Manual Focus Lenses Forum

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I just bought a Soligor zebra 100-200 f5.6 in T-mount. Anyone have one?
Is this lens any good? It was cheap so I took a gamble. Here is the pic.
The 28mm Soligor is missing the blades. I could still use it wide open, and it was included.

$5.99 plus $6.99 S&h total $12.98. So did I get a deal or is this a low end lens.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

The 100-200 is a constant f5.6 lens. I am going to assume the 28mm is junk, but if it is usable that would be a plus.
The lenses are supposed to be scratch and fungus free. The 100-200 is listed in fully working order. Exterior wise it looks like a beater to me.
I lightened up the photos so you could tell what the lenses look like.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

I may have seen a very similar lens as a Kawanon (Kawakami), with similar cosmetics (the triple knurled band) but not a "zebra". Kawakami was a small manufacturer. Thats just a guess as to the maker.

I am also guessing it was made in the early-mid 1960's, maybe the first production zoom from this maker. Its certainly not at all common.

From my point of view the coolness factor of the unusual, vintage look trumps any performance issues. Nice catch indeed.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

BTW, I am also guessing the also cool preset T-mount 28mm is by Komine (Nittoh). It has the cosmetics of this line as sold by Soligor.

I have a 180mm and a 135mm of this line, and they are very nice indeed. Teh 180mm also had a troublesome aperture. Sadly bad apertures on wide angles tend to be tough to fix, because of the tiny blades.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

Thank you. I'm looking foward to getting them so I can see what condition they are really in.I will post good pics as soon as I get them.

The 100-200 I really like the style off. I like Zebra lenses they are so cool looking they are hard to turn down.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I will do a search on Kawanon (Kawakami) and see what I come up with.
I did find a couple pics on the Miranda site of Soligor Zebra lenses Very Happy

, but not my focal length. Sad

They won't expand to full size for me I just get red x's.
Here is the link.
http://www.mirandacamera.com/_lenses/_soligor/soligor.htm

francotirador · Joined: 17 Sep 2009 Posts: 894

I had the 28mm, I gave it. I do not remember great virtues and great faults of it.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

The 28mm lens mounted on my t-mount no problem, the 100-200 didn't.
It actually measures 43mm and the thread is differen't.
I checked the measurement with a digital caliper. Any ideas?

casualcollector · Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:40 pm

44mm Miranda screw mount...

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

Thank you. Very Happy

It's funny I have a Miranda link on this thread and it never crossed my mind.

So to use this on my X-370 Minolta, I would need a Miranda to minolta adapter, which is super rare and expensive. I could use a M44 to M42 adapter, then add a Md adapter. Still kinda hard to find.
Rethread a T-mount to work, at a machine shop.
Or buy the Zeiss T2-13 adapter in this link for $36, which is the adapter I need right?
http://www.alpineastro.com/eyepiece_adapters/eyepiece_adapters.htm

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Hard luck there. It doesn't look like there is any room for a mount conversion as I have done on a couple of Miranda mounts. The aperture ring is almost flush with the mount.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I think I have it figured out. This step adapter with a Minolta t mount adapter should do it. Very Happy

Click here to see on Ebay

Univer · Joined: 30 Jun 2009 Posts: 282

Hi,

Before you buy that adapter, you might want to consider - apart from anything else - the fact that you're going to be adding quite a bit of length to the lens, and there's a reasonable possibility that you'll be able to use it, if at all, only for close-up work.

T-adapters are made to achieve the correct register distance for the specific mount in question, based on the "native" T-mount register distance of 55mm - long enough to allow adaptation to all 35mm formats.

So if you figure out a way to attach a T-adapter to the back of a lens that already has a mount in place, you're adding, in effect, an extension tube. (That's without taking into account the extra depth contributed by the proposed step-up ring.)

If this is the 44mm Miranda mount, you'd be starting out with a fairly short register distance to begin with (41.5mm); and that would only exacerbate the problem.

I'm not aware of a 43mm screw lens mount (not saying there isn't one!); if this turned out to be a medium-format lens as opposed to a 35mm lens, the foregoing wouldn't apply.

Cheers,

Jon

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

Jon, I ordered it. I will only get about 10 feet or so at infinity, but I will be able to use it.
It really is M43, but I just found out it's missing the back ring which converts it to M42, or M44 if it was a Miranda lens.

Pacific rim camera just listed a Vemar 100-200 f5.6. By the picture you can tell it was made by the same manufactorer.Look at the pic you can see the ring thats missing on mine.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

With the adapter I ordered, I will be able to use that together with a M42/Md adapter. That should work out just right. Very Happy

Of course the thread pitch is different but I should be able to force it.
I really like this lens. Very Happy

Here is a side view.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

The Vemar, Pacific Rim Camera has , by there rating system is an EX-.
Laughing

Here is the link if anyone is interested in this lens.
Click here to see on Ebay

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

I received the adapter today. It is the correct pitch. Minimum focus will be about 3 feet. I will take exact measurements of Minimum focus and Infinity soon. At least it will be usable, but I still plan on making a correct mount for it.
Here is a picture of it mounted. Very Happy

I hope to have sample photos soon from this lens.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Handsome piece indeed.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

The Soligor Zebra 100-200 weighs in at 776 grams.Really needs to be used with a Monopod mounted to the camera. I did buy one, but these shots are before I bought it.

I got my photos back today, and I'm not impressed.I will get a proper adapter made and try again.Not one shot is worth posting, missed focus on all of them. Shocked

Something is wrong. But I will still post a few pics. If you can tell whats wrong, please tell me.
Remember, I use a crappy scanner, but the worlds best scanner wouldn't help these.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

Here is one more just getting worse.

walter g · Joined: 20 Feb 2010 Posts: 2463 Location: NC, USA

Last one I'm going to post.