Were early Sun prime lenses actually made by others?

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

Just wondering, as twice now I have seen prime lenses branded as Sun, which were more likely to have been Tokina or Sankor lenses?

First example is the silver band Hanimex 135/3.5, also seen as a Tele-Tokina and a Sun:

http://forum.mflenses.com/birding-with-hanimex-135-2-8-t44113,start,15.html

Now, I have seen a 200/4.5 which looks like a Tokina lens, rebranded:

Click here to see on Ebay

Here's an example of a Sankor made lens branded as Sun:

http://forum.mflenses.com/sun-135-3-5-t31292,highlight,%2Bsun+%2B135.html

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I expect there was a lot of sharing of barrel parts among makers at this time, I saw a Canon R 100mm on ebay the other day that had the same barrel as my Palinar (Tokina) 4/100.

ManualFocus-G · Expire: 2014-11-24

iangreenhalgh1 · Expire: 2014-01-07

I'll see if I can find the ebay auction, the Canon lens even looked like it has a T mount on it!

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Its most definitely the same common lens thats identified as a Tokina, because among other things its been seen as a Tele-Tokina !

Interesting find.

Given that

- a very different preset normally identified as a Sankor has also been spotted as a Sun (that 135)
- That these are not just labelled Sun, but have the same lettering style as known Suns, such as the zooms;

I speculate that

- the entity that we know of as Sun probably did sell these under its brand, and its not just some importers trademark;

- That Sun sold third-party made lenses under its brand, probably to have a comprehensive product line at least during some periods; other name-brand Japanese manufacturers like Ricoh, Mamiya and Yashica certainly did the same thing.

martyn_bannister · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 1151

So does that mean that this lens wasn't made by Sun? 135mm f3.5

#1

Lloydy · Expire: 2022-01-01

My Soligor 200, in that style, is probably a Sun lens. And it's a very good lens.

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

This is of course a very confusing situation !

My guess is -

That 200/4.5 was made by the entity known as Tokyo Koki that sometimes used the Tokina brand as a "house brand" but at the time mainly sold through distributors which rebranded their products - Hanimex, Soligor, etc. It seems that Sun, which made lenses itself, also played the rebranding game and sold some of these under its brand. Why it did this we can only speculate. I doubt Sun made that 200/4.5 because we also have examples of Sun branding lenses that were obviously made by another entirely separate maker, Sankyo. I don't see Sun making lenses that look like Tokinas and at the same time making lenses that look like Sankyo.

So Sun seems to have acted simultaneously as -

- A manufacturer selling lenses it made itself, under its own brand, Sun
- A distributor rebranding other makers lenses (as above)
- A manufacturer selling to distributors selling under their brands (Soligor, Aetna, Rokunar, etc.)

Hi Martyn,

Thats a nice looking lens there !

Do you have a side shot of it ?
Because its "early" looking - alu finish, etc., and doesn't obviously look like someone elses lens, I'd guess that its a genuine Sun.

Kathmandu · Expire: 2012-04-08