A500, A550, A850, A450,A290, A390, A580, SLT-A33

This is a lot harder than I anticipated to get anything in focus, and with such a terribly small Depth of Field area (I think that is the correct terminology), not Depth of View, the focus plane doesn't allow for much in error..!

Oh well - I'm trying to have fun anyways.

Here's a recent Macro attempt shot of a wasp..

I see that now the focus point was NOT where I had actually intended it to be..

Also, if I understand correctly - this particular Fotodiox adapter has the ability to remove the lens in the adapter allowing (I think) even much closer focus range?

Although I received NO paperwork, explaining/showing "HOW" to remove this lens from the adapter..

Also, I think the lens provides/allows me to focus to infinity?

I guess you might be almost "touching" the insect's antenna? Not good for insects with stingers, that can inflict pain and poison/venom..! U-g-h-h

Photo following this text...

Thanks for reading and looking,

(Comments welcomed)...

Ed

* PHOTO LINK HERE *:

[logbiter]

Your depth of field is pretty shallow, so you were likely using a low F-stop (ie 3.5-6). To get more depth of field you need to "close it down"/go with a higher F stop (which will require more light and/or longer exposure).

Fine as early attempt, you'll just have to play around with it.

If i'm going too simple with this, just say so.
Here's an example with my minolta 50mm/2.8 macro. First at f-stop of 2.8 (shallow DOF) and another with F=4.5.
The caterpillar is called a "unicorn caterpillar" I found munching on my roses. They've got great camouflage AND mimicry (looks like bird crap) going on. They apparently can squirt formic acid from the hump on their rear.

[PWhite214]

I have some adapters for MC/MD lens to Maxxum/alpha mount. I do not mind the loss of focusing to infinity because I only use the old lenses for macro on my KM Maxxum or Sony A mount cameras. I also have a couple of sets of manual extension tubes and a set of Kenko M/AF extension tubes.

I use the adapter on a Panagor 90mm f2.8 - 22 lens. With the adapter and focus ring set to 'infinity' my actual maximum focus distance is about three feet.


DSC00901 by PWhite214, on Flickr

Panagor lens @ infinity. Actually about 3 feet from sensor plane.


DSC00900 by PWhite214, on Flickr

Panagor lens at 1:1

You have to go through the camera menu to fire the shutter without a lens confirmation. Both the A700 and A77 it is "Release w/oLens" Enable or Disable. All functions are manual.

With the M/AF extension tubes:

DSC00902 by PWhite214, on Flickr

simply inserting one or more between the A/F lens and camera turns the lens into a sort of macro lens. Focusing to infinity is lost, but the minimum focus distance is shortened. All the metering and focus functions work. This allows greater magnification on the sensor plane.

A quick check on EBAY showed several extension tubes and sets that retain all the auto functions.

Phil