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Samsung MD 1.4/50
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 5:57 pm    Post subject: Samsung MD 1.4/50 Reply with quote

I have no idea what I have here, cannot find any info on the net about it.

It's in Minolta MD mount and bears something of a resemblance to the Minolta MD 1.4/50 (which I also own).




It's clearly not the same lens as the 1.4/50 for the Samsung SR4000 which was labelled a S-K Xenon and used a unique mount very similar to the Minolta and Yashica AF mounts:



So what do I have? a Korean copy of the Minolta MD 1.4/50? Quite why it exists is beyond me as I can find no reference to Samsung ever making an SLR with a Minolta MD mount.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lens like that stayed unsold on ebay for a long while and I kept wondering the same thing - what is it? A rebadge? A clone? I almost bought it, just to have a closer look.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have one of these and it seems to be identical to the 49mm filter thread Minolta MD 50mm F1.4
I recall taking the plastic cover off the front and it looked the same. I've found, at least in Japan, that if you can find one, that they are cheaper than the same condition Minolta.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting lens.

I knew about that Schneider Xenon Samsung lens and camera, but i have never seen a manual 1.4/50 branded Samsung.
Could it be there is another X-300 clone? There are many variants of that one, although made in China by Seagull. It even exists with the Zenit name on it.


PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the heterogeneous Schneider Kreuznach lettering.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most of the information appears in this book: https://books.google.com.au/books?id=F51sULKZeXoC&pg=PA279&dq=samsung+minolta+camera&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjlnu_1r_7VAhWGgbwKHQjzC5oQ6AEIPzAF#v=snippet&q=X-300&f=false

Minolta kickstarted Samsung as a diverse manufacturer in the beginning of the 80's, probably in exchange for electronics development assistance (probably not the camera kind) and licensing payments. I believe it was Samsung who sent several engineers to intern at Minolta and learn the manufacturing trade there while Minolta probably sold the tooling, so camera equipment was produced initially by Samsung Aerospace.

As a result, Minolta helped Samsung establish and operate their own production for Minolta Hi Matic AF (referred to only as Hi Matic Strobo/Strobo Date in Korean literature - no camera ever produced or seen with such a name I believe) and X-300 and MD-III 50/1.4 lenses. Minolta provided the optics. These were eventually badged as Samsung and sold/marketed in Korea by sister company, Samsung Electronics. Korean companies have a history of direct investment in established economies.

Somewhat strangely, the Minolta-Samsung relationship seems but a small stamp in the company's own acknowledgement of its official history: http://www.samsung.com/de/news/pressemappen/Samsung_45_Years_of_Innovation.PDF and I'm not sure it's ever mentioned by Minolta.
I don't think Minolta was the only camera company involved in Samsung or Korea at the time. You can see in the above PDF that the Hi Matic is the AF-D model but they originally produced the manual focus Hi-Matic S - perhaps the S means Strobo? Whatever strobo means...

I'd say that historians and businessmen know much more of the history than Samsung would itself anymore - they probably don't maintain much of a history/archive as other large, historical companies do, except for their own 'innovations'.
I've seen the Samsung X-300 with Samsung 50/1.4 together but I can't find an image on Google. They are exceptionally rare and many collectors are unaware of the existence as it's seems undocumented in any camera encyclopedia or book. Not surprising. Only 50,600 are documented to have been produced, but that could be an incomplete timespan too. Possibly most of those cameras produced were branded as Minolta, but sold in Korea through Samsung Electronics so we may not tell the difference. It's unclear - maybe many already ended up in the recycling as technology progressed at a rapid pace.

There's also this ad and some others with Korean titles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKQwAVnzdZo


Last edited by Teemō on Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:14 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 7:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Interesting, so this lens is the MD-III 1.4/50. If Minolta provided the optics then I suppose it's Minolta glass in a barrel produced by Samsung using Minolta tooling.

I'll have to dig out my MD 1.4/50 and compare them.


PostPosted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 10:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Teemō wrote:

I've seen the Samsung X-300 with Samsung 50/1.4 together but I can't find an image on Google. They are exceptionally rare and many collectors are unaware of the existence as it's seems undocumented in any camera encyclopedia or book.


Thanks for all the info! So my guess was correct then. Now i have to find an example! Wink


PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 12:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
Interesting, so this lens is the MD-III 1.4/50. If Minolta provided the optics then I suppose it's Minolta glass in a barrel produced by Samsung using Minolta tooling.

I'll have to dig out my MD 1.4/50 and compare them.


I've been away this week. But when I get home I can look at mine again..... But as I recall, it was identical to my Minolta lenses.


PostPosted: Fri Oct 06, 2017 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've found my Samsung MD 50mm F1.4 and one of my Minolta MD 50mm F1.4 lenses.

They are identical. All markings, and parts are exactly the same.
There's only one difference:
The Minolta is a very late model MD III with the focus confirmation post, a system for the X-600. The Samsung doesn't have this, but you can swap the bayonet plates between the two.

Even the front plastic name plates are the same font and layout, except that one has "Japan" and "MINOLTA" on it, while the other has "Korea" and "SAMSUNG"

Serial numbers:

Samsung: 8031048
Minolta: 8114851