Soligor 3.5cm F2.8 for Nikon Rangefinder

David Murphy

David Murphy

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Has anyone ever seen one of these: A Soligor 3.5cm F2.8 for Nikon Rangefinder? Here it is on eBay (I won the auction):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...from=R8&satitle=330094040169&category0=&fvi=1

I plan to try it (maybe even use it) on my Contax IIa. This is apparently a rare lens -- perhaps almost unheard of. I seem to suffer a strange (and often costly) attraction to rare Japanese rangefinder lenses.
 
So you're the guy who won it! I tried to grab it at the last second, but my bid wasn't nearly high enough. Am interested to know what the images are like.
 
I do own a 105mm F3.5 Soligor for LTM and it is very good in my opinion (I have some photos posted on this site - search on Soligor). I'll get photos up here taken with the 35/2.8 here as soon as I can -- assuming it works on my IIa that is.
 
I own and use a Computer Designed (C/D) 35mm f/2 Soligor in Pentax screw mount and have found it to be an excellent lens.

Jim N.
 
OldNick said:
I own and use a Computer Designed (C/D) 35mm f/2 Soligor in Pentax screw mount and have found it to be an excellent lens.

Jim N.
Click to expand...

Aha ! That's what the C/D designation means then! Always wondered about that. This means they were using ray tracing software, now standard in all optical design, but of course probably more novel for that time. Thanks the that info.
 
David Murphy said:
Has anyone ever seen one of these: A Soligor 3.5cm F2.8 for Nikon Rangefinder? Here it is on eBay (I won the auction):

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330094040169&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Fcgiurl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fcgi.ebay.com%252Fws%252F%26fkr%3D1%26from%3DR8%26satitle%3D330094040169%26category0%3D%26fvi%3D1

I plan to try it (maybe even use it) on my Contax IIa. This is apparently a rare lens -- perhaps almost unheard of. I seem to suffer a strange (and often costly) attraction to rare Japanese rangefinder lenses.
Click to expand...


I have a Soligor 35/3.5 and an Accurar 35/2.8 in Leica screw mount. I am sure the Accurar is a rebadged Soligor, as it looks just like your Nikon RF version and is very similar to the f3.5 Soligor.

Anyway, both are fine lenses, with the Accurar being better than I expected -- quite usable at f2.8. They are not built nearly as well as other brands, however.


Cheers,


David
 
David Murphy said:
Aha ! That's what the C/D designation means then! Always wondered about that. This means they were using ray tracing software, now standard in all optical design, but of course probably more novel for that time. Thanks the that info.
Click to expand...

David, I bought my C/D Soligor at a consignment shop in Fort Worth in the late 1980s, so I'm not sure when the design came out. I read somewhere that, at one time, these lenses were sought out because of the design technique. I have been quite happy with the performance of the lens, which seems equal to the SMC Takumars that I have in other focal lengths.

Jim N.
 
dberger said:
I have a Soligor 35/3.5 and an Accurar 35/2.8 in Leica screw mount. I am sure the Accurar is a rebadged Soligor, as it looks just like your Nikon RF version and is very similar to the f3.5 Soligor.

Anyway, both are fine lenses, with the Accurar being better than I expected -- quite usable at f2.8. They are not built nearly as well as other brands, however.


Cheers,


David
Click to expand...

I also have the Accurar 35/2.8 lens in LTM and it is indeed a very fine lens.
I do suspect that the maker of this lens was Komura.
 
the very early Miranda cameras seem to have been well made and now are very collectable.
many years ago I saw an early knob wind Miranda with a Zunow 50mm lens at a camera show.
 
My first contact with a Nikon was around 1952 or 53, when an uncle in the military obtained one through some connection in Japan. It did appear to be a fine camera, and the lenses had a great reputation at that time. Since they were seldom found on the used market, and I could not afford a new one, my first purchase in a 35mm camera was a used Leica IIIa with a 50/3.5 Elmar. Because of the reliability of that camera, I retain a bias toward Leica even now. I have no knowledge of the subsequent Nikon models, but I do have an engineer's respect for any well designed product. However, on a retiree's budget, I can't buy a sample of each to do my own evaluation. Enjoy your Nikkor lenses.

Jim N.
 
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>>Yes, well I certainly won't quibble about more modern Nikkor glass<<

The three lenses he mentioned are all Nikon RF lenses. The 21/4 formula was the same for RF and F-mount.
 
VinceC said:
>>Yes, well I certainly won't quibble about more modern Nikkor glass<<

The three lenses he mentioned are all Nikon RF lenses. The 21/4 formula was the same for RF and F-mount.
Click to expand...
Yes well not exactly. The Nikon rangefinder system lenses formed the basis for the Nikon F system to some extent. The 21/4 and 50/1.4 had F-mount counterparts (as did several others). I believe even some of the Nikkor AIS lenses (still available today new, but hard to find and expensive) have roots in the rangefinder system.
 
David,
It took them awhile to recomputed the 50/1.4 into an F-mount version. My guess is the Sonnar formula couldn't be adapted to longer film-to-flange distance.

The original F lens was a 50/2, if I'm not mistaken, followed by a 58/1.4, which sounds very much like someone's compromise. It took several years to introduce the 50/1.4 in F mount, and it is -- to my eye -- nearly identical to the "Olympic/Millenneum" Nikkor, though futher from the film plane to accomodate the mirror box. Probably a change in on or two optical elements.
 
How About A Tanar

How About A Tanar

OK, to keep you guys infected I chose this Tanaka Kogaku W Tanar 35mm f2.8 for the next topic of interest.:D

e894_3.JPG


Here is the link to the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tanar-Tanaka-35...095496225QQcategoryZ30030QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Don't you guys bid it over a $100:eek: :eek:

As usual, I have no connection to the seller other than trying to distribute more GAS;)

Kiu
 
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Oh your under-estimating!
I say there are thousands.
58519 is what I see,,,could have started from 58001

Kiu
 
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