MINOLTA G ROKKOR 28mm (L39)

Review and Photo example of the MINOLTA G ROKKOR 28mm F3.5.

Table of contents

Gallery

  • MINOLTA G-ROKKOR 3.5/28 Photo example / HEXAR-RF

Review

The Minolta G Rokkor 28mm F3.5 is a lens for rangefinder cameras with a Leica L39 screw mount.
The lens used in the high-end compact camera TC-1 was made into a Leica L39 screw mount with the same lens configuration and was released in a limited edition of 2000 pieces.
The lens barrel has a beautiful silver exterior, and the hood is also in the same color. When the hood is removed, it is a compact lens with a total length of about 20mm.
It comes in a luxurious package with a nameplate as shown in the photo, and the cap at the end of the hood is made of the same material as the lens and is screw-on and has the MINOLTA logo on it. The L39 screw rear cap was also specially designed and decorated with elaborate costumes.

The aperture blades of the compact camera TC-1, on which this lens is based, had circular plates that were interchangeable. This L-mount version replaces the standard 9-blade diaphragm, which is convenient for regular use.
This is MINOLTA’s first lens for Leica rangefinder cameras since they released M mount lenses for the Leitz Minolta CL/Minolta CLE.
The shortest shooting distance of this lens is 0.8m, and the fact that it says 0.45m is probably confusing it with the shortest shooting distance of the compact camera TC-1.

The GR28mm released around the same time is thought to be made of brass and is heavy at 180g, but this one is made of aluminum and is considerably lighter at 110g.
It is a lens often used on film cameras, and as you can see in the photo, when attached to ZEISS IKON or MINOLTA CLE, it looks very nice and arouses the desire to take pictures. When using with a film camera, if you take into consideration peripheral light reduction, you will hardly notice any drawbacks. I don’t have any of these systems on hand anymore, but I think I can smile just by having them.
When using it with the LEICA M9, a digital camera with a 35mm full-frame sensor, I was concerned about peripheral brightness and color cast. With the α7s and recent sensors, I don’t think color cast is an issue.

This lens does not have a bonded surface, so you don’t have to worry about the balsam breaking, which is a blessing as an old lens. With the same angle of view, the RICOH GR 28mm (the same goes for the wider-angle GR 21mm), there is a high probability that you will see cloudy lenses due to peeling of the balsam bonding surface.

This lens was released in 1998, but new lenses were available at camera stores until around 2005. Ten years ago, there was an idyllic time when even limited edition items could not be sold quickly, a time different from the busy modern times.
As a comparison of personal experience, I wish I had used the TC-1 as well, but I was satisfied with the GR1, a compact camera with a focal length of 28mm, so I ended up not using the TC-1.

Zeiss Ikon +G-ROKKOR 3.5/28
MINOLTA CLE +G-ROKKOR 3.5/28

Specification

ItemValuenote
focal length(mm)28
Maximum aperture3.5
Minimum aperture22half stop
Lens configuration5groups 5elements
Leaf blade9
Minimum distance(m)0.8Works with camera rangefinder at all shooting distances
Lens length(mm)19.5Distance form mount flange
Lens max diameter(mm)51Excluding focusing lever
Filter diameter(mm)40.5
Weight(g)110
Release dateYear 1998/9
List price(Yen)

Reference links

  • under investigation

Update history

  • 2024.02.22:Update the article
  • 2022.10.01:First draft

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