The Off-Brand Club!!

Oldschool · 07-06-2008, 10:28 AM

Here's one from my Samigon 28mm f2.8

ftpaddict · 07-06-2008, 11:10 AM

Originally posted by Blue

No mate, it was for off-brand lenses. Tamron, Sigma and Tokina are major 3rd party manufacturers.

I originally though off-brand lenses were anything not made by PentaCanikolympusony

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 12:17 PM

Originally posted by ftpaddict

I originally though off-brand lenses were anything not made by PentaCanikolympusony

That is a reasonable assumption. Sorry for the confusion.

In the US, the term off-brand means a minor brand or a brand that is re-labeled for a particular store. For example, Ricoh (a minor brand for most of its history) was sold under the Sears name at the Sears store and under the Focal name at the K-mart store. Rikenon, Sears, and Focal are all considered off-brands. Some lenses are considered off-brand just because they were made in limited quantities and/or were not widely sold outside their home markets. Often the off-brand lenses are quite good as you can see from some of the examples posted on this thread.

The cool thing about the off-brand lenses is that aside from the various collectibles (Revuenon, for example), they can often be purchased for very little money and represent the potential for a lot of fun and experimentation.

Steve

forensicscientist · 07-06-2008, 02:27 PM

Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html

Mark

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 02:46 PM

Originally posted by forensicscientist

Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html

Mark

A Promaster/Tamron connection was always my understanding though a Promaster/Pentax connection as well might not be out of the question. On the other hand, the Exif data might be a little suspect. I have a Sigma 50/2.8 Macro that codes in the Exif as a Pentax D FA 50/2.8 Macro. That would be a happy surprise if it were so, but alas the fairies did not transform my Sigma during the night.

Your Maine shots are pretty incredible, by the way. Looks like you made an excellent purchase!

Steve

Zewrak · 07-06-2008, 02:50 PM

The Exif data is wrong. They just happen to have the same ID as the Pentax lenses I am sure.

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 03:12 PM

Originally posted by forensicscientist

Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html

Mark

A little more regarding the Pentax-FA 28-105/4-5.6 (IF). According to this site's Pentax lens review database (click here), the Pentax lens was made by Tamron. So the most likely answer is that both lenses were manufactured by Tamron and rebadged as was appropriate. The Exif is a correct from the perspective of what lens was on the camera, though the brand label was a case of mistaken identity.

Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 07-06-2008 at 03:18 PM.

maxwell1295 · 07-06-2008, 08:46 PM

Kitstar 28mm/F2.8

Plenty sharp wide open

Very sharp at F5.6 and better

100% crop

stevebrot · 07-06-2008, 09:01 PM

Originally posted by maxwell1295

Kitstar 28mm/F2.8

Out curiosity, does your Kitstar resemble Miserere's Toyo?

If I remember correctly, Kitstar was a house brand for Kits Camera before they were purchased by Ritz.

Steve

dantuyhoa · 07-06-2008, 11:24 PM

I have some el cheapo DOT close up filters ( +1, +2 and +4 ) . Does it count if I put it on a Pentax lens ? I tried them on FA50/1.4 which is not " cheap" but not too much expensive either .

The Focal 90-410/4 does not have a filter thread ! M42 in my case .

ftpaddict · 07-07-2008, 12:48 AM

Industar 50-2 50mm f/3.5 mounted on a Zenit-E. Doesn't get much quirkier than that!

maxwell1295 · 07-07-2008, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by stevebrot

Out curiosity, does your Kitstar resemble Miserere's Toyo?

If I remember correctly, Kitstar was a house brand for Kits Camera before they were purchased by Ritz.

Steve

It's a M42 lens.....I think the Toyo is a K-Mount. It doesn't have macro markings on it, but it focuses a lot closer than my 24mm Sigma Super Wide Macro did. Lowest marking is 0.3m and it focuses inside of that.

A few more images....no sharpening added. Just some cropping, saturation, contrast, levels/curves, and resize.

