Minolta AF lens list prices from ‘back in the day’.
The prices below were culled from period publications, and receipts sent in by readers.
Some prices for a few lenses seem quite high, and almost unbelievable for that time, but I do know that two of the lens prices match up very well with what my Dad paid for those same lenses in the late 1980s from receipts, so I believe the lower prices listed below are probably close to, say within 10% of what you’d expect to pay in the US at the date listed, with the higher prices being suggested retail prices.
The first column lists the lens model with appropriate designation, like “G” or “APO” etc. If there is no designation, that probably means it was an original model, before the upgrade. The second column lists the price, the first price is the lowest from my data, the second price is the highest. If only one price is listed, it means I only had one source for that lens model. The third column is the year for the price, the first entry is the earliest, the second the latest. If only one year is listed, it means I only had one source. The fourth column lists the old prices converted to 2010 US Dollars; I used the highest old price for the conversion to current prices. The converted Dollar figure is for fun only as it has little relevance today because lens technology and manufacturing technics have improved greatly, which allows lens prices to be far lower with better optical quality than they were just 8-10 years ago.
Anyone have hard info on prices? If so, send a scanned copy of a receipt or period photography publication so I can add to the list, and make it more accurate, Thanks!
Prime lenses below.
|
Minolta AF Lens model
|
List price in US dollars | Date of price |
Converted to 2010 US Dollars
|
| 16mm F/2.8 Fisheye |
$640 – $1017
|
1986-1990
|
$1700
|
|
20mm F/2.8
|
$429 – $744
|
1986-1990
|
$1244
|
|
24mm F/2.8
|
$436
|
1990
|
$727
|
|
28mm F/2
|
$658
|
1990
|
$1100
|
|
28mm F/2.8
|
$209
|
1990
|
$349
|
|
35mm F/1.4 G
|
$996 – $1214
|
1987-1990
|
$2030
|
|
35mm F/2
|
$332 – $402
|
1987-1990
|
$671
|
|
50mm F/1.4
|
$243 – $266
|
1990-1991
|
$426
|
|
50mm F/1.7
|
$184 – $111
|
1988-1990
|
$307
|
|
50mm F/2.8 macro
|
$456-$521
|
1989-1990
|
$869
|
|
85mm F/1.4 G
|
$1444
|
1994
|
$2120
|
|
100mm F/2
|
$477-$607
|
1987-1990
|
$1010
|
|
100mm F/2.8 macro
|
$628-$829
|
1989-1990
|
$1380
|
|
100mm F/2.8 soft focus
|
$1280
|
1995
|
$1830
|
|
135mm F/2.8
|
$209
|
1990
|
$349
|
|
135mm F/2.8 STF
|
$1813
|
1999
|
$2370
|
|
200mm F/2.8 APO (not HS)
|
$1090-$1334
|
1987-1990
|
$2230
|
|
300mm F/2.8 APO
|
$5282
|
1990
|
$8810
|
|
300mm F/4 APO HS G
|
$1600
|
1995
|
$2290
|
|
500mm F/8 reflex
|
$697-$684
|
1989-1990
|
$1160
|
|
600mm F/4 APO
|
$8547
|
1990
|
$14300
|
|
Minolta AF Lens model
|
List price in US dollars | Date of price |
Converted to 2010 US Dollars
|
|
17-35mm F/3.5 G
|
$2856
|
1997
|
$3880
|
|
20-35mm F/3.5-4.5
|
$840
|
1998
|
$1120
|
|
24-50mm F/4
|
$415-$496
|
1987-1990
|
$727
|
|
28-85mm F/3.5-4.5 original
|
$325-$596
|
1990-1994
|
$877
|
|
28-135mm F/4-4.5
|
$525-$512
|
1986-1990
|
$854
|
|
28-70mm F/2.8 G
|
$2170
|
1996
|
$3020
|
|
35-70mm F/4
|
$132
|
1985
|
$268
|
|
35-80mm F/4-5.6 shutter cap (?)
|
$202 – $231
|
1988-1990
|
$385
|
|
35-105mm F/3.5-4.5
|
$376
|
1990
|
$627
|
|
70-210mm F/4 ‘Beercan’
|
$192
|
1985
|
$389
|
|
70-210mm F/3.5-4.5
|
$338-376
|
1988-1990
|
$627
|
|
75-300mm F/4.5-5.6 ‘Big Beercan’
|
$532-$744
|
1986-1990
|
$1240
|
|
80-200mm F/2.8 APO (black)
|
$1368-$1641
|
1990
|
$2740
|
|
80-200mm F/4.5-5.6 shutter cap
|
$282
|
1990
|
$470
|
|
100-200mm F/4.5
|
$210-$171
|
1986-1990
|
$350
|
|
100-300mm F/4.5-5.6 APO
|
$670
|
1994
|
$986
|
|
100-300mm F/4.5-5.6 APO (D)
|
$1116
|
2001
|
$1370
|
|
100-400mm F/4.5-6.7
|
$1400
|
1995
|
$2000
|
After receiving more information on prices, I’d have to say you could probably subtract 10% from the lower prices on the lenses above, and come to a realistic, (local camera shop) retail price in the US.
Magazine ads scans, and dealer pages.
This ad is probably from the late 1980s, and obviously from a discount NY camera shop, maybe B&H photo or Adorama. This is a magazine scan sent here by a reader of the site. The prices listed in this ad are mostly lower than what you see in the charts above, but this is from a discount dealer, and most people back then didn’t buy through mail-order.
The next three ads were sent in by kind readers from “Sony club Russia.” The first two images are from dealers price pages, the last is a print ad probably from a NY photo retailer in the late 1980s. The image sizes are a little small and hard to read, but this is what they sent.
