Zuiko

Zuiko is the name of the camera lenses made by Olympus, from the first one, mounted in 1936 on the Semi Olympus, to the present day. All the Olympus cameras use the Zuiko lenses made by the company.

Zuikō is written 瑞光 in Japanese and can be translated as "auspicious optics" or "auspicious light". It is the abbreviation of Mizuho Kōgaku Kenkyūjo (瑞穂光学研究所, Mizuho Optical Research Institute), a branch of Takachiho Seisakusho (the later Olympus) that had been founded to develop a camera lens.

Zuiko interchangeable lenses

• E series
• OM series: see Olympus OM lenses
• M42 (FTL) series: see 42mm screw lenses
• Pen F series: see Olympus Pen F lenses
• Ace series: see Olympus Ace
• Exakta lens: see Exakta lenses
• Leica screw lens: see 39mm screw lenses
• Olympus Standard lenses: see Olympus Standard

Zuiko for other companies

The Zuiko lenses were also mounted on some cameras made by other Japanese companies:

• Airesflex by Aires
• Elmoflex by Elmo
• Mamiya Six by Mamiya
• Wagoflex by Walz
• Wester Chrome Six R by Nishida
• perhaps some Semi Minolta by Chiyoda Kogaku

List of Zuiko lenses

4×4cm lenses

• 60/2.8 Olympus D.Zuiko, 4 elements, taking and viewing lens of the Eye Flex B
• 60/3.5, elements unknown, taking and viewing lens of the Eye Flex A

4×5cm lenses

Interchangeable lenses of the Olympus Standard: see Olympus Standard.

4.5×6cm and 6×6cm lenses

• 75/4.5, four elements, three groups
  • marked Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:4.5 f=75mm, black face:
    • Semi Olympus early
  • marked Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:4.5 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Semi Olympus late
    • Semi Olympus II
    • Olympus Six I

• 75/3.5, four elements, three groups
  • marked Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, white face:
    • Olympus Six II
    • Olympus Six postwar
    • Chrome Six I
    • Mamiya Six, some
  • marked Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Elmoflex, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko Coated 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, white face:
    • Chrome Six IIIA, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko Coated 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, red Zuiko, white face:
    • Mamiya Six, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, black C., white face:
    • Chrome Six IIIA, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, red C., white face:
    • Chrome Six IIIA, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, red Zuiko C., white face:
    • Mamiya Six, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, white face:
    • Chrome Six IIIA, some
    • Mamiya Six, some
    • Wester Chrome Six R, some
  • marked Olympus Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Olympus Flex BII, taking lens
    • Olympus Flex A3.5, viewing lens on all, taking lens on some (?)
    • Olympus Flex A3.5 II, viewing and taking lens on some
    • Wagoflex, viewing and taking lens on some
  • marked Olympus D.Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm (possibly recomputed), white face:
    • Chrome Six IIIA, some
    • Chrome Six IVA
    • Chrome Six RIIA, some (black depth of field plate)
  • marked Olympus D.Zuiko F.C. 1:3.5 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Chrome Six VA (white depth of field plate)
    • Chrome Six RIIA, some (white depth of field plate)
    • Olympus Flex A3.5, taking lens on some
    • Olympus Flex A3.5 II, viewing and taking lens on some
    • Mamiya Six, some
    • Mamiyaflex, some
  • marking unknown:
    • Elmoflex, taking and viewing lens on some

• 75/3.5, five elements:
  • Olympus Six, some

• 75/2.8, four elements, three groups
  • marked Takatiho Tokyo Zuiko 1:2.8 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Chrome Six II
  • marked Olympus Zuiko F.C. 1:2.8 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Chrome Six IIIB
    • Chrome Six IVB
    • Chrome Six VB
    • Chrome Six RIIB
    • Olympus Flex I, viewing lens
    • Olympus Flex BI, viewing lens
    • Olympus Flex BII, viewing lens
    • Olympus Flex A2.8, viewing lens on all, taking lens on some
  • marked Olympus D.Zuiko F.C. 1:2.8 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Olympus Flex A2.8, taking lens on some

• 75/2.8, six elements, four groups
  • marked Olympus F.Zuiko F.C. 1:2.8 f=7.5cm, black face:
    • Olympus Flex I, taking lens
    • Olympus Flex BI, taking lens

Other lenses

• 200/4.5, marked Takatiho NoXXXX ZUIKO 1:4.5 f=200mm, for aerial camera

Links

• A page of the Olympus corporate site, in the Zuiko Club pages, with an explanation of the Zuiko name