Looking for info on T-mount lenses.

gcrimmins · Joined: 31 Mar 2008 Posts: 146 Location: Moscow, Idaho, USA

I went to an estate sale last week and came away very happy. First, I got a set of old Canon M39 extension tubes with a Canon FD to M39 adapter on both ends for $4. One of these adapters allows me to mount my Rodagon-D lens on my Canon FL bellows. It seems to be a great lens for macro work, and I've been having a lot of fun using it.

I also bought two T-mount adapters for $1, one for Canon FD and one for EOS cameras. I have a Canon film camera, and use an EOS digital camera at work. Now I just need a T-mount lens to use with the adapters. On the Internet there is a lot of information about M42 lenses, but I can't find much information on T-mount lenses. I know they were popular in the 1960s. I'm curious who made T-mount lenses, and which are the best lenses. I don't see many T-mount lenses on E-bay, but maybe many of them are listed based on the T-mount attached to them. Does anyone have more information on T-mount lenses?

--Geoff

Himself · Expire: 2013-05-30

Apparently Tamron is the one who " invented " the T(amron) mount.
The difference between the 2 mounts is that the M42 has a 1mm pitch and the T-mount has 0.75mm pitch.
Hope it helps.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

There must be hundreds of T-mount lens models. They were most common during the 1960's, when it became almost a standard for Japanese third-party lenses.

Usually they were typical in these cases - long manual/preset, and strange. T-mounts were standard for things like long lenses, 200mm+, into the 1970's, and for very long manual ones even today. T-mounts are also standard for adapting bellows, telescopes and microscopes.

This is a Tamron collectors page. Click on "T-mount lenses" for a list of these made by Tamron.

http://www.adaptall-2.com/

Its a good guide to the kind of equipment made by other manufacturers, like Komine, Kiron/Kino, etc. Most other Japanese manufacturers had similar lines, though some had special cases, like Komine had an 85mm and 105mm also. All of these were sold by distributors like Accura, Soligor, Vivitar, etc. Later on you will find other makers like Sigma who used an adapted T-mount called the YS-mount, and those can still work on T-mounts if you don't have the right YS-mount.

I have several Tamron (under Soligor brand) and Komine (also Soligor) and other miscellaneous preset lenses, and some Accura and other YS lenses. I have just about every focal length from 35-500mm on a T-mount.

I don't think Attila and some of our other friends would say any of these are particularly distinguished, and they would be right. However, they are usually cheap and adequate. There is no cheaper way to get a working 300-1200mm lens. standard or mirror, than in a t-mount.

The famous old t-mount Spiratone 400/6.3 is a good example - a very adequate lens of its type, it should always be available for $25 or so in good shape.

Helios · Joined: 05 Jan 2008 Posts: 537 Location: East of France

The lenses called "Wundert�te" 300,400,500 mm sold under an half-dozen (more ?) differents brands are in T2 mounts . Kinotpik lenses like the 100 and 150 were built in this mount . Soligor , vivitar long teles 400,500,600,800 .
I own cosinon preset lenses in T2 . However, they are not so frequent than M42 . Russian Peleng, Zenitar, Telemar, Ta�r, MTO, Rubinar are real T2 .
Perhaps Astro-Berlin, I'm not sure, and Piesker (huge teles) produced T2 lenses.

Rob Leslie · Joined: 20 Mar 2007 Posts: 1103 Location: UK Swindon

A few of the Russian lenses are also 'Adapted' T mounts, some well known like the Tair PS, Rubinars and the Peleng 8mm.
the Russians just removed the inner thread.
Remove the 3 grub screws and the inner part falls out, it will then fit the Russian lens.
I have my Peleng 8mm, Rubinar mirror and my (Unused) Tair PS fitted with PK T mounts.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

If I recall correctly Astro-Berlin, Kilfitt, Komura and maybe Novoflex native mount was usually Visoflex M39, with adapters available for camera mounts.

Visoflex M39 was probably the second most common "universal mount" for long Teles, but became obsolete in the 1960's.