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xaprb
Joined: 28 Jan 2021 Posts: 168
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Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2022 11:26 pm Post subject: Soligor Serial Numbers Beginning H |
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xaprb wrote:
I've acquired a couple of Soligor lenses with serial numbers starting with H, and I recall somewhere seeing that there's a forum user who's been collecting these; I think I remember seeing that in their forum signature. I'm curious what is known about these lenses.
Mine are a 135mm f2.8 № H669567 and 35mm f2.8 № H675162, both M42 mount, both all-metal with scalloped "hill and valley" knurling. Focus is a bit stiff, but otherwise they are apparently in decent shape; the aperture is a bit sluggish on the 135mm. I'm not an expert on coatings, but they look single-coated to me.
In addition to these two lenses, what do forum members know about Soligors with 'H' serial numbers in general? Looking forward to learning more, if more is known!
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Oldhand
Joined: 01 Apr 2013 Posts: 6006 Location: Mid North Coast NSW - Australia
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 12:10 am Post subject: |
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Oldhand wrote:
Many "H" serial Soligors were Komine made
There is a table here for your information:
https://www.apotelyt.com/camera-kit/soligor-catalog
Cheers
Tom |
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visualopsins
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 Posts: 10463 Location: California
Expire: 2021-06-22
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 12:58 am Post subject: |
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visualopsins wrote:
There is Walter's list: http://forum.mflenses.com/soligor-12-8-f28mm-eighteen-versions-t30866,start,113.html (list may be updated later in same thread)
And ManualFocus-G's: http://forum.mflenses.com/the-big-soligor-thread-t33736.html _________________ ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮ like attracts like! ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮
Cameras: Sony A7Rii, Spotmatics II, F, and ESII, Nikon P4
M42 Asahi Optical Co., Lenses:
Takumar 1:4 f=35mm, 1:2 f=58mm (Sonnar), 1:2.4 f=58mm (Heliar), 1:2.2 f=55mm (Gaussian), 1:2.8 f=105mm (Model I), 1:2.8/105 (Model II), 1:5.6/200
Tele-Takumar 1:5.6/200, 1:6.3/300
Macro-Takumar 1:4/50
Auto-Takumar 1:2.3 f=35, 1:1.8 f=55mm, 1:2.2 f=55mm
Super-TAKUMAR 1:3.5/28 (fat), 1:2/35 (Fat), 1:1.4/50 (8-element),
Super-Multi-Coated Fisheye-TAKUMAR 1:4/17
Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1:4.5/20, 1:3.5/24, 1:3.5/28, 1:2/35, 1:3.5/35, 1:1.8/85, 1:1.9/85 1:2.8/105, 1:3.5/135, 1:2.5/135 (II), 1:4/150, 1:4/200, 1:4/300, 1:4.5/500
Super-Multi-Coated Macro-TAKUMAR 1:4/50, 1:4/100
Super-Multi-Coated Bellows-TAKUMAR 1:4/100
SMC TAKUMAR 1:1.4/50, 1:1.8/55
Other lenses:
Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 2.4/35
SMC PENTAX ZOOM 1:3.5 35~105mm, SMC PENTAX ZOOM 1:4 45~125mm
Nikon Micro-NIKKOR-P-C Auto 1:3.5 f=55mm, NIKKOR-P Auto 105mm f/2.5 Pre-AI (Sonnar), Micro-NIKKOR 105mm 1:4 AI, NIKKOR AI-S 35-135mm f/3,5-4,5
Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (51B), Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (51BB), SP 500mm f/8 (55BB), SP 70-210mm f/3.5 (19AH)
Vivitar 100mm 1:2.8 MC 1:1 Macro Telephoto
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vivaldibow
Joined: 23 Jun 2018 Posts: 835
Expire: 2021-03-09
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 4:05 am Post subject: |
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vivaldibow wrote:
Both look Tokina to me, especially the 35mm, looking very much like Lentar which is Tokina. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:19 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
The H prefix for lenses doesn't seem to be useful for telling the lens designing company, my best guess is it was the code of one or more sub-contracting companies. I have a number of H coded lenses, and have owned more in the past but sold them. I'll post a few in here with my best guess for the manufacturer or design company.
