Carsen lens? Do you know Carsen lens?

[saturnales]

Just bought from an estate a few Carsen lens. Seems M42 mount. Excellent and solid metal construction. 135mm f/2.8 and 35mm f2.8.

I don't know anything about these lenses. Look pretty much like a Takumar. Do you know something? Can't find anything serious on the web so far...

Thanks for helping!

 

[back alley]

carsen was a distributor of things photographic in canada for many years. (might still be for all i know) my guess is they are rebranded lenses.

 

[xayraa33]

Carsen was the agent for Olympus and other brands in Canada back in the sixties and seventies.
They could be the house brand lenses made by the independent lens makers in Japan.

 

[CliveC]

A Carsen 135mm f/2.8 lens in OM mount came up at my local thrift store for $8. Looked to be in decent shape so I picked it up.

I wonder who the original manufacturer is? The lens is made in Japan and is multi-coated.
Research online shows that Carsen is indeed a Canadian distributor.

It looks like this (not my picture):

 

[btgc]

DOF scale and red dimple look pentaxian bet wite and green distance numbers + rubber grip more like numerous third party manufacturers.

 

[rbsinto]

At one time Olympus equipment was distributed in Canada by the W. Carsen Company and the lenses were branded as Carsen rather than Olympus.
I'm sure you can find out more about it if you do a Google search.

 

[CliveC]

At one time Olympus equipment was distributed in Canada by the W. Carsen Company and the lenses were branded as Carsen rather than Olympus.
I'm sure you can find out more about it if you do a Google search.

So you're saying that the lens is most likely Olympus made?
The mount really does look and feel like a "real" Olympus one, down to the feel of the DOF preview button. Aside from that though, the rest of the lens doesn't look very Olympus and is certainly larger than any other Olympus lens I own.

I have done a search on Google and found nothing concrete about Carsen rebranding Olympus gear, simply that it distributed Olympus compatible lenses as well as actual Olympus equipment. In 2006, Carsen (or its parent company) sold "assets" to Olympus USA, but I think that was just ending a distribution agreement of Olympus equipment (including a medical technology arm) in Canada and bringing it in-house. It's akin to how Canon was initially distributed in North America by Bell & Howell.

 

[sevo]

That certainly is no Olympus. Perhaps Osawa - these sported that red blob for a while.

 

[zuikologist]

That looks very Tokina 1980s

A Carsen 135mm f/2.8 lens in OM mount came up at my local thrift store for $8. Looked to be in decent shape so I picked it up.

I wonder who the original manufacturer is? The lens is made in Japan and is multi-coated.
Research online shows that Carsen is indeed a Canadian distributor.

It looks like this (not my picture):

 

[f16sunshine]

That looks very Tokina 1980s

Does it? I was going to say Kiron.
The barrel and focus ring are like my Kiron made Lester Dine f2.8/105mm .

If it's anything like it in terms of quality ... $8 was a steal!

 

[f16sunshine]

What is the Serial number?

With the old Vivitar Series 1 lenses any lens with a SN starting with the numbers "22" were made by Kino precision optic (Kiron was their house brand).
I wonder if these Carsen lenses are the same??

 

[CliveC]

Serial number is 1012XXX.
I'm leaning towards Tokina as well:

 

[Crazy Fedya]

Aperture scale looks similar to Sigma.

 

[back alley]

could also be cosina...but i think kiron is the best bet.