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on Nov 23, 2016 14:56:38 GMT
Posted: Nov 23, 2016 14:56:38 GMT
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on Nov 23, 2016 14:58:09 GMT
Posted: Nov 23, 2016 14:58:09 GMT
FYI, this was 1984.
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on Nov 23, 2016 19:37:39 GMT
Posted: Nov 23, 2016 19:37:39 GMT
Well done on finding that advertisement! You are almost correct about the lens being made by Tomioka as their workers assembled the basic elements of the lenses but the finishing of the manufacturing process was handled by Zeiss personnel.
The lenses definitely were manufactured at the former Tomioka plant, though they were designed in West Germany, but supervision and quality control of the production was not by Tomioka staff but by Carl Zeiss people.
As you know, Tomioka as a brand ceased in 1983 when it was subsumed into Kyocera, before becoming the Kyocera Optec Company at the beginning of the 1990s - that company still exists. The Tomioka plant was used by both Yashica and Carl Zeiss but the lens lines were quite separate and had different tooling and supervisory staff. Zeiss operated as a stand alone facility within the Tomioka/Yashica, later Kyocera, plant. R&D for Zeiss T* lenses was carried out at Oberkochen, including those placed into the legendary Yashica/Kyocera T series cameras.
The T4 and T5 cameras still attract very high prices for a plastic compact because of the reliability of the Yashica electronics and the Zeiss T* glass. Looking at the ad, it's amazing to see how clumsy the external design of the original T is when compared with later models like the T4.
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on Nov 24, 2016 13:26:55 GMT
Posted: Nov 24, 2016 13:26:55 GMT
While there are no T5 cameras listed on EBAY right now, there are several T4 cameras all with bids starting at $200-400. No takers. BUT there are three Kyocera Yashica Microtec Point & Shoot cameras with zoom lenses -- all working with starting bids under $30! That's 1/10th the price. They all look very much like the T4.
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on Nov 27, 2016 4:19:12 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2016 4:19:12 GMT
I'm really happy someone gave me a T4 Super D. Saved me the hassle of trying to get one at a decent price.
PF
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on Nov 27, 2016 11:01:41 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2016 11:01:41 GMT
Well done on finding that advertisement! You are almost correct about the lens being made by Tomioka as their workers assembled the basic elements of the lenses but the finishing of the manufacturing process was handled by Zeiss personnel.
The lenses definitely were manufactured at the former Tomioka plant, though they were designed in West Germany, but supervision and quality control of the production was not by Tomioka staff but by Carl Zeiss people.
As you know, Tomioka as a brand ceased in 1983 when it was subsumed into Kyocera, before becoming the Kyocera Optec Company at the beginning of the 1990s - that company still exists. The Tomioka plant was used by both Yashica and Carl Zeiss but the lens lines were quite separate and had different tooling and supervisory staff. Zeiss operated as a stand alone facility within the Tomioka/Yashica, later Kyocera, plant. R&D for Zeiss T* lenses was carried out at Oberkochen, including those placed into the legendary Yashica/Kyocera T series cameras.
The T4 and T5 cameras still attract very high prices for a plastic compact because of the reliability of the Yashica electronics and the Zeiss T* glass. Looking at the ad, it's amazing to see how clumsy the external design of the original T is when compared with later models like the T4.
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on Nov 27, 2016 11:15:26 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2016 11:15:26 GMT
This reminds me of my experience back in the 1970's. Minolta had come out with their incredible 80-200mm f4.5 one-touch zoom. The list price was $400. I managed to get one. It now sells on EBAY for about $40 -- one tenth the original MSRP.
Leica liked the lens so much that they decided to buy it, put on a Leica SLR mount, and sell it for $1,200. Same, exact lens. It was rebadged as "Leica", but it was still stamped "LENS MADE IN JAPAN". Leica did the same thing with many other Minolta lenses such as the 16mm fisheye, the amazing 24mm f2.8, and several others. But in reality, all the Leica buyers (AKA, idiots/fools) paid for was Minolta quailty and German "quality control".
The same thing was going on with Tomioka and Zeiss. What does "finishing of the manufacturing process was handled by Zeiss personnel." mean? From what I have read, over time, Zeiss had Tomioka handle more and more of the entire process. Who made the glass? Germans? I seriously doubt it! Who assembled the lenses? Germans? I seriously doubt it! There might have actually been a German "working" in the plant, but I suspect he spent most of his time on "coffee breaks".
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on Nov 27, 2016 13:19:08 GMT
Last Edit: Nov 27, 2016 13:19:46 GMT by biggles3
An amusing thought - the idea of a German supervisor suffering from the English working disease - too many coffee/tea breaks....
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