@f2.8

@f4

@f8

Big Dave · 07-07-2008, 11:08 AM

Steve,
The build quality of my Soligor lenses is very good and equal to Pentax M42 in this respect. The IQ varies according to who made the lens for Soligor and the original cost. My 70-220mm f3.5 C/D zoom is a good performer, although heavy at 3lbs. It does have a tripod mount and is all internal for focusing and zooming. I have a couple 35mm f2.8, T4 lenses that are decent, but they aren't the cheapest Soligors either. It is easy to trash a lens, but you should try one first.

Dave

Originally posted by stevebrot

I have wondered why there is very little Soligor glass on the used market now. Maybe they all fell apart? Strangely though, back in the late 60's and early 70's, Soligor was a major player in the 3rd-party lens market second to Vivitar. Apparently they had good marketing and/or pricing.

maxwell1295 · 07-07-2008, 11:30 AM

Like Vivitar, Soligor made some good lenses and some bad ones. It all depended on who the original manufacturer was. I had a Soligor 24mm/2.8 lens that was of very high quality. Built like a tank and produced some pretty good images. I just didn't like metering with it, so I ended up letting it go. I much prefer "A" lenses or M42 lenses that can be used in Av mode.

Nesster · 07-07-2008, 11:32 AM

Yashinon 35/2.8 (screw mount)

Vivitar TX 28/2.5 Close Focus:

OK so Yashinon and Vivitar aren't exactly unknown brands, but these particular lenses aren't well known at all.

07-06-2008, 10:28 AM	#31
Oldschool Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,278	Samigon 28mm Here's one from my Samigon 28mm f2.8

07-06-2008, 02:46 PM	#35
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007 Original Poster	Originally posted by forensicscientist Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html Mark A Promaster/Tamron connection was always my understanding though a Promaster/Pentax connection as well might not be out of the question. On the other hand, the Exif data might be a little suspect. I have a Sigma 50/2.8 Macro that codes in the Exif as a Pentax D FA 50/2.8 Macro. That would be a happy surprise if it were so, but alas the fairies did not transform my Sigma during the night. Your Maine shots are pretty incredible, by the way. Looks like you made an excellent purchase! Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 07-06-2008 at 02:51 PM.

07-07-2008, 10:57 AM	#42
maxwell1295 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,703	Originally posted by stevebrot Out curiosity, does your Kitstar resemble Miserere's Toyo? If I remember correctly, Kitstar was a house brand for Kits Camera before they were purchased by Ritz. Steve It's a M42 lens.....I think the Toyo is a K-Mount. It doesn't have macro markings on it, but it focuses a lot closer than my 24mm Sigma Super Wide Macro did. Lowest marking is 0.3m and it focuses inside of that. A few more images....no sharpening added. Just some cropping, saturation, contrast, levels/curves, and resize. @f2.8 @f4 @f8 Last edited by maxwell1295; 07-07-2008 at 11:30 AM.

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07-06-2008, 11:10 AM	#32
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	Originally posted by Blue No mate, it was for off-brand lenses. Tamron, Sigma and Tokina are major 3rd party manufacturers. I originally though off-brand lenses were anything not made by PentaCanikolympusony

07-06-2008, 12:17 PM	#33
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007 Original Poster	Originally posted by ftpaddict I originally though off-brand lenses were anything not made by PentaCanikolympusony That is a reasonable assumption. Sorry for the confusion. In the US, the term off-brand means a minor brand or a brand that is re-labeled for a particular store. For example, Ricoh (a minor brand for most of its history) was sold under the Sears name at the Sears store and under the Focal name at the K-mart store. Rikenon, Sears, and Focal are all considered off-brands. Some lenses are considered off-brand just because they were made in limited quantities and/or were not widely sold outside their home markets. Often the off-brand lenses are quite good as you can see from some of the examples posted on this thread. The cool thing about the off-brand lenses is that aside from the various collectibles (Revuenon, for example), they can often be purchased for very little money and represent the potential for a lot of fun and experimentation. Steve

07-06-2008, 02:27 PM	#34
forensicscientist Pentaxian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: DFW Texas and Michigan - I commute :) Posts: 1,012	Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html Mark

07-06-2008, 02:50 PM	#36
Zewrak Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nowhere, Sweden Photos: Gallery Posts: 654	The Exif data is wrong. They just happen to have the same ID as the Pentax lenses I am sure.

