Kiron Corporation

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Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kiron Corporation was a subsidiary of Kino Precision Industries, Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of photographic lenses. Kiron was based in Carson, California, operating in the 1980s primarily as the United States distributor of Kiron lenses, which were offered in a variety of mounts compatible with many popular 135 film manual focus single-lens reflex camera systems. Kino Precision was founded in 1959 and by the time Kiron was organized in 1980, Kino Precision had gained experience manufacturing lenses sold by Vivitar, including several marketed under the latter company's premium "Series 1" line. After Kino Precision decided to market lenses directly, the Kiron name was adopted for the lenses and the distributor.

Kiron lenses enjoyed a fine reputation, driven by positive reviews and an award-winning advertising campaign led by Chiat/Day. After 1985, following the introduction and subsequent explosive popularity of autofocus SLRs, the market for manual focus lenses shrank, and Kiron concluded operations by 1988. Its parent, Kino, merged with Melles Griot in 1989.

History

The company was set up as a U.S. subsidiary of Kino Precision Industries Limited, which was a Japanese company based in Nerima, Tokyo, and the first use of the Kiron name was noted in late September 1979. A trademark for Kiron was applied for on January 25, 1980, and registered on July 7, 1981.[1] Kiron Corporation was founded to market manually focused film camera optical lenses to the United States. Kino Precision was founded in 1959 by Tatsuo Kataoka to manufacture lenses for 8mm movie cameras.

File:Vivitar 70-210mm 0545.jpg
Vivitar Series 1 70-210mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5, manufactured by Kino Precision Industries

Starting in the early 1970s, Kino Precision manufactured some of the now-famous Series 1 manual focus lenses under contract for Vivitar, a U.S. lens distributor of after-market film lenses for 35mm cameras. These may be identified by serial number, as Vivitar assigned serial numbers starting with '22' to lenses made by Kino. The third, fourth, and fifth digits were used for the year and week of manufacture.[2] Vivitar continued to purchase some Kiron/Kino lens designs, and offered them for sale under the Vivitar brand. For example, the Kiron 105mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 macro lens was re-labeled and sold as the Vivitar 100mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 macro and the Vivitar 105mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.5 (1:1) macro lenses.

The commercial success of Vivitar Series 1 lenses prompted Kino to directly market lenses to fit existing 35mm Japanese film cameras under their own brand, Kiron,[3] especially as Vivitar was using other manufacturers to produce Vivitar brand lenses. Kiron soon became known as one of the very few after-market lens manufacturers that could supply products equal to or even exceeding the optical and mechanical quality of the original manufacturer. In particular, the Kiron 28mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.0, the 105mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 1:1 macro,[4] the 28-210mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.0~5.6 and the <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8~5.6 varifocal zoom, and the 28-85mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8 varifocal macro zoom lenses were praised in contemporary reviews of the day for their superb optical resolution and clarity, as well as mechanical quality.[5][6]

File:Kiron70 150 1.JPG
Kiron 70–150mm f/4.0

Although reasonably priced for the level of quality offered, Kiron manual focus lenses were never economy-level products; for example, in 1981, the 28–85 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8 varifocal lens had a list price of Template:USD.[7] All Kiron lenses were made and assembled in Japan. As such, Kiron lenses had retail list prices comparable with lenses offered by the camera manufacturers themselves, although in practice, retailers offered Kiron lenses at substantially discounted prices comparable to Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, and Vivitar equivalents.[8] In 1983, Chiat/Day won four excellence in advertising awards presented by The Advertising Club of New York, based on their advertisements for Kiron, Pioneer, Apple, and Allstate.[9]

In addition to lenses, Kiron Corporation also distributed Billingham camera bags and B+W photographic filters in the United States.[10]

The increasing cost of quality lens manufacture in Japan led to a loss of sales for Kiron, as the company could no longer offer its lenses at a cost less than that charged by the camera manufacturers, who had begun to offer economy-level lens designs as well as contracting lens assembly operations in lower-cost factories outside Japan. Additionally, the 35mm camera market was in flux by the late 1980s, and 35mm camera manufacturers were transitioning to autofocus lens designs. By 1988, the company decided to discontinue after-market 35mm camera lens production to concentrate on industrial and other markets.

In 1989 Kino Precision Industries merged with 'Melles Griot Japan' to form 'Kino-Melles Griot'.

In 1995 the firm has changed its name to 'Melles Griot Ltd', and subsequently became a member of CVI Melles Griot Group in 2007.

In June 2011 Illinois-based IDEX Corporation completed its $400 million acquisition of the laser and optical component maker CVI Melles Griot from its previous owner, the private equity firm Norwest Equity Partners.[11]

