Zuiko 4cm f/2.8 for Leica
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| Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8 no.61221, Leica mount. Picture courtesy of eBayer boowu. (Image rights) |
The Zuiko 4cm f/2.8 is the only lens made by Olympus in Leica screw mount. At about the same period, Olympus was also selling a Zuiko 4cm f/3.5 for Exakta.
Contents
Description
The Zuiko 4cm f/2.8 has five elements in four groups (three separate elements at the front and a cemented doublet at the rear), and is said to be the same as the Super-Zuiko 4.0cm f/2.8 made for the ill-fated Olympus 35 II.[1]
The Leica mount lens has a rigid all-chrome barrel with a focusing tab and an infinity stop. It takes half a turn to focus down to 3.5ft. The aperture scale is graduated to f/16. The back of the lens mount has the word JAPAN and a number whose meaning is unknown.
 
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| Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8 no.61221, Leica mount. Pictures courtesy of eBayer boowu. (Image rights) |
Total production and variations
All the lens numbers observed so far are in the 60xxx and 61xxx range,[2] for a total production comprised between 1,700 and 2,000.
An advertisement by Olympus, published in the May 1950 issue of Asahi Camera, shows an early example, with Olympus Zuiko Coated 1:2.8 f=4cm No.60234 on the front rim.[3] The marking soon became Olympus Zuiko C. 1:2.8 f=4cm No,xxxxx with a red C.[4] It became all black on the late lenses — the transition occurred around lens no.61500 and perhaps indicates that a new batch was launched.[5] (These marking changes parallel those of the Zuiko 7.5cm f/3.5 mounted on the Olympus Chrome Six.)
It is said that the lens was also advertised by Shōwa Kōgaku, the maker of the Leotax.[6] It was still available in October 1955 for ¥12,000, but was perhaps no longer produced.[7]
Accessories
 
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| Left: lens with filter attached, finder and case. Right: close-up of the finder. Pictures courtesy of eBayer boowu. (Image rights) |
The dedicated finder has an accessory shoe on top; the side has the OLYMPUS OIC logo and the focal length 4 cm.
 
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| Left: lens and finder inside the case. Right: close-up of the OLYMPUS OIC logo. Pictures courtesy of eBayer boowu. (Image rights) |
The leather case has the OLYMPUS OIC logo at the top and a compartment inside for the finder. The bottom of the case is embossed "MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN", at least on some occasions.
 
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| Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8 no.60786, Leica mount. The rear cap is certainly original, the front cap is probably not. Pictures courtesy of Robert Furnari @ frendakfurnari. (Image rights) |
The original front cap is all chrome and has the OLYMPUS OIC logo stamped on it. The rear cap is all chrome too and is sometimes marked MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN.
Notes
- ↑ "Orinpasu renzu hoi", p.81 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.20.
- ↑ Known lens numbers run from 60234 (in the May 1950 advertisement) to 61691.
- ↑ Advertisement reproduced in "Orinpasu renzu hoi", p.81 of Kurashikku Kamera Senka no.20, and in Yazawa, p.13 of Camera Collectors' News no.250.
- ↑ Lowest with red C.: 60312.
- ↑ Highest with red C.: 61339. Lowest with black C.: 61543.
- ↑ Yazawa, p.12 of Camera Collectors' News no.250.
- ↑ Tables of interchangeable lenses in special issues of Photo Art: June 1955, pp.78–9, and October 1955, pp.66–7.
Bibliography
- Christies auction catalogue: "Cameras and Photographic Equipment — The Property of Dr. Sydney M. Sorrell" (1 April 2003), lot no.58.
- 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. (Brief mention only.)
- Itō Tsuguyoshi (伊藤二良). "Olympus Zuiko C. 40mm F2.8". 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.112–3.
- "Orinpasu renzu hoi" (オリンパスレンズ補遺, "Olympus lens appendix"). Anonymous column about various Zuiko lenses. 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. 20, 25 March 1992. No ISBN number. Orinpasu no subete (オリンパスのすべて, special issue on Olympus). P.81.
- Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera akusesarī zensho (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラアクセサリー全書, Photo Art special issue: All the camera accessories). June 1955, no.80 of the magazine. "Naigai kōkan renzu sōran" (内外交換レンズ総覧, Table and Japanese and foreign interchangeable lenses). Pp.78–9.
- Photo Art rinji zōkan: Kamera no chishiki (フォトアート臨時増刊・カメラの知識, Photo Art special issue: Knowledge of cameras). October 1955, no.87 of the magazine. "Naigai hyōjun renzu oyobi kōkan renzu ichiranpyō" (内外標準レンズ及び交換レンズ一覧表, Table of Japanese and foreign standard and interchangeable lenses). Pp.66–7.
- Yazawa Seiichirō (矢沢征一郎). "Renzu no hanashi (160) Sūpā Zuikō" (レンズの話[160]スーパーズイコー, Lens story [160] Super Zuiko). In Camera Collectors' News no.250 (April 1998). Nishinomiya: Camera Collectors News-sha. Pp.11–3.
Links
In English:
- Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8: first post and second post at Photostream
- Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8, lot no.345 of auction no.12 (17 November 2007) by Westlicht Photographica Auction (the viewfinder is probably not original)
- Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8: lot no.282 of the February 8, 2008 auction by Hammer Down Auction Services
In German:
- Olympus 4cm finder, lot no.484 of Foto Hobby Rahn Photographica Auction no.3 (13 May 2006).
In Japanese:
- Zuiko C. 4cm f/2.8 in Kensetsu's camera collection (web archive version of a dead link, switch to Shift-JIS encoding for proper display)
