Why no love for Mamiya Sekor?

Shamwow · 02-09-2009, 12:53 PM

A while ago, I bought a Mamiya/Sekor 55mm 1.4 thinking it was one of those Tomioko lenses. When I received it, I was dissapointed to find out it wasn't. But, after I started shooting with it, it has turned into my favorite lens. It is sharper than my 50/1.4 S-M-C Tak wide open (not so stopped down a bit, but picks up again at around f/8), has better color rendition than my Sears Tomioko, and I actually like the feel and construction better than the rest of my 50's. My only complaint is it is quite large for a 55, especially compared to my super sharp Tak 55/1.8's.

The lens came in a lot with a Mamiya/Sekor 135mm 2.8, and this is a fabulous lens also. While I have no other 135mm primes to compare it to, I am consistently amazed by the shots. For candid portraits, my subjects seem to jump off the page. Also, it has great contrast and the colors seem to really pop.

I think these lenses appear to be the same as the Rolleinar MC and Voigtlander Color Ultron lenses. Does anybody know more about this?

Does anybody else have any similar experiences with Mamiya/Sekor? Does anybody have any complaints? Did I just get two unusually good copies?

Why don't these lenses get any hype? I see them selling on eBay for super cheap and can't figure out why (I hope this post doesn't drive up the prices, because I am looking to pick up some more).

ryan s · 02-09-2009, 01:20 PM

The Sears 55/1.4 is a Rikenon design (someone is selling one here that actually says that on the name ring...the first I've seen).

The 135/2.8 is also a Ricoh rebadge, seen commonly as Sears branded, once again. Ask any of us with Sears lenses...they're highly recommended...

Don't M/S lenses have a pin that sticks out in the back, preventing it from seating all the way down except on SX mount cameras? Something like that...preventing 100% ease of use...

Wheatfield · 02-09-2009, 02:10 PM

Originally posted by ryan s

The Sears 55/1.4 is a Rikenon design (someone is selling one here that actually says that on the name ring...the first I've seen).

The 135/2.8 is also a Ricoh rebadge, seen commonly as Sears branded, once again. Ask any of us with Sears lenses...they're highly recommended...

Don't M/S lenses have a pin that sticks out in the back, preventing it from seating all the way down except on SX mount cameras? Something like that...preventing 100% ease of use...

Years ago I had a customer come into the store with a Mamiya lens stuck to his camera because of that pin. I'm not sure what it had dropped into, but it had done a wonderful job of jamming the lens to the camera.

Blue · 02-09-2009, 02:51 PM

Mamiya Sekor lens are generally pretty good. Good enough so that at one time Rollei had contracted them to make their 35mm lenses. As far as sears Mamiya lenses go, they usually will have Sear/Sekor on the lens instead of Mamiya/Sekor on the lens. This holds true for m42, CS and ZE Mamiya 35mm lenses. I have some examples at home I can post later of m42 and CS mount.

Edit: The point is that the Sears badged Mamiyas still have Sekor on there!

Last edited by Blue; 02-09-2009 at 09:19 PM. Reason: spelling

Blue · 02-09-2009, 08:35 PM

Here is my Sears/Sekor SX 28mm f2.8 lens on my Spot F.

Blue · 02-09-2009, 09:36 PM

The extra pin on the back of the SX series of m42 Sekor lens transmits the f-stop to the camera. Other makers including Pentax, Fujica, and the Olympus FTL, had the same idea (Fujica, Olympus FTL, Pentax), but are not compatible with Mamiya. I have only heard of this being a problem with the Pracktica screw mount cameras. As already mentioned, it could be as problematic as the Ricoh pin on our dSLR and film auto-focus bodies. The ricoh pin is even on their version of the K mount.

ryan s · 02-10-2009, 10:48 AM

Could you post a pic of the mount?

My Fujica has a little square on the very outside of the aperture ring. It was a pain to use on my EOS since it had to be unscrewed a little to change the aperture...

richard64 · 02-10-2009, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

Years ago I had a customer come into the store with a Mamiya lens stuck to his camera because of that pin. I'm not sure what it had dropped into, but it had done a wonderful job of jamming the lens to the camera.

