Searching for the best Minolta lenses in search engines finds some hilarious lists. Minolta’s late consumer F4.5-5.6 zooms should not be on those. Forum threads are mostly filled with more affordable lenses. I decided there needed to be at least one more accurate listing for the algorithms to find. Sorting the database here isn’t a bad start. It is missing lenses Minolta produced for other mounts.
The list below is compiled mainly using recent North American eBay sales–how people have voted with their own money. These are the highest sale prices not averages or asking prices. Some lenses haven’t sold on eBay recently–I didn’t find Minolta Limited or STF sales for example. My own experience is mostly limited to the bottom of this list with few exceptions.
Minolta branding seems to be sometimes valuable. A new SAL35F14G is $1,500 which is less than a few of the old Minoltas have sold for.
Minolta Alpha/Maxxum Lenses
AF 600/4 $3,000
AF 85/1.4 G Limited $3000
AF 35/1.4 (all) $2,000
AF 400/4.5 $1,500
AF 300/2.8 $1,350
AF 200/4 $1,160
AF 3x-1x $1,100
AF 70-200 G SSM $1000
AF 80-200/2.8 HS APO G $700
AF 28/2 RS $600
AF 85/1.4 G RS $500
AF 17-35/3.5 G $500
AF 200/2.8 HS APO G $500
AF 300/4 HS APO G $500
AF 100/2 $450
AF 500/8 $425
AF 16/2.8 $400
AF 100/2.8 SF $400
AF 100-400 $400
AF 28-70/2.8 G $380
AF 35 F2 $350
AF 135/2.8 $350
AF 28/2 $300
AF 100/2.8 D $300
AF 28-75/2.8 $250
AF 20/2.8 $250
AF 50/1.4 $220
AF 50/2.8 D $200
AF 28-135 $180
AF 70-210/4 $170
AF 28-105 $160
AF 75-300 $140
AF 24-105 D $135
AF 24/2.8 $130
AF 24-85 $125
135/2.8 STF $600
Minolta Rangefinder Lenses
G-Rokkor 28/3.5 $1,100
M-Rokkor 28/2.8 $800
M-Rokkor 40/2 $800
M-Rokkor 90/4 $350
Minolta Reflex Lenses (SR)
RF 1600/11 $7,200
RF 1000/6.3 ?
RF 250/5.6 $2,100
RF 800/8 $680
RF 500/8 $300
Minolta SR Mount Lenses
MD 600/6.3 APO $3,000
MD 135/2 $1,900
MC/MD 400/5.6 APO $1,500
MD 100-500/8 APO $1,000
MD 7.5/4 $800
Shift-CA 35/2.8 $750
VFC 24/2.8 $700
MC 58/1.2 $680
MD 40-80/2.8 $640
MC 85/1.7 $550
Varisoft 85/2.8 $500
MD 50/1.2 $500
MD 20/2.8 $500
MC 21/2.8 $500
MC 16/2.8 $420
MC 100/2 $400
MD 200/2.8 $400
MC/MD 28/2 $350
MC/MD 35/1.8 $350
MD 85/2 $350
MD 100/2.5 $350
MD 24/2.8 $300
MD 100/4 $300
MD 28/2 $350
MD 300/4.5 $200
MD 35-70/3.5 Macro $160
MD 75-150/4 $150