Gather Round, Hanimex People

<p>No <strong>Robin S, </strong>it was not you<strong>.</strong> But as they say " if the shoe fits...and you want to wear it...please feel free". :) <strong>Rick, "</strong>cherish" simply means "appreciate" according to the dictionary. So you need not feel "hesitant" about your post, above. sp</p>

<p>In addition to the Hanimex label, this 200mm f/3.3 lens has also been marketed as a Rokunar, JC Penney, Kamero and Promaster, and probably under many more brand names. The copy I have is labeled as a Kitstar which, I believe, was the private brand name for a camera store. I suspect that this and the similarly spec'd Cimko lens are simply f/3.5 designs that were claimed to be f/3.3 lenses for marketing purposes. I have no idea who the actual manufacturer was, but I don't think it would be a major third-party Japanese lens maker (e.g., Tokina, Tamron, Sigma).</p>

<p>Another similar example of this aperture marketing ploy is a third-party 80-200 zoom lens marketed under the Albinar and many other labels as having a maximum aperture of f/3.9.</p>

You can now add a PROMASTER AUTO MC 200MM F3.3 brand to the mystery of the 200mm f3.3 lens. I found this lens in a pawn shop for $10. I was interested in the odd-ball f3.3 aperture. I took some test photos with this lens adapted to my Samsung NX1, that I posted on my blog: mynx1.blogspot

Edited December 25, 2017 by bartsantello

The green stuff is what haunted me while reading this thread--especially the MC, which I assume stands for 'multi coated.' I have this lens with the J.C. Penney name on the lens ring. Back in the day, Penney sold a Canon AE-1 kit that included the body, a standard lens, and this 200mm. I think that there was something like a 28mm also in the package. I bought the whole thing from a Vietnam vet who was down on his luck--and he died before being able to claim it again. Need to dig it out and see what is there! :)

I've had an interest in the 200 / 3,3 for years and gathered a list of many brands who sold basically 2 versions of these lenses. Right now I can't find my list but I keep looking and it can't be too far. There is the "Hanimex type" with the 67mm filter size. Some copies are said to be good / very good (like the Soligor > Soligor 200mm f3.3 ) and others are less than average. The thing is as much as possible, try it before buying. And then there is the 62mm version which is a different lens, a bit smaller, lighter, and with an obvious different construction. Again, they came under plenty of different brands and optical quality varies a lot. Try them before buying. I do have 6 different lenses with various brands. I'll post again ASA I find my list.

I also picked up a Hanimex rarity, attached to a Minolta X500. It was a 35-70 mm f2.5-3.5 zoom. It has a macro capability of 1:2.7 and is very similar to the Soligor and Access zooms of the same specifications which are seen a bit more frequently. For these latter two Sun and Kobori were mentioned as possible manufacturers. It seems to perform adequately and also seems to have constant max aperture up to 60 mm focal length when the smaller aperture kicks in..

Rick, that lens looks like a beautiful sample and the pictures as always are beautiful. It's a sign the camera and lens are in good hands.

Thanks, Rob. In this somewhat unusual "New" format you'll find that historic posts have a disconcerting habit of reappearing in the current lists if someone posts a reply; in this case the thread was initiated in July of 2012 ! So, it pays to check the inaugural posting date before considering a reply. I'm not sure that I still have the lens that was the subject of the original post... You may well have seen it back then! Edited January 30, 2018 by rick_drawbridge

Hanimar 135mm preset, rather bashed-up lens, nevertheless...

 

<p>I had a feeling in the back of my mind that I had seen this 'green ring' and similar markings before (and I don't own any Canon DO lenses). I looked on the shelf and voila-<br>

a Mirage 135mm f2.8 Auto 135mm f/2.8-16.0,<br>

whose existence seems to be only attested in my item and a listing on the old M42 lens info site (which seems to have gone).</p>

<p>Anyway, it looks like it might be from the same origin place? Mine bears the "Made in Hong Kong" tag.</p><div>[ATTACH=full]643551[/ATTACH]</div>

I read somewhere that those"green line" Hanimexes, like yours and the one in the OP, were a cut above the regular type, which were fairly budget lenses.

