[maverick75]

Anyone use one of these before? The one from the 70s/80s?

I just got my Olympus OM2 back from a friend and I'm itching to use it again. Dont have any wide angles but I saw this lens pop up for sale.


Can't find sample photos with it in the archives.

I see it's also available in Pentax K and Canon FD mount so hoping someone here has used it before.

Thank you!

PS it appears the lens was made in Japan, so it's not just a samyang rebrand. Maybe Tomioka/Ricoh?

[Lhorn]

I'd be interested to hear reviews as well. I have one handed down to me a year ago or so by my Dad who I believe purchased it new. I've taken some shots with it and am nothing more than a novice but was not horribly impressed with it. I thought I looked at some reviews and remember them as being not impressive as well. My results could have been user issues (me), cheap film, self developing, self scanning, etc. I did recently buy a MFT body and will get an adapter so I can assess this lens and others a bit easier.

[maverick75]

I just looked up some or Flickr and was disappointed, but it was also on lackluster films and bodies.

I've had great results with the Tomioka made sears 28mm, but I can't find one in OM mount.


The best 28mm I had was this random rebrand "promura", I've still yet to discover who made that lens but it was amazing. Wish I never sold it.

[Gorgarath]

I almost just bought one of these. I got outbid by 50 cents in the last couple hours, but I was rather relieved about it as I had a forum member offer to send me a different 28mm. Let us know how it turns out.

[ChristianRock]

Some of those Rokinons were Tokina RMC rebadges... I had a 24mm f2.8 and that was a Tokina for sure. It really depends on who made the lens. Rokinon was never a manufacturer as far as I know.

[UMC]

The history of Rokinon is quite unclear. I spent significant time searching various internet resources, but there is no solid evidence.

While Rokinon today solely refers to rebadged Samyang lenses, there may have been a time, when a presumably Japanese company called "Rokina Optical Company" existed. On the other hand a registered US trademark for the name "Rokinon" existed between the early 80ies until 2002 and was held by a company called "Rokina International".

However, I know of roughly 2 dozens of different 28/2.8 lenses all labeled "Rokinon":

Auto Macro Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [KA], "Japan", 4 knobs rubber, very wide aperture ring

Auto Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [KA], "Made in Japan", 3 rectangular knobs rubber

Auto Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [KAR], "Made in Japan", 3 rectangular knobs rubber
Auto Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [KAR], "Lens made in Korea", 3 knobs rubber

MC Auto Macro Rokinon 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "???", 3 knobs rubber
MC Auto Macro Rokinon 1:2.8 f=28mm [KA], "Lens made in Japan", 6 knobs rubber, very wide aperture ring
MC Rokinon Wide-Auto F:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 3 knobs rubber
MC Rokinon Wide-Auto F:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan (?)", 3 rectangular knobs rubber
Rokinon 1:2.8 28mm MC [K], "Lens made in Japan", 2 vertical rectangular knobs rubber, shape of lens suggests Cosina origin

Rokinon 1:2.8 28mm MC [K], "Lens made in Japan", long vertical rectangular knobs rubber, shape of lens suggests Cosina origin

Rokinon Auto MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan (?)", 3.5 knobs rubber, inscription around top end of barrel
Rokinon Auto MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 4 rectangular knobs rubber, inscription around top end of barrel
Rokinon Auto SC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 4.5 knobs rubber
Rokinon Automatic 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 6 knobs rubber
Rokinon Automatic Wide MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 5.5 knobs rubber
Rokinon M.C 1:2.8 f=28 [K], "Korea", 6 knobs rubber, white engraving on aperture ring


Rokinon M.C 1:2.8 f=28 [K], "Korea", 6 knobs rubber, green engraving on aperture ring
Rokinon M.C 1.2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Korea", 6 knobs rubber
Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 4 knobs rubber
Rokinon MC 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 4 knobs rubber, different aperture ring
Rokinon MC Auto1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Japan (?)", 4 knobs rubber
Rokinon MC Automatic 1:2.8 f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Korea", 3 knobs rubber (looks identical to Sears 202.736890)

Rokinon MC Automatic 1:2.8 f=28mm [KAR], "Lens made in Korea", 3 knobs rubber (looks identical to Sears 202.7368000)

Rokinon Wide-Auto 1:2.8 f=28mm [KAR?], "???", 4 rectangular knobs rubber
Rokinon Wide-Auto 1:2.8 MC f=28mm [K], "Lens made in Japan", 3 knobs rubber

Bottom line: These 25 lenses most likely were made by multiple manufacturers, the question "how good is a Rokinon 28 f2.8" is impossible to answer.


As for the history of Rokina / Rokinon: I tend to believe that indeed there was at least a US company called Rokina which sold rebadged OEM stuff from Japan and Korea. I doubt that 40 years ago Samyang, as the first Korean lens producer, would have rebadged Japanese lenses. There even may have been a Japanese producer of lenses also called Rokina. The only thing we know for sure, is today Samyang holds and uses the Rokinon brand for their actual portfolio.

[maverick75]

I ended up going with a Tokina 35mm 2.8 instead, it was the same price and had good reviews on here.


One question though, it is advertised as a T mount lens in M42.

So could I replace the M42 mount with a OM T mount to convert it?

I Have M42 cameras in case I can't.