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Specification

Sources of data

• Minolta lenses: vision for the creative photographer booklet.
• A guide to the Minolta SLR system of creative photography 0411-K7 (1984).
• Minolta Corporation Photographic Division 1981/1982 Catalog (March 1981).
• Minolta SRT cameras and systems.

Manufacturer description #1

Minolta made the first truly compact 500mm mirror lens. This extraordinary catadioptric lens offers high magnification in a compact, lightweight, easy-to-handle size. Like all Minolta mirror lenses, it accepts rear-mount integral lens element type filters.

Manufacturer description #2

A different kind of telephoto lens is the catadioptric design, that folds the light path via high-quality-optical mirrors in combination with conventional refractive lens elements. Minolta makes four of these - the 250mm F/5.6 RF, 500mm F/8 RF, 800mm F/8 RF and 1600mm F/11 RF - and each is outstanding in terms of fantastic reach and a surprisingly lightweight design. These super telephoto lenses are indispensable for sports, nature and landscape photography. The 250mm F/5.6 RF is the world's first reflex-type medium telephoto lens, a beauty to handle. The 500mm F/8 RF is one of the smallest, lightest of its focal length available to the photographers today, and makes long-telephoto photography a hand-held situation. This superb Minolta lens weighs only 600g and is hardly larger than a conventional medium telephoto lens. The 800mm F/8 RF also features a compact size for such a long focal length, which contributes to convenient handling portability. The 1600mm F/11 RF is the longest Minolta lens of all, providing phenomenal telephoto capabilities. All of the mirror-type lenses have built-in filters that are rear-mounted for additional versatility. With the use of the built-in ND (Neutral Density) filter, for instance, the amount of light passing through each lens may be reduced.

Manufacturer description #3

This is the smallest, lightest 500mm lens available to the photographer today, a minor masterpiece of design and handling ease. Long-telephoto photography is now definitely a handheld situation, for this superb Rokkor-X weighs only 600 grams (1 lb. 5 1/8 oz.) and is hardly larger than a conventional medium telephoto lens. Of the catadioptric reflex design that folds the light path via high-quality-optical mirrors, this RF Rokkor-X will quickly take its place in the photographer's complement of most-widely-used lenses, if only because of its size, weight and performance. Like other RF Rokkor-X lenses, the 500mm takes rear-mounted filters (Normal, yellow, orange, red and ND). The amount of light passing through this lens may be reduced by the use of an ND (Neutral Density) filter. This will make the aperture of the lens equivalent to f/16

Typical characteristics of mirror (reflex) lenses

• Catadioptric system consisting of curved mirrors and optical glass;
• Much shorter, lighter and less expensive designs than conventional super telephoto lenses;
• Outstanding correction of chromatic aberrations;
• Since the aperture is fixed, neutral density filters are used to obtain a smaller aperture;
• Doughnut-shaped out-of-focus highlights.

From the editor

The lens was supplied with Normal, ND4x, Y52, O56 and R60 rear 39mm screw-type filters.

Other super telephoto prime lenses in the Minolta SR system

Lenses with similar focal length