07-06-2008, 03:12 PM	#37
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007 Original Poster	Originally posted by forensicscientist Let me add an interesting "tid-bit" regarding Promaster......I picked up one recently for a beach vacation. Didn't want to take my nice glass. Looking over my Exif data, it shows the promaster 28-105mm zoom as "SMC Pentax-FA 28-105mm F 4-5.6 (IF)" Interesting as I always thought promaster was supposed to be re-branded Tamron. Oddly enough, the lense still produced some nice shots that I posted elsewhere on this forum. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/post-your-photos/30688-maine.html Mark A little more regarding the Pentax-FA 28-105/4-5.6 (IF). According to this site's Pentax lens review database (click here), the Pentax lens was made by Tamron. So the most likely answer is that both lenses were manufactured by Tamron and rebadged as was appropriate. The Exif is a correct from the perspective of what lens was on the camera, though the brand label was a case of mistaken identity. Steve Last edited by stevebrot; 07-06-2008 at 03:18 PM.

07-06-2008, 08:46 PM	#38
maxwell1295 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,703	Kitstar 28mm/F2.8 Plenty sharp wide open Very sharp at F5.6 and better 100% crop

07-06-2008, 09:01 PM	#39
stevebrot Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Vancouver (USA) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 42,007 Original Poster	Originally posted by maxwell1295 Kitstar 28mm/F2.8 Out curiosity, does your Kitstar resemble Miserere's Toyo? If I remember correctly, Kitstar was a house brand for Kits Camera before they were purchased by Ritz. Steve

07-06-2008, 11:24 PM	#40
dantuyhoa Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: California Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,245	I have some el cheapo DOT close up filters ( +1, +2 and +4 ) . Does it count if I put it on a Pentax lens ? I tried them on FA50/1.4 which is not " cheap" but not too much expensive either . The Focal 90-410/4 does not have a filter thread ! M42 in my case .

07-07-2008, 12:48 AM	#41
ftpaddict Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Yurp Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,666	Industar 50-2 50mm f/3.5 mounted on a Zenit-E. Doesn't get much quirkier than that!

07-07-2008, 11:08 AM	#43
Big Dave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Photos: Gallery Posts: 547	Steve, The build quality of my Soligor lenses is very good and equal to Pentax M42 in this respect. The IQ varies according to who made the lens for Soligor and the original cost. My 70-220mm f3.5 C/D zoom is a good performer, although heavy at 3lbs. It does have a tripod mount and is all internal for focusing and zooming. I have a couple 35mm f2.8, T4 lenses that are decent, but they aren't the cheapest Soligors either. It is easy to trash a lens, but you should try one first. Dave Originally posted by stevebrot I have wondered why there is very little Soligor glass on the used market now. Maybe they all fell apart? Strangely though, back in the late 60's and early 70's, Soligor was a major player in the 3rd-party lens market second to Vivitar. Apparently they had good marketing and/or pricing.

07-07-2008, 11:30 AM	#44
maxwell1295 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Long Island, New York Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,703	Like Vivitar, Soligor made some good lenses and some bad ones. It all depended on who the original manufacturer was. I had a Soligor 24mm/2.8 lens that was of very high quality. Built like a tank and produced some pretty good images. I just didn't like metering with it, so I ended up letting it go. I much prefer "A" lenses or M42 lenses that can be used in Av mode.

07-07-2008, 11:32 AM	#45
Nesster Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NJ USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 13,072	Yashinon 35/2.8 (screw mount) Vivitar TX 28/2.5 Close Focus: OK so Yashinon and Vivitar aren't exactly unknown brands, but these particular lenses aren't well known at all.