kino lenses

[dynachrome]

There were four Minolta bellows lenses in the last series (Rokkor-X) and an earlier 100/4 with a different optical formula. The 12.5 and 25 are seldom seen. I bought the 12.5 years ago at a camera show for $50. The seller probably did not know what it was used for. The 100 came from an ebay seller. The 50 came from a store in Metuchen, NJ and the 25 was purchased directly from Minolta when they had their headquarters in Ramsey NJ. There were two on display. After making sure no dealers had one and after reading my letter requesting an exception to their policy, they sold me the lens for a steep price. If you are not a collector then I suggest you consider some other "micro" lenses as possibilities too. Canon made 20mm and 35mm lenses. They are in RMS mount and would require adapters for use with popular camera mounts. Olympus made 20mm and 38mm lenses in RMS mount and than made different versions in these same focal lengths but in OM mount and with auto diaphragms. In addition to these, Olympus made 80mm and 135mm bellows macro lenses in OM mount. They are optimized for different magnifications and are supposed to be very good. Nikon made a set of Macro Nikkors for the Multiphot in 19mm, 35mm, 65mm and 120mm focal lengths. The 19 amd 35, if I remember correctly, are in RMS mount, the 120 is in Leica 39mm mount and I don't remember what mount the 65 has. I think it's also Leica 39mm. Many of the things you can do with the 12.5 and the 25 can be done with reversed wide angles, reversed cine lenses and enlarging lenses. I recommend a used copy of The Manual Of Close-Up Photography by Lester Lefkowitz. These can easily be found on internet websites specializing in used books. The book explains all of these possibilities and is an excellent reference for close-up and macro photography, however these are defined.

The usual sources for finding this equipment include eBay, KEH, B&H, Adorama, Woodmere camera, Henry's, Central Camera, Midwest Photo Exchange and some other advertisers in Shutterbug and Popular Photography.

[Q.G.]

Very, very good micro lenses, in RMS mount, not mentioned above, and that do pop up for sale regularly, are the Zeiss Luminars.

[dynachrome]

The Zeiss Luminars were mentioned. The reference appears on the previous page and was made in 2008.

[Q.G.]

Not necessarily.
Some true, and real, and veritable macro lenses come in a focussing mount.

As Dynachrome wrote only three posts up:

Olympus made 20mm and 38mm lenses in RMS mount and than made different versions in these same focal lengths but in OM mount and with auto diaphragms. In addition to these, Olympus made 80mm and 135mm bellows macro lenses in OM mount. They are [...]

[Anscojohn]

Very, very good micro lenses, in RMS mount, not mentioned above, and that do pop up for sale regularly, are the Zeiss Luminars.

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What means RMS?

[Dan Fromm]

Root Mean Square.

Use Google, search for Royal Microscopical Society.

[Q.G.]

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What means RMS?

You mean you don't know about the Royal screw?
RMS = Royal Microscopical Society. RMS mount is the screw mount they preferred and turned into 'the standard'.

[dynachrome]

The 20mm and 38mm Zuikos which were made with auto diaphragms and in OM mount still did not have their own focusing helicoids. There seems to be some misunderstanding concerning Kino Precision, the maker of Kiron lenses and Vivitar. Some Vivitar lenses were made by Kino and some weren't. The 55/2.8 macro and 90/2.8 macro Vivitars were made by Komine (28XXX...). The 90/2.5 Series 1 was made by Tokina (37XXX...). I read that there were prototypes of this lens made by Kino and with the 22XXX... serial number but haven't seen any of them or even photos of them. They may have been sold outside of the U.S. The 100/2.8 and 105/2.5 Series one Vivitars were made by Kino (22XXX...). Vivitar may have used some poetic license with the marked f/stop on the 105. The only one of these I don't have is the 105 Series 1.