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on Jan 8, 2017 23:34:40 GMT
Posted: Jan 8, 2017 23:34:40 GMT
Yesterday i noticed a very delightful picture in a facebook group for manual lens photos.
It was shot on Sony a6000 with 35-70 koboron lens.
I had never heard from koboron lenses before. The photographer described it as cheap, unfamous but very sharp.
Could it possible be produced for asian market only? Of is any one familiar with these unknown lenses?
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Jan 9, 2017 0:06:22 GMT
Posted: Jan 9, 2017 0:06:22 GMT
Koboron lenses have been around for decades - yet another Japanese manufacturer. They made lenses under their own name but also for Minolta, Sony and Nikon; they also produced some for Vivitar. They were sold widely in Asia and the USA and were available in Europe though with limited distribution. They were a very competent second tier manufacturer that produced a wide range of lenses right up to the 1990s under their own label. Kobori is their parent company which I believe is still going strong.
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on Feb 17, 2017 18:04:06 GMT
Posted: Feb 17, 2017 18:04:06 GMT
At least during its manual-focusing years Minolta made all of its own glass. OK, in the pre-war era it did get some optics from Asahi and in the 1980's it had Cosina make some of its variable aperture zoom lenses. But that's it. I don't know anything about Minolta's auto-focus glass so MAYBE that is where Koboron comes in.
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on Mar 6, 2021 14:36:25 GMT
Posted: Mar 6, 2021 14:36:25 GMT
I received my first ever KOBORON lens yesterday and was very pleased. I had never heard of Koboron until I asked this question (above) a couple of years ago.
As discussed above, they have been making lenses for a long time -- typically in Asian markets -- and largely under other names, especially Vivitar, Minolta Maxxum and Sony A. They appear in a variety of lens mounts.
I won the EBAY auction because no one recognized the name -- so I got it for next to nothing.
It is a very compact 28-105mm one-touch zoom -- like new. It has a DOF scale and 72mm filter thread. I suspect it was also sold under the Vivitar name, as well. The seller added in a like-new 72mm PL filter -- which I will sell, and pay off the cost of the lens -- really.
So keep your eye open for Koboron lenses.
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on Mar 7, 2021 0:08:02 GMT
Posted: Mar 7, 2021 0:08:02 GMT
You may have used them before (especially on Minolta and Maxxum), but never realized it... Kobori Mfg. LTD. |
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on Mar 7, 2021 0:34:37 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 7, 2021 1:03:17 GMT by xkaes
You might be right.
All of my genuine "MINOLTA" lenses are marked "Rokkor" -- so I doubt that any are Koboron lenses.
Some of my Minolta, NON-Rokkor glass might be Koboron. I know that some are really Kino, Komine, and Tokina -- like my 90-180 Vivitar Zoom. Very early Minolta glass came from Asahi.
Very late Minolta glass came from Cosina and Tokina -- but are simply marked "Minolta", not "Rokkor".
Maxxum glass came from who knows where -- and are not marked "Rokkor" -- but most of it must have come from Minolta glass factories.
And I bet a lot of Sony glass comes from Minolta glass factories today -- since Sony bought Minolta.
In the end, I bet all of my "ROKKOR" marked optics are really Minolta, but I have some Non-Rokkor glass that came from everywhere -- including Koboron.
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