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Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.

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Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:01 pm
Post subject: Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:01 pm
Post subject: Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6
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Got this several years ago actually, and used it a few times-



Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6

This is one of the fairly extensive series released by Itoh, or Itohkogaku. Itoh was and apparently still is a lens-making company, actually a lens grinder, in the business of supplying glass lenses as components for other makers products. For a short time in the 1960's it seems they entereed the booming third party SLR lens market with their own lines of T-mount presets. Their house brand, for those lenses not bearing importers or distributors brands, was "Higon".

I have documented a few of their other more unusual products here -

http://forum.mflenses.com/aetna-auto-coligon-200-3-5-t-mount-yes-an-auto-t-mount-t76532,highlight,%2Bcoligon.html

http://forum.mflenses.com/aetna-auto-coligon-135-2-8-t-mount-wait-how-can-that-be-t16300,highlight,%2Bcoligon.html

Besides these they had an extensive series of ordinary double-ring preset lenses.
This 300/5.6 is one of these. The range includes at least -135/2.8 - 200/4.5 -300/5.6-400/6.3, all of which can be found under the Itoh brand. There may also be a 500mm in the line as well, but I haven't positively ID'ed one of these. The Itoh branded lenses seem generally to differ from some of the importers branded ones by having black instead of chrome aperture rings.

They also produced at least one zoom lens -

http://forum.mflenses.com/itoh-kogaku-higon-100-200mm-f5-6-t71263,highlight,%2Bitoh.html

Of these others I have copies of the 400/6.3 and the 100-200/5.6 zoom, articles are forthcoming.

"Kaligar" was a US importers brand, registered apparently to Kalimar Co. of St.Louis Missouri. They carried several different Japanese makers brands at various times, as usual. Itoh products were also sold in the US under the Soligor and Aetna brands, that I know of, and doubtless others too.

The 300/5.6 is - extremely long. It is the longest 300mm lens I've got, and based on its length it seems to be a simple cemented doublet, not a telephoto, though there is a lens or lens group behind the aperture. Perhaps this is simply a flat, I can't say. Construction of this thing is fairly rudimentary and fairly flimsy. I've had plenty of trouble with setscrews that hold the mount end on. Its not very sturdy. It is very poorly designed for handholding as the focus grip is behind the point of balance and very far from the aperture rings. Otherwise its a conventional preset lens in the old Japanese style. The tripod mount style is attractive and distinctive.

Optically - well, its got an extremely long minimum focus - 8m/24ft as the focus helical is quite short. Not uncommon for the times, but this is a bit extreme and a mark of a lens made to be cheap. The optical quality could be uncharitably described as "terrible", with all sorts of aberrations, but that doesn't quite cover it, as discounting those this thing is really quite sharp. This thing is bad enough, that for the right purpose it can be good. Its got a defective, distinctive rendering that can work very well for some subjects on some occasions. An outdoor studio/pictorial lens.

Samples -

cropped -













The bird -



Crop -



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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:34 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:34 pm
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Quote:
Its got a defective, distinctive rendering that can work very well for some subjects on some occasions. An outdoor studio/pictorial lens.


You're not far wrong Luis, it is 'distinctive'.


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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:59 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 9:59 pm
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Ah.. but Luis can coax the most amazing shots from a piece of ABS plastic pipe + the bottom of an old glass Coke bottle lashed together Laugh 1 Very very nice Luis.


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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:52 pm
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:52 pm
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kryss wrote:
Ah.. but Luis can coax the most amazing shots from a piece of ABS plastic pipe + the bottom of an old glass Coke bottle lashed together Laugh 1 Very very nice Luis.


I agree, but silk purse and pigs ear come to mind. Laugh 1


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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:25 am
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Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 12:25 am
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There are, believe it or not, worse lenses. I have one coming up.
Another Itoh. Smile


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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 3:33 am
Post subject: Re: Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6
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Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2018 3:33 am
Post subject: Re: Kaligar (Itoh or Itohkogaku) 300/5.6
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luisalegria wrote:
. . .

