Hoya 75-150 f 4.5 zoom.

[yashica1943]

I bought one of these new in 1984, new. It was a modestly priced lens, I was using it on a Canon AE-1. Although there was nothing fancy about it, not particularly sharp or contrasty, there was just something about the images it produced, perhaps smooth is the word.

I wondered if anyone else had experience of this lens. And were Hoya lenses sold under another brand name at the time?

[truls]

I have read that Hoya and Tokina had some Cooperation of some kind. Hoya filters are of very good quality, and if Hoya an Tokina made some lenses together, the quality must have been very good. I would not be afraid if a lens not is on the top sharpness list. If you like the results the lens is good. Think about how many purchase a very expensive portrait lens, and then put a filter on to decrease sharpness I have an old Domiplan lens, not Sharp, but Perfect for portraits.

[matty]

Never had the Hoya 75-150 zoom but had the Hoya 35-75 zoom back in the early eighties; it gave lovely results, a little soft but as you say just something about the images. I let it go many years ago but found a replacement at the car boot fair last weekend.

[truls]

I have a zoom 35-75, f3.5-4.8, Ozunon branded. Could the Hoya zoom, also 35-75, be made by Ozunon, who was an independent lens producer. I don't know. However, the Ozunon les is fairly Sharp, and is a one ring push/pull/focus zoom. Is the Hoya zoom a push/pull zoom or a traditional With separate zoom/focus ring? Maybe the same lens?

[Stephen]

More likely the other way around, Ozunon were a brand name, but like hundreds of others, were not makers. There were only a half dozen independent lens grinders and assemblers in Japan by the 1980's/90's, lead by Tokina, Tamron, etc.
Most Glass came from Minolta, Olympus and Nikon suppliers, first grade glass going to the camera makers, and dependant on the contracts, then the private label buyers for in house grinding. The same elements could end up in a half dozens different mechanics, all with different brands on them.
Some makes like Miranda never made their own lenses, an some like Pentax used sub contractors to manufacture lenses to order.
Brands like Vivitar used many suppliers, but never made lenses themselves. Hoya made huge quantities of filters, but few lenses, preferring to buy in products.
Ricoh ground and assembled lenses for other makes, as did Minolta, and Ricoh worked with Nikon, producing standard lenses for the Nikkormat.

[truls]

Hmm.. There is a web page, camera-wiki dot org, suggest Ozunon made own lenses and also produced lenses for Vivitar etc. camera wiki may not be a reliable Source. There seems to be a lot of unknown Cooperation in lens Construction. If Ricoh made lenses for the Nikkormat, no Wonder they are Sharp!

[Stephen]

More reading up shows Ozunon may be a brand used by the Toyo Optical Works, who previously had used the brand Tau/Five Star in the US market. This marque vanished, and the Ozunon appeared with near identical lenses in the mid 1980's onwards. They appeared to specialise in Pentax K mount.
In the early days of Nikkormat, Ricoh made the bodies as well as the lenses for Nikon.

What confuses brands is the store and distributor re-branding for different markets, direct sales, catalogue, and mail order, the same lenses being marked with brands quite differently for US, Euro and UK markets. Sears, Allied Impex Corporation (Soligor), and Vivitar in the US, Porst in Germany, and Stanley Kalms UK Dixons Stores controlled huge amounts of lens sales. Kalms also controlled Japanese companies direct, as well as branding lenses Miranda after purchase of the Miranda name when Impex sold out.

Stephen.

[yashica1943]

Going back to this topic. In the late 70's my camera was a Canon AE-1 with the 50mm f1.8 and a big, heavy brute of a Vivitar 200mm lens. In 1984 I bought the Hoya 75-150 lens mentioned and loved the results. I sold both lenses long ago, regretted it and recently started looking for another 75-150 for the Canon, or Olympus OM, Yashica or Konica, I struck lucky, today I received a mint Hoya 75-150, in case with the original Hoya poly bag, looks as if it has never been mounted for the sum of £11.70 from eBay. Fits the Canon too.
Also a few days ago bought a Tamron 24mm f 2.5 Adaptall with Canon FD Mount for a good price.

[philbirch]

Nice to hear about bargains. I've sold many a camera or lens and later regretted it. But they are cheap enough these days on ebay.