Chiyoda Kogaku Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6

Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6 LTM

The Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6 LTM is an early Japanese Leica screw-mount telephoto lens made for the Minolta-35 rangefinder system. It is often described as a 110mm lens, but the original focal-length marking is 11cm, not 100mm [1]. The lens belongs to the first generation of Chiyoda Kogaku rangefinder lenses, when the company used the Chiyoko name before Minolta became the dominant public-facing brand [2].

The lens uses a 4-element, 2-group optical design and was produced in Leica thread mount / M39 for rangefinder cameras. Lens QA Works records a reviewed example with a 110mm focal length, f/5.6 maximum aperture, 34mm filter thread, 47mm diameter, 71.5mm length, 244g weight, and 2.13m close-focus distance. Some collector references list version-dependent differences in close focus, measured length, weight, and aperture blade count, so individual copies should be checked before entering version-specific metadata.

For collectors, the Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6 is significant because it is one of the rarest early Minolta LTM lenses and one of the more compact Japanese telephoto lenses from the immediate postwar rangefinder period[4]. Its slow f/5.6 maximum aperture limited practical use in the era of slow film, but the lens remains attractive today because of its small size, unusual 11cm focal length, Chiyoko-era markings, and connection to the first Minolta-35 lens system.

History

Development and Launch

The lens was introduced with the early Minolta-35 system, which appeared in 1947 as Chiyoda Kogaku’s Leica-style 35mm rangefinder camera line. Lens QA Works lists the 11cm f/5.6 Tele Rokkor alongside the 45mm f/2.8 Super Rokkor, 8.5cm f/2.8 Super Rokkor, and 13.5cm f/4 Tele Rokkor as part of the first Minolta-35 lens group. This places the lens among the earliest Japanese Leica-compatible rangefinder lenses.

Production Evolution

Leica Copies Japan describes three known versions of the Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6. The earliest version is all silver and marked with a black coated-lens symbol, while a second version has a black nose with black aperture and focusing rings. A third version returned to an all-silver body but used a black beauty ring and red coated-lens mark. The lens does not appear in the circa 1955 to 1956 Minolta Cameras brochure, suggesting it had likely been discontinued by that period.

Special Variants

Known variations are mainly finish and marking variants rather than separate optical models. Collector-documented examples include an all-silver early type, a black-nose type, and a later all-silver type with black beauty ring and red coated mark. The lens should not be confused with the Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 13.5cm f/4 LTM or the later Minolta Tele Rokkor QE 100mm f/3.5 LTM, which are separate lenses with different focal lengths, optical formulas, and collector profiles.

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the exact focal-length engraving, because this lens is properly an 11cm / 110mm f/5.6 lens rather than a 100mm f/5.6 lens. Important checks include the Chiyoko TELE ROKKOR front engraving, LTM / M39 mount, rangefinder coupling, focus scale, coated-lens mark color, barrel finish, serial number, aperture blade count, internal haze, coating wear, and whether the lens has been modified or misidentified. Version-dependent close focus and weight differences are documented, so serial number and physical inspection matter for database accuracy[3].