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CHINON lenses COMPLETE LIST OF PRIMES M42 & PK
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I'll skip zooms. There are many and most probably from too many subcontractors.

Regarding the primes there are two obvious lines: older M42 (only) and later PK (& M42) also sold as REVUENON, AGFA, possibly Avanar, Auto-Cintar...

Please correct my mistakes and add your suggestions. Links to descriptions, photos and reviews will be appreciated.
You are free to manipulate the list yourselves. Triggered questions will be dealt at the time.


CHINON PRIMES:


older line M42:

3.5/21mm (Tomioka)
2.8/35mm http://m42.org.ua/275
2.8/28mm
2.8/35mm
1.9/50mm
1.7/55mm coated & MC version (Tomioka)
1.4/55mm coated & MC version (Tomioka)
1.2/55mm (Tomioka) http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevemckenzie/tags/tomioka
2.8/100mm (Tomioka) http://forum.mflenses.com/tomioka-auto-chinon-100-2-8-t28433,highlight,%2Bchinon.html
2.8/135mm
3.5/200mm

newer line PK (&M42):

3.5/17mm (Tokina)
2.8/28mm
2.5/24mm
2.8/35mm Click here to see on Ebay
2.8/45mm http://www.flickr.com/photos/d2gallery/3420278303
1.9/50mm
1.7/50mm http://forum.mflenses.com/chinon-50mm-f-1-7-pentax-k-mount-on-the-nex-5-t38674,highlight,%2Bchinon.html
1.4/50mm
2.8/135mm http://forum.mflenses.com/chinon-135mm-f2-8-m42-mount-t28197,highlight,%2Bchinon.html
3.3./200mm
3.5/200mm
5.6/300mm (Tokina) http://forum.mflenses.com/chinon-300mm-f-5-6-t31565,highlight,%2Bchinon.html
8/500mm Mirror (Tokina) http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmt/4387663500/in/photostream/


Last edited by Pancolart on Tue Jun 14, 2011 9:26 am; edited 6 times in total


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There's a Chinon Tomioka branded 55/1.4 as well in M42 mount:



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Nice sample. I have it too but with filter bump. There is surely another one, greenish coating. I wonder who the producer is?


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Besides Agfa, Chinons were also branded as Argus. I have:

Chinon Auto 28/2.8 (Nikon) # 519279
Chinon Auto 45/2.8 (PK-M) # C613816
Argus Auto-Cintar 55/1.7 (M42) # 101304

I don't know if Chinars are from Chinon. I had (but sold):

Chinar 80-205/4.5M (PK-M) # 4044540
Chinar 135/2.8 (PK-M) # 40319


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Great Rio.

Here type 2 1.7/55mm. It qualifies as having the smoothest focusing i have tried. Type 1 is again Tomioka like Grahams.



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Just for info - that is not my Tomioka 55/1.4...I found the image on another website. But I have owned one previously in the same style Smile


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ManualFocus-G wrote:
Just for info - that is not my Tomioka 55/1.4...I found the image on another website. But I have owned one previously in the same style Smile


OK Smile. I have also two such samples labeled Revuenon.


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Pancolart wrote:


Here type 2 1.7/55mm. It qualifies as having the smoothest focusing i have tried. Type 1 is again Tomioka like Grahams.



What do you mean by the Type 1? Single coated? There are 3 single coated versions, one of them is identical to this multicoated except the coating of course. I've read about Tomioka relation but am don't know why people think so.

Also there are several versions of 135mm and 200mm Chinon branded lenses.


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For now we know of two different models for M42 CHINON lenses 1.7/55mm and 1.4/55mm. They look like Grahams (Tomioka) or like these two from me with green label (i have 1.4/55mm with blue label, but it is the same).

Tomioka i called type 1, second producer still unknown.

Here i 've used last daylight and took photo:




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Pancolart wrote:
For now we know of two different models for M42 CHINON lenses 1.7/55mm and 1.4/55mm. They look like Grahams (Tomioka) or like these two from me with green label (i have 1.4/55mm with blue label, but it is the same).

Tomioka i called type 1, second producer still unknown.


Here you can find more Chinon 55mm/1.4 versions: http://picasaweb.google.com/dimitrygo/55mmF14LensesInAlphabeticalOrder#

But I am not sure there is any correlation between 1.4 and 1.7 lenses.
Here is one of the single coated versions:



Last edited by dimitrygo on Wed Jun 01, 2011 9:56 pm; edited 1 time in total


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Nice link there to the catalog Dimitry.

Now this version of yours is funny: it has the same grip as Tomioka but else like type 2. Could it be both types are made by Tomioka?

