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

Explore the world of vintage lenses through repair notes, real test shots, and detailed archive threads packed with images.
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Mamiya-Sekor ES series lenses
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 6:48 pm
Post subject: Mamiya-Sekor ES series lenses
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 6:48 pm
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The ES series lenses are very rare, they were only made for a few years. They use a unique bayonet mount different to the several others Mamiya used. They fall between the M42 Auto series and the M42 SX series, but are distinctly different to both. They are for the short-lived Auto XTL camera:

http://herron.50megs.com/XTL.htm

I have only ever seen four of them for sale, three of them last month on German ebay, one was the 135mm, I forget what the other two were. The fourth one was a 3.5/200 that appeared on ebay UK last week an I bought it for next to nothing.




It's perhaps the most solid feeling lens I have ever owned, the quality of the materials and construction is first rate. I held it in front of my a850 today and made a shot out my back door; despite the low light and rain, the IQ is impressive, the lens was wide open at f3.5:



There is virtually no info on these lenses online, I know that 1.8/55, 1.4/55 and 2.8/135 exist.

Has anyone any experience of these ES series lenses?

This is all I could find, from Ron Herron's site:
Quote:

Mamiya/Sekor ES Lenses
The "ES" lenses for the Mamiya Auto XTL departed from the 42mm "universal Pentax-Praktica" thread-mount used on its TL-DTL series (used again on the SX-series to come), opting instead for a unique bayonet-mount. The sharp, contrasty ES lenses also came in a surprising variety, from a 21mm f/4.0, to an extremely long 800mm f/8.0 (the 800mm broke into sections for easier carrying, much like the longer Leica lenses). It seems obvious Mamiya fully intended to initiate a complete "top end" camera system.

Longer focal length ES lenses are extremely difficult to find today. Production for the XTL and X-1000 series combined was limited to barely five years, and it is hard to imagine long manufacturing runs for extreme lenses in that time. Virtually none of the independent lens brands offered an XTL mount, so less-expensive lens options were almost non-existent.


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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:18 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 29, 2014 8:18 pm
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Looks like the same Tokina as in M42 line but with different finish. I have Lentar 135mm with the same focus grip that is definitely made by Tokina.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:59 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 12:59 am
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I have this one... looks very similar. I think that Dimitri refers to same lens I have.



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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 1:58 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 1:58 am
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I thought that E-mount was for the ZE line.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:13 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:13 am
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Could very well be the same as the original (large) auto Tokina (Vivitar, Soligor T4s, etc.).
Looks like the dimensions match as do the locations of major parts.
Most telling probably are the distance markings on the focus grip, as they seem identical. This would vary among lenses of different basic design as the helicals wouldn't be identical - different travel, angle, etc.

The dates match too. 1971-75.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 10:20 am
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 10:20 am
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I had an old Soligor 3.5/200, this lens is similar but the quality of materials, fit and finish all seem a notch higher. Could Mamiya have specified a higher quality level than Tokina was producing for it's own production?

The Soligor I had was well worn, lots of 'play' in the helical movement and overall it felt 'loose' I got rid of it due to fungus that i couldn't clean.

Sadly this Mamiya has a little bit of fungus on the edge of one element, so I'll have to have a go at opening it for cleaning.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:29 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:29 pm
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I don't see why not. Mamiya certainly could have asked for a better finish than others.
Focus ring for instance can easily be substituted.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 3:03 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 3:03 pm
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David wrote:
I thought that E-mount was for the ZE line.


ES is different from E.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:38 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:38 pm
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That looks very much like a Photax 200 / 3.5 that I recently sold, and it was a very good lens. It didn't have a tripod ring, but the markings and general style were identical.


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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 5:27 pm
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 5:27 pm
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If you still have you Nex, the fujinon-SonyE adapter is reputed to work with ES lenses.


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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:16 pm
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Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:16 pm
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Hi Tao,

Can you please give me more details on hoe exactly you adapted the ES lenses on Sony NEX?

From what i understand, a fuji to nex will fit nicely and the pin should be glued to max, but will the adapter allow focus to infinity?

Thank you


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Posted: Fri May 21, 2021 7:31 pm
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Posted: Fri May 21, 2021 7:31 pm
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Victor_Marian wrote:
Hi Tao,

Can you please give me more details on hoe exactly you adapted the ES lenses on Sony NEX?

From what i understand, a fuji to nex will fit nicely and the pin should be glued to max, but will the adapter allow focus to infinity?

Thank you


If the Mamiya ES bayonet is 44.5mm, then it should work. The Fujica X bayonet is 43.5mm. Tele and normal lenses should be no problem as there is enough focusing available; wideangles - especially the 4/21mm - might be problematic.

