Allied Impex

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Allied Impex Corporation[1] was an American distributor. From 1956, it used the brand name Soligor for cameras, lenses and accessories imported from Japan.[2] It imported the Miranda cameras and took control of the Miranda company at some time in the 1960s.[3]

The company founded a German sub-company called A.I.C. Phototechnik GmbH in 1968, that became Soligor GmbH in 1993.[4] This German company is the only one still active today (2009).[5] It is known for its rich product range of camera accessories.

3659067991_250ddcc613_m_d.jpg
1956 advertisement in US Camera.
Scan by Jeffrey Felton. (Image rights)
4298229985_010c13f0af_m.jpg
Soligor Auto light meter
image by Anssi Puisto (Image rights)

Contents

Distributed cameras

35mm film

120 film


Distributed lenses

2981553818_aab5329c0a_m.jpg
28mm f/2.8 in 42mm screw mount
image by Dirk HR Spennemann (Image rights)
3454438883_6c81b86cb6_m.jpg
K-mount MC Soligor 75-205mm 1:3,8-4,8
image by Alf Sigaro (Image rights)

Soligor distributed lenses in many different camera mounts, including nearly every 35mm SLR mount. It competed with Vivitar, and both sold the T and T4 mount lenses with interchangeable mounts. Vivitar also sold TX mount lenses, but Soligor did not. Soligor C/D lenses were intended to be higher-quality, much like Canon L lenses or Vivitar's Series 1 lenses. The C/D moniker is said to stand for either "Computer Designed" or "Compact Design" by collectors. Both designations are claimed to have been used in Soligor brochures but neither claim has been substantiated with a scan or photo showing the usage in print.[6]

In addition to selling Soligor badged lenses, Allied Impex also sold rebadged lenses through other distributors including Derek, Elicar, Gardenar, Flexar, Hanimex, Infotar, J.C. Penny, Mirage, Prinzflex, Porst, Super Carenar, and Weltblick


Soligor Argus Mount Lenses

Soligor 35mm SLR Mount Lenses

Soligor C/D 35mm SLR Mount Lenses

Soligor Lens Codes

Soligor sometimes changed manufacturers for the same make and model lens multiple times and did not always indicate the manufacturer through any easily discernible means such as the serial number. It's often difficult to know what company manufactured a given lens. However, lens enthusiasts at the MFlenses forum are working to reverse engineer any information available through the lens coding system used by Soligor. You can help by contributing your lens make, model, and serial number.[8]

Light meters

Notes

  1. ↑ "Impex" is probably the contraction of "Import Export".
  2. ↑ Date: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
  3. ↑ The FAQ of the Miranda Camera site says 1963, but the main page of the Miranda Society Japan says that it bought the shares in 1968 and took complete control in 1969.
  4. ↑ See this page of the Soligor GmbH official website.
  5. ↑ It seems that in 1997, the company Allied Impex Corporation was an empty structure based in the USA, owning the German company Soligor GmbH and itself owned by AIC International, Inc., another empty structure. Source: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
  6. ↑ Debate over meaning of C/D on Soligor lenses
  7. ↑ MFlenses forum: Soligor 85-205
  8. ↑ MFlenses forum: Soligor lens manufacturer codes

Links

In English:

In Japanese:

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