Mike Gammill 
, Feb 05, 2012; 09:44 a.m.
This is one of those lenses that often goes unused for a while unless you're shooting wildlife photos at close to medium range. The 300mm teles for the most part will outperform the zooms that go out to 300mm so when I have space in the camera bag I bring this lens along rather than a zoom.
300mm f5.6 Tele Rokkor MD on SRT 101
Mike Gammill , Feb 05, 2012; 09:46 a.m.
While not as fast as the f4.5 version, it is lighter and in smaller in diameter. And compared to its faster sibling, often very reasonably priced.
Apartments near MSU campus
Mike Gammill , Feb 05, 2012; 09:49 a.m.
I like the compressed perspective that medium teles such as this give. I think I used f11 for most shots.
One of several city water tanks
Mike Gammill , Feb 05, 2012; 09:52 a.m.
Also great for cutting the distance between camera and subject. To get the same image size on the next image I would have had to stand in the street if I'd been using a shorter focal length.
Chairs in front of antique dealer
Mike Gammill , Feb 05, 2012; 09:54 a.m.
Here's one at f5.6 at close to near focus limit. I used a tripod for this one. This lens, which doesn't have a built-in tripod collar, is about as long as I'd want to use without such a collar.
Hollies at near focus
Jeff Adler , Feb 05, 2012; 12:38 p.m.
I nearly bought this lens a few times but was outbid. My Minolta 300 is the f/4.5 MD IF model. I do have a 300/5.6 Canon FD SSC which is also an IF lens and quite sharp. If you are shooting hand held with a 300/5.6 you need fast film. The other 300s I have that will fit my Minoltas are the Vivitar 300/5.5 T4, the smaller Vivitar 300/5.6 Fixed Mount, a Vivitar 300/5.6 TX and a very slow 300/6.3 Tele Takumar pre-set lens which I can use with an adapter. The Takumar is missing its tripod collar and must be stopped down manually so fast film is even more important.
At the time I got my 300/4.5 the lens was already long out of production but still pretty expensive. The one I got had apparently been dropped on its back end. I had it expertly repaired by a gentleman named Vilmos Keretsis, who was a little north of me when I lived in Bergen County.
Clay L , Feb 05, 2012; 12:45 p.m.
Hi Mike,
I have the MC Tele Rokkor - HF 30cm f/4.5 also on a Minolta SR-T101. This one does have a
tripod collar. I've never seen a 5.6 MD, thanks for posting the lens and nice shots.
Best regards,
/Clay
Jeff Adler , Feb 05, 2012; 12:50 p.m.
Make that Vilmos Keresztes.
Mike Gammill , Feb 05, 2012; 05:54 p.m.
Yeah, fast film's the word with a 300mm. I was using Fujicolor 200. Since the light was good I was able to get by with handholding except for the holly berries. I also chose to use my SRT 101 over my easier to focus SRT 201/303 and SR 505, which have the split screen focusing aid because the 101 has mirror lock up setting. For shutter speeds below 1/125 it reduces the vibration to a neglible level.
Rick Drawbridge , Feb 05, 2012; 06:53 p.m.
Magnificent lens, Mike, somewhat of a rarity in my part of the world. My Rokkors peek at 200mm, but they're marvelous lenses with the same awesome resolving power, contrast and colour presentation as your 300mm achieves. I'm a great fan of longer focal lengths, very rarely using them to "get closer," but using the compression of distance and the shallow depth of field as graphic devices. That "Hollies" image show your lens off perfectly...Thanks for posting.
