Anyone use a real Rokkor 45mm Pancake lens?

<p>I know allot of you probably think that the 45mm f/2.0 is the pancake lens and it has often been mistakenly called that by most people too. The only lens Minolta put out which they marketed as a pancake lens was the <strong>45mm</strong> <strong>f/2.8</strong> <strong>Auto Rokkor</strong> <strong>Pancake</strong> <strong>lens</strong> . I have read many things about this lens, which is also said to be more compact than the 45mm, f/2.0, but i have never seen a picture of one. I only ever seen a sketch from a google search tho.</p>

<p>Does any one have one or have used one ? I'm curious about it. Would love to see a picture of one if i could.</p>

<p>Hi Dan,<br>

Interesting question, as I used to be quite into the manual Minolta gear myself. I've never seen the 45mm f2.8 either - only the f2.0 version. I've had at least 3 of them over the years, and hever felt they were as sharp as the 50mm f1.4 Rokkor-X -- but that could just be bad luck or lens sample variation, I suppose.<br>

Good luck on the lens search! By the way - do you (or anyone here for that matter) still shoot with the manual Minolta gear?<br>

Merry Christmas to all and catch you later,<br>

Jed</p>

<p>I saw a picture of one a couple of years ago, but the link to it has expired. I will try to find another image. This lens, BTW, was pre-MC and would require stop-down metering on SRT and later Minoltas.<br>

BTW, I've owned a couple of Rokkor 45mm f2 lenses and found them quite sharp, but maybe it's the bokeh (from its 5 blade aperture) that makes many users prefer the 50mm Rokkors over it. It is a little thick compared to the really thin pancakes lenses.</p>

<p>here's a photo: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MinoltaMFCollectorsSociety/</p>

<p>I have two of the 45mm f2.0 lenses, and until now was unaware of the f2.8 predecessor. In that it may be a pre-MC lens, I can understand why I wouldn't know about it. A photo of the f2.8 shows a lens much flatter than the f2.0.</p>

<p>I use my 45s quite a lot, and still shoot Minolta MF gear exclusively. Well, I have three Canonets that get used also. </p>

<p>A friend of mine has a 45/2.8 TD Rokkor. From what I remember it's a a pre-set lens in Minolta SR mount. It's very short and has a short helicoid. The performance is supposed to be good but close focusing is limited to about 5 feet. I have a 135/4 TC Rokkor. </p>

<p>I once saw a Rokkor TD 45 mm f2.8 listed in a used camera ad, but I think the price for it was very high. <br>

Jeff, I stand corrected. It probably is preset rather than autodiaphragm. In a way, that makes metering on SRT or later easier. Just stop lens down to minimum and turn open/close ring to open for easy focusing. Then turn close ring until needle matches (SRT) or desired shutter speed is attained (XE and later electronic Minoltas). I use that method with my present Macro Rokkor QF 50 mm f3.5 as well as my T-mount 400 and 500 mm teles.</p>

<p>Merry Christmass Jedidiah Smith. To answer you on weather i use the manual Minolta gear. My answer is <strong>YES </strong> that's all i have. I borrow a digital PS once in a while for family things, and often I'm the one handed the DSLR camera at all the family events or parties i go to, but i have yet to purchase Digital anything.<br /> Jason thanks for that link. That was the picture i was looking for. Man that is a fricken tiny lens. It seems the mount is half of its total depth.<br /> I have always known the 45mm 2.0 was a sharp lens and yea it has the less desired bokeh, but i wonder how photos with that 2.8 would look.</p>

<p>Wow when you look at all the other brands "Pancake" lenses, that were actually called and marketed as a Pancake lens and then i compare it to the 45mm f/2.0 , it amazes me how people can think its a pancake. I mean when you exclude the mount from all the real pancakes out there and compare it to the 45mm 2.0 Rokkor, less the mount, you can see it huge. I am fairly certain its somebody's marketing term in the resale venue that caught on all over the auction sites. Actually i bet it came from someone who mistakenly called it the pancake thinking the 2.0 was the 2.8 and then other resale people seen it and copied them to sell their own stock. I was just talking it over with a friend and we agreed that before the Online auction days we never heard the 2.0 called the pancake. Good oll sleaze-Bay causing confusion again it seams.</p>

<p>Pancake, yea right. Look at it, it's more like a Biscuit!!</p><div></div>

<p>Forgive for reviving such an old thread but I can't resist to share info on such an rare lens. I don't know the production volumns but I've only seen two for sale since ebay existed and all from Europe, one would think it should be easier to find in US. It does has a auto diaphram and it should be compatible with the first generation SR series SLR from Minolta. It take a tiny 46mm filter thread and only stick out 3/4" minus the lens mount. I think its one of the thiniest Pancake from the SLR film eara and rarer then the Canon 38mm FLP lens dedicated to the Pellix.</p>

<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8039/8065166382_08384c184f_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8065166476_0d72b73307_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p>

<p><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/8065165613_8492a52c5b_z.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /></p>

<p>Between 2009 and now I bought a Minolta ER. It also has a 45/2.8 TD lens. The ER is an interesting fixed lens leaf shutter SLR with shutter priority automation and a selenium meter. It's from 1963. I have three of the old 40/1.8 Konica Hexanon lenses as well as a 45/2.8 GN NIkkor C. The Hexanon is very sharp even if it is lightly built. The Nikkor is very well made. I would like to get a copy of the earlier GN with the nine blade aperture just to see if the bokeh is different. Earlier this week I saw the 40/2.8 SMC Pentax M at the local camera store. The owner had it on a Pentax ME Super and had no idea it was a cult lens. The older 55/1.8 is sharper but the 40 has the novelty factor going for it. Recently there was a Vivitar 40 or 45 pancake style lens on eBay. It must have been in the late 1970s that I read a piece on the 45/2.8 Tessar for the Contax RTS cameras by Cora Wright-Kennedy. She liked it. </p>