Too good to pass up !

[robbz_fotoz]

<p>the other day I was window shopping on our favorite auction site and found this lens. While I do have a breech mount 28 mm Canon 2.8, this little bugger has a close up feature built in and I thought that was rather intriguing for a standard wide. I corresponded with the seller, a nice chap up in cold snowy Vermont, and nabbed it for a paltry sum. Now for my so-far-unanswered-questions: While most of Star D lenses were re-badged Tokina and Cosina products made in Korea, with a 52mm front end filter size, this bugger was made in Japan, with a 49mm filter size. Has anyone else had this lens or any other Star D lenses in their arsenal ? I do remember K Mart carrying this brand eons ago from the 70s to the late 80s ... I'm also thinking the Star D and Star D Gold Line were not the same brands. Available info on line is scarcer than hens teeth. If I posted this query in the wrong forum, please forgive, but since it's about an FD mount lens I thought is was appropriate. Any help ?</p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>Interesting.</p>

<p>Star-D lenses are mentioned for FD-mount by Skopec in his book on Canon FD as a brand of Uniphot-Levit Corp. That corporation was</p>

<blockquote>

<p>filed as a Statement & Designation By Foreign Corporation in the State of California and is no longer active. This corporate entity was filed ... on Friday, January 13, 1978 as recorded in documents filed with California Secretary of State.<br /><br /></p>

</blockquote>

<p><em>Foreign </em>merely means "not from California"</p>

<p>There was also an earlier use of the name Star-D for tripods made by a Davidson Manufacturing in California in 1955. Uniphot-Levit also sold light stands and such, but I don't know if there is any connection between Uniphot and Davidson.</p><div></div>

[JDMvW]

<p>And by a strange coincidence, the picture in the ad looked familiar to me and I looked at a tripod given to me with a bunch of other old photo gear, and LO!<br>

Here is the above advertised Star-D Conquest model, sold in 1955 for $19.95.</p>

<p>Sorry for getting side tracked, but this is the old undergrad trick of "if you don't know the answer to the question, answer a question you do know" . :)</p><div></div>

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>Not sure how helpful this will be, but your lens seems cosmetically very similar to my Vivitar branded FD mount 28/2.8 close focus lens. It also uses a 49mm filter thread. Of course, Vivitar rebranded lenses from several different manufacturers as well. If they are, in fact, the same lens, it's not real helpful in nailing down the manufacturer.</p><div></div>

[steve_kennedy3]

<p>Like Cory I have the Vivitar "close focus" 28/2.8. However the serial numbers indicates that they were made by Komine. <a href="http://www.cameraquest.com/VivLensManuf.htm">http://www.cameraquest.com/VivLensManuf.htm</a> <br>

Several Star-D lenses are listed on this chart : <a title="http://web.archive.org/web/20031212091008/http://medfmt.8k.com/third/table1.txt" href="http://web.archive.org/web/20031212091008/http://medfmt.8k.com/third/table1.txt">http://web.archive.org/web/20031212091008/http://medfmt.8k.com/third/table1.txt</a> as they were a third party lens maker. Oddly, Komine isn't on the chart. Don't know why. I don't see how this data helps, but here it is.<br>

Use the lens. If you like the results and the feel of the lens then you got a bargain, no matter who made it.</p>

[jeffrey_e]

<p>I've got a 135mm K-Mart lens. Great portrait lens. Fuzzy as anything. So cheaply made that when the aperture shuts and opens the whole lens moves. Wonderful piece of engineering. Everytime I use it for a portrait, the sitter ends up loving the picture. I keept getting great results, only problem of course is that eventually the thing will just fall apart. Enjoy your K-Mart lens. They really are great.</p>

[robbz_fotoz]

<p>my research continues ...Perhaps my Star D is also a re-badged Komine. It's such an odd lens ... a wide with a close up feature. And a 49mm filter size too. I have no filters that size in my bag but I am having fun though the other day I got a tad bit of vertigo focusing in and out with the close up feature ... fell into the flower bed ! Talk about close ups ! Steve: how do you like your Vivitar ? is it sharp and clear or maybe so so ? I have accessorized this little sucker with a polarizer, wide angle rubber lens hood and a cheap o lens case that sez ... "Star D" on the top ! This lens was meant for me. If I ever would put an expensive lens on any of my cameras the camera would just be shocked silly.</p>

[robbz_fotoz]

<p>JD: I half expected you to go off course and explain what the Star David is ... at least you kept it photographic.</p>