If you’ve read many photo-forums over the last decade or so, you’ve undoubtedly seen high praise for Minolta’s Rokkor line of lenses. Minolta was one of a very few camera lens manufacturers that actually made their own glass. The following excerpt is taken from a mid-70s Minolta sales brochure.
The “recipe” of glass-making ingredients varies with the type of glass to be made. Among the materials often used are silica, sodium carbonate, alumina, barium and lead oxide. Among many other ingredients that may be added to obtain special characteristics for quality Minolta lenses are thorium, zirconium, and rare-earth elements such as lanthanum.
The measured materials are melted and stirred in crucibles (platinum-lined ones for high-index glasses) at temperatures in the neighborhood of 1500ºC for many hours, then gradually cooled over a period of days. The congealed glass is broken into easily-handled fragments which are subjected to rigid inspections for bubbles, striae, and other defects, and imperfect pieces or parts are discarded. The perfect lumps are split into weight-sized pieces, which are tumbled, heat-softened, and hydraulically pressed into blanks. from one to two further weeks of fine annealing processing relieves internal stresses and adjusts refractive index.
“A Guide to the Minolta SLR System of Creative Photography”
The lenses and descriptions that follow are also taken from that publication. Remember that this is from the mid-70s and is not a complete listing of MC Rokkors that eventually became available. I’ve also included current pricing information if it’s available.
Use the links below to jump to specific sections
- Primes: Wide-angle lenses
- Primes: Standard lenses
- Primes: Telephoto lenses
- Mirror Lenses
- Zoom Lenses
- Specialty Lenses
Prime Lenses – Wide-angle
7.5mm f/4 MC Fisheye Rokkor-X
Construction: 12 elements in 8 groups
Angle of view: 180º
Focusing: fixed at 1.2m (4ft) covering 0.5m (1.75ft) to infinty at full aperture.
Filters: built-in
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4 – f/22
Currently $700-$1300 USD on eBay
16mm f/2.8 MC Fisheye Rokkor-X
Construction: 11 elements in 8 groups
Angle of view: 180º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filters: Built-in
Diaphragm: f/2.8 – f/16
Currently $300-$500 USD on eBay
17mm f/4 MC W Rokkor-X
Construction: 11 elements in 9 groups
Angle of view: 104º
Min. focus distance: 0.25m (0.8ft)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4 – f/16
Currently $350-$400 USD on eBay
21mm f/2.8 W Rokkor-X
Construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
Angle of view: 91º
Min. focus distance: 0.25m (0.8ft)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/22
Currently $300-$400 USD on eBay
24mm f/2.8 W Rokkor-X
Construction: 9 elements in 7 groups
Angle of view: 84º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/16
Currently $100-$200 USD on eBay
24mm f/2.8 MC VFC Rokkor-X
Construction: 9 elemens in 7 groups
Angle of view: 84º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/16
The field of sharp focus can be varied continuously from concave through flat to convex.
