Another Mystery Lens

[casualcollector]

Japanese aftermarket seem to have been a commodity during the 60s, 70s, and into the 80s. Importers and distributors seem to have bought from whomever offered the best deal. The manufacturers also seemed perfectly willing to make styling changes to accomodate the buyers.

Like Ponder & Best (Vivitar) and Allied Impex (Soligor), Hanimex bought lenses from several suppliers through the years. Their products, IMO, tended to be at the lower end of the price - quality spectrum.

This lens seems to be a notch above the Hanimar offerings I typically see. It's fitted up for FL series Canons with stop down metering. It's handsomely finished and quite compact. I had to get the filter ring out to straighten a dent. While poking around I noticed the focusing helicoid was brass turning on aluminum, an indication of quality intent, I am told, as dissimilar metals turn more smoothly against each other.

The feature that has me scatching my head is the focusing orientation. It goes counter clockwise to close-up as favored by Nikon and Pentax. Most aftermarket lenses follow the Leica-Canon convention, turning the other way. Sigma lenses generally followed the Nikkor-Takumar lead but this lens is more compact and far more elegant than Sigmas I've seen from this time period.

Not sure who to pin this one on but I think we can eliminate Tokina and Tamron fairly easily. Any Ideas?

Bill

[Reiska]

May 15, 2009 10:35:37 GMT -5 casualcollector said:

Japanese aftermarket seem to have been a commodity during the 60s, 70s, and into the 80s. Importers and distributors seem to have bought from whomever offered the best deal. The manufacturers also seemed perfectly willing to make styling changes to accomodate the buyers.

So many possibilities. My guess will be Makinon or Tomioka. Was Tomioka "alive" that time anymore? I haven't ever seen that lens before. What can I say... I think whoever made it, it is rare

Reijo

[casualcollector]

Reijo, I think you may be onto something with Tomioka. They were well established and generally considered a quality manufacturer. Most of what I've read in the web says they were acquired by Yashica in 1968. By the mid 70s they were busy manufacturing the Carl Zeiss lenses for the revived Contax line. As such, they may have withdrawn from the general aftermarket. I'll look for similarities to Yashinons of the 1969 to '72 period.

Regarding Makinon, this lens seems more compact and elegant than the Makina/Hanimar offerings of the time. This is the first 100mm Hanimar I've seen, so I can't rule them out.

I've been thinking that Nittoh/Komine or Kino may be the manufacturer. The engraving quality and style are much like some Kino made lenses I have from the period. The focus direction is opposite of the Kino/Kiron lenses I've worked with so that makes me uncertain of Kino. I don't have enough experience with Nittoh made lenses to know for sure.

Bill