I owned a green line Hanimex zoom some years back and sold it on eBay. Got about $20 for it as I dimly recall. One thing I do clearly remember about it on eBay was how quickly it sold. I don't recall where I got it from or what I paid for it. It was probably part of an outfit I bought, which I often will do to get one or two items from it, then sell the rest.

 

I do remember testing my Hanimex zoom and concluding that it was actually a very good performer. I think it was just a 70-210 or something similar.

 

As for others who commented some years ago in this thread that f/3.3 was "silly," I'm reminded of a few Tamron lenses I own where Tamron could have fudged some, but they didn't because they decided to err on the side of accuracy. The Tamron SP 60-300mm f/3.8-5.4, for example, or the 80-210 f/3.8-4, or the SP 24-48 f/3.5-3.8. I mean, they could have called the 60-300 a f/4-5.6 and nobody would have minded. Or the 80-210, an f/4, or the 24-48 an f/3.5 or f/3.8, and I don't think anyone would have cared. But there's certainly nothing wrong with erring on the side of accuracy, if it could be called an error at all.

My Hanimex 35-70 mm zoom also has "unusual" f2.5-3.5 max aperture values. But it has 4 control rings: a miserly quarter turn for normal focusing from 0.7 m to infinity, a tad more for the focal length, another quarter turn for macro selection and the aperture. It takes some getting used to. It doesn't have a green line though:(

A lot of Hanimex stuff was distributed by Jessops in the UK along with other cheap and cheerful lenses, Occasionally Jessop came up with much higher quality surprises under their own brand. Their 6 element 50mm f2.8 enlarging lens might be an example. JESSOPS 50mm f/2.8, 6 ELEMENT DARKROOM ENLARGER LENS | eBay

I don't know if I'm a Hanimex person, or not, but I just acquired a Hanimex Praktica Super TLS with the reputedly excellent Oreston 50mm f/1.8 lens. So, the title of this thread caught my eye. That's a really nice-looking, if large, lens. The Oreston can't compete on looks. :)

The Hanimex Treasure to look for is the "scalematic" 135mm f2.8. I have one in PK mount with the famous Green Ring proudly on the front.

 

 

This is like the famous 200mm Sigma "scalematic" - in that it has 2 focus rings. One close to the camera for main focus and a second front ring that turns the lens into a near-macro. Turn this when the lens is at its closest focus using the closer large ring.

 

The 200mm Sigma scalematic is always fiercely bid for on eBay - but the usual snobs miss out on the Hanimex 135mm. Mine cost £5 GBP, about 7 USD.

 

Add your flashgun, dial in F8 or F11 and this Hanimex is a brilliant close up telephoto lens. Great for flowers, insects etc where the flash isn't showed out by the lens and you have a good working distance to the subject.

 

Used for portraits at F2.8 or F3.5 - the front ring can be used to "de-focus" the periphery of the image. Wonderful fun and a surprise in an otherwise era of predictable kit zoom function!

 

Best Wishes - Paul C

Interesting stuff, Paul. The "Scalematic" tag gets to be a little confusing; I understand Sigma may have originated the expression by attaching a index displaying the reproduction ratios to the perimeter of the lens. An example is the 133mm Sigmatel Scalematic f/1.8, which I featured in several posts on this forum. One such post can be found here:

 

Big Lens, Big Post. The Sigmatel Revisited

 

The twin focusing setup may also be a Sigma creation. I have an early Sigma 135mm Telemax f/2.8 which is built to this design. It's capable of producing some very strange effects.

 

Old Garden, Old Lens

 

I'll keep an eye open for the Hanimex lenses you've described. Thanks for adding to the thread.