The 300/5.6 is - extremely long. It is the longest 300mm lens I've got, and based on its length it seems to be a simple cemented doublet, not a telephoto, though there is a lens or lens group behind the aperture.
. . .
Optically - well, its got an extremely long minimum focus - 8m/24ft as the focus helical is quite short.
. . .
Its got a defective, distinctive rendering that can work very well for some subjects on some occasions. An outdoor studio/pictorial lens.

. . .



Bump.

Lovely photos and helpful info, Luis!
I think the softness enhances your subjects.

I also have a copy of this Kaligar 300mm, but mine is a bit different. It's labelled f/5.5 and has a minimum focus distance of 6 meters / 20 feet.

And regarding the optical layout, I was curious so I took my lens apart. In addition to the elements at the front, there's a two group / two element module behind the iris.




#1



As Luis mentioned, it's an unusually long lens. Mine is 33cm long with a T2 mount adapter attached.
To give a sense of scale, here's my Kaligar next to a Takumar 135mm:



#2


Last edited by 55 on Sun Apr 03, 2022 5:46 am; edited 1 time in total


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Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 4:41 pm
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 4:41 pm
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Do you think this might be the Itoh 500mm? It has an optomax nameplate, 500mm f8.
Like my Itoh (palinar nameplate) 400mm f6.3 it has the focus right by the mount, presumably simple extension of the lens away from the camera.



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Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 11:57 pm
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Posted: Mon May 24, 2021 11:57 pm
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marcusBMG wrote:
Do you think this might be the Itoh 500mm? It has an optomax nameplate, 500mm f8.
Like my Itoh (palinar nameplate) 400mm f6.3 it has the focus right by the mount, presumably simple extension of the lens away from the camera.


It has several of the style-pointers of an Itoh lens:

The multiple knurling style of the focus grip.
The Yellow/Green lettering of the focus scale.
The large red triangle pointers on the preset aperture mechanism.

What is the serial no? Sometime Optomax/Itoh lenses came with an 'R' prefix in the serial, other times it's an 'Hx' prefix, (H6 or H7)


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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:25 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 9:25 pm
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luisalegria wrote:
. . .
There may also be a 500mm in the line as well, but I haven't positively ID'ed one of these. The Itoh branded lenses seem generally to differ from some of the importers branded ones by having black instead of chrome aperture rings.
. . .


Here are some photos of my Kaligar 500mm f/8. It has two elements in one group and a 72mm filter thread at the front (click the photos to see a larger size):



#1


#2


#3





The 500 has a T mount, but the construction seems unusual to me. I haven't seen a mount like this before.
Here's the lens with a M42 T2 adapter in place - and then without:


#4



At first glance, the mount itself seems to resemble a T2 adapter. And in fact, the mount has three screws which can be loosened to adjust orientation - the same as a T2 adapter.
Perhaps this lens was designed before the introduction of the adjustable T2 adapter??

And when the mount screws are loosened and the mount is removed, a beveled ring is revealed - such as that within a T2 adapter. And there's now access to accessory threads inside the rear barrel. 52mm and 43mm filters can be fitted. My lens arrived with a 43mm filter in place.

However, when a normal thickness 52mm filter is fitted, the mount isn't able to fit back on the lens properly. Perhaps a slim 52 would work? I don't know.

Further, the 43mm thread appears to be part of a step ring. The 43mm ring has two screws which I removed, but I still couldn't get the ring out. Anyway, I suspect the 43mm ring - if it can be removed - is mounted in a 49mm thread.


#5


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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:16 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 08, 2021 11:16 pm
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Cool lenses! With the 300mm, no need to bring your billy club! I read through the links to the other interesting lenses.

Thank you!


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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:18 pm
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Posted: Fri Sep 10, 2021 2:18 pm
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