The Canon FD 50mm F1.4 and the Minolta MD Rokkor X 50mm F1.4 are considered competitors in the nifty fifty lineup. Both can be had at a similar price and optically they deliver their own unique images. Naturally, I was curious to see how they matched up.
price
At $35, the Canon FD 50mm is a real bargain when you compare it to many nifty fifties out on the market. The lowest price I was able to find the Minolta MD Rokkor X 50mm online for was $65. Again, this is not a lot of money compared to other fifties, but it’s worth noting that the Minolta is about double the price. There’s a loyal following of Minolta fans which could be a good reason for the increase in price. This may mean better resale value for your Minolta lenses if you wish to ever part with them in the future.
Win: Canon FD 50mm F1.4
build quality
Differences when it comes to build quality is almost negligible. Both weigh about the same with the Minolta MD being slightly more compact than the Canon FD. I prefer the Canon FD’s focus ring a little more than the Minolta MD because of its buttery smooth throw and larger area of contact. However, the Minolta MD’s aperture ring is much snappier and easier to adjust than the stiffer Canon FD. Again, these details are minor but they may help with your decision.
Win: Tie
adaptability
Adaptability for both lenses is about the same as well. In our tests we used Fotasy adapters which each cost about $13. I must say the Minolta MD is much easier to attach to the adapter than the Canon FD. Also, the Minolta MD adapter does not come with the bogus “Open” and “Lock function that the Canon FD has. I’ve found that this feature only gets in the way with my ability to make quick aperture adjustments and it’s a real drawback.
Win: Minolta MD Rokkor X 50mm F1.4
image
Both lenses are not particularly sharp at the widest open aperture but they seem to perform significantly better as you stop down to F2.8 and on. The major difference between the images rendered can be seen within the color. An extra multilayer coating was added to the front lens element of the FD 50mm to add consistent contrast and color balance. This gives the FD a warmer look over the cooler color of the Minolta MD.
The Minolta MD does a wonderful job of delivering a creamy bokeh background while the FD looks busier. It’s also important to note that the Minolta MD has 6 aperture blades opposed to the 8 blades within the Canon FD. This difference is most noticeable when the lenses are directed at a light source. A hexagonal flare burns across the Minolta MD while the Canon FD flares beautifully with a bright beam of light.
Win: Tie
summary
Overall, both lenses are very similar in performance. The differences are minimal and lend themselves up to the preference of each cinematographer. The Canon FD generally creates warmer looking images with beautiful flares while the Minolta MD delivers a cooler picture with a very pleasing bokeh. In my opinion, the Minolta MD seems to perform better at every measure on the aperture scale which is why I’m siding with it on this one. But the Canon FD is a really neat lens that I’ll still use on a regular basis.