Kowa lenses for other cameras

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Kowa made at least two Prominar lenses in Leica screw mount, certainly in the late 1950s: the 35mm f/2.8 and the 100mm f/2. (The earlier Prominar 7.5cm f/3.5 and 7.3cm f/3.5 are not signed by Kowa, and were perhaps manufactured by Sun, see K.O.L. and Sun lenses in Leica screw mount.)

Prominar 35mm f/2.8

Description

The Prominar 35mm f/2.8 perhaps has the same optical design as the fixed lens of the Kallowide and Kallowide F, with six elements in four groups. (Other 35mm f/2.8 lenses made by Kowa are the Prominar wide angle lens of the Kallo 140 and Kowa 140 rangefinder cameras with leaf shutter, which may have the same optical design, and a lens for leaf-shuttered SLR cameras, which probably differs.)

The front and rear part of the lens barrel have a very different styling, giving a rather disparaged aspect. The rear mount and focusing ring are chrome plated, with a tab and an infinity lock. The distance scale is engraved in feet, going down to 3.5ft and perhaps beyond. The lens head is black, and has a massive aperture ring with knurls and chrome stripes, graduated from 2.8 to 22. (A similar styling is found on the Kallo 140 lens, but the knurled ring is used for focusing on the latter.) The front bezel is engraved Prominar 1:2.8 f=35mm Kowa Optical Works Japan No.xxxxxxx.

Production

No original document mentioning that lens has been found yet. The only serial number known so far is 1600290.[1] Similar numbers in the 16xxxxx range are known on the other Prominar 35mm f/2.8 lenses, on the Kallowide, Kallowide F and for the Kallo 140 and Kowa 140.

Accessories

The lens was sold in a red and blue presentation box, inscribed PROMINAR LENS on the lid and PROMINAR LENS f2.8 F=35mm on the side, containing the lens and external viewfinder (see below).[2] The lens cap is all chrome with the name Prominar engraved.[2]

The external viewfinder has a black and chrome finish. Its external aspect is quite similar to the auxiliary Kontur-like finders offered by Kowa for its rangefinder cameras. The viewfinder's barrel is a black cylinder, with a chrome front rim inscribed Prominar and 35mm, and a chrome ring at the rear, graduated in feet from ∞ to 3.5ft, for manual parallax compensation.

Prominar 100mm f/2

The Prominar 100mm f/2 in Leica mount is very little known. No other still camera lens made by Kowa has the same characteristics. The barrel is black and chrome, with large stripes on the focusing ring. The aperture ring is all black, and the front rim is chrome coloured. The bezel is engraved Prominar 1:2 f=100mm Kowa Optical Works Japan No.xxxxxx.

The lens cap is black, with the name Prominar inscribed in white or silver letters. It seems that a dedicated lens hood was supplied. It is slipped outside the lens rim and held by a small tightening screw.[2] The viewfinder reportedly has the same aspect as that for the 35mm lens.

The only serial number confirmed so far is 220112,[2] and no original document has been found either.[3]

Notes

  1. Example sold as lot no.391 of Westlicht auction no.14 (November 30, 2008).
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Pictures observed on a Japanese forum.
  3. Post on a Japanese forum.

Links

In English:

In Japanese: