Allied Impex

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Allied Impex Corporation[1] was an American distributor. From 1956, it used the brand name Soligor for cameras, lenses and accessories imported from Japan.[2] It imported the Miranda cameras and took control of the Miranda company at some time in the 1960s.[3]

The company founded a German sub-company called A.I.C. Phototechnik GmbH in 1968, that became Soligor GmbH in 1993.[4] This German company is the only one still active today (2009).[5] It is known for its rich product range of camera accessories.

Distributed cameras

35mm film

  • Soligor 35 (SLR)
  • Soligor 45 (viewfinder)
  • Soligor TM (SLR)

120 film

  • Soligor Reflex (TLR)
  • Soligor Reflex II (TLR)
  • Soligor Semi-Auto (TLR)
  • Soligor 66 (SLR)

Distributed lenses

Soligor distributed lenses in many different camera mounts, including nearly every 35mm SLR mount. It competed with Vivitar, and both sold the T and T4 mount lenses with interchangeable mounts. Vivitar also sold TX mount lenses, but Soligor did not. Soligor C/D lenses were intended to be higher-quality, much like Canon L lenses or Vivitar's Series 1 lenses. The C/D moniker is said to stand for either "Computer Designed" or "Compact Design" by collectors. Both designations are claimed to have been used in Soligor brochures but neither claim has been substantiated with a scan or photo showing the usage in print.[6]

In addition to selling Soligor badged lenses, Allied Impex also sold rebadged lenses through other distributors including Derek, Elicar, Gardenar, Flexar, Hanimex, Infotar, J.C. Penny, Mirage, Prinzflex, Porst, Super Carenar, and Weltblick

Argus Mount Lenses

  • Soligor 35mm f3.5 for Argus C3
  • Soligor 135mm f4.5 (black) for Argus C3
  • Soligor Elephoto 135mm f4.5 (silver) for Argus C3

Canon FD Mount Lenses

  • Soligor 21mm f3.8 Wide Auto
  • MC Soligor S/M 28-70mm f3.9-4.8 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor 28-80mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor 35mm f2.8 Wide Auto
  • Soligor MC 35-70mm f3.5 Zoom Auto
  • MC Soligor C/D 35-200mm f3.5-4.8 Zoom Macro
  • MC Soligor 70-160mm f3.5 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor 75-205mm f3.8 Zoom
  • MC Soligor C/D 75-250mm f4.5 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor C/D 80-200 f4.5 Zoom
  • Soligor 80-210mm f3.8 Auto Zoom
  • MC Soligor C/D 85-300mm f5 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor C/D 90mm f2.5 Macro MC
  • Soligor 90-230mm f4.5 Auto Zoom
  • MC Soligor C/D 100-300mm f5 Zoom Macro
  • Soligor 130-500mm f5.6-7.5 Zoom Auto
  • Soligor C/D 135mm f2
  • Soligor 135mm f2.8 Tele-Auto
  • Soligor 200mm f2.8
  • Soligor 200mm f3.5
  • Soligor C/D 500mm f8 Mirror
  • Soligor MC Auto Tele Converter 2x
  • Soligor MC Auto Tele Converter 3x
  • Soligor MP Auto Tele Converter 2x
  • Soligor C/D 7 Auto Tele Converter 2x

Nikon Mount Lenses

  • MC Soligor AF Zoom 19-35mm f3.5-4.5
  • Soligor 28mm f2
  • Soligor 28mm f2.8 Wide-Auto
  • MC Soligor 28-55mm f3.3-4.5 C/D Zoom Macro (F/AI)
  • MC Soligor C/D 28-80mm f3.5-4.5 Zoom Macro
  • MC Soligor 35-70mm f2.5-3.5 Zoom-Auto
  • Soligor C/D 35-200mm f3.8-5.3 Zoom (AIS)
  • Soligor C/D 55mm f2.8 Macro
  • MC Soligor C/D 55-210mm Zoom+Macro
  • MC Soligor 70-150mm f3.5 Auto-Zoom (AI)
  • MC Soligor 70-220mm f3.5 Zoom (AI)
  • Soligor 70-235mm f4.5 Zoom (AI)
  • Soligor 75-260mm f4.5 Auto-Zoom
  • Soligor 80-200mm f4.5 Zoom (F/AI)
  • Soligor 90-230mm f4.5 Zoom (AI)
  • Soligor 95-310mm f5.6 C/D Zoom Macro
  • Soligor 105mm f2.8 Tele-Auto
  • Soligor C/D 135mm f2
  • Soligor 135mm f2.8 Tele-Auto
  • Soligor 135mm f3.5 Tele-Auto
  • Soligor 200mm f2.8 (AI)
  • Soligor 200mm f2.8 (AIS)
  • Soligor 200mm f3.5 Tele-Auto (AI)
  • Soligor 300mm f4.5 Tele-Auto (AI)
  • Soligor 300mm f5.5 Auto
  • Soligor 400mm f6.3 Auto
  • Soligor 500mm f8 mirror
  • Soligor 2x teleconverter

See also Soligor lenses for Nikon rangefinder

K Mount Lenses

  • MC Soligor 75-205mm f3.8-4.5
  • Soligor C/D Zoom/Macro 70-160mm f3.5
  • Soligor Tele-Auto 250mm f4.5

T/T2 Mount Lenses

  • Soligor 28mm f2.8
  • Soligor 35mm f3.5
  • Soligor 105mm f2.8
  • Soligor 135mm f1.5
  • Soligor 135mm f1.8
  • Soligor 400mm f6.3
  • Soligor 450mm f8
  • Soligor C/D 500mm mirror

T4 Mount Lenses

  • Soligor Wide-Auto 21mm f3.8
  • Soligor 24mm f2.8
  • Soligor 35mm f2.8

Soligor Lens Codes

Soligor sometimes changed manufacturers for the same make and model lens multiple times and did not always indicate the manufacturer through any easily discernible means such as the serial number. It's often difficult to know what company manufactured a given lens. However, lens enthusiasts at the MFlenses forum are working to reverse engineer any information available through the lens coding system used by Soligor. You can help by contributing your lens make, model, and serial number.[7]

Light meters

  • Soligor Auto
  • Soligor Digital Spot
  • Soligor Flash Meter
  • Soligor Selector Cds
  • Soligor Spot Sensor
  • Soligor Spot Sensor II
  • Soligor UF
  • Soligor UF-II

Notes

  1. "Impex" is probably the contraction of "Import Export".
  2. Date: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
  3. The FAQ of the Miranda Camera site says 1963, but the main page of the Miranda Society Japan says that it bought the shares in 1968 and took complete control in 1969.
  4. See this page of the Soligor GmbH official website.
  5. It seems that in 1997, the company Allied Impex Corporation was an empty structure based in the USA, owning the German company Soligor GmbH and itself owned by AIC International, Inc., another empty structure. Source: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
  6. Debate over meaning of C/D on Soligor lenses
  7. MFlenses forum: Soligor lens manufacturer codes

Links

In English:

In Japanese: