Minolta refered themselves to the SR photo system at the time
when the Minolta SLR system was introduced in 1958.
Minolta started with a handful of lenses, a 35mm wide angle, 55mm
standard lens, a 100mm tele lens and a 135mm lens. The early
illustrations show preset lenses, but only the 135mm is confirmed
reaching the end users as a preset lens. All the other variants that
was marketed was the Auto Rokkor lenses with automatic
aperture.
The first Auto Rokkor-QE 100mm/3.5 variant sold. With lock for aperture ring.
The first variants sold all had a lock mechanism for the aperture ring
and was slim and elegant appearance. Later in the run of the Auto
Rokkor lens series the lock for the aperture ring was dropped and
instead a Depth of Focus preview lever with a large serrated knob
placed almost on the opposite side of the lens.
At the same time the lenses got wider and grew in weight. At first
the yellow LV scale was kept, but it soon disappeared.
Auto W.Rokkor-HG 35mm 1:2.8 of the first and second generation.
The cosmetic appeareance of the second generation was not
implemented on the Auto Tele Rokkor-PG and the later Auto Tele
Rokkor-PF, except for the addition of a DOF preview lever.
Two Auto Tele Rokkor-PG 135mm 1:2.8 with the Auto Rokkor-PF 135mm 1:2.8 to the
right. Note the lack of DOF preview on the first Auto Rokkor-PG.
 In 1960 the preset Rokkor
with "popular prices" joined
the more exclusive Auto
Rokkor lenses. The earlier
preset lenses like the Tele
Rokkor-PG f=135mm 1:2.8
was not an economy lenses,
nor was specialized lenses
like long tele lenses at the
time or the Rokkor lenses
that where to follow.
Almost all of these reach the
stores in the same form,
except for minor detail like
placement of engravings.
The only exception was the
Rokkor-TC 100mm 1:4.0
which was modified during
its production.
In 1965 Minolta presented a compact lens variant of the Auto
Rokkor lenses. These lenses was more slender, more like the first
variants of Rokkor lenses and most had 52mm filter threads.
These ran in parallell at first with the second generation of Auto
Rokkor lenses.
Auto Rokkor-PF 55mm 1:1.8 of the second and third generation.
The weight of the lenses was dramatically reduced in the third
generation of Auto Rokkor lenses and the cosmetic appearance was
quite elegant. The Auto Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm 1:2.8 below makes
an interesting comparison. The weight went down from 515 gram
to 410 gram and diameter shrunk from 63 millimeter to 59
millimeter.
Auto Tele Rokkor-PF 135mm 1:2.8 of the second and third generation.
The third generation of Minolta Rokkor lenses was the final version
before the transition to the meter coupled lenses. 
Minolta's cameras and lenses at
the period was an fine example
of the lens and camera makers
craft. Technological forerunners
and elegant and ergonomical at
the same time.
Time for the next generation of
lenses, the Meter Coupled
generation; the MC Rokkor.
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