Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K. Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 LTM

Arco Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 LTM

The Arco Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 is a rare Japanese telephoto lens made in Leica screw mount for 35mm rangefinder cameras. It belongs to Arco’s small group of aftermarket lenses produced under the Colinar and Snowva names, alongside the related Colinar and Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8 lenses. Camerapedia lists “Colinar, Tele-Colinar or Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8” as Leica screw-mount Arco lenses [1].

A documented Fotohandel Delfshaven example is listed as “Arco Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 for Leica screw mount.” The listing describes it as a third-party Leica screw-mount lens in a fully chrome brass barrel, with smooth but slightly heavy focusing and a working 12-blade aperture [2]. Because the Tele-Snowva name is less frequently documented than Tele-Colinar, collector entries should preserve the exact front-ring name rather than merging every f/3.8 Arco 135mm into one generic title.

This lens should be kept separate from the later Arco Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.5 lenses for Exakta and 42mm screw mount. It should also be separated from unrelated Japanese 135mm LTM lenses by Canon, Nikon, Tanaka, Sun, Komura and Kyoei. For LeicaLensList, the correct scope match is the Leica L39 / LTM / M39 rangefinder version of the Arco 13.5cm f/3.8 family [1].

Optical qualities

Rendering

Reliable formal testing of the Tele-Snowva version is very limited. The related Arco Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8 has been described by users as a 135mm Leica-thread-mount telephoto with good vintage rendering, but these reports should not automatically be treated as measured Tele-Snowva performance [3] [6].

Sharpness

No reliable bench test was found for the Tele-Snowva version. User reports for the closely related Tele-Colinar f/3.8 are generally positive, including reports of strong sharpness from wide open, but these are sample-level observations and should be used cautiously [4] [6].

Contrast and coating

Arco f/3.8 telephoto examples are documented with “C” coated markings in Tele-Colinar form, while the exact coating status of each Tele-Snowva copy should be checked from the front engraving and optical reflections. Manuellfokus describes a Tele-Colinar C example as single-coated, while Fotohandel Delfshaven does not explicitly state the coating status of its Tele-Snowva example [2] [4].

Bokeh and transitions

The Fotohandel Delfshaven Tele-Snowva listing records a 12-blade aperture. This supports rounded stopped-down aperture shapes, but detailed claims about bokeh should remain conservative unless supported by sample images from the exact lens [2].

Digital use

The lens can be used on Leica M bodies with a standard L39-to-M adapter and on mirrorless cameras with suitable adapters. As with other vintage 135mm rangefinder lenses, rangefinder calibration, adapter accuracy and close-focus accuracy should be checked carefully on the exact camera body.

History

Development and Launch

Arco was founded in 1946 as Asaka Seiko and changed its name to Arco Shashin Kogyo K.K. in 1949. Camerapedia states that the company began producing aftermarket lenses in Leica screw mount, Exakta mount and 42mm screw mount under the Colinar and Snowva brands [1]. Manuellfokus states that the Arco Colinar 135mm was launched in 1952 and that the lenses were branded as Colinar, Tele-Colinar and Tele-Snowva [4].

Production Evolution

The Arco 13.5cm f/3.8 Leica screw-mount telephoto family appears under several names, including Colinar, Tele-Colinar and Tele-Snowva. Camerapedia lists these names together for the 13.5cm f/3.8 Leica screw-mount lens [1]. Manuellfokus reports that the 135mm Arco lenses were produced until 1957 and existed in chrome-plated brass and aluminum versions, with chrome versions being heavier [4]. The exact release date and production span of the Tele-Snowva-branded version alone are not fully documented.

Special Editions/Variants

No commemorative factory special edition is documented. Collector-relevant variants are mainly name, barrel and mount variants: Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8, Tele-Snowva 13.5cm f/3.8, chrome brass barrels, aluminum barrels and non-Leica versions. Only the Leica L39 / LTM / M39 version belongs directly in this LeicaLensList entry [1] [4].

Collector Notes

Collectors should verify the exact front engraving, especially whether the lens says Colinar, Tele-Colinar or Tele-Snowva. Important checks include Leica L39 mount, rangefinder coupling, infinity focus, aperture operation, aperture blade count, serial number, coating marks, haze, cleaning marks, fungus, stiff focusing and whether the lens includes an original Arco cap, wooden box or case. Since the lens is obscure and seller titles may mix 135mm and 13.5cm naming, physical engraving should be used as the primary identification point [2] [5].

Special editions

No confirmed factory commemorative special edition is currently documented.

Known collector-relevant variants and related versions include:

• Arco Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 LTM, chrome brass Leica screw-mount version.
• Arco Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8 C LTM, related coated Leica screw-mount version.
• Arco Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8 LTM, related naming variant in the same family.
• Aluminum barrel variants, reported for the broader Arco 135mm f/3.8 family.
• Chrome brass variants, heavier and often visually closer to early Canon Serenar-era construction.
• Arco Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.5 for Exakta and 42mm screw mount, related but separate and outside LeicaLensList unless converted.
• Boxed Arco Tokyo examples with maker’s box or Arco front cap, collector-relevant when complete.

Sources

• [1] Camerapedia. Arco. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Arco
• [2] Fotohandel Delfshaven. Arco Anastigmat Tele-Snowva 135mm f/3.8 for Leica screw mount. https://fotohandeldelfshaven.nl/product/arco-anastigmat-tele-snowva-135mm-f-3-8-for-leica-screw-mount/
• [3] Camerapedia. 39mm screw lenses. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/39mm_screw_lenses
• [4] Manuellfokus. Arco Tokyo Tele-Colinar 13.5cm f/3.8. https://www.manuellfokus.no/arco-tokyo-tele-colinar-13-5cm-f3-8/
• [5] Leitz Auction. Arco Tokyo Tele-Colinar 3.8/13.5cm C. https://www.leitz-auction.com/en/Arco-Tokyo-Tele-Colinar-3.8-13.5cm-C./AI-6-24602
• [6] Cameraderie. Arco 13.5cm F3.8 Tele-Colinar in LTM. https://cameraderie.org/threads/arco-13-5cm-f3-8-tele-colinar-in-ltm.39098/
• [7] MW Classic Cameras. Arco Tokyo 13.5cm f3.8 Tele-Colinar C coated all chrome Leica L39 RF coupled screw mount lens. https://mwclassic.com/product/arco-tokyo-13-5cm-f3-8-tele-colinar-c-coated-all-chrome-leica-l39-rf-coupled-screw-mount-lens-rear-cap/