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Admiral lenses - An inquiry
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 1:41 pm    Post subject: Admiral lenses - An inquiry Reply with quote
I'm inquiring on Admiral lenses as a brand of lens, not on any Admiral lens in particular. The lenses appear superficially to have a German persona. But they were made in Japan. Is Admiral a sort of German, or European, house brand? Does anyone know where these lenses, those actually branded "Admiral" I mean, were sold? Was it only in Europe? I'm in the USA and I have no recollection of Admiral lenses on sale here.

The Admiral logo contains the letters "G.M.C.". Does anyone know what "G.M.C." stands for?

Finally, I've not come across Admiral preset lenses. Fair to say they all are 1970's or newer? Or have you seen an Admiral preset?

Question


PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 2:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Admiral lenses - An inquiry Reply with quote
guardian wrote:
I'm inquiring on Admiral lenses as a brand of lens, not on any Admiral lens in particular. The lenses appear superficially to have a German persona. But they were made in Japan. Is Admiral a sort of German, or European, house brand? Does anyone know where these lenses, those actually branded "Admiral" I mean, were sold? Was it only in Europe? I'm in the USA and I have no recollection of Admiral lenses on sale here.

The Admiral logo contains the letters "G.M.C.". Does anyone know what "G.M.C." stands for?

Finally, I've not come across Admiral preset lenses. Fair to say they all are 1970's or newer? Or have you seen an Admiral preset?
Question


I suspect it was a distributor brand, like Vivitar, Soligor, Beroflex, Danubia, etc. As such their lenses probably came from many different makers. But some of them are clearly lenses we already know from elsewhere, like the large Kiron-made 28mm/2.5 more commonly seen as a Vivitar, and some others like it. If memory serves, the latter include some apparently Tokina-made 35s. I also don't remember seeing any in North America (lived there in the 70s and 80s). They come up regularly in Europe though.
As for GMC, if it ain't "Great Multi Coating" it must be General Motors Co. Very Happy


PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 2:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think Admiral was the house brand of GMC Trading AG, a company located in Switzerland http://www.gmc-ag.ch/ .


PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 2016 10:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
calvin83 wrote:
I think Admiral was the house brand of GMC Trading AG, a company located in Switzerland http://www.gmc-ag.ch/ .


Yep!

http://www.gmc-ag.ch/dynasite.cfm?dsmid=96151


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 2:40 am    Post subject: Re: Admiral lenses - An inquiry Reply with quote
konicamera wrote:
guardian wrote:
I'm inquiring on Admiral lenses as a brand of lens, not on any Admiral lens in particular. The lenses appear superficially to have a German persona. But they were made in Japan. Is Admiral a sort of German, or European, house brand? Does anyone know where these lenses, those actually branded "Admiral" I mean, were sold? Was it only in Europe? I'm in the USA and I have no recollection of Admiral lenses on sale here.

The Admiral logo contains the letters "G.M.C.". Does anyone know what "G.M.C." stands for?

Finally, I've not come across Admiral preset lenses. Fair to say they all are 1970's or newer? Or have you seen an Admiral preset?
Question


I suspect it was a distributor brand, like Vivitar, Soligor, Beroflex, Danubia, etc. As such their lenses probably came from many different makers. But some of them are clearly lenses we already know from elsewhere, like the large Kiron-made 28mm/2.5 more commonly seen as a Vivitar, and some others like it. If memory serves, the latter include some apparently Tokina-made 35s. I also don't remember seeing any in North America (lived there in the 70s and 80s). They come up regularly in Europe though.
As for GMC, if it ain't "Great Multi Coating" it must be General Motors Co. Very Happy


Laugh 1


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Guys:

Thank you!


I appreciate the responses. Calvin83's pointer to the Swiss company, G.M.C. Trading AG, is especially insightful and helpful. When viewing German writing on Admiral lenses I reflexively thought "Germany", and in particular since one associates Germany with fine lenses. Switzerland never even occurred to me, though it also is entirely consistent with such writing in German. The Swiss connection also adds, at least for me, a certain panache to the Admiral lenses.

G.M.C. Trading AG, it appears, remains a going concern even today, still selling optical items (though no longer lenses, I think) beneath the Admiral brand.

Nobody responded as ever having seen a preset Admiral lens. Thus, I'm going for now with the thought they are creatures of the 1970's and newer. Nevertheless, based upon other Admiral postings (other threads) here on this forum, they appear to be quite decent lenses.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I think I have seen admiral 500/8 when hunting lenses (never got one). These Wundertüte models were mostly preset. But my memory may be faulty.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
buerokratiehasser wrote:
I think I have seen admiral 500/8 when hunting lenses (never got one). These Wundertüte models were mostly preset. But my memory may be faulty.


Confirmed in the UK:

Click here to see on Ebay then click see original listing

though without any G.M.C. logo visible. So . . . ?

That particular Admiral 500mm fetched a hefty price and I've no idea why.


PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 1:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Yes, Admiral lenses seemed to end pretty expensive. I never got one.

Perhaps it's a rarity issue for collectors. Or maybe someone thinks it was a real brand.


PostPosted: Wed Dec 07, 2022 5:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
buerokratiehasser wrote:
Yes, Admiral lenses seemed to end pretty expensive. I never got one.
Perhaps it's a rarity issue for collectors.


The "Admiral GMC" lenses in fact were sold by Gujer, Meuli & Co here in Switzerland in the early 1980s - I clearly remember that. I have a few Admiral GMC tele lenses, among them a 2.8/90mm Macro, a 3.5/300mm and a 5.5/300mm. As far as I remember they were pretty decent.

Counting the reflexes, the 5.5/300 seems to be a simple [3/2] construction (achromatic doublet in front of the aperture, a single lens acting as a field flattener behinde the aperture). Interestingly, focusing is done moving the front doublet only - the rear lens remains in a fixed position without moving.

The 3.5/200 is a [5/4] construction.

Ah, yes - I got all those lenses for free. I never thought about collecting them, but maybe I should ... they are probably more common here in Switzerland than elsewhere, and nobody really seems to care about them ...

S


PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
stevemark wrote:
buerokratiehasser wrote:
Yes, Admiral lenses seemed to end pretty expensive. I never got one.
Perhaps it's a rarity issue for collectors.


The "Admiral GMC" lenses in fact were sold by Gujer, Meuli & Co here in Switzerland in the early 1980s - I clearly remember that. I have a few Admiral GMC tele lenses, among them a 2.8/90mm Macro, a 3.5/300mm and a 5.5/300mm. As far as I remember they were pretty decent.

Counting the reflexes, the 5.5/300 seems to be a simple [3/2] construction (achromatic doublet in front of the aperture, a single lens acting as a field flattener behinde the aperture). Interestingly, focusing is done moving the front doublet only - the rear lens remains in a fixed position without moving.

The 3.5/200 is a [5/4] construction.

Ah, yes - I got all those lenses for free. I never thought about collecting them, but maybe I should ... they are probably more common here in Switzerland than elsewhere, and nobody really seems to care about them ...

S


I probably have an Admiral 55mm f/3, a lens almost identical to Komine 55mm f/2.8. I guess f3 was early version.


PostPosted: Thu Dec 08, 2022 1:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Admiral seems to also be very similar to Panagor/Elicar in the about 77 to 83 period. In Germany double branded Admiral/Panagor lenses were sold. So probably JACA corporation was involved.
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