Spiratone 28-105mm f/3.5-4.9

[flatulent1]

Anybody know anything about this lens? I just picked up an absolutely mint copy for a song. Fabulous build quality.

On the front ring is says...
MC SPIRATONE PLURACOAT 3.5-4.9/28-105mm ZOOM Ø67

On the side...
1917409
JAPAN
MACRO 1:4

I'd love to know who made this.

[Rick A]

It was made by whoever was the low bidder at the time. Spiratone brand gear was all contracted out that way. Most of the stuff was decent quality, but I wouldn't call any of it first rate. I owned some Spiratone gear in the late 60's. A good friend owned one of their lenses, it wasn't all that great. If memory serves, it was a 400mm M-42 mount. Several of us in our club tried it out, none were impressed.I will commend the darkroom gear they put out, that all worked very well indeed, as did alot of the general camera accessories. Your zoom may have been built by Asanuma, they were one of the first companies to make zooms.

[flatulent1]

I had a go at shooting with this thing, but the aperture blades would not open after firing. Fiddling around with the aperture lever on the back of the lens showed the same thing, they were extremely sluggish in opening. Blades looked very clean. You just never know.

After 10 minutes of disassembly, I now have a very nice loupe with a Ø67 filter thread!

[elekm]

I guess you were a bit hasty in declaring it to be "absolutely mint."

[flatulent1]

The odd part is, even after all the tiny screws had been removed and the front assembly taken off and the back opened up, I was still unable to get at the aperture blades. Ferget about trying to clean and reassemble it.

[Kiron Kid]

If you're looking for something in the very useful 28-105 range, look into the superb Kiron 28-105 f/3.2-4.5 lens.

[Focus No. 9]

After 10 minutes of disassembly, I now have a very nice loupe with a Ø67 filter thread!

OMG that's scary and funny. ouch.

[John Koehrer]

Carbon on the valves, Carbon on the valves!

If the lube's not visible on the blades then it's most likely on the blade operating ring or the housing for it.
This is the ring that the aperture blades are connected to. Waaay down deep in the nether regions of Hades. I mean your lens.

[Ralph Javins]

Carbon on the valves, Carbon on the valves!

If the lube's not visible on the blades then it's most likely on the blade operating ring or the housing for it.
This is the ring that the aperture blades are connected to. Waaay down deep in the nether regions of Hades. I mean your lens.

Well, John, if that is the problem, then maybe we need some Bardahl to take care of that "Dirty Sludge, Sticky Valves, Gummy Rings, and Blackie Carbon!"