Allied Impex

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Revision as of 22:32, 31 March 2011 by Steevithak (talk | contribs) (Distributed lenses: noted the Soligor C/D branding for high-end lenses)
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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, many different camera mounts — basically every 35mm SLR mount. It competed with Vivitar, and both sold the T4 lenses with interchangeable mounts. Vivitar also sold TX 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.

Lenses for Argus Cameras

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

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.

Links

In English:

In Japanese: