Sun

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See also the Sun Stereo and Sun plate folder.

Sun (サン, San)[1] was a Japanese lens maker.

History

The company appeared soon after World War II as Sun Kōki K.K. (サン光機㈱, San Kōki).[2] It was a successor of the company Gojō Kōki Seisakusho, maker of the K.O.L. lenses, which ceased its activity in 1945.[2] Early Sun lenses had the brand names Xebec and Sola, inherited from the K.O.L. period. In the 1950s or 1960s, the company was using the English name Sun Optical Co., Ltd. and was based in the city of Ichikawa (in the Chiba Prefecture, at the East of Tokyo).[3] Its logo was an elongated "S" crossed by two brackets.

Sun made interchangeable lenses in various mounts, for still and cine cameras. It changed its name to Gotō Sun (ゴトー・サン) at some time, perhaps in the 1970s, and no later than 1981.[4] At that period, it manufactured the Orinox binocular camera, also sold as the Tasco Bino/Cam.[5]

The company was still in existence in 1983,[6] and disappeared in the 1980s. There is significant evidence[7] to suggest that Sun was absorbed into Goyō Kōgaku Shōji Y.K. (五洋光学商事有限会社, also known as Goyo Optical Inc.), some time in the late 1980s. Goyo Optical was founded in 1976[8] and produces mainly CCTV and industrial lenses; however its 50mm f/0.95 lens has recently (2010) been sold under the Noktor brand in Micro Four Thirds mount. The Noktor brand is marketed by Noktor, LLC, Atlanta/USA.

Lenses

For 35mm cameras

For 4×4cm cameras

  • sets of auxiliary lenses for 4×4cm TLR cameras:
    • Sun Xebec Telephoto Model 44
    • Sun aux. Telephoto Model 44
    • Sun aux. Wideangle Model 44

For subminiature cameras

  • Sun-Tele 40mm f/5.6 for Steky

Other

  • Stereo-Sun stereo attachment
  • many cine lenses

Notes

  1. The company name is written San (サン) in katakana but "Sun" in Roman script.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Inoue, p.132.
  3. The exact address was Chiba-ken Ichikawa-shi Yawata 3–1814 (千葉県市川市八幡3ノ1814). Source: advertisements in Asahi Camera October 1953, p.220, and in the 1960 Asahi Camera annual.
  4. Nihon Camera Show 1981 catalogue, already showing the name "Gotō Sun".
  5. Orinox at the Old Telescope website.
  6. Nihon Camera Show 1983 catalogue, still showing Gotō Sun lenses.
  7. Polarizer filter bearing both Goyo and Sun branding [1]
  8. Corporate information in the Goyo Optical official website.

Bibliography

  • Asahi Camera. Advertisement by Sun Kōki:
    • October 1953, p.220;
    • February 1955, p.201;
    • April 1955, p.174.
  • 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.
  • 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. (On the relation with Gojō.)

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

In German: