The Definitive Komura & Acall thread, post your shots!

[tstermitz]

Yes, I have a Komura Telemore 95, identical to the one in the little yellow-lined box at the Dutch ebay auction. It has finder, screw-to-M adapter, manual, the little mounty-thing, etc. I haven't used it other than to fit it on my M4 that it came with.

View finder seems a little dim. It lets you adjust for lens focal length and distance so your field of view matches the lens. You only use the viewfinder for framing; the rangefinder couples properly through the adaptor.

This isn't really a for sale thread, but if anyone wants to buy it I'll be reasonable. I think I have private email turned on.

[buzzardkid]

Added new lenses to post #2 in the thread!

Tonight I found info on the Astra brand of lenses. Added the W.A. Astra 35/3.5 and the Tele-Astra 135/3.5. Info on the Tele-Astra is not complete yet re. min. aperture and filter size.

If you know about any other focal lengths of Astra lenses, I'd like to know!

[buzzardkid]

Shot with Leica IIIa and Komura 35/3.5 on Ilford FP4+, developed in Rodinal 1:100.

[ferider]

A quick note that we just extended the flickr M-mount forum to also include Komura lenses

Roland.

[rlouzan]

Johan,

Nice moody picture!
I can´t wait to get my 35/3,5 Acall, it should be here soon.

Regards,
Robert

Originally Posted by CLE-RF

Shot with Leica IIIa and Komura 35/3.5 on Ilford FP4+, developed in Rodinal 1:100.

[rebollo_fr]

The Kyoei company which made the Acall lenses was created by former employees of Sankyo after they left the company. This explains the many similarities between Acall and Komura lenses, but the Acall were not a mere rebranding.

[buzzardkid]

Originally Posted by rebollo_fr

The Kyoei company which made the Acall lenses was created by former employees of Sankyo after they left the company. This explains the many similarities between Acall and Komura lenses, but the Acall were not a mere rebranding.

Interesting!

I'd like to know more! Where did you hear this? Any internet source on this story?

[rebollo_fr]

Originally Posted by buzzardkid

Interesting!

I'd like to know more! Where did you hear this? Any internet source on this story?

I learned about this in Japanese magazines on classic cameras. I plan to tell the story in Camerapedia in the future.

[ferider]

Bump. Using the 80/1.8 at the Zoo:





BTW, fits the M4P's 75mm frame-lines real well.

Roland.

[buzzardkid]

Nice shots, Roland! Really like that 80/1.8 of yours, sweet lens.

I will be scanning Komura and Acall shots this autumn, and will upload some. Also got a lead on an old magazine article that tells about the Komuras and shows some nice pictures too. If no copyright issue, I will put it up here.

[David Murphy]

This is my recently acquired Komura 28mm F3.5. I purchased this from fellow Komura fan Johan. The lens makes good images, contrasty and fairly sharp. There is a tad vignetting at the corners, at least stopped down on my Leica IIf with a 55mm UV filter - seems to go away (mostly at least) at the mid apertures (say F5.6-8). There is pretty common on modest priced wides, especially older ones. The distortion is noticeable, but acceptable, also common on older wide designs. The lens is very good looking, and quite "pan cakey" in character, i.e. very flat on the camera face - and a real nice combo on a small bottom loader for a super light, compact setup.

The sample photos are two suburban homes in Arcadia, California, and the Pasadena (California) city hall. The film was Kodak Gold 100. There was a bit of sharpening and post exposure balance, but this was fairly minor and mostly compensated for my film scanner imperfections.

[buzzardkid]

well, isn't she a beaut! That lens is a real sunlight lover, great shots.

I haven't got a Komura at the moment and missed out on a Telesar (hehe), but the small Canon 28/3.5 Serenar I have, will have a 28mm Komura finder with it soon!

HU: there's a 28mm Komura in M42 on eBay right now, US-based. Never seen one like that before.

[David Murphy]

Originally Posted by rebollo_fr

The Kyoei company which made the Acall lenses was created by former employees of Sankyo after they left the company. This explains the many similarities between Acall and Komura lenses, but the Acall were not a mere rebranding.

Yes this is an important bit of information and news to me too. Kyoei has always been something of a mystery company.

[buzzardkid]

Shot from a 35mm viewfinder I bid on, but lost. Apparently somebody knew what they were looking at, it jumped to USD 76 in the last seconds.

I'm seeing an S, an O and a W in the unknown logo here, so: Sankyo Optical Works?

Anybody can confirm this, or is this made by some other company?

[David Murphy]

Hmm not sure. This is not immediately recognizable to me. I have noticed that there are many, many single focal length finders of various sorts from Japan, probably mostly made in the 50's. Some of these are unbranded, most of them are pretty well made (but not exceptionally so). They sometimes resemble finders from Leica, Canon, or Nikon. Another frontier for collecting??

[rebollo_fr]

I don't recognize the viewfinder's logo, but I would say that it is not related to Sankyo. Early Sankyo viewfinders have the letters "S.K." engraved (for Sankyō Kōki), later ones have "Komura".
You'll find an example of an early S.K. finder here at Lpfoto: http://www.auction2000.se/auk/w.Object?inC=LP&inA=02-12-08&inO=459

[raid]

Komura 105mm LTM:

[dexdog]

Anybody have a recommendation about getting a Komura 80/1.8 collimated? I found an LTM version in an antique/junk store in eastern
Maryland a few months ago. Glass is nice, cosmetic condition very good, but it does not focus correctly (tried on 3 different cameras). I noticed that the front lens group was kinda loose when I bought the lens, but for $35 I figured it was worth the risk. I have since discovered that the entire front lens group simply unscrews from the lens barrel- I wonder if someone took the front group out of the barrel, and lost a spacer or something along the way. The lens had to work correctly at some point, given the wear to the black paint on the barrel

[Brian Sweeney]

raid- that first picture of your daughter is beautiful.

On the 80/1.8: these things are best done with a through the lens viewer, or a digital. Need to check the distance scale against the RF of the camera, then check actual focus through the lens. Infinity focus should work, but I've used three points, usually 20m, 5m , and 2m. Screw in the front optic to check the focus after using the RF of the camera. I made a Canon 50/1.5 with a J-3 rear module that way.

[raid]

Brian,
I goofed by selling this lens. Still, I have other lenses.

Thanks.

[ferider]

The 80/1.8 has no shim under the front lens group, Mark (at least mine doesn't). Collimation is done via screws and the ring underneath. Haven't done it myself, but the lens is worth quite a bit, so sending it to John might be worth it.

[dexdog]

Originally Posted by ferider

The 80/1.8 has no shim under the front lens group, Mark (at least mine doesn't). Collimation is done via screws and the ring underneath. Haven't done it myself, but the lens is worth quite a bit, so sending it to John might be worth it.

Thanks for the recommendation, Roland

[buzzardkid]

Hi all,

I found this lens on the internet, eBay sale here:



It's a Bittco Super Vemar and a 100% Komura made lens. I added it to the listing in post #2 of this thread.

[dberger]

It's one of the many rebadged Komura 135/3.5 lenses. I've seen/had/have at least a half-dozen brands of this lens, but the Super Acall and Komura are the most prevalent. This one -- Bittco Super Vemar -- does not show up very often. It is quite a good lens, as the Sonnar-type 135's of the time usually are.

[buzzardkid]

Nina and Thirza

All shot with Leica IIIa (1938) and Kyoei W.Acall 35/3.5 on Kodak E100G slide film