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Spiratone manufacturer / serial number list?
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 4:41 am    Post subject: Spiratone manufacturer / serial number list? Reply with quote

picked up a spiratone tc 135mm/f2.8 at the flea market today; after some research, determined that it's a Sankor (Sankyo Seiki) because the serial number ends in 'E'.

Is it possible to map other manufacturers to Spiratone lenses by their serial number?

is there a list?

shall we make one here?

so far:

    Code:

    Spiratone Wide Angle Auto 28mm f/3.5           280922E              Sankor
    Spiratone TC 105mm f/2.5                       173844E              Sankor
    Spiratone 135mm f/2.8                          60528E               Sankor / Sankyo Seiki
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 18mm f/3.5 UW             7901198              Tokina?
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 20mm f/2.8                211980               Sun?
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 24mm f/2.5                240357               Mitake
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 35mm f/1.8                355874               Mitake
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 135mm f/2.8               630620               Mitake?
    Spiratone Plura-Coat 200mm f/3.5               267665               Mitake?
    Spiratone YS (any)                             Σ-*********          Sigma
    Spiratone 70-220mm f/3.5                       7900644              Tokina




Last edited by benadamx on Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:36 am; edited 11 times in total


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like 1 Like 1

Welcome benadamx

I don't know if by serial number will work. A manufacturer list seems like a good idea...maybe we can categorize later.

From http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-17mm-3-5-tokina-t71903.html

We have

visualopsins wrote:
Spiratone 18mm Rectilinear -- Three Versions http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1071884.html

The early model is Tokina? http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-pluracoat-13-5-f18mm-ultra-wideangle-72-t32820.html

The next f/3.5 models made by Sigma for Spiratone http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-ys-13-5-f18mm-t32821.html

The later f/3.2 models made by Sigma for Spiratone http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-ys-13-2-f18mm-t32822.html

http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-18mm-3-2-surprise-t32581.html


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Maybe?
FYI, besides the Spiratone brand, Fred Spira also sold lenses under the Accura brand, as Spiratone was limited to direct mail-order sales. He used Accura as his distribution brand, as an importer-wholesaler selling to retail dealers (camera stores). He had two brands so as to avoid looking as if he was competing against his own customers, which he actually was of course.

You will find the same Sankor lenses as both Spiratone and Accura. Indeed, you are more likely to find them as Accura.

So in most cases perhaps, for something branded Spiratone there is a corresponding Accura. This may not be entirely the case as I think the Accura brand and the wholesale business was phased out several years before Spiratone itself ended.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

One ongoing mystery, to me anyway, is the maker of Spiratones most iconic product, the 400/6.3 t-mount lens. That is THE Spiratone lens.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
Maybe?
FYI, besides the Spiratone brand, Fred Spira also sold lenses under the Accura brand, as Spiratone was limited to direct mail-order sales. He used Accura as his distribution brand, as an importer-wholesaler selling to retail dealers (camera stores). He had two brands so as to avoid looking as if he was competing against his own customers, which he actually was of course.

You will find the same Sankor lenses as both Spiratone and Accura. Indeed, you are more likely to find them as Accura.

So in most cases perhaps, for something branded Spiratone there is a corresponding Accura. This may not be entirely the case as I think the Accura brand and the wholesale business was phased out several years before Spiratone itself ended.


I wonder where the info about Spiratone is from? He had a well-known retail store in New York City for many years.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jonathan Spira (son of Fred) said so several times.
Search for photo.net comment about Accura and Spiratone.

"So much to clarify...
Spiratone and Sigma had a very close relationship, so close that the son of the founder (Mr Yamaki) spent a year at Spiratone in a kind of internship (at least, that's what we would call it now).
Re YS, the Y stands for Yamaki (head of Sigma) - the S stands for Spira. Anyone care to guess who came up with the idea for YS jointly? So Sigma's reply is simply wrong.
Re Accura, incorrect. Accura did not become Sigma. SFS started Accura as an additional label that we were able to sell through distributors (SFS had a separate importing company, PID, but no distribution arm in the U.S. aside from Spiratone, which was direct). A lot of the items were almost identical to Spiratone items but labeled Accura and sold at different price points. Somehow SFS managed to keep Accura and Spiratone from competing with one another.
Did I miss anything?
jonathan_spira, Jan 7, 2010"


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Another Jonathan Spira comment from photo.net
I think Mr. Spira may be able to answer this question about serial numbers actually. He may be around to ask.

"I'd like to thank everyone for the great comments and address JDM's comment about the influence of SFS on the T-mount system. As you know, Tamron and other brands were unknown in the U.S. at the time and Spiratone was the biggest importer of Sun and Tamron lenses.
Spiratone had its own optical engineers and consultants who worked on lens design alongside the manufacturers so there were separate Spiratone models that the manufacturers made which sometimes had more costly design elements than what they otherwise manufactured. We also had QC inspectors at the factories who worked directly for Spiratone (until it became cost prohibitive, we had a small office in Tokyo run by an American expat).
Although I do not know the exact details (but I do know whom to ask if necessary), SFS did play a significant role in getting Japanese lens makers to agree on interchangeable lens mount standards, first with the T-mount and later with the YS adapters.
jonathan_spira, Jan 7, 2010"


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jonathan Spira put together a Spiratone Facebook page.
Lots of old company pictures.
It may be a good idea to ask there.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 10:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

? Confusing. You wrote

luisalegria wrote:
...
Spiratone was limited to direct mail-order sales.


