Who make these Korean Sears lenses?

[calvin83]

I saw this auction yesterday with some Korean lens Click here to see on Ebay. It make me wonder who made these lens as I only know Samyang who made lens in Korea. After I read this thread http://forum.mflenses.com/rokina-vs-rokinon-past-vs-present-t56896.html , I am aware there are SUN Korea found in 1987 who also made lens in Korea. From the Source Product Code on the lenses(202) and the tele-converter(271), they are supplied by Gannon Mfg and Kioritz Corp (Echo) respectively. However, both company seems not produce any optical equipment. I think source code may be inaccuracy but I cannot find any other source. Does any one here know who make these lenses?

[Pancolart]

This is interesting as it seems macro 28mm is just like Super Ozeck / SICOR-XL / Ensinor / Clubman lens bellow:

Similarities with Samyang are striking. Nevertheless one cannot connect it with Korea.

Thus i assume the 28mm lens is in fact very similar but Samyang made:

See it here: http://fourthirds-user.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11353

Both lenses probably built on basis of the the same design/license.

[calvin83]

I see. The macro 28mm can be found here with the box Click here to see on Ebay. This 135mm Click here to see on Ebay is very similar to the Revuenon / Samyang ? type 1 you have mentioned with 202 code. This one Click here to see on Ebay also have the 202 code so they should come from the same source but with additional 1:5 macro mode.

[Pancolart]

It's first time I see 135mm Samyang front macro mode (soft focus of course) type. Cool. This topic also addressed SUN - Samyang possible connection and offered some interesting images of Samyang zooms: http://forum.mflenses.com/viewtopic.php?t=48723&start=15

Maybe there was some cooperation between Ozone Optical (Super Ozeck / SICOR-XL / Ensinor / Clubman) too.

[cooltouch]

Both of those above 28mm lenses look like the Korean-made Albinar 28mm I owned back in the 80s. I recognize the macro scale. Mine was in Canon mount and looked like this (so-so image I snagged off the 'net):



It was just okay. I found its images to be a little on the soft side. I've assumed it was made by Samyang.

[Pancolart]

[calvin83]

This STAR-D should be the same lens as the sears Click here to see on Ebay. Notice the style of the DOF markings is different from the one made by the Ozone Optical. There is also an extra chrome/silver band above the focus ring.

[Pancolart]

[iangreenhalgh1]

Most Ensinor/Clubman 28mms are made by Cimko/Cima Kogaku, but they aren't this macro version. Cimko always used a green diamond on their focus scales.



That's the Cimko one, very common lens, seen with many brandings, Ensinor and Clubman are probably the most common. There is a very similar looking Cimko 24mm too. Both are quite good lenses.

Cimko sold their lenses under the Super Paragon PMC brand, there are also Cimko MT labelled lenses as well. This Sakar is the same lens as the one above, just a different older barrel style, the exact same lens appears as a Super Paragon:



This Cimko 28mm is probably one of the most common lenses to see for sale, they must have made a hell of a lot of them and they appear in so many different brandings as well, I've owned 2 of the 24mm and 5 or 6 of the 28mm, but I can't remember all the different brandings they were in.

[Pancolart]

[cooltouch]

Speaking of Korean made lenses, I've always wondered who made my Albinar 80-200mm f/3.9 zoom. Any ideas?

[calvin83]

Probably Samyang made or designed.
Click here to see on Ebay

[iangreenhalgh1]

There was a glut of Korean lenses in the late 80s. Must have tried a dozen of them, all poor, apart from the Samyang 2.8/135.

[hifisapi]

I have always avoided Korean made lenses due to their mediocre reputations
compared to Japanese lenses.

[Attila]

[iangreenhalgh1]

A reputation well deserved:

http://forum.mflenses.com/hanimex-2-8-28-m42-on-nex-3-t60094.html

Even worse than the bottom of the barrel Japanese stuff like Makina and Cimko.

[cooltouch]

If you ever have the chance to try the Albinar 80-200 f/3.9 zoom, it might just surprise you.

Canon A-1, Albinar 80-200mm f/3.9, Kodachrome 64


A few years ago, I did a test comparison of the Albinar 80-200 in Nikon mount against a Nikkor 80-200mm f/4.5. The Albinar's results against that classic Nikkor, which is a highly respected 80-200 zoom, were surprisingly good. I can dig up the test results and post them if anyone is interested.

[iangreenhalgh1]

That's interesting Michael. The Samyang 2.8/135 is a good lens too so the Koreans were making some good lenses.

[cooltouch]

Well, it seems like Samyang -- these days at least -- have definitely figured out how to build good lenses for reasonable prices. Maybe they've always been halfway decent about it. With regards to the subject macro 28mm, however, as I mentioned in a previous post, I owned one and it was an Albinar also, but it wasn't so great. Rather soft. So I suspect it might have been built by somebody else besides Samyang.

[Pancolart]

I agree there is a room for another Japan manufacturer. Osawa was mentioned few times but it is still speculative if they really made lenses.
See this compact version (there is non-compact too) 28mm from member Scheimpflug:

[iangreenhalgh1]

Room for another? There were well over 20 of them until the late 70s.

[Lloydy]

[skida]

I wouldn't be too hard on the lens for converging verticals on the church shot: You were obviously pointing the lens up at quite an angle as it is at a much higher level than you. That's just perspective. Even your eyes would see converging verticals at that sort of angle.

[iangreenhalgh1]

Not bad at all, certainly better than that Hanimex Korean I tried last week. I've never had this lens, I've had a few copies of the other Ensinor/Clubman and that's not bad either.

[dimitrygo]