Soligor(Komine) 180/3.5

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

This is a Komine lens I am pretty sure, due to its identical resemblance to a Kominar preset I spotted. I think it dates from the late 1960's or early 1970's. I also have a 105/2.8 of the same series.

Soligor sold lenses from many different manufacturers, but not usually at the same time. Like Vivitar it would periodically switch. Much of Soligors 1960's product line seems to have been by Tamron, and I have a couple of examples.

They then seem to have switched to Komine, for the same sort of preset T-mount lenses, and curiously, Soligor apparently had Komine make some of the odder sizes that Tamron had been providing, like the 180, 250, 350 and 450mm, which by the late 1960's-early 1970's were very much out of fashion.

Soligor may still have been selling these as a lower cost portion of their line when they introduced the automatic Tokinas. Vivitar did the same thing, btw.

It is a very solidly made lens, old-fashioned solid heavy metal all over. Its diaphragm blades popped out due to a loose retaining ring and I had to repair it, but it is extremely simple to fix. The glass doesn't seem to have suffered.

It is fairly sharp at f/3.5, but no great wonder there. It has great resistance to flare and seems to have excellent contrast.

Pelicans in flight -

Fog on the Bay -

Against the sun -

The bird, at f/3.5 -

crop -

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

looks good to me...

your post just comes in time as I was just been wondering if this 180mm Soligor lens is any good:

but though a M42 it seems to be a different lens, it is not a preset

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

That is a preset Soligor (see the two rings), but its from an unknown maker (not Tamron, not Komine). There was a Soligor preset series that had the chrome aperture rings like the automatic Tokinas, I haven't identified the maker.

Note also the lack of a pin on the screw mount. I will bet its a T-mount also, but that isn't certain, as there were also preset Soligors in dedicated mounts (I have a couple).

Thats one of the interesting parts of the Soligor story, the variety of stuff they sold.

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

Nice samples!
I think that the bird that comes there to pose for you, is always the same one Laughing

Richard_D · Joined: 21 Oct 2007 Posts: 2378 Location: Faversham Kent UK

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

No, no, I don't pay my models. I understand they are City employees. They act like them anyway.

montecarlo · Joined: 04 Apr 2007 Posts: 1865 Location: Romania

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

poilu · Expire: 2019-08-29

superb portraits!

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

Luis these portraits are superb!

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

just won my bid for this other version of a 180mm Soligor:

had not expected to win since my maximum bid was just 12 Euro, but won it for 10. Well, shipping and money transfer will almost double that amount.

Actually had thought to stop buying lenses now since I shall leave Japan soon and I won't be able to take all my lenses with me.
But this one makes a total of 3 for today, because today I had found this great shop in Osaka where I also picked up a S.M.C. Takumar 200mm f4 and a S.M.C. Takumar 50mm f1.4.
So I will be able to compare this 180mm Soligor to the 200mm Takumar ( and there is a Auto Yashinon DX 200mm I could get for 50 USD )

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

just received the Soligor 180mm f3.5
note: this is not the Komine of the OP luisalegria!
I wonder who made this one, it's serial number is M 193404

here the first, somewhat 'dirty' first shots with it, and comparing to the S.M.C. Tak 200 f4:

all shot at f8 on Pentax *istDS

Soligor 30% reduced in size:

100% crop:

and the SMC Tak 200 30% size reduced full image:

100% crop:

I had called these samples 'dirty' because they are shot at dusk and I wonder if both lenses could perform better..or what do you think?

cheers,
Andreas

Orio · Expire: 2012-12-04

hmm... like you say, the light conditions were not good. So far Luis's lens seems much better, but Luis' photos were taken in optimally good light.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Is that the old Takumar 200/3.5 preset ?

The two seem very close, maybe the Soligor is a tiny bit sharper.

I am interested in the red "R" IR mark on the Soligor. I have seen that before on various unidentified preset lenses, including a series I know for sure is from Fujita. One day we'll figure it out.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Well, thats an impressive comparison, if it can top a Takumar 200/4.

Soligor was just a brand-name used by a marketing company, Allied Impex. They didn't make anything. Like Vivitar, Hanimex, Porst, Sears, etc. they were just merchants. They contracted with the manufacturers, who actually had factories and skilled workers, for products, on which they put their brand names.

A manufacturer was an outfit like Nitto Kogaku, who had their own trade-name, Komine - and they called their lenses Kominar, when they didn't sell through marketers like Allied Impex (Soligor) or Ponder&Best (Vivitar). Nitto Kogaku is still around, btw.

http://www.nittohkogaku.co.jp/flame/nittohcontents.html

Other such manufacturers who sold mainly through marketing companies (for some decades) were Tokina, Tomioka, Kiron, Sun, Fujita, etc.

F16SUNSHINE · Expire: 2011-11-18

Once again you make these old and "cheap" lenses look great. The Knowledge of the history of these lenses is a true asset to the forum. Thanks so much for the contributions.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

I guess I must improove my test photo skills ( should take you for an example, Luisalegria )
but of course I am curious how my copy of the Soligor ( once again , this is not the Komine of Luisalegria, the OP ) compares to my other two teles, which are the S.M.C. Takumar 200mm f4 and an AF zoom lens, a Pentax FA J 75-300mm ( set at about 190mm, with this lens f5.6 is wide open )

here charts of photos taken with these three lenses on Pentax *istDS, RAW converted with Lightroom' default settings, no other PPing but cropping in PS.
left side wide open, right side f11:

100% crops centre

100% crops right lower corner

what I can say with my limited knowledge is that specially the wide open performance of the Soligor seems very impressive.
Curious about your opinions,

cheers,
Andreas

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

That is a very good, rigorous yet practical test, well done.

Me, I'm just fooling around, its all how I feel about it, not a bit scientific.

Your results are amazing really. I wish I knew who made your Soligor. It looks like a prize. I have to look for ones in that style.

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Very well done !

I particularly like #1 and #2; #3 would also make a fine publicity shot for the musician.

I have rarely had good luck with high ISO on the K100D, is the *istDS better at this ?

kuuan · Expire: 2014-12-26

Gurdie · Expire: 2013-02-20

Hello,

I got a cheap Soligor 180 mm 3.5 T2, the same version as Kuuan.

The glass surfaces are clean, but unfortunately there´s oil in the aperture blades, and the action is sluggish. Maybe this is not so serious for a pre-set lens, but before I invest 15 - 20 euros for a T2-Nikon adapter, I´d like to know, if this easy to fix at home. (I´ve never taken a lens apart, but maybe this would be a good on to start.)

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Its a very simple lens, so it would be good to start.

Don't disassemble the diaphragm if you can avoid it, its troublesome to reassemble (I had to on mine). Take out the lenses and try put some lighter fluid in the mechanism if its sticky.

eagle_ · Joined: 16 Jan 2009 Posts: 9

Hi,

just got a very similar lens, physically it seems the same, there are slight differences. Pics:

The first obvious difference is that it is a Petri bayonet mount... Sad

I'm thinking of altering a M42-EOS adapter to fit this in my camera. Any ohter ideas?

It's a Hanimex, and there's a not so obvious difference: the scale in meters and feet is switched! Do you think that this is also a Komine made lens?