I wrote

visualopsins wrote:


I wonder where the info about Spiratone is from? He had a well-known retail store in New York City for many years.


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a Spiratone 28mm f2 lens, manufactured by Mitake...

other than knowing that Spiratone was a re-badger of other manufacturer's lenses, that's all I know about this lens...


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm about to get a Sigma 16mm 2.8 FishEye filtermatic,that seems to be Spiratone, is it any worth? My other Widerama it's got excellent building , even though I'm not used shooting this wide...


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+ the famous store I guess.
I just copy-pasted J.Spiras comment from photo.net

SFS btw is Siegfried Franz Spira. The old man went by "Fred".


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 3:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
Maybe?
FYI, besides the Spiratone brand, Fred Spira also sold lenses under the Accura brand, as Spiratone was limited to direct mail-order sales. He used Accura as his distribution brand, as an importer-wholesaler selling to retail dealers (camera stores). He had two brands so as to avoid looking as if he was competing against his own customers, which he actually was of course.

You will find the same Sankor lenses as both Spiratone and Accura. Indeed, you are more likely to find them as Accura.

So in most cases perhaps, for something branded Spiratone there is a corresponding Accura. This may not be entirely the case as I think the Accura brand and the wholesale business was phased out several years before Spiratone itself ended.


Now you are saying the above was copied & pasted from photo.net?


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 4:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, you can search and find J.Spiras comment on photo.net


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 5:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

thanks everyone! i'll go thru those links later too see if i can get any serial number / mfr info out of them, but in the meantime,

for those of you that have spiratone and / or accura lenses, what are the serial numbers and who do you think made them?


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
Yes, you can search and find J.Spiras comment on photo.net


Oh I believe you Smile That's not clear from the unattributed text in your post. Put back in context, ie his words not yours, I can see he meant Accura was sold by other retailers but Spiratone was sold exclusively mail-order (and in the store, of course).


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

benadamx wrote:
thanks everyone! i'll go thru those links later too see if i can get any serial number / mfr info out of them, but in the meantime,

for those of you that have spiratone and / or accura lenses, what are the serial numbers and who do you think made them?


By lens model

18/3.5 Early model made by Tokina
18/3.5 & 18/3.2 models made by Sigma
24/2.8 made by Sigma
24/2.5 made by Mitake http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-12-5-f24mm-and-12-8-f24mm-t32788.html
35/1.8 made by Mitake http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-35mm-f-1-8-by-mitake-t79815.html


PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

visualopsins wrote:

18/3.5 Early model made by Tokina
18/3.5 & 18/3.2 models made by Sigma
24/2.8 made by Sigma
24/2.5 made by Mitake http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-12-5-f24mm-and-12-8-f24mm-t32788.html
35/1.8 made by Mitake http://forum.mflenses.com/spiratone-35mm-f-1-8-by-mitake-t79815.html


🙏 added to list at the top, with serial ranges where i could figure them out


PostPosted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Spiratone 105mm f/2.8 made by Sankor


#1


PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 8:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

benadamx wrote:
. . .
for those of you that have spiratone and / or accura lenses, what are the serial numbers and who do you think made them?



My Spiratone lenses:

70-220mm f/3.5 #7900644 (Tokina)
200mm f/3.5 #267665 (Mitake?)
20mm f/2.8 #211980 (Sun?)

Since I'm unsure of the maker for the 200mm and the 20mm, here are some photos in case someone else can say for certain:



#1


#2


PostPosted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 7:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

awesome, so maybe 79***** is tokina!


PostPosted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 6:30 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are Spiratel lenses part of the Spiratone brand, or are they a ripoff brand made to sound similar to something more well known? I have a Spiratel YS 300/5.5 which is a sankor lens, serial code 311451E.


PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

benadamx wrote:
awesome, so maybe 79***** is tokina!

And for what it's worth, benadamx, my Spiratone 70-220mm is also labeled "Pluracoat".


I have two Accura lenses, but I need help with maker identification:

Accura Diamatic 28mm f/2.8 #64513 (made by ??)
Accura Diamatic 135mm f/3.5 #76336 (made by ??)

Both lenses have 52mm filter threads and 6 iris blades.

Photos of my lenses:


#1


#2


Tim


PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 12:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Alun Thomas wrote:
Are Spiratel lenses part of the Spiratone brand, or are they a ripoff brand made to sound similar to something more well known? I have a Spiratel YS 300/5.5 which is a sankor lens, serial code 311451E.


My guess is Spiratels are Spiratone lenses. Spiratone used several model names with a "tel" suffix. In addition to Spiratel, I've also seen Macrotel, Minitel, Proxitel and Ultratel.
Anyone know of other Spiratone "tels"? Smile


PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

55 wrote:
benadamx wrote:
awesome, so maybe 79***** is tokina!

Accura Diamatic 135mm f/3.5 #76336 (made by ??)

#2


Tim


Anytime I see those shades of gold / green lettering on a lens, I think of Itoh Kogaku. Normally they would put the focus scale letting for feet in one colour and meters in the other. Often they had a serial code starting with 'R', although I have also seen lenses it's obvious are Itoh lenses without the 'R' code. However this lens doesn't share ANY other styling cues with other Itoh lenses I've seen, only the lettering on the manual/auto slider, so it's hard to say conclusively.