#1
#2
This Aetna 135mm F/4 lens is a DKL fit for Retina SLR cameras. My opinion is that it is an Itoh Kogaku made/designed lens, that is based on seeing copies on ebay under the Itoh / Higon branding. I have a second copy which is slightly different, but no photos to hand, the second copy underscores the Itoh association more strongly than this copy. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:26 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This H6 Kaligar 135mm F/2.8 is also an Itoh Kogaku lens, this opinion is based on the Yellow/Green focus scale and the large red diamond styling of the preset aperture rings. Many very similar lenses also identifiable as Itoh lenses were sold with 'R' prefix serials too, and for a period Soligor lenses made by Itoh had a '3' prefix. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:29 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
I'm not 100% sure who the design company for this 'H4' Lentar 105mm F/2.8 is. Possibly Tokina. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:31 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
The designer of this 'H6' Lentar Automount 90-230mm F/4.5 lens is definitely known as Tokina. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:33 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
Likewise for this 'H6' Lentar 28mm F/2.8, the design company is clearly Tokina, this lens was sold by a multitude of rebadging entities in various exterior stylings. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:38 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
#3
This Soligor 'H6' lens is one I've always considered to be a Tokina lens, mainly based on the shape of the rear element block, which is identical to other 28mm lenses which I can clearly identify as Tokina lenses.. I could be incorrect on that though. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:41 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This 'H6' Vemar 200mm F/4.8 lens is another DKL for Retina third party lens, similar to the Aetna 135mm I already posted. I believe it to also be an Itoh Kogaku Lens. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 7:48 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This 'H3' Palinar 100mm F/4 is generally considered to be a Tokina lens, I have seen it branded Tokina on ebay. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:04 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This 'H8' Galaxy 135mm F/3.5 lens is also identifiable as Itoh Kogaku, although the focus scale colours are not yellow/green this time, the other design elements are still present. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:12 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
Here's a second 'H6' Lentar / Tokina 28mm F/2.8 just to show another external styling for the same lens. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:13 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This 'H6' Soligor 200mm F/3.5 lens is easily identifiable as a Tokina. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:16 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
This 'H7' lens is labelled Sun Optical, but I am fairly certain is a Tokina lens. Although Sun were a lens manufacturer, it appears they often sold other manufacturers lenses under their own label too. |
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D1N0
Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2483
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:21 am Post subject: |
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D1N0 wrote:
Maybe it's a Tokina thing for brand labelled lenses, since their first customer was Hanimex, they used a H before the serial number? _________________ pentaxian |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:25 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
Yet another Lentar, this 'H8' 28mm preset lens is similar but not the same as the Soligor posted earlier. As with that one, maybe Tokina, but not 100% certain. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:27 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
#1
#2
Yet another Lentar 'H6' lens, this one definitely a Tokina lens. All of these pics are from lenses I've tried out then sold on. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:33 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
D1N0 wrote: |
Maybe it's a Tokina thing for brand labelled lenses, since their first customer was Hanimex, they used a H before the serial number? |
Only some of the lenses out of those I've posted are Tokina lenses, the balance seem to be made by Itoh Kogaku. I have a few more lenses not posted yet I will photograph tomorrow, the balance of them is once more Tokina and Itoh. |
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xaprb
Joined: 28 Jan 2021 Posts: 168
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Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2022 11:12 am Post subject: |
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xaprb wrote:
Interesting, I didn’t expect other brands to be swept into the plot, but it makes sense now that I see the lenses. I appreciate the photos, thoughts on the manufacturer, and the evidence for your deductions! |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 2:29 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
I finally got time to take a few pictures of the rest of my 'H' serial lenses. As per before, they seem to be either identifiable as Tokina or Itoh Kogaku. Having said that, all of the information could have differeing interpretations applied to it.
Firstly, Tokina, or thought to be:
#2
#3
An 'H6" Vemar 35mm F/2.8, very similar to many other lenses identified as Tokina.
