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Tasmanex Lens
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:15 am    Post subject: Tasmanex Lens Reply with quote

Hello all
First time poster long time reader

Got a bargain on ebay 20 bucks

But I can't find anything on ebay about this lens

Anyone know about them or has some info ?
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http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/jheenoo/Tasmanex/



PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:22 am    Post subject: Re: Tasmanex Lens Reply with quote

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/jheenoo/Tasmanex/


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've seen a brand on Ebay called Tasman, perhaps a collaboration between them and Hanimex, only a guess on my part though.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

xjjohnno wrote:
I've seen a brand on Ebay called Tasman, perhaps a collaboration between them and Hanimex, only a guess on my part though.


It was getting too dark to manual focus during sundown

I uploaded some test shots (revisit the album link above). Note to give relativity to the photos I included a shot I took from the tokina 11mm when it was way brighter

Figured it out.
The tubes unscrew in half and attach to this




PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

First of all. WELCOME Jheeno.

What marvelous optical and mechanical pieces !!

Rino.


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

xjjohnno wrote:
I've seen a brand on Ebay called Tasman, perhaps a collaboration between them and Hanimex, only a guess on my part though.

Tasman was a lens made by Astro-Berlin. Very fast, very rare, very expensive (now and than). Surely there was no collaboration betwenn Astro and Hanimex.
But Hanimex is an Australian distributor and Tasmania is an Island near Australia.

Klaus


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

exaklaus wrote:
xjjohnno wrote:
I've seen a brand on Ebay called Tasman, perhaps a collaboration between them and Hanimex, only a guess on my part though.

Tasman was a lens made by Astro-Berlin. Very fast, very rare, very expensive (now and than). Surely there was no collaboration betwenn Astro and Hanimex.
But Hanimex is an Australian distributor and Tasmania is an Island near Australia.

Klaus


I initially thought that it had it's origins from Australia but all the barrels say 'made in japan'


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's ok, Hanimex never produced something, they are just a distributor. And they told the makers what names they wanted on the lenses and cameras.

Klaus


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Interesting! The lens specs all look rather pedestrian but the execution of them as a kit mounting to a common helical is unusual for an aftermarket distributor. Excellent catch!


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Awesoem set! Do they all have the same serial number?


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 2:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great find !

This stuff is what I love best - a neat kit and a lot of mystery !

I suspect that "Tasmanex" was just a trademark.

I also suspect that this kit was made in very small numbers. Besides the fact that I have never seen anything like this yet, those are very low serial numbers.

It looks like you have the whole set - the shared aperture mechanism (which is very odd, on this sort of shared unit the lens heads usually have their own aperture mechanism) seems to indicate its made for 200,300,400 and 500mm lens heads, and you seem to have all of them.

I take it that there is a focusing helical on the lens heads ?


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ManualFocus-G wrote:
Awesoem set! Do they all have the same serial number?

yes they all have the same serial number '00152'


PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

luisalegria wrote:
Great find !

This stuff is what I love best - a neat kit and a lot of mystery !

I suspect that "Tasmanex" was just a trademark.

I also suspect that this kit was made in very small numbers. Besides the fact that I have never seen anything like this yet, those are very low serial numbers.

It looks like you have the whole set - the shared aperture mechanism (which is very odd, on this sort of shared unit the lens heads usually have their own aperture mechanism) seems to indicate its made for 200,300,400 and 500mm lens heads, and you seem to have all of them.

I take it that there is a focusing helical on the lens heads ?


I found a few manuals when lifting the foam (none of which help me with this lens)
The owner was into Asahi pentax manual lens as he had the complete catalogue of asahi pentax manual lens of all focal lengths

The shared aperture mechanism is also the focus mechanism (focus ring is at the other end of the lens collar). But this unit has no glass

The lens heads are all of different length (obvious by the pictures) but it seems that they are all proportional in that the inside construction of the lens heads are all similar
ie - all only have two pieces of glass - when unscrewed and placed on both ends of the shared aperture-focus mechanism one piece of glass goes on the front one on the back (and mounts onto the camera body)
- all differ only by the proportionality of size and length relative to its focal length

so at any one time there are only two pieces of glass

I'll take some more photos when I get home


PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I looked up some old Australian magazines: Tasmanex P/L was a Sydney-based distributor who also sold Zenit cameras, and perhaps others. So it's a distributor's private label, sourced from a Japanese manufacturer.


PostPosted: Tue Nov 30, 2010 1:08 pm    Post subject: http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/jheenoo/T2/ Reply with quote

Seele wrote:
I looked up some old Australian magazines: Tasmanex P/L was a Sydney-based distributor who also sold Zenit cameras, and perhaps others. So it's a distributor's private label, sourced from a Japanese manufacturer.


Thanks !

Would be interesting to see if this set is out there appearing on a different name.

Heres how it looks so I think theres only two pieces of glass. Middle is for focusing and aperture but no glass




Anyway heres some more test shots

http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y111/jheenoo/T2/


PostPosted: Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I am from Australia and I have a 500 mm 1:8 MF lens with 42 mm thread that used to belong to my grandfather who used it along with the standard issue Helios 44-2 on his 1970s Zenith 35 mm film camera. This 500 mm lens is marked very similarly to yours but with the word TASMAN not TASMANEX on the name plate ring and like yours declares it's Japanese origins. I can't find out anything about mine either, which is a petty because I plan to hook both it and the Helios up to my Canon 600D digital shortly and would like to know more about the optics, construction and the manufacturer.

I can assure you all that this particular TASMAN lens had nothing to do with Carl Zeis and was not a particularly expensive lens in it's day. I still have my grandafther's cardboard box packaging from his purchase and it bears the price tag of A$95.00 which back in the 70's in Australia would have been the price of about 4 weeks household grocery shopping. I'm betting our lenses are out of the same factory. If anyone has any more information it would be greatly appreciated. Smile