Putting My Late Father’s 50 Year Old Lens on a 61MP Sony a7Rv

What happens when you pair a 50-year-old vintage kit lens with the 61-megapixel sensor of the Sony a7Rv? In this film, I explore the deep technological "DNA" that links these two systems. This lens originally belonged to my late father’s Minolta X-300, and putting it on a modern body like the Sony a7Rv felt like the natural next step in my journey with his gear.

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The Sony and Minolta Connection

Many photographers don't realise that the modern Sony a7Rv is a direct descendant of Minolta's innovation.

Historical Merger: Sony bought Minolta in 2006 specifically for their advanced technology and patents.

Shared Technology: Features we love today, like IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilisation), are direct descendants of the Minolta system.

Early Roots: The very first Sony Alpha 100 was effectively a rebadged Minolta camera.

The Lens Test: Minolta vs. Sony

I took the Minolta MD 35-70mm lens to St. Mary’s Lighthouse to see how it compares to a modern standard, the Sony 24-105mm f4.

Image Quality: I was genuinely blown away by the sharpness of this 50-year-old lens, particularly at the 70mm focal length.

The Aesthetic: While the Sony lens offers "digital sharpness," the Minolta provides a beautiful, soft film aesthetic that is hard to replicate.

Video Performance: Testing both on the Sony a7Rv in S-Log 3 revealed that the vintage glass is incredibly usable for modern video production.

The Emotional Journey

This video is part of an ongoing series where I reconnect with my father through his photography gear. If you missed the first two parts of this journey where I took the X-300 back to his favourite places, you can watch them here:

   • Shooting 35mm FILM On My Late Father's Camera  

   • The Power Of REAL PHOTOGRAPHY | Shooting W...  

Gear used in this film:

Camera: Sony a7Rv

Vintage Lens: Minolta MD 35-70mm

Modern Lens: Sony 24-105mm F4 G

Editing: Adobe Lightroom and Final Cut Pro 11

Read my full article on the history of Sony and Minolta at Light Stalking: https://www.lightstalking.com/minolta...

If you enjoyed this look at vintage glass on the Sony a7Rv, please consider subscribing for more photography deep-dives!

#Sonya7Rv #Minolta #VintageLenses #PhotographyHistory #JasonRowPhotography #LighthousePhotography