Caspeco (old Tokina) 300/5.5 preset T2-mount

[luisalegria]

This is yet another of that extremely common series of old Tokina lenses of the 1960's -



Old Tokinas - L-R: Sears 135/3.5, Lentar 200/4.5, Caspeco 300/5.5

This one bears yet another merchants name. These were sold by nearly every lens-merchant in the 1960's, and can be found under a bewildering array of names - I have seen these sold as Accura, Lentar, Vemar, Hanimex, Sears, Spiratone, Prinz, Palinar, etc. There are probably dozens of brands around the world, used by what seems to be every major importer, distributor, camera store chain, department store chain, mail-order dealer and who knows who else. These were also sold by camera makers such as Yashica, Mamiya, Ricoh and Petri. This series in fact made up ALL the original Yashica SLR add-on lens product line, the original Yashinon-R's.

Strangely, they don't seem to have been sold as Soligors or Vivitars.

Whatever name they caried, some of them are easily spotted because of the distinctive design, even though there are variations in details like the knurling of different rings. I have maybe half the series, the 100/4, 135/3.5, 200/4.5 and 300/5.5. There were also a 400/6.3, a 35/2.8 and a 28/2.8, and possibly some others like a 35/3.5 or an 85mm or 180mm, but I haven't managed to grab those. The short lenses aren't as easy to spot, and there may be some rare items. There are also variations - there seem to be two versions of the 300mm for instance, one goes down to a minimum aperture of f/22 and the other to f/32 - this Caspeco is the f/32 type.

Robert Monaghan tested the Spiratone version of this one, an f/22 -

http://medfmt.8k.com/third/preset.html

This one is just like its smaller brothers, a very simple and conventional but well made lens, with the usual Japanese 2-ring preset mechanism. It is a perfectly decent performer as 300mm's go, but it does have a serious fault, in that minimum focus is a quite long 25ft/8m. This does make it difficult to get "the bird", and more practically a tight headshot closeup is probably going to need cropping - and a longer standoff distance.





















The bird -



crop -

[sichko]

The cormorant shots are great.

[luisalegria]

Updates -

I have to eat my words again - I said this line wasn't sold as Soligor - in fact it was, the 300mm Soligor version having a different style tripod mount and a built-in hood.

This is probably the most widely-distributed line of preset lenses ever made.

The largest of the line also seems to have been a rather rare 400/5.9 - the 400/6.3 is much more common.

[Katastrofo]

I'm seeing lots of detail in these, Luis, the lens is a keeper!

[Orio]

Yes, excellent performance, but I think the same of at least 90% of tests performed by Luis so...

[peterqd]

[wariag]

[luisalegria]

Hi Wariag !

That may make it THREE Soligor versions ?

The last one may be different, as in it may be from a different source. I suspect that Soligor may have been giving the same specifications to several makers ("we want a 250/4.5, a 300/5.5, a 350/5.6 and a 450/8").

I think this may be the case because there are so many versions of some of the odd sizes, that are rare in any brand other thans Soligor, like the 250, 350 and 450.

[ManualFocus-G]

Soligor did indeed make these lenses...I just one won for £10.00

[luisalegria]

I don't know what someone will find under the Soligor name next - a Zeiss ?

[ManualFocus-G]

[ManualFocus-G]

OK, this arrived today and is immaculate, hands up if you didn't read the bit about the monsterous 8m minimum focus though

[luisalegria]

Hi Shrek,

I put in a short extension tube (5mm or so) and it gets down to a useful focus range for portraits and zoo animals, but no infinity focus of course. This is mostly just an annoyance.

[Big Dawg]

I had a Caspeco 350mm a couple of years ago. Well built lens but was always a little soft at all f/stops. Can't remember the aperture range though.

[ManualFocus-G]

[wariag]

[Nordentro]

I have the 300mm as Soligor, and I'm very happy with it

[Quantumshell]

I acquired this lens today... Just two elements.. The rear element does not move... T2 mount... serial starts with 37

[Nordentro]

[luisalegria]

This is a very different lens.

I had one under the "Kaligar" brand some years ago, with somewhat different styling.
That one had the quite uncommon Auto-T interchangeable mount system.
Soligor sold nearly everything from every maker at one time or another, under their brand.

Its not similar to the Tokina presets in either mechanism or optics.
The Tokina preset is a much better lens than the Kaligar I had.

[ManualFocus-G]

This was my experience too. The preset version was quite a bit sharper. Same goes for the corresponding 400/6.3 in the range.

[luisalegria]

Same as this one -

http://forum.mflenses.com/kalimar-300-5-5-auto-t-interchangable-mount-t10907,highlight,%2Bkalimar.html

[papasito]

Any newer experiense with this lens?

What about CA?

[luisalegria]

If anyone wants these (all three in the picture),
I can give them to you free!
Free US postage too.

Just send me a PM.
They probably aren't worth international postage.