Cimark zoom 28-70mm - Now looking like a Cosina!

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

Wanted to shine a light on this rather tatty looking Cimark zoom

Click here to see on Ebay then click "see original listing"

(which did not sell first time 'round) and on the Cimark marque in general, which I had not come across prior to seeing this auction.

First about the zoom, my take (only) and I intend no disrespect to Cimark lens owners who like their lenses:

It appears to be junque at first blush . . plastic . . which I don't like. I researched the company and found this:

http://www.azooptics.com/suppliers.aspx?SupplierID=2676

It seems as if this company might actually still be in business today! Next, the mount:

The mount struck me as unusual so I contacted the seller. She informed me the screws needed to attach the mounting plate to the lens body are not included in the auction. That's not good.

Cimark lenses in general:

I searched this forum finding no prior mention of the Cimark brand. But there are other Cimark lenses out there, not just this zoom. If you own a Cimark lens please post your experience with the lens and your impressions. Perhaps Cimark lenses are manufactured by a company whose name we would recognize. But that mounting plate arrangement does seem a bit unusual, not something I've run across before.

ETA

You know, guys, I wonder if Cimark could be Chinese. I acknowledge that zoom lens says "Made in Japan". Nevertheless, the "look and feel" of Cimark the company seems to have a certain Chinese quality to it.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Why would anyone care about the provenance of an old piece of junk like that?

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7555 Location: Hong Kong

Made by COSINA Click here to see on Ebay, also sold in other brands like Vivitar Click here to see on Ebay. Any rewards for figuring out the maker?

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

Pursuant to calvin83's detective work, it appears this Cimark (branded Cosina) has come up for discussion prior here on this forum, though not recently. Here is a thread which offers discussion and, in addition, a decent-sized portfolio of test shots:

http://forum.mflenses.com/minolta-cosina-28-70-3-5-4-8-t41917,highlight,+cosina.html

I found interesting the thought this might be a sort of "end of an era" MF lens, a last of the Mohicans kind of thing, followed shortly by the AF lens explosion.

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

The CZJ branded Cosinas had nothing whatsoever to do with Zeiss, they were bought in by the UK importer who had the rights to the CZJ name after the reunification of the two halves of Germany and two halves of Zeiss in 1990. They were not very good at all, Cosina at that time made cheap crap.

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7555 Location: Hong Kong

Good to know you figure out it is also is sold by Minolta too. Wink

guardian · Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 1746

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

Are you suggesting this lens was sold as a Minolta?

I find that hard to believe. I've had 8 or9 Cosinas of this vintage and they were all crap, low contrast, muted colours, needed to be closed a couple of stops to be really sharp.

Minolta MD lenses of the same vintage are a whole different class, superb colour rendition, strong contrast, excellent sharpness.

Cosina were in the business of churning out masses of cheapo lenses to whoever wanted to put out items with their own branding on them, they are extremely common and represent the bottom rung of the ladder.