Minolta MD3 50mm f1.4 Lens

General

Minolta MD3 50mm f1.4 Lens: A near mint example of the Minolta MD3 50mm f1.4 Lens (serial 8119863) for Minolta SR/MC/MD mount.

This was one of our own lenses which we are now disposing of as we are slimming down our own equipment.

The optics are close to mint with only two tiny marks on the front lens which will not show on film. We have tried to get a picture of these but they are very hard to spot and impossible to get a good picture of.
The barrel bears only light use marks but the rubber grip has expanded which is typical of some MD3 lenses and we have used a suitable glue to retain it to the. Despite minor imperfections this is a a very clean example.

Like all lenses of this period, and even after cleaning, there will be small particles of dust – these do not affect the picture in anyway.

Fully serviced and comes complete with the original Minolta lens hood, original front and rear caps and a UV filter.

Please note the original Minolta lens hood has plastic threads which are easily damaged so you need some care when attaching it to the lens or else you will damage the threads.

About
MD III series came in mid 1981 with the introduction of the Minolta X-700 and it’s P-mode. To lock the smallest aperture, a little pusher was added to the aperture ring. Further most lenses from ultra wide to short tele were made to the same diameter.

Most lenses between 28mm and 135mm got a new 49mm filter thread, and the front ring featured a tiny groove all around, to take the new clip-in lens shades.

At this point Minolta lenses dropped the ‘Rokkor’ name on the lens beauty ring.

Restoration

Lens has been fully cleaned, serviced and re-lubricated as its original lubrication was failing causing the focus to be overly stiff. Oil vapour cleaned from lens optical surfaces. Many MD lenses suffer this as the old lubricants vaporise.

Please be aware that the cameras and lenses for sale can be up to 50 years old.  They have been serviced and/or checked and are always as good as they can be made, but please don’t expect them to be flawless as if they were made yesterday.

All lenses of this age exhibit some small particles of dust and coatings are not up to modern standards. Cameras will exhibit some wear signs and likewise may have small dust specks in their viewfinders or focus screens.  These do not affect the picture in any way.

ANY problems or issues will be described in the main text which you are advised to read carefully.If you are unfamiliar with film cameras we suggest you do some online research and read the manuals which are freely available from online resources.

We are enthusiastic film fans and spend our time hunting cameras and lenses that have been or are being unloved. We then spend hours to bring them back to fully working and clean condition, ready for a new lease of life with you  We always change the film seals, give the camera a clean/service and make sure its fully working before we sell it on to you.

Most lenses are cleaned, re-lubricated and all of their functions checked prior to sale so you know they will work, full details will always be in the text. All items are packed safely for transit using proper packing material NOT something the cat was sick in. Having been stung both on eBay and by dealers alike who often know very little about film cameras we decided to offer people a chance to experience film using a camera that will last for many years and which we can say for sure works reliably

Mel & Claire