Can someone explain the Minolta MF system?

[Nikon75-150E]

I see many Minolta MF lenses at KEH are very reasonably priced. I may get a NEX-Minolta adapter and try one or two. What does these mean: MC, MD, Rokkor X, Rokkor PF....? And which are known for having good bokeh?

[aspen]

Here are a couple of useful links.

http://thesybersite.com/minolta/historical/Minolta_Lens_Chronology.htm

http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Lenses.html

[fermy]

And here's the list of lenses.
http://minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/

For a NEX user there is no functional difference between MC, MD, or lenses without MC/MD designation. They all use the same adapter. These are different lenses , however. Rokkors are the earliest ones, then came MC Rokkor, MD Rokkors are the latest. Rokkor-X is the same as Rokkor, X signifies that the lens was sold in US, nothing else. PF, PG, etc denote the optical formula. The first letter denotes the number of groups, the second is the number of elements. PF means 5 groups, 6 elements.

All the Minolta lenses that I've tried were at least good in bokeh and any other regard. Btw, I have many for sale, though probably that is not that interesting for you across the pond.

[Nikon75-150E]

Thanks Aspen and Fermy. I enjoyed the Rokkor Files site.

[Lightshow]

Thanks for the link fermy, I was using this page, which doesn't have the floating title bar.
http://minolta.eazypix.de/lenses/body_li.html

SR->MC->MD(though all are SR mount, the later versions are auto aperture & tell the camera what f-stop it's at)

I prefer the MCII versions over the later plastic body lenses, as the filter rotates with the focus ring in later versions, although the coatings have been improved.

[skida]

I was fascinated by those links and astounded to find out that my Auto-Rokkor 1.8/50 dates from around 1958 and probably quite early in production. The brochure shows an SR-2 with the same lens, serial number 1100003 and mine is 1104056. This makes it my earliest MF lens! Car boot sales are great!

[fermy]