Actiplan

The Actiplan 105mm f/4.5 lenses are mounted on the Minolta and Auto Minolta strut-folders made from 1933 to 1937. They were succeeded by the four-element Promar 105mm f/3.5 on the Auto Press Minolta released in 1937.

The full engraving is Actiplan Anastigmat München on the earlier lenses, later replaced by Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon.

Left: Actiplan Anastigmat München 105mm f/4.5 no.7770x on the original Minolta. Scan by A. Apra. (Image rights) Right: Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon 105mm f/4.5 no.90897 on the Auto Minolta. Picture by S. Montagna. (Image rights).

Origin

The early name "Actiplan Anastigmat München" is very similar to the "Heliostar Anastigmat München" lens name found on various Japanese cameras of the early 1930s, including some Sirius, Lomax, Arcadia, Eaton and Happy manufactured by Minolta's predecessor Molta. This suggests that the Actiplan and Heliostar were supplied by the same company. The origin of the Heliostar itself is unclear; it might have been assembled in Japan from loose elements imported from Germany (see the discussion in the corresponding page).

The switch from "München" to "Nippon" certainly indicates that the production of the Actiplan was transferred to Japan at some point. The "Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon" naming sounds the same as the "Coronar Anastigmat Nippon" and "Promar Anastigmat Nippon" names used by Asahi Kōgaku (predecessor of Pentax) for lenses mounted on various other Minolta models. This seems to indicate that the Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon was manufactured by Asahi Kōgaku as well.

Lens numbers

It seems that the same sequence of serial numbers is shared by the Heliostar, Actiplan, Coronar 105mm (on the Happy) and Promar 105mm (on the Auto Press Minolta). That sequence starts around 73xxx with the earliest Heliostar, and goes up to 108xxx with the last Promar.

Far left: Actiplan Anastigmat München 105mm f/4.5 no.7770x. Scan by A. Apra. (Image rights) Others: Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon 105mm f/4.5 no.89780, 90867, 95023, 100545, 100809 and 101975. Pictures by A. Apra, S. Montagna, eBayers hbpartner and fap-ezonline.com. (Image rights).

Serial numbers for the Actiplan Anastigmat München are found between 77xxx and 80xxx, parallel the Heliostar Anastigmat München. For the Actiplan Anastigmat Nippon, serial numbers are known from 84xxx to 102xxx, parallel to the Coronar Anastigmat Nippon 105mm f/4.5 of the Happy and to the late Heliostar Anastigmat München. The Promar Anastigmat Nippon 105mm f/3.5 of the Auto Press Minolta comes immediately after, with the earliest numbers reported in the 102xxx or 103xxx range.

Bibliography

• Awano Mikio (粟野幹男). "Senzen no Minoruta kamera" (戦前のミノルタカメラ, "Prewar Minolta cameras"). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.13–7.
• Leaflet for the original Minolta, dating c.1933, by Asanuma Shōkai. Minoruta kamera izu (ミノルタ・カメラ出づ, The Minolta camera is released). Document owned by A. Apra and reproduced in this Flickr album by Rebollo_fr.
• Leaflet for the Auto Minolta, dated c.1935, by Asanuma Shōkai. Ōto-fōkasu Minoruta kamera (オートフォーカスミノルタカメラ, Auto-focus Minolta camera). Document owned by A. Apra and reproduced in [http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebollo_fr
• Tanimura Yoshihiko (谷村吉彦). "Neumann & Heilemann: kieta ashiato, Minoruta setsuritsu to sono ato no karera wo otte" (Neumann & Heilemann 消えた足跡・ミノルタ設立とその後の彼等を追って, On the traces of Neumann & Heilemann at the founding of Minolta and afterwards.) Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.12, October 1988. No ISBN number. Minoruta kamera no subete (ミノルタカメラのすべて, special issue on Minolta). Pp.96–9. (Contains a picture of an Actiplan Anastigmat München lens mounted on a Minolta or Auto Minolta.)

Links

In English:

• Minolta and Auto Minolta in the 70th anniversary Minolta poster, reproduced at Photoclub Alpha