Porst by Fujica in X-mount

[yinyangbt]

Hello , again!
Few information on the web about the Porst branded Fujinon lenses (unknown ,practically, outside the German speaking space).There were at least two versions of Fujinon lenses in X-mount for some focal lengths (or at least for the standards 50mm and 55mm): EBC and a cheaper non EBC variant (for example , the 50 mm /1.6 DM and the 50mm/1.5 DM EBC).
Now, observed the same in Porst branded fujinons : 50mm/1.6 X-M F UMC and 50mm/1.6 X-M F .
I suppose that this UMC is the same as the EBC (which was a registred trade mark of Fuji , so could not be used in Porst branded lenses that fuji produced) But I observed that there are some lenses marked also as GMC and not UMC .
I've seen this marking on a 28mm/2.8 macro lens and a 80-200mm zoom that I didn't find on the X-mount of Fuji.Maybe it was produced by somebody else and if so, the coating really is different.
Does somebody know what this means , and what are the differences ?

[Fujinonuser]

The Porst 1.6 / 50mm X-M UMC, the Porst 1.6 / 55mm X-M UMC and the Porst 1.2 / 50mm X-M UMC (all for the Fujica FX bayonet) are identical in all respects to the Fujinon lenses of the same focal lengths (including the special EBC multi-coating). You are probably right that Porst was not allowed to use the EBC specification for its re-branded lenses, although the multicoating is identical. I have not seen rebranded Porst / Fujinon lenses with single coating, although they may have been sold.
Porst also sold a number of third-party lenses made in Japan for the FX bayonet, featuring the highly effective GMC multicoating (green, dark blue, magenta, gold). These compact lenses are set in a very solid metal mount and feature an extended "macro" focussing range with extra magnification scale on the barrel. They compare very well to the Fujinon lenses of the same focus length, as they are very sharp and contrasty, rendering the full spectrum of colors without color hue (I'd prefer the Porst 28mm to the Fujinon FX 28mm for its greater sharpness well into the corners). I have the 2.8 / 28mm GMC, the 3.5 / 24mm GMC, the 2.8 / 135mm GMC and the 4.5 / 75-200mm GMC. There was also a 4.5 / 200mm GMC, all from the same manufacturer in same quality.
It is hard to tell who made these lenses in Japan. They remind me of Tokina lenses in their coatings and solid build quality. The index marking is a red diamond.
By the way, you will find letters like "D" or "G" on Porst lenses. This is an abbreviation of the number of glass elements used. A D lettered lens would have 4 glass elements, a G lettered lens 7 glass elements.
I have minty copies of the 28mm, 135mm, 75-200mm and 1.6 / 50mm Porst lenses for sale, if you are interested.

[Eugen Mezei]

Salutare domnule yinyangbt!

I would be interested to know what GMC means. Often this lenses are offered on german ebay. I especially would like to know how the 24 mm macro with this designation delivers.

[Fujinonuser]

I don't know the meaning of GMC. It could mean "generic multi-coating" or "general multi-coating," but that is mere guessing.

[Eugen Mezei]

The interesting thing is that only the X-bajonet lenses have this GMC designation. At least I saw them only on them.

[Fujinonuser]

Porst sold Fujica cameras only with the FX bayonet, so there was no need for them to rebrand Fujinon lenses say for the M42 screw mount. You are right that the other Porst lenses mainly built by Cosina for the PK bayonet do not have this "GMC" coating. Therefore and for other reasons, I don't believe these Porst FX lenses to be rebranded Cosina lenses. Cosina lenses of those years are smaller, lighter and look different. Porst also rebranded Chinon lenses, again without the GMC coating.

[Eugen Mezei]

So in fact you are saying GMC is equal to EBC and if Porst had marketed the M42 version Fujinon lenses then we would have GMC in M42 also.
Problem is, you won't find a Fujinon correspondent (focal lenght, speed) of those lens marked GMC.
So I do think GMC Porsts are not from Fuji but some other producer. Question is who is this producer and if they produced lenses in other bayonets why are those lenses not marqued also GMC when sold under the Porst label?

