YS mount for Sigma lenses only?

[Phalbert]

That's the question. Was the YS mount a Sigma patent, meant for sigma lenses only, or has it been used by others. Does then an YS mount mean the lens is Sigma made? Thanks for comments.

[heritagecameras]

[Phalbert]

Thanks Dave. But was polaris not just a reseller name? I thought so. (have one)

[heritagecameras]

[Alun Thomas]

Two main manufacturers sold YS mount lenses, Sigma and Sun, Sankor is counted as being a part of the Sun group of companies, or perhaps a subsidiary. Polaris lenses with YS mount were generally made by Sigma from my experience looking around.

Things get complicated slightly by the fact that many YS third party lenses never really appeared with a Sigma or Sun badge on them. One exception is the 70-230mm Sigma zoom, which did appear as a two touch third party lens, and both a one touch and two touch zooms of that slightly unusual focal length spread were sold by Sigma, but with very different styling for the Sigma versions.

However I did find today on ebay a Sigma 2 touch 70-230mm F/4.5 lens with the same styling as the third party lenses, somewhat unusual. https://www.ebay.com/itm/112537549632?hash=item1a33c2bb40:g:BQIAAOSwWLFZnYJz

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This lens is identical to those sold as Polaris, Accura, Chinon, Rikenon, Miranda, Yashinon, and probably others.

This lens is also sold as Soligor with a slightly changed focal length spread of 70-235mm F/4.5, but it's the same lens:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/164911662437

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Of interest is the '6' serial # prefix. The online Soligor serial number guide has '6' as Komine but I disagree and think it's Sigma. Other lenses sold by Soligor with the 6 serial include one version of the 135mm F/1.8, as per this thread: http://forum.mflenses.com/soligor-tele-auto-135mm-f-1-8-history-t79084.html

One styling cue from the 70-230mm lenses is the aperture selector, with the lowest number slightly offset from the others:



This styling cue can be seen on other YS mount lenses which I also believe to be made by Sigma, one of which is the slightly ambitious 55-300mm F/4.5 lens commonly sold as Polaris, and occasionally as Petri.

The last lens I want to comment on is the 85mm F/1.7 commonly sold as Polaris or Accura. Due to the styling similarities between that and the 135mm F/1.8 lens, I believe that to also be a Sigma lens, although, as with the 55-300mm lens, I have never seen them badged as Sigma.

[OPAL]

and

I have this SIGMATEL YS MC 1,8/135mm lens, with an CONTAX mount, and I am using the lens with an Carl Zeiss MUTAR II concerter, which works perfectly with the lens!