Vintage 3rd party lenses for Nikon RF

[keytarjunkie]

To my knowledge, there is no place to find discussion or image samples from the small array of 3rd party lenses for Nikon RF. In this list, I am not considering the modern 2000's Voigtlander lenses and Zeiss C-Sonnar which we all know about. I am not including Contax-mount lenses except for the Canon CT 28mm which is ambiguous.


Canon CT 28mm f/3.5 (shared w/ Contax)
-
Zunow 35mm f/1.7 (not yet seen)
W. Komura 35mm f/2.8
Soligor 35mm f/2.8
W Tanar 35mm f/2.8
WA. Acall 35mm f/3.5
W. Atco 35mm f/3.5
-
Zunow 5cm f/1.1
Fujinon 5cm f/1.2 (prototype only?)
Zunow 5cm f/1.3
-
Komura 80mm f/1.8
Zunow 100mm f/2 (not yet seen)
Komura 105mm f/2
Komura 105mm f/2.8
-
Acall 135mm f/3.5
Komura 135mm f/3.5
Soligor 135mm f/3.5
Tanar 135mm f/3.5

Here is some information about LTM Komura lenses from forum member Johan Niels. There is mention of Asanuma King, Acall, Force, Honor, and Astra LTM lenses - not sure if these were also made in Nikon S-mount. It does seem there is overlap in barrel design and maybe optics between some Japanese manufacturers of the time like Tanaka and Soligor. https://johanniels.com/komura-rangef...nses-overview/

Here is some great info in Japanese by "Biogon Moriko" who is a prominent collector of Nikon S3, Komura, and Tanar lenses. He also has a good instagram account. I cannot read Japanese, I just auto translate it. There is information here on the 35mm Komura, Tanar, and Atco lenses and many Nikkor lenses as well. http://spclub.web.fc2.com/moriko-index.html

PS If anyone decides to sell one of these lenses, send me a message haha ;-)

 

[wes loder]

Nice list. Thank you for your effort. WES

 

[dexdog]

Peter K says that the 28/3.5 CT lens could be mounted on Contax and Nikon rangefinder cameras. My copy of the lens fits well on a Nikon SP, and appears to focus correctly. Agree that this is a great list

 

[keytarjunkie]

Thanks guys. I do wonder if maybe the Canon was simply marketed to fit both Nikon and Contax, like the modern wider Voigtlander SC lenses were. The focus discrepancy would be very small, and I have not seen an engraved N or C on the lens mount as you'd find on other 3rd party lenses. But this is still just a guess.

 

[Trask]

Very helpful, as I have an SP and a couple of S2 cameras — but unfortunately all my S-mount lenses are Nikon lenses, or those for my Contax, or modern Voigtlanders. I have a Komura 35mm f/3.5 in LTM, but as I’ve never seen many of the lenses on your list I have no idea if it perhaps resembles the Acall in S-mount. Thanks to you and your list, I now have a better idea of what’s out there, so again....thanks!

 

[dexdog]

but unfortunately all my S-mount lenses are Nikon lenses, or those for my Contax, or modern Voigtlanders.

Not sure if this was dry humor or not, but anyone with that selection of lenses is not unfortunate

 

[keytarjunkie]

I've saved a few images from a recent auction of a Soligor 35mm f/2.8 in Contax Mount (C engraved on lens mount, but surely the Nikon version exists).

This is the only version of the Soligor 35mm I've seen. I know the Tanar 35mm came in the same barrel, but I don't know how many revisions the Tanar barrel went through. I don't know if the Komura ever came in this barrel, but there are at least two or more versions of it. David Murphy shared some info about his Komura 35mm on the forum a few years ago, and here's another style of the Komura with a silver aperture ring, this version had no engraving for Contax or Nikon:

(I've saved these images for education/research only. I hope it's okay to share them.)

 

[xayraa33]

The Peerless camera store of NYC had the 2 inch f2 Cooke Amotal lens from the defunct Bell & Howell Foton camera mounted in LTM and Contax RF mount in Italy and a few lenses were made for the Nikon RF focal length registration which was closer to the Leica one.

Peerless used these lenses because it could sell the camera body and a 50mm lens not made by the camera manufacturer much cheaper.. and the cobbled up Amotal lens was a super bargain for Peerless and could offer a quality name brand camera with a good lens for less money than the competing camera stores.

 

[keytarjunkie]

2 inch f2 Cooke Amotal lens

Very cool! Thanks for this. I found an image of this lens ported into the internal mount barrel, it looks kinda like it inspired the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/3.5. I wonder how many were converted, and exactly which ones work with the Nikon mount. I'm not entirely sure it belongs on the list, along with the Petri 4.5cm f/2.8 mod.

 

[xayraa33]

Very cool! Thanks for this. I found an image of this lens ported into the internal mount barrel, it looks kinda like it inspired the Voigtlander Heliar 50mm f/3.5. I wonder how many were converted, and exactly which ones work with the Nikon mount. I'm not entirely sure it belongs on the list, along with the Petri 4.5cm f/2.8 mod.