[Fujinonuser]

I was NOT saying that GMC is "equal" to EBC and the question if Porst would have re-branded M42 Fujinon lenses is completely fictional, because Porst never sold M42 Fujinon lenses under their own brandname. As you are aware, there are at least three different sorts of lenses produced by Fuji: EBC Fujinon, non-EBC Fujinon and Fujinar. The FX Fujinon EBC coating of some lenses differs from the M42 Fujinon EBC coating, while others are same. The GMC Porst lenses were manufactured in Japan. Those are sharp lenses with a slightly cooler rendering of colors.

[Eugen Mezei]

Grüß dich Fujinonuser,

can you tell me about the 24 and 28 mm GMCs something? I am "hunting" especially the 24 mm, once I even won one cheaply at the Bay but it was never delivered.

Eugen

[Fujinonuser]

Hello Eugen,
I can recommend both the 24mm and 28mm Porst GMC lenses.

Unfortunately, there is still some difficulty attaching FX mount lenses to a DSLR. At least with a Canon EOS it should be possible because the FX lenses have the same flange focal distance (Auflagemaß) as a M42 lens. I'll try to cut-out a plastic body cap of the Canon so I can fix a FX lens to the Canon. With a soldering bolt? Any useful ideas are welcome.

As to the Porst GMC lenses, I'm now rather sure that they were manufactured by Nittoh Kogaku in the province of Nagano and also sold as Komine, Kominar or Komura lenses. The Komine macro and tele lenses are very well known among collectors and praised for their sharpness. They are somewhat cooler in colors than the Fujinon lenses, which only goes to say that they don't have any color cast or hue. I guess that Komine built tele lenses for Soligor, Chinon, Tomioka and Tokina at the end of the 1960s. The Komine lenses can be clearly distinguished by the protruding back lens element, whereas those built by Cosina have a flat back element and considerably fall back in quality.

I used the 24mm and 28mm lenses with 35mm film and they are very sharp with no apparent vignetting or distortion under normal conditions. I didn't take any test shots of a grid because I felt no need to do so. The solid metal barrel has very good haptics as compared to the plastic barrels of the X-Fujinon lenses. A nice feature is the extended macro range with magnification ratio scale on the barrel.

The 28mm and 24mm X-Fujinon lenses show significant vignetting even at smaller apertures, which is confirmed by professional test results. Fuji changed the optical formula for some of their lenses when they switched to the FX bayonet, while other lenses like the 135mm lens were just re-packaged.

The Porst GMC lenses compare very well to the Tokina lenses as much as sharpness is concerned, although I would prefer the Porst lenses to the Tokina lenses of the same period, if color rendition is my choice.

I still have several minty Porst GMC lenses that I can offer you at a reasonable price, although I will probably keep the 24mm (and one 28mm) lens until I'm sure that there will be no adapters for a Canon. Just drop me a PN and I'll give you further details and photos.

[PBFACTS]

[Fujinonuser]

Thank you for this additional information and clarification. I don't think the Porst lenses look like the Komura lenses as found by Google Image search.

[Fujinonuser]

There is some possibility that the Porst GMC lenses with FX bayonet for the Fujica X series were manufactured by Ozone Optical Company of Japan. Although the Porst lens barrels do not look similar to the Ozunon lenses I had a chance to inspect, the lens coatings do look similar indeed. Please note that although Ozone Optical Company may have been the manufacturer, nevertheless well-tried lens designs may have been obtained by Ozone from other manufacturers like Tokina or Komine. Again, the Porst 50mm and 55mm lenses with FX bayonet are 100% identical to the Fujinons of same focal length.
http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ozone_Optical

[Pancolart]

Don't forget the SUN. See my post here: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic,p,1312145.html#1312145