Arco Colinar 135/3.5 M42 mount - very early third-party lens

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

This is the same model lens hacksawbob tried out last year -

http://forum.mflenses.com/review-of-arco-tele-colinar-t7694,highlight,arco.html

Arco (an early camera maker) was a pioneer in the Japanese third-party lens business, making a very limited range of Exakta, Leica and M42 mount lenses from 1952. Its principal product was this model of 135/3.5. I believe the Exakta versions are more common, but I found this one in M42. Arco stopped making lenses after only a few years. I have a feeling that Arco's trademarks may have been sort-of copied by others who wanted to get into the third-party lens business, notably the distributor Taika, who probably came up with the trademark "Coligon" - later seen on Aetna and other brands.

Its a very standard preset, with some odd construction details. Among them is a stop-screw that goes in a threaded hole right at the junction of two threaded rings at the bottom of the mount - an interesting machining job ! The styling is very 1952, almost all aluminum. This may be one of the later series as the earlier ones may have been nickel-brass. It certainly is coated, with a blue tint. It focuses quite close for its day, 4.5ft/1.5m

As for performance - Hack's version had problems with flare and contrast. I have to say I saw nothing of the sort on mine, which goes to show that these old lenses are very variable ! One could be a dud and another a gem. This one is closer to being a gem, sharp and contrasty under all conditions, and very easy to manually focus, perhaps because of the high contrast.

Between the hulls of a catmaran ferryboat -

With an extension ring -

The bird -

crop -

Laurence · Expire: 2016-06-19

You could probably make a plastic lens look good!

That said, this lens's performance is super fine!

I think the lens is showing BEAUTIFUL lines on its style! Almost like art, just looking at the shapes and curves! NICE!

It looks GOOD with the Pentax.

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

Beautiful presentation Luis.
"The bird" has amazing gray eyes.
I don't recall that they are this color usually.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Hi Andy !

We have our own species and breed of seagull here in San Francisco, our variety of the Western Gull. We also get a couple of other species that may not make it to where you are, like California Gulls.

patrickh · Expire: 2011-11-18

Luis

How do you find these gems. I am glad you do because you demonstrate them to their best

patrickh