Review: The Rokkor 45mm f/2 is a Razor-Sharp $30 Manual Lens

Cheap lens aficionado Mathieu Stern just released this 2-minute video review of the Minolta MD Rokkor-X 45mm f/2 lens.

The Rokkor 45mm f/2 is a lens that you can usually find for $30 to $100 on eBay. It’s a manual focus lens that can be mounted to any mirrorless camera using the correct adapter.

Stern says that although he wasn’t a fan of the lens at first, he was blown away from the image quality after taking it on a trip.

“It’s really sharp. It’s like razor sharp,” Stern says. “And the micro contrasts are amazing. I guess it’s because of the coating of the lens.”

Here are some sample photos captured with the Rokkor 45mm f/2 and posted by Stern, with each one followed by a 100% crop:

You can download the full-res versions of these sample shots here. You can also follow along with Stern’s cheap lens reviews on YouTube and on his website.