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 [1][2]. 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 [2]. 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 [1].

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 [2][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 [1][2]. 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 [2]. 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 [1]. 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 [1]. The lens does not appear in the circa 1955 to 1956 Minolta Cameras brochure, suggesting it had likely been discontinued by that period [1].

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 [1]. 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 [1].

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 [1][2]. 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 [1][2][3].

Sources

• [1] Leica Copies Japan. Minolta 35 Rangefinder Cameras. https://leica-copies-japan.com/Minolta35.html
• [2] Lens QA Works / Minolta.su. Chiyoko 110mm 1:5.6 Tele Rokkor, review. https://minolta.su/chiyoko-110mm-f5-6/
• [3] Manuell Fokus. Chiyoko TELE ROKKOR 11cm f/5.6. https://www.manuellfokus.no/chiyoko-tele-rokkor-11cm-f5-6/
• [4] 35mmc. Chiyoko Tele Rokkor 11cm f/5.6, The Molehill, Pt 2. https://www.35mmc.com/31/03/2022/chiyoko-tele-rokkor-11cm-f-5-6-review/