Posted: Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:33 am Post subject: Ranox Polaris/Spiratone/Albinar etc 85mm 1.7 |
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peterb wrote:
Hi all!
I have fallen down a bit of a rabbit hole looking at this old third party lens:
I am familiar with the Minolta and Mamiya SX 85mm 1.7 lenses, the only others to be made in this combination. The lens was sold under a laundry list of brand names, but the maker is seemingly unknown.
Looking at this particular lens, the way it is machined and marked, it bears great similarity to the manufacturing hallmarks of the Mamiya Auto range, and the serial numbers on these lenses fall very much in the same range as the Mamiya Autos of the time. As such, I was curious to see if anyone had ever confirmed if this was a Mamiya OEM? Was this a forerunner to the SX that flew below the radar?
The 135mm 1.8 sold under the same brand has been attributed to both Yoshida and SUN, and while I know the Mamiya SX version came out later (with a larger front element, different lens barrel etc) but the similarities seem too great for me to think otherwise.
Thoughts?
Pete |