S


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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 12:33 pm
Post subject: Re: Mamiya-Sekor ES series lenses
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 12:33 pm
Post subject: Re: Mamiya-Sekor ES series lenses
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iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The ES series lenses are very rare, they were only made for a few years. They use a unique bayonet mount different to the several others Mamiya used. They fall between the M42 Auto series and the M42 SX series, but are distinctly different to both. They are for the short-lived Auto XTL camera:

http://herron.50megs.com/XTL.htm
[/quote]

Optical scheme should be like that of the TL M42 mount version produced before it, exterior is not that different either, the more cone shaped focus ring and bayonet mount not considered.



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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 1:08 pm
Post subject: Re: Mamiya-Sekor ES series lenses
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 1:08 pm
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Ernst Dinkla wrote:
iangreenhalgh1 wrote:
The ES series lenses ... fall between the M42 Auto series and the M42 SX series, but are distinctly different to both.


Optical scheme should be like that of the TL M42 mount version produced before it, exterior is not that different either, the more cone shaped focus ring and bayonet mount not considered.


Maybe. The ES 3.5/200mm is large and heavy. The M42 Mamiya SX 3.5/200mm has a different optical construction compared to the Mamiya Sekor ES 3.5/200mm, for sure (completely different reflections on the glass surfaces), even though both are [4/4] lenses. The Sekor SX and the Sekor CS 3.5/200mm seem to have the same optical construction (identical reflexes).

S


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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 4:53 pm
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Posted: Sat May 22, 2021 4:53 pm
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There is also this version in m42 http://allphotolenses.com/lenses/item/c_2537.html#prettyPhoto

I believe Komine made it


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:07 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 3:07 am
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stevemark wrote:
Victor_Marian wrote:
Hi Tao,

Can you please give me more details on hoe exactly you adapted the ES lenses on Sony NEX?

From what i understand, a fuji to nex will fit nicely and the pin should be glued to max, but will the adapter allow focus to infinity?

Thank you


If the Mamiya ES bayonet is 44.5mm, then it should work. The Fujica X bayonet is 43.5mm. Tele and normal lenses should be no problem as there is enough focusing available; wideangles - especially the 4/21mm - might be problematic.

S


Has anyone used the Fuji > NEX adapter with success on these MAMIYA SEKOR ES lenses. I just picked up a set including the 21, 35, 55, 105, 135 and a 90-230 zoom.

Thanks in advance.


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:16 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:16 am
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I just tried it now, it works, but only to an extent. The bayonet engages and is reasonably firm, but does not click in. The Mamiya lens has the retaining notch on the bayonet blade, but the Fuji system had a notch in the flat face of the bayonet into which a spring loaded pin would fit, similar to Nikon F mount. If you were confident you could drill a small locating notch in the ES lenses. That would still leave the problem of the lens only being usable at fully open aperture, unless you managed to alter this inside each lens. A lot of work.


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:41 am
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 11:41 am
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I'm curious how the ES 135mm compares to the SX version. That's a pretty sharp and well built lens as well.


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:07 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 1:07 pm
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caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious how the ES 135mm compares to the SX version. That's a pretty sharp and well built lens as well.


I completely agree. I have compared roughly a dozen vintage 2.87135mm lenses, and the Mamiya Ssekor SX 2.8/135mm comes very close to the Zeiss CY Sonnar 2.8/135mm which is the sharpest vintage 2.8/135mm I own. The Sekor ES 2.8/ may or may not be same computation ... does anyone know it?

S


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:11 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 4:11 pm
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caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious how the ES 135mm compares to the SX version. That's a pretty sharp and well built lens as well.


The SX (a tokina made lens) 135/2,8 is a very good lens wide open.
The ES version is a different lens not so good.


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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:48 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 02, 2021 5:48 pm
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stevemark wrote:
caspert79 wrote:
I'm curious how the ES 135mm compares to the SX version. That's a pretty sharp and well built lens as well.


I completely agree. I have compared roughly a dozen vintage 2.87135mm lenses, and the Mamiya Ssekor SX 2.8/135mm comes very close to the Zeiss CY Sonnar 2.8/135mm which is the sharpest vintage 2.8/135mm I own. The Sekor ES 2.8/ may or may not be same computation ... does anyone know it?

S


I remember seeing a comparison between many 135mm f/2.8 in a magazine article. Nr. 1 was the Sonnar 135/2.8, second was Rolleinar 135/2.8 (same lens as Mamiya SX), third was Leica.
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