Minolta 5cm F1.8 Super-Rokkor, Leica Mount.

Sonnar Brian

Sonnar Brian

Product of the Fifties
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This is an uncommon lens, not too many outside of Japan. This one is from an Ebay seller in Japan, bought it about 5 years ago. It is an Ultron formula lens, 6 elements in 5 groups. A variation of the Double Gauss. Minolta used this formula for years, including the 45mm F1.7 Minolta-PF in my Minolta Hi-Matic 9 that I bought in 1969.
Current prices on Ebay range from ~$250 for a good looking lens with some coating marks to over $500.
This is a relatively large lens for an F1.8, uses 46mm filters and hoods. It is about the same size as the Zeiss C-Sonnar. The Canon 50mm F1.8 v2 (Black) lens in LTM uses 40mm filters and hoods.

This lens is well balanced on a Leica M.
Minota_50F18_1.jpgMinota_50F18_2.jpg

I noted the lens close-focuses as F1.8, and has some focus shift. It is optimized for F2.8 or so. It would be perfect wide-open on my M Monochrom with an Orange filter. I'll have to try that.
F1.8 and F4.
L1028256.jpgL1028257.jpg


F1.8 and F2.8 Pair.
L1028223.jpgL1028224.jpg

The focus shift is only noticeable at 100% pixel peeping.
The aperture is shaped like that of the post-war Zeiss 50/1.5 Sonnar, a design used to mitigate focus shift.
 
This lens is in the same league as the Konica 5cm F1.9, Topcon 5cm F2, and Canon 50/1.8 v2. I'll have to take the four of them out someday for a comparison.
All are great lenses, and prices have come down over the last few years. The Canon 50/1.8 is the most common, but finding one with clean glass is rare. I have an earlier one that has really clean glass. It is probably the sharpest of the four lenses mentioned here. Too bad so many have etched inner surfaces.

and... I'll bring the Fujinon 5cm F2 along for the test as well. That pretty much completes the collection of obscure Japanese Leica mount lenses in the F2 range...
 
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Sonnar Brian said:
This lens is in the same league as the Konica 5cm F1.9, Topcon 5cm F2, and Canon 50/1.8 v2. I'll have to take the four of them out someday for a comparison.
All are great lenses, and prices have come down over the last few years. The Canon 50/1.8 is the most common, but finding one with clean glass is rare. I have an earlier one that has really clean glass. It is probably the sharpest of the four lenses mentioned here. Too bad so many have etched inner surfaces.

and... I'll bring the Fujinon 5cm F2 along for the test as well. That pretty much completes the collection of obscure Japanese Leica mount lenses in the F2 range...
Click to expand...
Have you ever had the opportunity to shoot any of the Tanars from Tanaka Kogaku? 5cm/ F2.8, 5cm/ F2, 5cm/ F1.9, or the extremely rare 5cm/ F 1.5? I have the first 3 and rate them all quite good, but will no doubt ever find the F/1.5 for less than a king’s ransom.
 
@hilltime I have the Tanar 5cm F2, which is a Sonnar formula and very close to the Nikkor 5cm F2. Came on a beautiful Tanack IV-S for $250, at a camera show. I do not have the Tanar 5cm F1.5- if one comes up at a reasonable price, would grab it. I have the Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5, paid $1500 (coincidence?) for it.

By "League"- I tend to consider whether the lens is a Sonnar family or Double-Gauss family. Very different Signatures.
 
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