Soligor 180-400mm f5.6 T2 rear aperture preset

[guardian]

I am new to this lens and most unfamiliar, so I'm not entirely certain the thread title is 100% correct. This appears to be a lens of Tokina manufacture. If you know, or even better if you already own, this lens I would be interested in your evaluation. The lens gives me the impression of being rare. Here is what I could find:

Current USA auction:

Click here to see on Ebay and be careful this copy could be personalized

Older auction in South Africa:

http://m.bidorbuy.co.za/mobilejquery/item/103591241/SOLIGOR_F_5_6_180mm_400mm_TELEZOOM_EXCELLENT_CONDITION.html

A French auction (very nice lens):

http://www.ebay.fr/itm/ZOOM-SOLIGOR-5-6-180-400mm-Macro-POUR-REFLEX-NIKON-OU-AUTRES-/121194776948

Pricing on the auction in South Africa works out to circa US$134.

Then I located this negative comment from an owner who does not like his copy of the lens:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/soligor_mf/discuss/72157614147705440/


Bottom line, I've not seen this lens before today. If you are familiar with it, your impressions would be most welcome. And if I've made a mistake in the title of this thread, please so advise and I will fix it.

[Lloydy]

The two lenses I have that are almost certainly old pre set Tokinas EDIT they are almost certainly Kino / Kiron , the Vivitar 400 and Dollonds 200, have a very distinctive, multi bladed, aperture with the one edge of the blade turned up at 90 degrees to run in the control slot, rather than two pivots. However, all my other Soligor + Vivitar that I think are Tokina because of their serial number starting with '1' have flat blades and two pivots. Some have the mechanism behind a shroud, but the bent up edge would be visible if it was there.

The turned up edge is the straight edge radially on the end of each blade.

[luisalegria]

Re the 180-400/5.6
I suspect Sun, dressed up in the Soligor "Silver ring" livery of the day.
There is a nearly identical Sun lens sold under the usual variety of names, of very similar specs and design; i.e., a 180-410/5.6
Some of these "Silver ring" Soligors are known to be from Sun, so this is another reason.
I have one, Aetna Rokunar brand.

Some discussion here -
http://forum.mflenses.com/my-new-monster-180-410-aetna-rokunar-t35839.html

[luisalegria]

The distinctive slotted preset aperture mechanism doesnt seem to be Tokina as no known (branded) Tokina lenses used such a mechanism. I tend to think its a feature of Kino/Kiron presets. Not sure at all about this as Kino didn't use its brand at the time. However, the common 28/2.5 Kiron auto lens usually seen as a Vivitar (that has the Vivitar serial number system) is nearly identical to the 28/2.5 Vivitar preset, and this does have the slotted aperture, AFAIK. Those are my suspicions anyway.

[Lloydy]

My mistake, I had Tokina on my mind for some reason, the heritage of both my lenses has been discussed before and Kino / Kiron does seem to be the favourite candidate.

[PBFACTS]