Konishiroku lenses in Leica screw mount

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Konishiroku (predecessor of Konica) made three standard lenses in Leica screw mount in the 1950s. In the 1990s, before the introduction of the Hexar RF, Konica made other lenses for the same mount: see Konica lenses in Leica screw mount.

Commercially produced lenses

Announced in 1954

In October 1954, Konishiroku exhibited various products that were under development in three department stores in Tokyo; among them were four different lenses in Leica screw mount.[1] These included two Hexanon standard lenses: a 60mm f/1.2 and a 50mm f/1.9.[2] The following year, the company released a range of three standard lenses: first a 50mm f/3.5 Hexar in collapsible mount, from Spring,[3] then the two Hexanon, from December.[4]

Hexar 50mm f/3.5, collapsible

The Hexar 50mm f/3.5 lens has a Tessar-like formula, of four elements in three groups. The same lens was mounted on the Konica I and IIB at the same period. The version in Leica screw mount normally has a all-chrome collapsible barrel, obviously inspired by the Leitz Elmar 5cm f/3.5. The aperture scale is on the side of the front part, graduated from 3.5 to 22, and the diaphragm is positioned behind the second lens element. The focusing scale is engraved in feet, from ∞ to 3.5ft.

The lens was adopted as a standard lens for the Chiyotax IIIF in mid-1955,[5] and on the Honor released in mid-1956.[6] It was also offered on some versions of the Leotax,[7] and reportedly on the Melcon and Nicca as well.[8] It was also available alone from the Shōwa Kōgaku company which made the Leotax, for ¥11,000;[9] it seems that Konishiroku did not distribute the lens to the general public itself.[10]

Lens numbers have seven digits and are known in the 131xxxx and 132xxxx range.[11] These are perhaps not continuous but mixed with numbers for other lenses.

Bargain sales

In the 1960s, after the sales of screw mount rangefinder cameras and lenses began to plummet, it is said that these three lenses were offered for a while at a vastly reduced price by the shop U Camera of Shinbashi, Tokyo, along with Fuji 50mm and 35mm lenses.[12] The Hexar 50mm f/3.5 was offered for ¥1,500 and the Hexanon 50mm f/1.9 was at ¥5,000, indeed a huge price cut.[12]

Experimental lenses

To be done.

Other lenses

Hexar 50mm f/3.5 enlarging lens, modified for the Chiyoca

The Hexar 50mm f/3.5 found on the viewfinder-only Chiyoca model was not an official product of Konishiroku but a modified enlarging lens: the maker of the Chiyoca obtained various Hexar enlarging lenses and mounted them on a focusing helix they made themselves.[13] Some sources say that the resulting lens has a rigid barrel,[14] but a polished chrome tube is visible immediately to the front of the focusing ring, perhaps indicating that it is at least slightly collapsible. The aperture ring is that of the original enlarging lens, with a scale on the side from 3.5 to 16. The focusing scale is engraved in feet, and there are depth-of-field indications for all apertures. The finish is all chrome. Lens numbers are known in the 32xxx to 35xxx range; given the unofficial nature of the product, these should not be continuous.

List of lenses

  • 35mm f/2.5 Hexanon (six elements in five groups), rigid, all chrome, focusing tab (experimental only)[15]
  • 50mm f/3.5 Hexar (four elements in three groups), collapsible, all chrome, focusing tab
  • 50mm f/3.5 Hexar (four elements in three groups), all chrome, modified enlarging lens, on the viewfinder-only Chiyoca
  • 50mm f/3.5 Hexanon, collapsible, all chrome, focusing tab (on the Ichicon-35)
  • 50mm f/1.9 Hexanon (six elements in five groups), all chrome, focusing tab, ¥23,500
  • 50mm f/1.8 Hexanon, black and chrome (experimental only, for the Konica FR)[16]
  • 50mm f/1.5 Hexanon (seven elements in five groups), all chrome, focusing tab (experimental only)[15]
  • 60mm f/1.2 Hexanon (seven elements in six groups), black and chrome, ¥78,000
  • 75mm f/3.5 Hexanonsource needed
  • 135mm f/3.5 Hexanon, black and chrome (experimental only)[15]
  • 15cm f/4.5 Hexar Ser.1, pictured in this page at mflenses.com, all chrome barrel, perhaps for Leica screw mount
  • 40cm f5.6 Tele-Hexar (Note: lens uses a 39mm LTM, but it is unknown if it were intended for use on rangefinder cameras or on other cameras using that mount.)

Among these, several of the standard lenses were notably mounted on the Honor, Ichicon-35, Chiyoca and Chiyotax.

Notes

  1. ↑ Hagiya, p.130 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  2. ↑ Hagiya, pp.130 and 186 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  3. ↑ Hagiya, p.128 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  4. ↑ Miyazaki, p.169, says December for both, though Hagiya, p.130 of Sekai no Raika renzu, says Summer 1955 for the 50mm f/1.9.
  5. ↑ See the page on Chiyoca and Chiyotax for the various sources.
  6. ↑ Specs in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.379, and advertisement in Shashin Salon November 1956, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.225.
  7. ↑ Advertisement in Asahi Camera March 1956, reproduced in Kokusan kamera no rekishi, p.324.
  8. ↑ Melcon and Nicca: Hagiya, p.128 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  9. ↑ Advertisement by Shōwa Kōgaku reproduced in Hagiya, p.185 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  10. ↑ Hagiya, p.128 of Sekai no Raika renzu, says that the lens does not appear on Konishiroku advertisements.
  11. ↑ More specifically 1311xxx, 1312xxx, 1313xxx, 1315xxx, and all those from 1317xxx to 1322xxx. Lowest is 1311027 and highest is 1322259.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hagiya, p.129 of Sekai no Raika renzu.
  13. ↑ Sugiyama, item 3214, and this page by Nekosan.
  14. ↑ HPR, p.180, repeated in this page by Ian Norris.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Hishida, p.157 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.10.
  16. ↑ Hagiya, pp.80–3 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.58.

Bibliography

  • Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Konika FR" (コニカFR, Konica FR). 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.80–3.
  • Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). Articles 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.
    • "Hexanon 50mm F1.9". Pp.130–1.
    • "Hexar 50mm F3.5". Pp.128–9.
    • "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). Pp.178–88.
  • Hishida Kōshirō (菱田耕四郎). "Konica history 10. Sengo no kamera." (Konica history 10. 戦後のカメラ. Postwar 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.10, September 1987. No ISBN number. Konishiroku kamera no rekishi (小西六カメラの歴史, special issue on Konishiroku). Pp.60–75 and 156–7.
  • HPR. Leica Copies. London: Classic Collection Publications, 1994. ISBN 1-874485-05-4.
  • Miyazaki Shigemoto (宮崎繁幹). Konika kamera no 50nen: Konika I-gata kara Hekisā RF e (コニカカメラの50年：コニカI型からヘキサーRFへ, Fifty years of Konica cameras: From the Konica I to the Hexar RF). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 2003. ISBN 4-257-12038-X. Pp.10, 13, 169–70.
  • Sugiyama, Kōichi (杉山浩一); Naoi, Hiroaki (直井浩明); Bullock, John R. The Collector's Guide to Japanese Cameras. 国産カメラ図鑑 (Kokusan kamera zukan). Tokyo: Asahi Sonorama, 1985. ISBN 4-257-03187-5.

Links

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In Japanese:

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