Lens hood for Minolta MD 1.2/50

Mir · Expire: 2017-09-30

Minolta Lens hood/shade #6589-487

for Minolta MD 1.2/50 (1981 MD III)

Similar to this one :

Photo : Michel Brien

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 414 Location: Kent, UK

OK,

Responding to an old topic here but after years of fruitless research the order no. on the box shown above confirms at least (and at last!) that Minolta did in fact produce a dedicated hood for the MD III 50mm f/1.2, clip-in style.

Next quest: proof that Minolta did in fact produce an MD III - styled MD 85mm f/2.8 Varisoft. They show one in one of their last lens brochures from the MD III era, but that may have been a computer-drawn mockup, I've never seen one for real, only MD I / MD II styled ones.

bmsmith67 · Joined: 15 Mar 2022 Posts: 2 Location: Florida, USA

After too many years lurking, I finally joined here to try repay a little knowledge I have gained from this site over the years.

Regarding the 50/1.2 lens shade...Minolta did not supply shades with the lens with standard lenses (at least in the later years) like they did for the others (without built-in hoods, of course). I suppose most people (like me) used one of those collapsible rubber hoods. Loved them then, but now that I collect Minolta gear, I really dislike them. This hood for the 50/1.2 is really hard to come by.

The 85/2.8 Varisoft was sort of available in MD-III trim. The lens body looks MD-II, just the name ring changed to non-Rokkor. See the review at lens.ws

Anyway, thanks for having me, and Sir RokkorDoctor, I especially appreciate your knowledge of the internals of these things.

Brad

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 414 Location: Kent, UK

Welcome to mflenses Brad!

I believe from other comments I have read that that MD-III styled Varisoft was indeed a mock-up. In the end they never did anything more adventurous than drop the Rokkor designation, as you said. The switch to AF and slow decline of the MF lenses line, and low sales numbers of the Varisoft simply didn't justify the cost of re-tooling, I guess.

Over the next few years I hope to be sharing much more re. the internals of Rokkors. Welcome Turtle

Mir · Expire: 2017-09-30

What about my shade ??

🙄

RokkorDoctor · Joined: 27 Nov 2021 Posts: 414 Location: Kent, UK