Minolta MC Rokkor-PF 55/1.7 - what is this lever?

Hilo

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Hi,

On the attached picture A. you see a lever at the rear of the lens and I wonder what it is for? The serial number of this lens is 240XXXX

I have this same lens with a later serial number 245XXXX, and it does not have this lever.

On the other side of the barrel is another small metal piece located where are the aperture numbers. Both lenses have that. You see what I mean in picture B.

Thanks !
 

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  • (A) Rokkor 55:1.7.JPG
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  • (B) Rokkor 55:1.7.JPG
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Sirius Glass

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The lever in the first photograph is the preview lever. Moving it stops down the lens so the user can see the depth of field.

The tab in the second photograph is used to tell the sensor/viewfinder the lens selected lens aperture. As the aperture is changed the lever moves the indicator in the view finder. If I remember correctly this tab is on Rokkor D lenses and not on the earlier lenses.
 

leicarfcam

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That first lever was used on Auto-Rokkors for depth of field... The second image is the meter coupling which couples with the aperture ring on the camera body..
 
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Hilo

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Thanks !

Ok, it is good to know that is a depth of field lever.

This is not an Auto-Rokkor, see attached image. So, I guess Minolta kept this lever with the early serial numbered 55/1.7 lenses and then dropped it?
 

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  • MC Rokkor-PF 55:1.7.JPG
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Zathras

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Hilo said:
Thanks !

Ok, it is good to know that is a depth of field lever.

This is not an Auto-Rokkor, see attached image. So, I guess Minolta kept this lever with the early serial numbered 55/1.7 lenses and then dropped it?
Click to expand...

I have a few older MC Rokkors in other focal lengths that also have this lever. Minolta probably continued this feature for a while, to allow the the newer lenses to work with the meters on the pre SRT bodies. Not all of the later MC Rokkors had the depth of field lever. I don't think that the MD Rokkors had it.
 

Sirius Glass

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From what I remember what he said is correct. I had a Minolta SR-7, SRT 101, SRT 102, XD-11, and X-700. I had the MC 58mm f/1.4, MD 50mm f/1.4, MC 21mm f/2.8, 28mm f/2.8 , MD 35mm f/2.8 and a 70mm to 210mm Vivitar zoom lens [pre Series I]. All of the Rokkor lenses were great with good contrast. The Vivitar was never up to the contrast quality of the Rokkor lenses. I sold off the 35mm because it was too close to the 58mm to be useful and bought the 21mm and 28mm lenses. I was sorry that I let the MC 58mm lens go, it was better than the 50mm lens even though it was a MC lens.
 
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