K.O.L. and Sun lenses in Leica screw mount

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The Japanese company Gojō Kōki Seisakusho began making lenses during World War II for the Nippon Leica copy. Lenses in Leica screw mount were continued after 1945 by the company Sun Kōki, until well into the 1950s.

K.O.L. Xebec, Sun Xebec and Sun Sophia 5cm f/2

Gojō Kōki Seisakusho made the K.O.L. Xebec 5cm f/2 six-element collapsible lens for the Nippon Leica copy.[1] The lens barrel is copied from that of the Leitz Summar. The focusing ring is graduated in metres and has a tab with an infinity stop.

Two main versions of the barrel are known. The "first" barrel has the infinity stop at 10 o'clock (as seen from the front), the word Mtr in small characters and depth-of-field indications for apertures from 2 to 9.[2] Its finish seems quite poor, according to the pictures and to the comments of Mori Ryōsuke.[3] The "second" barrel has the infinity stop at 7 o'clock, the word mtr in larger characters, depth-of-field indications from 2 to 12.5, and a seemingly better finish.[4] The aperture ring is graduated from 2 to 9 on at least some lenses, even those with the second barrel.[5] The lens barrel was probably gradually improved, and the repartition of the first and second barrels do not follow the serial numbers.

The lens rim is black and has the engraving K.O.L. Xebec N°xxxxx F=5cm 1:2 on all the examples observed so far. The earliest known lens reportedly has no.34688; it is said that it was originally not rangefinder-coupled, and that a coupling cam was added to it later.[6] Other lenses have numbers in the 66xxx, 70xxx, 75xxx and 77xxx ranges.[7]

The lens was renamed Sun Xebec 5cm f/2, certainly when Gojō became Sun Kōki after 1945. A single example is known, with no.77818.[8] It has the second barrel, and its aperture scale goes from 2 to 12.5. The engraving on the front rim reads Sun Xebec on one side and 1:2 f=5cm No.xxxxx on the other.

The Sun Sophia 5cm f/2 was certainly an evolution of the Sun Xebec. A single example is known, with no.72715.[9] The barrel has some similarity to the second barrel found on the Xebec, but it looks heavier and more recent. (The lower serial number is unexplained.) The front element is more recessed than on the Xebec, and the optical design was perhaps altered. The front rim is engraved Sophia on one side and 1:2 f=5cm Sun No,xxxxx on the other.

Sun Sola 7.5cm f/3.5

The Sun Sola 7.5cm f/3.5 was certainly made in little quantity. Its distance scale is engraved in metres, with the same mtr indication as on the Sun Xebec 5cm f/2. From the available pictures, it seems that the lens focuses down to 1m. The aperture ring is graduated from 3.5 to 12.5, and depth-of-field indications are given for the same aperture range.

Two versions of the lens barrel are known, first in black and chrome, then in all chrome finish. Black and chrome lenses are known with a number in the 723xx range.[10] The front rim is black and is engraved Sun Sola on one side and F=7.5cm 1:3.5 N°xxxxx on the other. A single all chrome lens has been seen so far, with no.72458.[11] It has a slightly different engraving, with Sun Sola on one side and f=7,5cm 1:3,5 No,xxxxx on the other.

Sun Xebec Telephoto and Sun Sola 9cm f/4

The black and chrome Sun Xebec Telephoto 9cm f/4 is known from a single example, with number 54337.[12] It has a black and chrome barrel and a knurled focusing ring. The chrome parts are the aperture ring, the bottom part of the focusing ring and the lens mount. The base of the lens is surrounded by a leatherette strip. The word Japan is engraved on the black part of the focusing ring. The distance scale is engraved in feet, apparently down to 3.5ft. The aperture ring is engraved in the international scale, apparently to 16, and depth-of-field indications are given for all the aperture range from 4 to 16. The front rim is black and is engraved SUN OPT. Xebec TELEPHOTO 1:4 f=9cm xxxxx with some triangular mark between the focal length and the serial number.

To be continued

Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8

Rangefinder coupled

The Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8 exists in a rangefinder coupled version, directly attached to the camera mount. This lens is less common than the Sun Sola 9cm f/4, and the only number known so far is in the 154xx range.[13]

This lens has an all chrome barrel, quite similar to that of the early Sun Sola 9cm f/4, with a tripod attachment at the bottom. The lens head rotates when focusing. The focus ring is quite long and has fine mills in its middle part. It has a distance scale engraved in feet at the rear, perhaps down to 5ft, and the mention Made in Japan towards the front. The aperture ring is immediately to the front. It has two aperture scales graduated from 3.5 to 22, one on each side, whose indexes are on the focus ring. The lens name, features and serial number are inscribed on the side, around the lens rim.

