Leica Showcase Sankyo Kohki W-KOMURA 28mm f/3.5 in LTM

[Mr_Flibble]

Was given this lens as part of a 'payment' for cleaning/lubricating/repairing some Super Ikontas and other folders for a fellow film camera user.
Turns out the LTM version is a rare beast. I've not come across many other examples and the prices on Ebay sold listings are beyond expensive. :eek-54:

Took it out for a spin on my user Leica IIIc, equipped with a VIOOH+TUVOO accessory viewfinder with 28mm adapter and loaded with Fomapan 100 classic.
Visited the Sand Sculpture Festival in Garderen (NL). This museum has a different theme every year. This year was the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation

1. Those who escaped to England. "Engelandvaarders"

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2. Class photo of the Jewish Lyceum

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3. Prince Bernhardt

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4. The Big Three

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5. Cancel Culture 1945

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6. War orphans

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The lens is definitely sharp. Good overall performance with a little vignetting in the corners.
I was mainly hampered by my lack of experience shooting anything wider than 50mm and having to reposition and recompose every time.

 

[Brian]

What a fascinating Garden.

That is a rare lens. Would be interesting to shoot it next to the Nikkor 2.8cm F3.5.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

It appears to be a sort of Double Gauss / Plasmat derivative.

....And their non-RF version of this lens has 8 elements instead of 6?

 

[Brian]

That looks close to the Nikkor 2.8cm F3.5 formula- from memory. A 2-1-1-2 layout.

 

[serhan]

I have the Avenon 28mm which might be a later version... It goes as Kobalux also...

Kobalux Wide 28mm F/3.5 LTM Lens Review - Casual Photophile
" The internet says that Y.K. Optical was founded by a person named Mr. Abe, who is said to have been the lead lens designer at Japanese optical company Sankyō Kōki K.K., which manufactured Komura brand lenses and went out of business in 1980. So, the story goes, Mr. Abe left Sankyō Kōki K.K. when that company became insolvent in 1980. He then designed and produced the two Kobalux lenses."

Y.K. Optical
" The Kobalux Wide 28/3.5, alias Avenon L 28/3.5, has six elements in four groups.[7] The first generation, released in 1982 or 1983, was sold in black or chrome finish and became multicoated in 1992 (some lenses are inscribed AVENON MC).[8] It has a round focusing tab and a six-blade diaphragm and focuses down to 1 metre.[9] The second generation, or "M-series", was sold in black with a silver rim. It has a crescent-shaped focusing tab, an eight-blade diaphragm, grip tabs on the aperture ring and it focuses down to 0.75m.[10] "

Mine has 6 aperture blades. There is also 10 blade version per Japanese photographer. It is one of the small 28's that work on digital mirrorless sensors eg Sony, Sigma FP. Double Gauss design helps. I used on FP. When it stopped down, it is sharp in the corners:

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[Mr_Flibble]

Gorgeous photo, Serhan.

I've read about its color rendering capabilities, but have not tried this lens with color film or on my Leica M-E yet.

My Komura lens features 6 aperture blades as well.