MINOLTA 560mm & 600mm LENSES

MINOLTA 560mm & 600mm LENSES

"Seagulls", 2015
Fujifilm XA-1 at 1/400
Minolta 600mm f6.3 MD Tele-Rokkor at f8
ISO 400

One of Minolta earliest telephoto lenses was a 600mm -- when everyone else was making really long lenses too. But all of these LONG lenses were expensive, large, heavy, and hard to use -- so very few were sold. For over ten years Minolta did not offer a 600mm lens. But years later, the Minolta 400mm APO f5.6 was such a hit, they decided to produce an APO 600mm.

The competition

There are several 600mm f8.0 lenses out there, but the drawback is a pretty dark viewfinder. And to get decent results, you have to stop way down. None are a match for the Minolta, but if you can't afford the Minolta, get a 600mm mirror, such as the Sigma or Vivitar Series 1.

MINOLTA 560mm & 600mm LENSES

LENS FEATURES

IMAGE

COMMENTS

FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm
f-STOPS: 5.6-45
PERIOD: 1958-1966
INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA TELE ROKKOR - TD 1:5.6 f=60cm
DESIGN: 4/3
FILTER: 126
DIAPHRAGM: preset
MC: no
MD: no
CLOSE FOCUS: 33'
SIZE: 21.0"x5.2"
WEIGHT: 10lb. 5oz.

Marked in centimeters (CM), not millimeters (MM), physically, this was the longest manual-focus lens that Minolta would ever make -- even though it was a true tele-photo lens with two elements in the front plus two elements in the rear of the lens -- to shorten its physical length (unlike the Leica lens, below, which only had two elements in the front of the lens, and is much longer). Rack-and-pinion focusing, and built-in sight on the top to help find the subject. It's a heavy sucker at over TEN POUNDS -- not including the tripod you will have to lug along!!!

FOCAL LENGTH: 560mm
f-STOPS: 5.6-?
PERIOD: 1972-1977
INSCRIPTION: LEITZ TELYT
DESIGN: 2/1
FILTER: ?
DIAPHRAGM: preset
MC: no
MD: no
CLOSE FOCUS: ?
SIZE: ?
WEIGHT: ?

A new lens to the Minolta line-up of SLR lenses, this is a Leitz Telyt lens with a Minolta SR mount. It bore the Leica name, and was listed in the Minolta lens catalogs, but was only available at Leitz dealerships -- but most large photo shops carried both Minolta and Leitz products at that time.

FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm
f-STOPS: 6.3-32
PERIOD: 1977-1981
INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA MD APO TELE ROKKOR-X 600mm 1:6.3 LENS MADE IN JAPAN
DESIGN: 9/8
FILTER: special
DIAPHRAGM: auto
MC: yes
MD: yes
CLOSE FOCUS: 16.4'
SIZE: 4.3"x14.7"
WEIGHT: 5lbs. 4.6oz.

A new lens to the Minolta line-up of SLR lenses in the MD Rokkor-X series. This is not just an updated version of the earlier Rokkor 600mm 5.6 lens. It used APO optics with a special fluorite element (in green) for incredible results. It has a front filter thread of 95mm, but there is a slot in the rear for drop-in filters. Combined with the Minolta 200-L tele-converter, this beauty turns into a 1200mm f12.6 SUPER telephoto!!!

FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm
f-STOPS: 6.3-32
PERIOD: 1981-present
INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA MD APO 600mm 1:6.3 JAPAN
DESIGN: 9/8
FILTER: special
DIAPHRAGM: auto
MC: yes
MD: yes
CLOSE FOCUS: 16.4'
SIZE: 4.3"x14.7"
WEIGHT: 5lbs. 4.6oz.

An updated version of the MD Rokkor-X 600mm 6.3 APO with the typical changes of the MD Minolta series. Like its predecessor, it's hard to find, and very expensive -- for a reason!

**MINOLTA 560mm & 600mm LENSES**
LENS FEATURES	IMAGE	COMMENTS
FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm f-STOPS: 5.6-45 PERIOD: 1958-1966 INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA TELE ROKKOR - TD 1:5.6 f=60cm DESIGN: 4/3 FILTER: 126 DIAPHRAGM: preset MC: no MD: no CLOSE FOCUS: 33' SIZE: 21.0"x5.2" WEIGHT: 10lb. 5oz.		Marked in centimeters (CM), not millimeters (MM), physically, this was the longest manual-focus lens that Minolta would ever make -- even though it was a true tele-photo lens with two elements in the front plus two elements in the rear of the lens -- to shorten its physical length (unlike the Leica lens, below, which only had two elements in the front of the lens, and is much longer). Rack-and-pinion focusing, and built-in sight on the top to help find the subject. It's a heavy sucker at over TEN POUNDS -- not including the tripod you will have to lug along!!!
FOCAL LENGTH: 560mm f-STOPS: 5.6-? PERIOD: 1972-1977 INSCRIPTION: LEITZ TELYT DESIGN: 2/1 FILTER: ? DIAPHRAGM: preset MC: no MD: no CLOSE FOCUS: ? SIZE: ? WEIGHT: ?		A new lens to the Minolta line-up of SLR lenses, this is a Leitz Telyt lens with a Minolta SR mount. It bore the Leica name, and was listed in the Minolta lens catalogs, but was only available at Leitz dealerships -- but most large photo shops carried both Minolta and Leitz products at that time.
FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm f-STOPS: 6.3-32 PERIOD: 1977-1981 INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA MD APO TELE ROKKOR-X 600mm 1:6.3 LENS MADE IN JAPAN DESIGN: 9/8 FILTER: special DIAPHRAGM: auto MC: yes MD: yes CLOSE FOCUS: 16.4' SIZE: 4.3"x14.7" WEIGHT: 5lbs. 4.6oz.		A new lens to the Minolta line-up of SLR lenses in the MD Rokkor-X series. This is not just an updated version of the earlier Rokkor 600mm 5.6 lens. It used APO optics with a special fluorite element (in green) for incredible results. It has a front filter thread of 95mm, but there is a slot in the rear for drop-in filters. Combined with the Minolta 200-L tele-converter, this beauty turns into a 1200mm f12.6 SUPER telephoto!!!
FOCAL LENGTH: 600mm f-STOPS: 6.3-32 PERIOD: 1981-present INSCRIPTION: MINOLTA MD APO 600mm 1:6.3 JAPAN DESIGN: 9/8 FILTER: special DIAPHRAGM: auto MC: yes MD: yes CLOSE FOCUS: 16.4' SIZE: 4.3"x14.7" WEIGHT: 5lbs. 4.6oz.		An updated version of the MD Rokkor-X 600mm 6.3 APO with the typical changes of the MD Minolta series. Like its predecessor, it's hard to find, and very expensive -- for a reason!

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The material on this website is protected by US Federal copyright laws. It cannot be copied or used in any manner without specific approval from the owner.