That raises the question: was it possible to unjam the lens from the camera, and if so, how?

Richard

**Just1MoreDave** · 02-10-2009, 12:01 PM

Here is mine, with my Rikenon as well. Mine is not an SX, so nothing odd about mounting or use. The coating is different but I always assumed these were made by Tomioka too. They weigh the same.

winglik · 02-10-2009, 12:40 PM

I have the Sears 55mm f1.4, version. I love it more than the Takumar 50mm f1.4 or any other 50-55mm lenses. It's a bigger and heavier, but an issue for me. and for it's price worth every cents.

ryan s · 02-10-2009, 01:03 PM

Huh...

My Sears has the amber color cast synonymous with single coating...while your Rikenon has a blue cast. Our 2 lenses are identical on the outside, but below the aperture ring, mine is black.

Hmmmmmmmm...

Blue · 02-10-2009, 01:26 PM

Originally posted by ryan s

Could you post a pic of the mount?

My Fujica has a little square on the very outside of the aperture ring. It was a pain to use on my EOS since it had to be unscrewed a little to change the aperture...

I will when I get home. I don't have any problem using it on the Spot F. I haven't verified its use on the k200d or k20d. That pin is only useful when the lens is used with the sx series mamiya bodies.

Blue · 02-10-2009, 01:40 PM

As far as the Rikenon goes, Ricoh made some of their own lenses and contracted some. However, Mamiya made all of their own lenses as well as lenses for Rollei, Nikon (Nikkorex F) etc. I don't know if they made any for Ricoh or not. However, some of sears lens marked Sears were made by Chinon as well as Ricoh. For example, Chinon made some of the Revuenon lenses. The Nikkorex I mentioned would only work on the Nikon Nikkorex F bodies due to a unique mount. The Nikkorex lenses that were made by Mamiya had Sekor on them.

The SX series lenses were built for other companies like Rollei and Voighlander from 1976 to ~ 1983 or 84. The mamiya 35mm slr homepage

Quote:

AUTO Mamiya/Sekor SX lenses on other cameras. From 1976 to the early eighties Mamiya produced lenses for some german Rollei/Voigtländer cameras. Those lenses had the Rollei QBM-bajonet mount and had been a low-budget-series in opposite to the much more expensive Zeiss lenses. They were sold as Rolleinar-MC or Voigtländer AR, the following table shows the lenses with the Voigtländer designation, the picture a Rolleinar-MC 2.8/35 - by Mamiya.
Some cameras with QBM-mount:
Rollei Rolleiflex SL 35 E, Rolleiflex SL 35 SE.

Voigtländer VSL 1 BM, VSL 2, VSL 2 automatic and VSL 3-E. Color-F-Skoparex AR 3.5/14mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/85mm Color-Skoparex AR 4/21mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/105mm Color-Skoparex AR 2.8/28mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/135mm Color-Skoparex AR 2.8/35mmColor-Dynarex AR 3.5/200mm Color-Ultron AR 1.4/55mm

The bottom line is that the Rikenon 55 f1.4 m42 or Sears 55 f1.4 m42 was made by either Chinon or Mamiya. It is interesting that Sears had a deal with Ricoh for these lenses! I guess that's why the sx versions of these lenses came from mamiya and had Sears/Sekor on them! It is even possible that Ricoh made a few of them but I doubt it. Tokina may have made some of them as well.

Nick Siebers · 02-10-2009, 01:49 PM

I have a 58mm Mamyia f/1.7 M42 prime that I like a lot. It has an A/M switch, which i guess some Mamiya lenses did not have.

Blue · 02-10-2009, 02:46 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Nick Siebers

I have a 58mm Mamyia f/1.7 M42 prime that I like a lot. It has an A/M switch, which i guess some Mamiya lenses did not have.

The TL and DTL series had them.

