Minolta 50mm f1.7 Lens for Minolta MD

The Minolta 50mm f1.7 Lens for Minolta MD is a classic manual-focus standard prime lens built for Minolta’s SR/MD-mount 35mm film SLR cameras, an excellent “nifty fifty” that wonderfully balances cost and performance. It’s a fast, versatile lens well suited to portraits, street photography, and general-purpose shooting, as well as available-light work indoors and in other low-illumination situations.

Optically, the lens offers a 50mm focal length with a maximum aperture of f/1.7 narrowing to a minimum of f/16 or f/22 depending on source, delivering a 47-degree angle of view. The 6-element, 5-group optical design uses multicoated glass to help maintain contrast and color accuracy, with the diaphragm reported as either 6 or 7 blades depending on the specific example.

As a fully manual lens, both focus and aperture are controlled directly on the lens barrel, with waffle-pattern rubber focusing grips for improved handling, automatic diaphragm operation, and meter coupling lug rings providing full-aperture light metering or focusing, keeping the diaphragm wide open except at the instant of exposure. As an MD-mount lens from the later Minolta MD range, it supports advanced metering modes and fully programmed exposure on compatible Minolta camera bodies, while also remaining backward-compatible with earlier Minolta MC-mount cameras.

Build quality is all-metal construction typical of Minolta’s respected manual-focus era, with a minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.5 ft. (0.45m), and accepts either a 49mm or 55mm filter thread depending on the specific production version. The lens weighs approximately 165-192g depending on the exact variant.

As a fully manual lens, the Minolta 50mm f/1.7 MD is compatible with Minolta’s manual-focus SR/MD-mount 35mm film SLR bodies, and can also be adapted to modern mirrorless and DSLR cameras using an inexpensive, widely available MD-mount adapter for manual-focus use.

Key Features
– 50mm f/1.7 standard prime lens (MD mount) for Minolta SR/MD-mount cameras
– 6 elements in 5 groups, multicoated optical construction
– 47° angle of view
– Waffle-pattern rubber focusing grip
– Automatic diaphragm with meter coupling lug rings
– Full-aperture light metering support
– Compatible with advanced metering/programmed exposure on later MD-compatible bodies
– Backward-compatible with Minolta MC-mount cameras
– Fully manual focus and aperture control
– Minimum focusing distance of approximately 1.5 ft. (0.45m)
– 49mm or 55mm filter thread (version-dependent)
– All-metal construction (approximately 165-192g)
– Adaptable to modern mirrorless/DSLR cameras via MD-mount adapter