Tanaka Kogaku Tele-Tanar 135mm f/3.5 C.

Tanaka Kogaku Tele-Tanar 135mm f/3.5 C.

This 135mm telephoto belongs to the small family of Tanar interchangeable lenses that Tanaka Kogaku built around its Tanack rangefinder cameras, the Japanese screw-mount models that competed with Leica and Canon in the 1950s. As the long lens of that system, the Tele-Tanar 13.5cm f/3.5 was one of the company's first non-standard focal lengths, announced alongside the W Tanar 35mm f/3.5 in the autumn of 1955 and listed at ¥18,500 [1]. The red C. on the front bezel stands for coating rather than for a model variant, a point worth knowing because it sits separately from the small C or N letters that mark the Contax and Nikon versions [1].

Optically the lens is a simple four-element, three-group telephoto, a layout in keeping with the modest f/3.5 maximum aperture and the economy expected of a system lens of the period [1]. The barrel uses a straight (non-rotating) helical that extends the front section as it focuses, with a finely milled focus ring and aperture ring; the aperture scale runs from f/3.5 to f/22 and the distance scale on the Leica-mount lenses is engraved in feet, with a minimum focus near five feet [1]. On the LeicaLensList record the lens is listed without rangefinder coupling, so framing and focusing at 135mm depend on an accessory finder and scale focusing rather than the camera's coupled rangefinder. The 51mm filter thread and twelve-blade diaphragm are consistent with the careful, conventional build of the Tanar line.

Three barrel finishes are documented. An all-chrome version appears only in the original 1955 publicity, and no surviving example has been confirmed, so it is best treated as a prototype or pre-production piece [1]. The production lens is the black-and-chrome version, with chrome reserved for the milled rings and mount and black for the rest of the barrel; its front engraving reads Tanaka Kogaku Japan TELE-TANAR C. f:3.5 13.5cm with a serial number and the red C. [1]. The same optic was also offered in Nikon S and Contax rangefinder mounts, distinguished by the small N or C at the rear and by a reversed focus direction and metric or alternate distance numbering; later Nikon and Contax examples adopted a knurled barrel that the Leica-mount version never used [1].

Optical qualities

Rendering Documented use of this lens is limited, and there is little formal review material. One user shooting an adapted example on a digital rangefinder camera described it as very sharp and was particularly struck by how well it controlled flare and handled direct backlight, finding it well suited to portrait work at the longer reach [2]. These are individual impressions rather than measured results, and they should be weighed as such; broad, repeatable conclusions about contrast, bokeh, distortion, or vignetting are not well established in the available sources.

History

Development and Launch The Tele-Tanar 13.5cm f/3.5 was first shown in late 1955, mentioned with the 35mm f/3.5 in the October special issue of Photo Art at ¥18,500 and pictured in the November issue of Shashin Kogyo, in an all-chrome barrel [1]. Tanaka Kogaku planned an 85mm f/2 and a 100mm f/3.5 at the same time, but those were not released immediately, leaving the 135mm as the practical telephoto for Tanack users [1].

Production Evolution Serial production of the 135mm f/3.5 appears not to have begun before late 1956, when the black-and-chrome finish was introduced; the lens was listed in advertising for the Tanack IV-S from November 1956, still at ¥18,500, though no photograph accompanied the listings until December 1957 [1]. Known serial numbers for the black-and-chrome lens run from about 13702 to 16858, and the sequence may have started at 13501, with the "135" prefix echoing the focal length, suggesting a total run of fewer than about 3,500 lenses [1]. The Nikon and Contax versions share this numbering, with the earliest observed example around 15093, pointing to a later release in 1957 or 1958 [1]. The lens remained on offer until Tanaka Kogaku failed in late 1959 [1].

Special editions No major factory special editions are widely documented. The principal variations are the unconfirmed chrome prototype, the production black-and-chrome Leica-mount lens, and the Nikon S and Contax mount versions; the Nikon and Contax lenses were possibly released later or aimed partly at export markets, with a Japanese article from August 1958 noting that Tanaka's telephoto lenses were well received abroad [1].

Collector Notes The most common point of confusion is mount identification. Sellers frequently misdescribe these lenses, so buyers should confirm the small C (Contax) or N (Nikon) letter at the rear and not mistake it for the red C. on the front bezel, which only indicates coating [1]. A Contax-mount lens reportedly will not physically fit Nikon bodies, and cross-fitting is pointless in any case because the lens will not focus correctly [1]. Because production was small and the company short-lived, the Tele-Tanar 135mm is a scarce lens that surfaces mainly through specialist auctions and collector listings rather than in everyday trade. As with any 1950s telephoto, it is sensible to check the coated glass for haze, separation, and cleaning marks, and to verify the original hood, caps, and case where present, as these accessories are themselves uncommon [1].

Sources

• [1] Camerapedia. Tanar lenses. https://camerapedia.fandom.com/wiki/Tanar_lenses
• [2] Digital Photography Review (DPReview Forums). Tanaka Tele-Tanar 135mm (13.5cm) f/3.5. https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65867550