Auto-T - the most obscure interchangeable mount ?

luisalegria · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 968 Location: San Francisco, USA

I just received this -

This is a Kalimar Auto-T 300/5.5

In most ways this is a very ordinary lens, and I don't expect great things from it. It does have one unique feature though - it has an Auto-T interchangeable mount, which must be the most limited and obscure of them all.

The weird world of interchangable mounts has many very strange systems that hardly anyone has heard of, like Komuras Unidapter or Tamrons Adapt-a-matic, that served just one vendor for a limited time. Auto-T is in a world of its own, as it seems to have been available from very obscure makers, or perhaps just one obscure maker, for maybe a couple of years in the early 1970's. In the US I think these were only sold under the Kalimar brand, and possibly in just four mounts (that I know of) - Nikon, Minolta, Exakta and M42. There may be others but I have never seen or heard of them.

I don't know who made this. Kalimar was a US photo-equipment importer, so that does not identify the maker, as Kalimar sold all sorts of things, at one time even Zenits from the USSR. The Kalimar that gave this lens its trademark may or may not have anything to do with the Kalimar medium format SLR or its lenses. Some of these Auto-T lenses may have been sold with the "Kaligar" trade-name, which was also used for lenses of the Kalimar SLR system. These medium format Kaligars were by Fujita, so the Auto-T's might be late products of Fujita. I have seen similar lenses under other brand names, on European ebay I have even seen similar lenses sold as Soligors.

The Auto-T is not, in spite of the name, a modified T-mount like the YS-mount. The lens thread is M44, not M42, and the mount depth and thus the lens focal distance is greater than the T-mount. Mine is a Pentax screwmount adapter, which was possibly the simplest mount. The Nikon version had a separate piece to be mounted on the lens for the "ears", and I think so did the Minolta version. The Exakta may have had an "arm", but I have never seen one. An interesting point - the Kalimar Medium Format SLR lens mount was an M44, perhaps thats further evidence for a relationship. These things might screw right in to a Kalimar SLR.

Additional problems - the mount had to be adjusted so that the diaphragm connections of the lens and mount coincided - hence the arrows on lens and mount. This was not a positive connection to say the least.
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Attila · Joined: 24 Feb 2007 Posts: 16065 Location: Budapest,Hungary

Hey you made to me a great deal! Thanks! I suppose this auto T will works with my YS lenses.
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rick_oleson · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:50 pm Post subject:

I think I have one of those mounts! It's a Nikon mount with auto coupling, looks like a YS but the thread is too big.
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luisalegria · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 968 Location: San Francisco, USA

Hi Rick !

Do you still have a Kalimar SLR ?
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Pentax K100D, SV, SP1000, SP500, LX, SF10, Mamiya 1000TL, Sears/Ricoh TLS, Exakta VX, VXIIb, Olympus OM-10, Nikon FM, Zeiss Contaflex B, Retina Reflex S, IV, Rolleiflex, Speed Graphic & Meridian 4x5, misc. rangefinders and folders, several dozen lenses and etc., et. al., ad infinitum.

rick_oleson · Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject:

Yes, I do: I have one of the 6x6 SLRs (also known as the Fujita 66 and Soligor 66, made by Fujita), and one of the 35mm "SR200" that's a Zenit E with the Kalimar name on it.
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luisalegria · Joined: 07 Mar 2008 Posts: 968 Location: San Francisco, USA

I'm guessing this lens, without the adapter, may screw right onto your Kalimar/Fujita 6x6. Its an M44 thread and the flange focal distance is probably almost 60mm.

Let me know if you want to give it a try.
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Pentax K100D, SV, SP1000, SP500, LX, SF10, Mamiya 1000TL, Sears/Ricoh TLS, Exakta VX, VXIIb, Olympus OM-10, Nikon FM, Zeiss Contaflex B, Retina Reflex S, IV, Rolleiflex, Speed Graphic & Meridian 4x5, misc. rangefinders and folders, several dozen lenses and etc., et. al., ad infinitum.

rick_oleson · Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 10:29 am Post subject:

It might, at that. The K66 lens mount is a .75mm pitch, about the same as a 10-32 screw. If it does fit, it will probably not work especially well: it is very unlikely to cover the 6x6 format, and infinity focus would require about a 75mm register. Does the lens have an auto/manual switch? None of the Kalimar 6x6 line had automatic diaphragm sysems.

I'll be happy to give it a try if you like and let you know what happens.

:)=
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