02-09-2009, 12:53 PM	#1
Shamwow Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: LA Posts: 90	Why no love for Mamiya Sekor? A while ago, I bought a Mamiya/Sekor 55mm 1.4 thinking it was one of those Tomioko lenses. When I received it, I was dissapointed to find out it wasn't. But, after I started shooting with it, it has turned into my favorite lens. It is sharper than my 50/1.4 S-M-C Tak wide open (not so stopped down a bit, but picks up again at around f/8), has better color rendition than my Sears Tomioko, and I actually like the feel and construction better than the rest of my 50's. My only complaint is it is quite large for a 55, especially compared to my super sharp Tak 55/1.8's. The lens came in a lot with a Mamiya/Sekor 135mm 2.8, and this is a fabulous lens also. While I have no other 135mm primes to compare it to, I am consistently amazed by the shots. For candid portraits, my subjects seem to jump off the page. Also, it has great contrast and the colors seem to really pop. I think these lenses appear to be the same as the Rolleinar MC and Voigtlander Color Ultron lenses. Does anybody know more about this? Does anybody else have any similar experiences with Mamiya/Sekor? Does anybody have any complaints? Did I just get two unusually good copies? Why don't these lenses get any hype? I see them selling on eBay for super cheap and can't figure out why (I hope this post doesn't drive up the prices, because I am looking to pick up some more).

02-10-2009, 01:40 PM	#13
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	As far as the Rikenon goes, Ricoh made some of their own lenses and contracted some. However, Mamiya made all of their own lenses as well as lenses for Rollei, Nikon (Nikkorex F) etc. I don't know if they made any for Ricoh or not. However, some of sears lens marked Sears were made by Chinon as well as Ricoh. For example, Chinon made some of the Revuenon lenses. The Nikkorex I mentioned would only work on the Nikon Nikkorex F bodies due to a unique mount. The Nikkorex lenses that were made by Mamiya had Sekor on them. The SX series lenses were built for other companies like Rollei and Voighlander from 1976 to ~ 1983 or 84. The mamiya 35mm slr homepage Quote: AUTO Mamiya/Sekor SX lenses on other cameras. From 1976 to the early eighties Mamiya produced lenses for some german Rollei/Voigtländer cameras. Those lenses had the Rollei QBM-bajonet mount and had been a low-budget-series in opposite to the much more expensive Zeiss lenses. They were sold as Rolleinar-MC or Voigtländer AR, the following table shows the lenses with the Voigtländer designation, the picture a Rolleinar-MC 2.8/35 - by Mamiya. Some cameras with QBM-mount: Rollei Rolleiflex SL 35 E, Rolleiflex SL 35 SE. Voigtländer VSL 1 BM, VSL 2, VSL 2 automatic and VSL 3-E. Color-F-Skoparex AR 3.5/14mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/85mm Color-Skoparex AR 4/21mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/105mm Color-Skoparex AR 2.8/28mmColor-Dynarex AR 2.8/135mm Color-Skoparex AR 2.8/35mmColor-Dynarex AR 3.5/200mm Color-Ultron AR 1.4/55mm The bottom line is that the Rikenon 55 f1.4 m42 or Sears 55 f1.4 m42 was made by either Chinon or Mamiya. It is interesting that Sears had a deal with Ricoh for these lenses! I guess that's why the sx versions of these lenses came from mamiya and had Sears/Sekor on them! It is even possible that Ricoh made a few of them but I doubt it. Tokina may have made some of them as well. Last edited by Blue; 02-10-2009 at 01:57 PM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Does Mamiya/Sekor 50mm f1.2 really exist?	ducdao	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	27	04-24-2018 01:33 AM
problem with mamiya/sekor on spottie F?	ragamuffin1171	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	4	05-24-2010 04:10 PM
New Arrivals: Mamiya/Sekor 55/1.8 (Third of three)	stevebrot	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	2	03-01-2009 10:42 PM
Mamiya/Sekor M42 lenses	frederik9111	Pentax SLR Lens Discussion	8	03-23-2008 02:42 PM

02-09-2009, 01:20 PM	#2
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	The Sears 55/1.4 is a Rikenon design (someone is selling one here that actually says that on the name ring...the first I've seen). The 135/2.8 is also a Ricoh rebadge, seen commonly as Sears branded, once again. Ask any of us with Sears lenses...they're highly recommended... Don't M/S lenses have a pin that sticks out in the back, preventing it from seating all the way down except on SX mount cameras? Something like that...preventing 100% ease of use...