Alpa version is type 2.


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Pancolart wrote:
Nice link there to the catalog Dimitry.

Now this version of yours is funny: it has the same grip as Tomioka but else like type 2. Could it be both types are made by Tomioka?

Alpa version is type 2.


I wouldn't call that gallery "catalog". I started to collect these pictures mostly from ebay auctions but abandoned it because there are too many. I still have somewhere about 5-6 other variations in M42 mounts and 2 completely different lenses in other mounts. Not sure I need to add them to the rest.

The 55mm/1.7 in my post is not mine. I have the multicoated version like above and briefly had its single coated predecessor. Again apart from the coating they are identical. As far as I can conclude from the pictures all 3 single coated versions are identical apart from a focusing ring design.

Personally I am not sure these 55mm/1.7 lenses were made by Tomioka - for me they look very different, although the coating of single coated glasses are indeed very similar to Tomioka made lenses.


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It would also be interesting to have a list of the cameras that might have packed the ones with better performance as a KIT lens so we could be on the lookout for bargains Cool


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dimitrygo wrote:
As far as I can conclude from the pictures all 3 single coated versions are identical apart from a focusing ring design.


+1

I had three single coated versions of the 55/1.7, all with different focusing ring styles, and all performed exactly the same.


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ManualFocus-G wrote:
dimitrygo wrote:
As far as I can conclude from the pictures all 3 single coated versions are identical apart from a focusing ring design.


+1

I had three single coated versions of the 55/1.7, all with different focusing ring styles, and all performed exactly the same.


I wanted to argue that 1.4/55mm type 1 & 2 surely aren't the same, but was thinking from memory. But now i picked both versions in my hand and it's obvious: they are the same. So 1.7/55mm and 1.4/55mm single coated (yellow glass) and MC variant exist. Tomioka made.


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RioRico wrote:
Besides Agfa, Chinons were also branded as Argus and Alpa. I have:

Chinon Auto 28/2.8 (Nikon) # 519279
Chinon Auto 45/2.8 (PK-M) # C613816
Argus Auto-Cintar 55/1.7 (M42) # 101304
Alpa Auto-Alpa 300/5.6 (M42) # 2550094

I don't know if Chinars are from Chinon. I had (but sold):

Chinar 80-205/4.5M (PK-M) # 4044540
Chinar 135/2.8 (PK-M) # 40319

___________________________
[edited to add ALPA reference]


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One of the single coated (?) 55/1.7 versions without the Tomioka association and "knurled" focus ring rather than textured....

I think that this may have been the "kit" lens with a CHINON CX body.





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Martyn you could have at least taken that filter off. Nevertheless it's Sun Smile.


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Pancolart wrote:
Martyn you could have at least taken that filter off. Nevertheless it's Sun Smile.


Needless effort - you get the idea Smile


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I dont see any Chinars. Smile


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hey guys, I'd like to know why the Chinon 35mm focus on "nikon way" and the other lenses don't. Why only the 35mm? or is there any other Chinon that focuses on nikon way?


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spiralcity wrote:
I dont see any Chinars. Smile

I listed a couple Chinars. Alas, I have sold them down the river. Adieu.


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spiralcity wrote:
I dont see any Chinars. Smile


Could you please verify Chinar similar as Chinon? From what i've seen none seems CHINON. Please send some links.


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Pancolart wrote:
spiralcity wrote:
I dont see any Chinars. Smile


Could you please verify Chinar similar as Chinon? From what i've seen none seems CHINON. Please send some links.


Chinar was made or distributed from Korea, a division of Chinon.I have seen post connecting the glass to Osawa [sp]. Who knows? Everyone seems to have an opinion on Chinon glass, until I see actual documentation on the manufacturing of the glass I will stand by my beliefs and leave the bickering to the rest.

I dont need to post a link I have all the proof i need.

Here's real documentation of the connection of the two names.



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I collected the entire spectrum of new Alpa-Chinons, remaindered, from a downtown NewYork store in the 1990es.

Chinon made wides, normals and telephotos as well as at least one zoom for Alpa. I assume that the lens-marketing deal came as a contractual obligation when when they had fallen upon hard times and could no longer only make their cameras in Ballaigues, but started to modify Chinon bodies.

Even a few of the famous apochromatic Macro Switar came in a Chinon mount once the Kern factory in Aarau found that their mount was too expensive to produce. I do not have time to take the snaps you might wish for, but assume that searching for it would bring up the sales brochures. Otherwise the Lothar Thewes book gives almost all Alpa facts.

p.