#4
#5
An 'H6" Lentar 135mm F/2.8 from the same production line.
#6
#7
Another 'H6' Lentar, this time a preset.
#8
#9
A pair of Soligor 180mm F/3.5 lenses, one and 'H4' and the other an 'H5'
#10
#11
Finally, an 'H5' 90-230mm F/4.5 Lentar lens. The automount version posted earlier was 'H6" |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 2:41 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
Okay, now the ones I believe to be Itoh Kogaku manufactured/designed.
#1
#2
First a pair of 100-200mm F/5.6 zoom lenses. They are possibly not identical internally, I haven't checked that yet. One an 'H3' and one an 'H6'. They both have the tripled focus ring knurling that was a design 'tell' for an Itoh lens, as well as the Yellow/Green lettering on the focus scale.
#3
#4
Another Aetna Coligon DKL 135mm F/4 lens, unlike the previous one, this one also has the triple knurling for the focus grip, the only one I've seen like this in my ebay lurking. The one posted earlier was an 'H7', this one is 'H5'
#5
#6
Another 'H6' 135mm F/2.8, the only difference between this one and the one posted earlier is that this one only has feet on the distance scale, no meters.
#7
#8
A pair of Kaligar medium format lenses for the Fujita 66 SLR. This is where it gets slightly strange. In the second picture I also added the 150mm F/4 lens. It has the same Yellow/Green focus scale letttering.
#9
But it still has the 'FT' prefix which was used by Fujita for their own lenses. Only the last series of the 150mm F/4 lens looked like this, the earlier ones had much different styling. |
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Alun Thomas
Joined: 20 Aug 2018 Posts: 614 Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 3:08 am Post subject: |
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Alun Thomas wrote:
Finally a few pics of some Kominar lenses, which are what occupies 'H6' in the prefix guide online.
#1
#2
#3
#4
There aren't that many third party lenses in the wild that have Kominar or Komine written on them to really have much to compare against, just this single series of T2 preset lenses. I've never really seen any rebadged lenses that you could see some resemblance to these lenses in, in terms of styling, font, focus marker or any of the other way used to determine lens maker. Unfortunately the styling is somewhat generic, not exactly the same as other lenses, but no single thing that sets them apart as many other manufacturers had. For instance Fujita put the 'FT' prefix on it's own lenses. Early Kyoei SLR lenses were styled radically unlike anything else before or since. Kawakami/Kawanon lenses were indentifiable by the infinity distance marker alway being green. Itoh lenses had the Green/Yellow focus scale, the large red diamonds on the preset aperture, and sometimes the triple knurled focus grip. Komine lenses in that period fall into that sizeable group that aren't so different from anything else as to be readily identifiable, in my opinion.
That doesn't mean they didn't make lenses for rebadging entities, it just means they looked nothing like their own products. They did make lenses for Walz, Mamiya and Ricoh fixed lens cameras, as well as interchangeable lenses for Fuji AX mount SLR cameras, and are known as the maker of '28' prefix lenses for Vivitar, who sold a large amount of their products. |
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D1N0
Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 2483
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Posted: Sun Jun 26, 2022 9:01 am Post subject: |
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D1N0 wrote:
I am not so sure Kominar and Komine are the same. Komine is a pretty common word/name in Japan. I can't find anything about Nittoh Kogaku producing great amount of lenses in the seventies and eighties.
In another thread you can find this image
http://forum.mflenses.com/looking-for-any-info-on-komine-t42604.html
Komine Seisakujyo. Seisakujyo seems to be a synonym for Kogaku. Those Kominars are probably from the sixties being presets. Nittoh Kogaku still exists but there in no mention of Komine or Vivitar in their history brief: https://www.nittohkogaku.co.jp/en/company/history.html There is a mention of a lens production facility in Kitaazumi District (which is near Nagano) but Komine seems to have been a Tokyo outfit as mentioned here: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/tell-me-about-komine.456767/ (commenter CraigD) _________________ pentaxian |
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