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Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour
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PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:48 pm    Post subject: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

Hello from Germany,

I have recently seen two standard Minolta MD 50/1.4 (MD-II and MD-III) lenses with the serial numbers colored in blue. The paint seems to be original to me and it was confirmed by the local expirienced seller (he has a local shop of the used photo equipment), who has told me that he has seen other Minolta lenses with the blue serials earlier. Unfortunately he couldn't provide additional details about lens types or origin. The other labels on the lenses are usual with the normal colours. The serials are:

1. MINOLTA MD ROKKOR 50mm 1:1.4 LMIJ O49mm, 40924XX (on side with the blue color)


2. MINOLTA MD 50mm 1:1.4 JAPAN O49mm, 70045XX (on side with the blue color)


I will appreciate any information about these or other lenses with the unusual serials.

Regards Maksim


PostPosted: Fri Jul 17, 2020 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like blue sharpie to me.
Isopropyl should remove any sharpie and leave the paint intact.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The serial numbers don't indicate anything special to me. The second one is low but not a prototype.
All of the Minolta 'in-house' lenses and cameras seen, for internal testing in the factory or development facility, have all of the engravings filled in with orange. I don't even recognise the blue as being from any other Minolta items.

I think the original owner had just decided to fill in the serials with blue, perhaps to indicate their ownership of them more easily.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 7:28 pm    Post subject: Re: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

Max78 wrote:

I have recently seen two standard Minolta MD 50/1.4 (MD-II and MD-III) lenses with the serial numbers colored in blue. The paint seems to be original to me and it was confirmed by the local expirienced seller (he has a local shop of the used photo equipment), who has told me that he has seen other Minolta lenses with the blue serials earlier. Unfortunately he couldn't provide additional details about lens types or origin.

Have you obtained both from the same source?
Can be a mod indeed, but I can't explain why would someone cover non-UV paint, while leaving UV one intact.
Covering UV-glow paint would have made at least some sense to me.

The blue was used by Minolta though, so in a pinch someone might have used what they had on hand for non-essential stuff, while they were running dangerously low on white.

BTW, why do people cover their lens serials? It's not like they are a credit card numbers.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2020 10:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

aidaho wrote:

The blue was used by Minolta though, so in a pinch someone might have used what they had on hand for non-essential stuff, while they were running dangerously low on white.


Laugh 1

That's Ukrainian (ex Soviet Union) thinking, but certainly not the Japanese way of manufacturing around 1980 ... Wink

S


PostPosted: Thu Jul 23, 2020 9:17 am    Post subject: Re: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
aidaho wrote:

The blue was used by Minolta though, so in a pinch someone might have used what they had on hand for non-essential stuff, while they were running dangerously low on white.


Laugh 1

That's Ukrainian (ex Soviet Union) thinking, but certainly not the Japanese way of manufacturing around 1980 ... Wink

S

You might want to take a look inside a Minolta MC 100/3.5 (last version of the 100/3.5).
Going to ruin a lot of your preconceived notions about Japanase way of manufacturing. Certainly did this to mine.

100/3.5 was assembled by hand, manually shaving off metal to make different parts to match and fit together, making every copy unique.

Haven't seen comparable amount of manual labour in any lens, including the Soviet ones.


PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 2:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

Many Thanks for everybody for the kind responces Smile

aidaho wrote:

Have you obtained both from the same source?


I have seen both lenses in the local shop of the used photographic equipment here in Dortmund (camera09) and obtained MDIII only. I know the owner quite well as we are often talking aboout different topics about "photo-hardware". He has long professional expirience in checking and selling lenses and he has told se me that he has seen minolta lenses with blue and red coloured serials before. His sources for the both lenses show here were different.

aidaho wrote:

Can be a mod indeed, but I can't explain why would someone cover non-UV paint, while leaving UV one intact.
Covering UV-glow paint would have made at least some sense to me.

The blue was used by Minolta though, so in a pinch someone might have used what they had on hand for non-essential stuff, while they were running dangerously low on white.

BTW, why do people cover their lens serials? It's not like they are a credit card numbers.


I've made a closer picture of the serial number and it is not so obvious for me - is it repainted or not. The old things may have a long history and I prefer to hide the full serials of my staff.

The picture of the lens is taken with the Zuiko OM Macro 80/4 on bellows:


PostPosted: Mon Jul 27, 2020 3:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Minolta 50/1.4 with serial in blue colour Reply with quote

Max78 wrote:
He has long professional expirience in checking and selling lenses and he has told se me that he has seen minolta lenses with blue and red coloured serials before. His sources for the both lenses show here were different.


Here:

http://minolta.eazypix.de/master/index.html

Minolta Master lenses for repair and adjustment purposes.

Stephan