Currently $400-$500 USD on eBay
28mm f/2.0 MC W Rokkor-X
Construction: 10 elements in 9 groups
Angle of view: 76º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2 – f/16
Currently $250-$350 USD on eBay
28mm f/2.8 MC W Rokkor-X
Construction: 7 elements in 7 groups
Angle of view: 76º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/16
Currently $50-$65 USD on eBay
35mm f/1.8 MC W Rokkor-X
Construction: 8 elements in 6 groups
Angle of view: 64º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/1.8 – f/16
Currently $250-$300 USD on eBay
35mm f/2.8 MC W Rokkor-X
Construction: 5 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 64º
Min. focus distance: 0.3m (1ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/16
Currently $60-$100 USD on eBay
Prime Lenses: Standard
50mm f/1.4 MC Rokkor-X
Construction: 7 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 47º
Min. Focus distance: 0.5m (1.75ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/1.4 – f/16
Currently $50-$90 USD on eBay
50mm f/1.7 MC Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 47º
Min. focus distance: 0.5m (1.75ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/1.7 – f/16
Currently $25-$35 USD on eBay
58mm f/1.2 MC Rokkor-X
Construction: 7 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 41º
Min. focus distance: 0.6m (2ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/1.2 – f/16
Currently $350-$450 USD on eBay
Prime Lenses: Telephoto
85mm f/1.7 MC Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 29º
Min. focus distance: 1m (3.3ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/1.7 – f/22
Currently $350-$450 USD on eBay
100mm f/2.5 MC Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 24º
Min. focus distance: 1.2m (4ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.5 – f/22
Currently $100-$150 USD on eBay
135mm f/2.8 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 4 elements in 4 groups
Angle of view: 18º
Min. focusing distance: 1.5m (5ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/2.8 – f/22
Currently $25-$50 USD on eBay
135mm f/3.5 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 4 elements in 4 groups
Angle of view: 18º
Min. focusing distance: 1.5m (5ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/3.5 – f/22
Currently $10-$25 USD on eBay
200mm f/3.5 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
Angle of view: 12º
Min. focusing distance: 2.5m (8ft)
Filter diameter: 62mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/3.5 – f/22
Currently $30-$60 USD on eBay
200mm f/4.5 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 5 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 12º
Min. focus distance: 2.5m (8ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4.5 – f/22
Currently $15-$25 USD on eBay
300mm f/4.5 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 6 groups
Angle of view: 8º
Min. focusing distance: 4.5m (15ft)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4.5 – f/22
Currently $50-$100 USD on eBay
300mm f/5.6 MC Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 5 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 8º
Min. focusing distance: 4.5m (15ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/5.6 – f/22
Currently price is unknown
400mm f/5.6 MC APO Tele Rokkor-X
Construction: 7 elements in 6 groups
Angle of view: 6º
Min. focusing distance: 5m (16ft)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/5.6 – f/32
Accessories: MC 2x Converter
Currently $1000-$1500 USD on eBay
Mirror Lenses
800mm f/8 RF Rokkor-X
Construction: 2 mirrors, 8 elements in 7 groups
Angle of view: 3º
Min. focusing distance: 8m (26ft)
Filters: Integral lens-element type
F-Stops: f/8 and f/16 by ND filters
Currently: $500-$700 USD on eBay
1600mm f/11 RF Rokkor-X
Construction: 2 mirrors, 6 elements in 5 groups
Angle of view: 1º 30′
Min. focusing distance: 20m (70ft)
Filters: Built-in
F-stops: f/11 and f/22 by ND filters
Currently price is unknown
Zoom Lenses
80-200mm f/4.5 MC Zoom Rokkor-X
Construction: 14 elements in 10 groups
Angle of view: 30º – 12 º
Min. focusing distance: 1.8m (6ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4.5 – f/32
Currently $20-$320 USD on eBay
100-500mm f/8 MC Zoom Rokkor-X
Construction: 16 elements in 10 groups
Angle of view: 24º – 5º
Min. focusing distance: 2.5m (8ft)
Filter diameter: 72mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/8 – f/32
Currently $350-$500 USD on eBay
Specialty Lenses
50mm f/3.5 Macro Rokkor-X
Construction: 6 elements in 4 groups
Angle of view: 47º
Min. focusing distance: 0.23m (9in)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/3.5 – f/22
Accessories: Life-size Adapter, Reverse Ring
Currently $50-$70 USD on eBay
100mm f/3.5 MC Macro Rokkor-X
Construction: 5 elements in 4 groups
Angle of view: 24º
Min. focus distance: 0.45m (1.5ft)
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/3.5 – f/22
Accessories: Life-size adapter
Currently $70-$100 USD on eBay
100mm f/4 Auto Bellows Rokkor-X
Construction: 3 elements in 3 groups
Angle of view: 24º
Min. focusing distance: 1:1 life-size with Auto Bellows
Filter diameter: 55mm
Diaphragm: Auto preset f/4 – f/32
Currently $50-$75 USD w/o bellows on eBay
Vintage Camera Digest 