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Simlar 50mm f/0.7
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
http://www.topgabacho.jp/Topconclub/lens8.htm
Quote:
During the Second World War, TOKYO OPTICAL experimentally produced TOKO5cmf0.7. In 1951, they designs it again, this most bright lens in the world was completed. This lens was designed by Mr. Shuji Maruyama who are the famous designer at that time. He moved to Norita Kogaku at the later time and designed various excellent lenses. By the way, this lens was not mass-produced regretfully and was made only 3 pieces. These 2 pieces were delivered to the South Pole expedition party of the Mainichi Newspapers.



http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Simlar
Quote:
Wartime Simlar 50mm f/0.7 Edit

The first Simlar[12] 50mm f/0.7 was designed by Maruyama Shūji (丸山修治)[13] — who later worked for Norita.[14] The development of an ultra-high aperture lens was ordered by the military towards the end of 1943, and the lens was completed in Summer 1944.[15] The most detailed account of the story is given in the December 1951 issue of Asahi Camera, reproduced below.[16] The lens was also mentioned in an article dated 23 Oct. 1951 of the daily newspaper Mainichi Shinbun, which mainly addresses the 5cm f/0.7 postwar evolution.[17] (Remarkably, the article in Asahi Camera makes no mention of the postwar lens.)
5019755641_240baaae4b.jpg
Article on the wartime Simlar f/0.7, in Asahi Camera December 1951.
It shows a portray of Maruyama Shūji, holding an example of the lens. (Image rights)

The lens has eight elements in four groups.[18] The angle of view is 30 degrees, and the coverage is good enough for 24×24mm exposures.[19] The lens was originally developed for night reconnaissance photography.[20] However, before it could be extensively tested for its intended use, the few examples made were claimed by the Aeronautical Engineering Institute of Tachikawa for X-ray medical photography.[21] The lenses would have been part of an experiment to learn about the effects of high acceleration on the human heart during the pull-out manoeuvre after dive bombing.[22] It seems that the rest of the equipment needed for the experiment was never built — perhaps not even the camera — and nothing came out of the project.[23]

The December 1951 article in Asahi Camera says that ten units were made until the end of the war, but their fate was unknown except for one example, still held by Maruyama Shūji at Tōkyō Kōgaku at the time.[24] The article in Mainichi Shinbun says that Life's reporter David Duncan wanted to borrow a Simlar f/0.7 at some point; the phrasing seems to imply that the story applies to the wartime version (maybe Maruyama's own example), and that Duncan did not actually obtain the lens.[25] Various later sources say that one or several examples were transferred to the U.S. forces after World War II;[26] all these seem to repeat a piece of information that was perhaps in Tōkyō Kōgaku's fifty-year history book, printed in 1982.

At least one surviving example of the wartime 50mm f/0.7 has been recently photographed;[27] it is very likely that this example was the one mentioned in Asahi Camera December 1951 and pictured in the hands of Maruyama Shūji. It has a large black barrel, 128mm long and 90mm in diameter, and weighs 1kg.[28] There is a fine screw thread at the base of the barrel, 66mm in diameter and 0.5mm in thread.[28] The flange-to-film register is 33.3mm, but the lens rear element is only 7mm away from the film plane.[28] The aperture ring is graduated from f/0.7 to f/8, and the diaphragm has 18 blades.[28] It seems that the lens has no focusing ring, but this is not entirely clear.[29] The surviving example has serial number 5,[30] and is engraved Simlar 1:0.7 f=50mm Tokyo Kogaku Nr.5 around the rim.[31]
Postwar Simlar 5cm f/0.7 Edit

The Simlar 5cm f/0.7 is a postwar evolution of the previous lens. The 1951 article in Mainichi Shinbun, already cited above, says that the lens design was improved by Maruyama Shūji after the end of the war.[32] These modifications were rather minor: the formula is the same as the wartime lens (eight elements in four groups), and the optical scheme looks very similar.[33] Lens coating, absent from the wartime lens, was applied to the postwar version.[34]

The Mainichi article goes on saying that three examples were made, two of which were used by the newspaper for an expedition to the South Pole.[32] No detail is known of the camera used in that expedition.

The Simlar 5cm f/0.7 lens was still listed in a catalogue of Tōkyō Kōgaku products showing the Topcon 35A, 35B and 35-S, dating c.1956.[35] No price is given in this document, but this is perhaps an indication that the lens was still available on special order, and that more than three were made after all.

At least one surviving example of the lens is known, with serial number 100002, either the second or third produced. Judging from the available pictures, it seems that this lens has hardly any traces of use;[36] it is likely that this example was not one of those sent to the polar expedition.

The lens weighs 2,500g, much heavier than the wartime version.[37] The barrel is 105mm in diameter and 123.7mm in length.[37] The lens is all chrome, except for a black beauty ring at the middle of the barrel, engraved Simlar 1:0.7 f=5cm Tokyo Optical No.100002.[38] The aperture ring, graduated from f/0.7 to f/8, is less massive than on the wartime lens, and the diaphragm only has thirteen blades.[37] The base of the barrel has a square plate with four screw holes, to attach the lens on a camera. The flange-to-film distance is 30.3mm, and the distance from the rear element to the film plane is 7mm, same as on the wartime design.[37] The lens reportedly has focusing ability from 3m to infinity, but this is unconfirmed.[39]

Besides the f/0.7 lens, it is said that a 50mm f/0.75 design was also computed,[40] but it seems that it was never made.



Last edited by Lightshow on Thu Jan 03, 2019 9:19 pm; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 9:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Wonderful info, thanks a lot!

Unfortunately not related to the Zeiss Kubrick lens, so I split that off, also so it could be found again, as it would have gotten lost in this other thread...


PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 12:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Sure no problem, I thought it would be interesting to point out others have lenses that fast, not just Zeiss and the Canon Dream lens (50/0.95)
I would love to see some pics from the Simlar.


PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Lightshow wrote:
Sure no problem, I thought it would be interesting to point out others have lenses that fast, not just Zeiss and the Canon Dream lens (50/0.95)
I would love to see some pics from the Simlar.


If I get one from any of my usual sources I'll be sure to post examples here Smile
Unfortunately with only 13 examples between the two variants I think the chances are about the same as winning the lottery jackpot 2 weeks running.

Still a very interesting read. Perhaps we could have an index thread for exceptional lenses like this, with links to the individual threads. Friends


PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
DConvert wrote:
Lightshow wrote:
Sure no problem, I thought it would be interesting to point out others have lenses that fast, not just Zeiss and the Canon Dream lens (50/0.95)
I would love to see some pics from the Simlar.


If I get one from any of my usual sources I'll be sure to post examples here Smile
Unfortunately with only 13 examples between the two variants I think the chances are about the same as winning the lottery jackpot 2 weeks running.

Still a very interesting read. Perhaps we could have an index thread for exceptional lenses like this, with links to the individual threads. Friends
Whoo Turtle
I'm sure some do exist, but I suspect they may be unmarked, some collector somewhere may have one and not know it.
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