I don't think many were converted in any mount..the most seen today are obviously in LTM and any converted Amotal lens came thru the Peerless camera store.
The story was there was some deal in the 1950s by USA camera importers that when sold with the camera manufacturer's lens the retail price camera/lens combo to the consumer had to be list price...so Peerless found a way around that clause with the converted Cooke Amotal lens to offer their customers a cheaper selling price of a top name camera with a lens. The Amotal is a first class lens and very sought after these days in any mount.

 

[Fuchs]

Sorry, just read that you did not intend to include Contax mount lenses, and had already mentioned the Old Delft lens.
[[[EDIT. There was a super-rare version of the 35/3.5 Old Delft Minor in Contax mount. I wonder if it would have fit the S Nikon Mount also, maintaining proper focusing?]]]
BTW, thank you for your list

 

[keytarjunkie]

The Old Delft lenses look interesting. Like some of the pre-war Contax lenses (pre-war Biogon and 2.8cm Tessar, for example), the external mount of the lens recedes a bit deeper back and looks like it will dig into the front plate of the Nikon cameras. Indeed, my camera has battle scars from the previous owner attempting to mount a Jupiter-12. It might still kind of fit if you're willing to risk it...

 

[Fuchs]

Ha. Not that much interest in marring my S2. I had the Old Delft in Contax mount a long ago and I do not remember its rendering being up to its fame (or its price). The Biogon and J-12 had amuch better performance IMO

 

[Corran]

Thanks guys. I do wonder if maybe the Canon was simply marketed to fit both Nikon and Contax, like the modern wider Voigtlander SC lenses were. The focus discrepancy would be very small, and I have not seen an engraved N or C on the lens mount as you'd find on other 3rd party lenses. But this is still just a guess.

This has been my thought/assumption as well.

I have one, patiently waiting in a box for a collector at some point. It looks nice on an SP, and is an interesting little part of history.

I made some images with it some time ago, but I can't remember what they were of.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Thanks guys. I do wonder if maybe the Canon was simply marketed to fit both Nikon and Contax, like the modern wider Voigtlander SC lenses were. The focus discrepancy would be very small, and I have not seen an engraved N or C on the lens mount as you'd find on other 3rd party lenses. But this is still just a guess.

I remember reading on a Japanese website that the Canon was designed for Contax but it was widely known that DOF covered the focusing error when used on an S-mount Nikon.

FWIW Cosina states in the user manual (just a piece of paper really) included with a new Voigtlander SC lens that the SC lenses are designed for Nikon S-mount but they can be used on Contax mount cameras without issue because DOF hides the focus error. That's why the 21mm to 35mm lenses are branded SC and 50mm lenses and up are branded S only.

This is the table from that manual for the focus error when the CV S-mount 50mm and 85mm lenses are used on a Contax camera - for each focus distance and aperture combo in the tables, a circle indicates that DOF covers the focus error and a cross indicates that DOF does not cover the focus error.

 

[Mackinaw]

Thanks guys. I do wonder if maybe the Canon was simply marketed to fit both Nikon and Contax, like the modern wider Voigtlander SC lenses were. The focus discrepancy would be very small, and I have not seen an engraved N or C on the lens mount as you'd find on other 3rd party lenses. But this is still just a guess.

I use my Canon 28/3.5 CT lens on my Nikon M. Works well.

Jim B.

 

[keytarjunkie]

I remember reading on a Japanese website that the Canon was designed for Contax but it was widely known that DOF covered the focusing error when used on an S-mount Nikon.

Great info, thanks Jon. The chart is a really nice illustration of the focus discrepancy between the two mounts - it makes me more confident in using some of the Contax 50mm lenses on a Nikon camera stopped down.

I'm still hopeful some of the forum members with these Komura/Tanar/Acall lenses will show up and share some information about them! Perhaps during Nikon RF Month 2021 🙂

 

[David Murphy]

Thanks for the above list. I have the Komura 35mm F2.8 in Nikon mount and it's optically fabulous - nicely made too. I actually just purchased a copy of the rare Atco 35/3.5, which I haven't even unboxed yet - I'll try to report on this later.

The list does not have CV lenses on it, which are the most significant addition to the field of Nikon RF mount lenses in recent times. For instance the APO 85mm F3.5 is an amazingly good lens optically and often overlooked. I would assume it's the only APO lens ever made in Nikon RF mount, and will probably keep that distinction forever. It does unfortunately appear to be somewhat prone to haze.

 

[keytarjunkie]

Did you get the Atco from Igor's Camera Exchange? I was watching it for months...wish I had grabbed it...

A fair amount of second hand CV lenses, but especially the 85mm, seem to be developing haze after ~15 years. I wonder what the deal is, and how hard it is to fix. Anyway, please share some more information on your Komura and new Atco lenses!

 

[wes loder]

Great info, thanks Jon. The chart is a really nice illustration of the focus discrepancy between the two mounts - it makes me more confident in using some of the Contax 50mm lenses on a Nikon camera stopped down.

It is not a focus discrepancy but a focusing difference. The helicoids have different pitches.