02-09-2009, 02:10 PM	#3
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Originally posted by ryan s The Sears 55/1.4 is a Rikenon design (someone is selling one here that actually says that on the name ring...the first I've seen). The 135/2.8 is also a Ricoh rebadge, seen commonly as Sears branded, once again. Ask any of us with Sears lenses...they're highly recommended... Don't M/S lenses have a pin that sticks out in the back, preventing it from seating all the way down except on SX mount cameras? Something like that...preventing 100% ease of use... Years ago I had a customer come into the store with a Mamiya lens stuck to his camera because of that pin. I'm not sure what it had dropped into, but it had done a wonderful job of jamming the lens to the camera.

02-09-2009, 02:51 PM	#4
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Mamiya Sekor lens are generally pretty good. Good enough so that at one time Rollei had contracted them to make their 35mm lenses. As far as sears Mamiya lenses go, they usually will have Sear/Sekor on the lens instead of Mamiya/Sekor on the lens. This holds true for m42, CS and ZE Mamiya 35mm lenses. I have some examples at home I can post later of m42 and CS mount. Edit: The point is that the Sears badged Mamiyas still have Sekor on there! Last edited by Blue; 02-09-2009 at 09:19 PM. Reason: spelling

02-09-2009, 08:35 PM	#5
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Here is my Sears/Sekor SX 28mm f2.8 lens on my Spot F.

02-09-2009, 09:36 PM	#6
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	The extra pin on the back of the SX series of m42 Sekor lens transmits the f-stop to the camera. Other makers including Pentax, Fujica, and the Olympus FTL, had the same idea (Fujica, Olympus FTL, Pentax), but are not compatible with Mamiya. I have only heard of this being a problem with the Pracktica screw mount cameras. As already mentioned, it could be as problematic as the Ricoh pin on our dSLR and film auto-focus bodies. The ricoh pin is even on their version of the K mount.

02-10-2009, 10:48 AM	#7
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	Could you post a pic of the mount? My Fujica has a little square on the very outside of the aperture ring. It was a pain to use on my EOS since it had to be unscrewed a little to change the aperture...

02-10-2009, 10:57 AM	#8
richard64 Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: England Posts: 309	Originally posted by Wheatfield Years ago I had a customer come into the store with a Mamiya lens stuck to his camera because of that pin. I'm not sure what it had dropped into, but it had done a wonderful job of jamming the lens to the camera. That raises the question: was it possible to unjam the lens from the camera, and if so, how? Richard

02-10-2009, 12:01 PM	#9
Just1MoreDave Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Aurora, CO Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,340	Here is mine, with my Rikenon as well. Mine is not an SX, so nothing odd about mounting or use. The coating is different but I always assumed these were made by Tomioka too. They weigh the same.

02-10-2009, 12:40 PM	#10
winglik Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: NYC Posts: 258	I have the Sears 55mm f1.4, version. I love it more than the Takumar 50mm f1.4 or any other 50-55mm lenses. It's a bigger and heavier, but an issue for me. and for it's price worth every cents.

02-10-2009, 01:03 PM	#11
ryan s Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,383	Huh... My Sears has the amber color cast synonymous with single coating...while your Rikenon has a blue cast. Our 2 lenses are identical on the outside, but below the aperture ring, mine is black. Hmmmmmmmm...

02-10-2009, 01:26 PM	#12
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by ryan s Could you post a pic of the mount? My Fujica has a little square on the very outside of the aperture ring. It was a pain to use on my EOS since it had to be unscrewed a little to change the aperture... I will when I get home. I don't have any problem using it on the Spot F. I haven't verified its use on the k200d or k20d. That pin is only useful when the lens is used with the sx series mamiya bodies.

02-10-2009, 01:49 PM	#14
Nick Siebers Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Madison, WI Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,165	I have a 58mm Mamyia f/1.7 M42 prime that I like a lot. It has an A/M switch, which i guess some Mamiya lenses did not have.

02-10-2009, 02:46 PM - 1 Like	#15
Blue Moderator Site Supporter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Florida Hill Country Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,377	Originally posted by Nick Siebers I have a 58mm Mamyia f/1.7 M42 prime that I like a lot. It has an A/M switch, which i guess some Mamiya lenses did not have. The TL and DTL series had them.