Lenses

Vivitar-branded lenses manufactured by Kino Precision
Focal length (mm) Name Aperture Year Construc. (Ele/Grp) Min. focus (Mag.) Filter (mm) Dia. × Len. Wgt. Notes
Wide angle lenses
24 24 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.0 Compact <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2–16 ? 8/8 Template:Cvt
(0.11×) 		55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
28 28 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.0 Compact <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2–16 ? 8/8 Template:Cvt
(0.13×) 		55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
Telephoto lenses
135 135 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8–22 ? 4/4 Template:Cvt
(0.11×) 		55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
200 200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5 <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5–22 ? 5/4 Template:Cvt
(0.14×) 		62 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
Wide to telephoto zoom lenses
35–85 Series 1 35–85 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 Variable-Focus <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8–16 ? 12/9 Template:Cvt
(0.29×) 		67 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Varifocal[12][13]
Telephoto zoom lenses
70–150 70–150 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8 Close-Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8–22 ? 15/10 Template:Cvt
(Macro, Template:Cvt, 0.25×) 		52 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Sold with 4e/3g 2× 'Matched Multiplier'[12]
70–150 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8 Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8–22 ? 12/9 Template:Cvt
(Macro, Template:Cvt, 0.25×) 		52 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
70–210 Series 1 70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5 Macro-Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5–22 Template:Dts 15/10 Template:Cvt
(0.45×) 		67 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12][13][14]
75–205 75–205 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8 Close-Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.8–22 ? 15/10 Template:Cvt
(Macro, Template:Cvt, 0.26×) 		58 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
90–180 Series 1 90–180 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5 Flat Field Macro Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5–22 ? 18/12 Template:Cvt
(0.5×) 		72 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [12]
Kiron-branded lenses for 135 film cameras
Focal length (mm) Name Aperture Year Construc. (Ele/Grp) Min. focus (Mag.) Filter (mm) Dia. × Len. Wgt. Notes
Wide angle lenses
24 24 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.0 <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2–16 ? 8/8 Template:Cvt 55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [15][16]Template:Rp
28 28 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.0 <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2–16 ? ? Template:Cvt 55 ?×Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [15]
Telephoto lenses
105 105 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8 Macro <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8–32 ? 6/6 Template:Cvt
(1.00×) 		52 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [17]Template:Rp
Wide to telephoto zoom lenses
28–85 28–85 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8 Varifocal <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8–22 ? ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		67 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Varifocal[16]Template:Rp
28–105 28–105 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.2~4.5 Varifocal Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.2~4.5–22 Template:Dts 15/12 Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		67 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Varifocal[17]Template:Rp[18][19]
28–210 28–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4~5.6 zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4~5.6 Template:Dts 14/11 Template:Cvt
(Macro @ 210, 0.25×) 		72 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Varifocal[17]Template:Rp[20]
35–135 35–135 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5~4.5 Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5~4.5–16~22 Template:Dts 15/11 Template:Cvt
(Macro @ 35 mm: Template:Cvt, 0.25×) 		62 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [15][21]
Telephoto zoom lenses
70–210 70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4–22 Template:Dts ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		62 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Original version with ZoomLock[22]
70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4–22 Template:Dts ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		62 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt Updated version adds Focustop[23][18][17]Template:Rp
70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5 zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5–32 Template:Dts ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		55 ? ? [24]
80–200 80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4–22 Template:Dts ? Template:Cvt 55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt [25][16]Template:Rp
80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5 Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5–32 Template:Dts ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt ZoomLock[18][19][17]Template:Rp
80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5 Macro Focusing Zoom <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4.5–32 ? ? Template:Cvt
(0.25×) 		55 Template:Cvt Template:Cvt non-ZoomLock[15]

Additional lenses sold by Kiron for 35 mm film cameras include:

  • 28mm 1:2.8
  • 28–70mm 1:3.5–4.5 (two versions)
  • 28–70mm 1:4.0
  • 28-210mm 1:3.8-5.6 varifocal zoom (14 elements/11 groups)
  • 30–80mm 1:3.5–4.5 varifocal zoom
  • 70–150mm 1:4.0

Lenses were made in the following lens mounts:

Kiron offered a service to change lens mounts at a cost of Template:USD per lens.[26]

Not part of the original range but some lenses (28-210 and 70-210mm f/4.5) were also made available in M42 lens mount in the late 1980s.

References

Template:Reflist

See also

External links

Reviews

Advertisements

  • Template:Cite magazine (70–150 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 and 28 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2)
  • Template:Cite magazine (28–85 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8 and 70–150 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4)
  • Template:Cite magazine (30–80 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5~4.5 and 80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4)
  • Template:Cite magazine (80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 and 24 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2)
  • Template:Cite magazine (30–80 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5~4.5)
  • Template:Cite magazine (30–80 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.5~4.5 and 80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4)
  • Template:Cite magazine (80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 and 28–85 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2.8~3.8)
  • Template:Cite magazine (70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4)
  • Template:Cite magazine (70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 and 28 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/2)
  • Template:Cite magazine (70–210 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4)
  • Template:Cite magazine (80–200 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/4 and 28–105 mm <templatestyles src="F//styles.css" />f/3.2~4.5)
  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Zes Maal Rond De 100mm, FOTO (March 1985) pp. 16-20: In a review of 100mm focal length macro lenses, FOTO found the Kiron 105/2.8 macro outperformed both the Micro Nikkor 105mm/2.8 AIS and Tokina 90mm/2.5 macro lenses.
  5. ↑ Template:Cite magazine In this test of the 28-85mm varifocal, published by Modern Photography, 34 out of 36 values for center and corner sharpness at 28, 50, and 85mm were reported as 'excellent', while the other two were both 'very good'. Contrast rated as all highs at 28mm, all but one high at 50mm, and mostly high at 85mm.
  6. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  7. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  8. ↑ Template:Cite magazine Compare, for instance, the actual prices of 70–210 mm zoom lenses sold by B&H Photo, as advertised in December 1984:
    • Kiron: $99
    • Sigma: $79.90
    • Tamron: $179.90 plus $17.95 for the appropriate mount
    • Tokina: $99
    Manufacturer 70–210 mm zoom lenses were offered contemporaneously by Canon ($149.90), Contax/Zeiss ($949), Minolta ($169), Nikon/E ($199), and Pentax ($169)
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  11. ↑ IDEX completes takeover of CVI Melles Griot http://optics.org/news/2/6/14
  12. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  17. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ a b c Template:Cite magazine
  19. ↑ a b Template:Cite magazine
  20. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  21. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  22. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  23. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  24. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  25. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  26. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
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