Minolta's long tele zoom — the 160-500mm f/8 Auto Zoom Rokkor, a scarce mid-60s reach specialist.
The Minolta Auto Zoom Rokkor 160-500mm f/8 is a long telephoto zoom manual-focus lens for Minolta reflex cameras from the mid-1960s. The Auto prefix marks its automatic diaphragm and Zoom its variable focal length. It was a specialist long zoom giving substantial reach in a single lens, aimed at wildlife and sport photographers of the early SR era.
This is a manual-focus long-telephoto zoom covering 160-500mm with a maximum aperture of f/8. Only the focal range and aperture are stated as verified; other construction figures for this large early zoom are not confirmed and are omitted rather than invented. It is a big, heavy lens by the standards of its day.
The 160-500mm range offers extensive reach for wildlife, sport and distant landscapes, letting a photographer frame far-off subjects tightly without swapping lenses. The modest f/8 maximum aperture keeps size in check but calls for good light or a tripod, and manual focusing at 500mm requires care for critical sharpness.
On the used market this is a scarce early long Rokkor zoom sought by collectors and long-lens users. Because of its size and complexity, examine the elements for haze, fungus and separation, confirm the zoom and focus mechanisms move smoothly, and check the aperture and tripod mount. Inspect the coatings carefully given the number of air-glass surfaces.