Soligor (Kyoei) 105mm f/3.5

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

This is one of the series of SLR lenses Kyoei made in the late 1950's-early 1960's -

This one is in the Soligor brand. This lens is also found in the Kyoei Acall brand, Petri Orikkor (Kyoei supplied all the lenses for the early M42 version of the Petri SLR), and of course a few resellers/importers brands. Probably the most common brand for any Kyoei SLR lens is Petri.

Member Spotmatic has one - and does great work with it btw -

http://forum.mflenses.com/kuribayashi-k-c-petri-orikkor-13-5-f105mm-t23325,highlight,%2Borikkor.html

Currently I have, in various brands, the Kyoei 35/3.5, 105/3.5, 135/3.5, 180/3.5, 250/4, and 500/8

Somewhere out there apparently there are an 80/3.5, 105/2.8, 135/2.8 , and 150/4.5 . Needless to say, these would all be quite rare, less common even than any other Kyoei SLR lenses which are all uncommon.

Member Univer also has an interesting collection of these, including the only T-mount versions I have seen -

http://forum.mflenses.com/kyoei-aka-vernon-edonar-t30282,highlight,%2Bkyoei.html

This lens is a scaled down version of its 135 and 180mm brothers in its mechanics, but it is a triplet instead of a four-element telephoto. Because of this it is rather long for an SLR 105mm, about the same length as the 135mm.

The finish is the very attractive gloss enamel that Kyoei used for its own house brand production; the Petri's were made in a "zebra" style. The aperture mechanism is the two-ring type that also needs to be pulled back to set the aperture. Filter size is 46mm. Mine is in excellent, clean condition. A very attractive piece.

Performance is very good, like all the Kyoei's. It is sharp wide open. The only faults I can see are, perhaps, lower contrast than I would like, plus a tendency to flare, and some CA.

Almost all, save for the flower shot, at f/3.5

The bird -

Crop-

Kathmandu · Expire: 2012-04-08

Thats a beautiful lens -and a great series Luis . I never run into a Kyoei Sad

-I hope I do one of these days. Almost looks old "Tamronish".

Minolfan · Joined: 30 Dec 2008 Posts: 3437 Location: Netherlands

Fine work with the old lens. I like the cat and the flower most. You did not get the bird as sharp as most times I think, so the lens is somewhat soft WO?