For reflex housing

The Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8 also exists in a short barrel version for a reflex housing, again with 39mm screw mount but with no rangefinder coupling. Its film-to-flange register fits the Accura reflex housing, and certainly also the Leitz PLOOT and Visoflex, and the Kilfitt Kilarscope reflex housings.

The example pictured below has a serial number in the 3xxxx range. Its barrel seems to be made of aluminium or light alloy. The various rings tend to discolour in a somewhat uneven way, perhaps because different alloys were used for the various parts. The focus ring is knurled, and the distance scale is again engraved in feet. The aperture ring has a scale on each side. The name, features and serial number are inscribed at the front, and there are two milled rows further to the front.

3344986970_78f0b8fcdf_m_d.jpg 3344152257_8cfb83c704_m_d.jpg 3344151869_d5c2e45019_m_d.jpg
Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8 short barrel lens on an Accura III reflex housing, alone and with a Leotax S.
Pictures by David Murphy. (Image rights)

Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.5

To be continued

Notes

  1. ↑ Six elements: advertisement for K.O.L. lenses reproduced in Inoue, p.132, and in Hagiya, p.179 of Sekai no Raika renzu. Made by Gojō: "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" ("Inquiry into Japanese cameras"), lens item Ja1; Shirai, p.23.
  2. ↑ First barrel visible on lens no.34688 pictured in Mori, p.101, and on lens no.70067 pictured in HPR, p.260.
  3. ↑ Mori, p.100.
  4. ↑ Second barrel visible on lens no.66429 pictured in HPR, pp.258–9, and on the Sun Xebec no.77808 pictured in Mori, p.101.
  5. ↑ Aperture ring from 2 to 9 confirmed on lens no.34688 (first barrel) pictured in Mori, p.101, and on lens no.66429 (second barrel) pictured in HPR, pp.258–9.
  6. ↑ Mori, p.100. This lens is pictured and tried on pp.101–3 of the same source, and one of the pictures is reproduced in this page of Akiyama Michio's Red Book Nikkor.
  7. ↑ Lens numbers reported in Mori, p.97. No.66429 is pictured in HPR, pp.258–9, on the rangefinder Nippon no.14. No.70067 is pictured in HPR, p.260, on the viewfinder Nippon no.1.810010.
  8. ↑ Lens reported and pictured in Mori, pp.94 and 100–1, pictured and sketched in Shirai, pp.17–8 and 20 (on the rangefinder Nippon no.23001).
  9. ↑ Lens pictured in HPR, pp.263–4, on the Nicca Peerless Type-3 no.24001.
  10. ↑ No.72350 and 72381, observed in online auctions or offered by dealers.
  11. ↑ Lens observed in an online auction.
  12. ↑ Lens offered for sale by a dealer.
  13. ↑ Example observed in a website.

Bibliography

  • Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Raika to sekai no Raika-yō renzu" (ライカと世界のライカ用レンズ, Leica and other Leica-mount lenses). In Sekai no Raika renzu (世界のライカレンズ, Leica lenses of the world) Part 1. Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2003. ISBN 4-87956-061-8. Pp.178–88.
  • HPR. Leica Copies. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-874485-05-4. Pp.258–60, 263–4 and 413.
  • Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens – Fierce war tales between lens shops). 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.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.128–132. (Contains a reproduction of an advertisement listing the K.O.L. Xebec, same as in Hagiya's article, and information on the Gojō company.)
  • "Kokusan shashinki no genjōchōsa" (国産写真機ノ現状調査, Inquiry into Japanese cameras), listing Japanese camera production as of April 1943. Reproduced in Supuringu kamera de ikou: Zen 69 kishu no shōkai to tsukaikata (スプリングカメラでいこう: 全69機種の紹介と使い方, Let's try spring cameras: Presentation and use of 69 machines). Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2004. ISBN 4-87956-072-3. Pp.180–7. Lens item Ja1.
  • Mori Ryōsuke (森亮資). "Sensō ga unda raika kopī-ki 'Nippon'" (戦争が生んだライカ・コピー機「ニッポン(Nippon)」, The 'Nippon' Leica copy, created by the war). 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.58, March 2001. ISBN 4-257-13032-6. Tokushū: Raika bukku '01 Raika kenkyū (特集:ライカブック'01・ライカ研究, Leica book '01: Leica research). Pp.94–103.
  • Shirai Tatsuo (白井達男). "Nippon Camera" (ニッポンカメラ). Pp.17–26 of Maboroshi no kamera o otte (幻のカメラを追って, Pursuing phantom cameras). Gendai Kamera Shinsho (現代カメラ新書). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1982. ISBN 4-257-08077-9. (First published in Kamera Rebyū / Camera Review. no.2, February 1978.)

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