80mm Lenses

The Rollei HFT Planar 80mm f/2.8 is a short telephoto LTM screw-mount rangefinder lens in silver, a scarce HFT-coated entry sought by collectors.

The Sankyo-Kohki Komura 80mm f/3.5 is a short telephoto in Leica screw mount (LTM), a rangefinder-coupled Japanese lens of niche interest to collectors.</parameter> <parameter name="long_description">## Sankyo-Kohki Komura 80mm f/3.5 The Komura 80mm f/3.5 belongs to a family of affordable Japanese lenses that competed with established German and domestic makers by offering interchangeable-mount optics at lower prices. It was made by Sankyo Kohki Co., Ltd., the Tokyo optical firm that built lenses under the Komura brand for a wide range of cameras, including Leica screw-mount rangefinders [1][2]. Documentation specific to the 80mm f/3.5 is sparse, so much of what can be said about it is best understood through the wider Komura rangefinder line and the company's general design practices rather than through dedicated reviews of this focal length. As a Leica thread-mount (LTM, M39) lens, this 80mm couples to a rangefinder for focusing and reaches a close focus of 1.25 m. Its short-telephoto length sits a little beyond the more common 75mm and 90mm portrait options, and a maximum aperture of f/3.5 marks it as a modest-speed design rather than a fast portrait lens. The diaphragm uses ten blades, which tends to keep the aperture opening reasonably round through the stops. Sankyo Kohki was known for selling fast or unusually specified lenses in Leica screw mount as a way to carve out a market niche against larger rivals [3][4]. The firm also produced Komura optics for Nikon rangefinders and, through adapter systems, for numerous SLR mounts, so a buyer should confirm that a given example is the rangefinder-coupled LTM version rather than a converted or adapted barrel [4]. Recorded variants of this exact lens are not well documented in the sources consulted. The lens was offered in black and silver finishes. Komura branding generally appears as "Sankyo Kohki" on lens badges, while English-language trademark filings used the spelling "Sankyo Koki," a point that can cause confusion when searching records and listings [1][2]. --- ## Optical qualities **Rendering** Detailed, lens-specific test data for the Komura 80mm f/3.5 is not available in the sources reviewed, so firm performance claims cannot be made for this particular model. More broadly, knowledgeable collectors have praised Komura lenses for high contrast, pleasing color rendering, and smooth bokeh [2]. Those traits describe the brand's reputation in general and should be treated as context rather than as measured results for this specific 80mm. --- ## History **Development and Launch** Sankyo Kohki traces to an optical research institute established in 1951 and was reorganized as Sankyo Kohki Co., Ltd. in 1955; the Komura brand name was first used in 1953 and was formed from the names of company principals [1][2]. By around 1960 the firm had become one of the largest third-party lens makers in Japan, with wide-angle and medium-telephoto lenses that were popular for offering good image quality below the price of more established brands, which drew interest from Western photographers and American distributors [3]. **Production Evolution** Komura's interchangeable lenses are frequently noted for preset-style aperture construction, with the optical system and aperture in a front section and a helicoid in the rear section that could be separated and swapped by hand [1]. Over the 1960s and 1970s the company expanded into Bronica medium-format lenses, the Komura Unidapter adapter system for many SLR mounts, and later the Komuranon SLR series, before changing its name to Komura Lens Manufacturing, Ltd. and becoming insolvent in 1980 [2][3][4]. **Special editions** No major factory special editions of the 80mm f/3.5 are widely documented in the sources reviewed. **Collector Notes** Buyers should confirm the lens is the rangefinder-coupled Leica screw-mount version, since Komura optics were sold for several systems and were sometimes adapted between mounts [4]. Brand-wide, collectors note that the rear element of some Komura preset designs is prone to fogging and scratches, which makes clean examples scarcer; inspecting the rear glass for haze and coating wear is therefore worthwhile, even though that observation comes from the broader Komura line rather than this specific lens [1]. Because the maker's name appears as both "Sankyo Kohki" and "Sankyo Koki," searching under both spellings helps when verifying a purchase [1][2]. --- ## Sources * [1] Kameramanufaktur. *Sankyo Kohki and the Komura lenses*. https://kameramanufaktur.jimdofree.com/lenses/komura-lenses/ * [2] FilmPhotograph.com. *About Komura*. https://filmphotograph.com/komura/about * [3] Mike Eckman. *Sankyo Kohki Komura 500mm f/7*. https://mikeeckman.com/2022/10/sankyo-kohki-komura-500mm-f-7/ * [4] Rangefinderforum (Jason Schneider). *Komura Lenses For Bronicas: Better Than Their Rep & Still Relatively Cheap*. https://rangefinderforum.com/threads/komura-lenses-for-bronicas-better-than-their-rep-still-relatively-cheap.4761676/