Kalimar lenses

[BobbyR]

I do not expect the youts to know but there is enough expertise out there that some must know something about the firm behind the name/s.

I know Kalimar was/is owned by Tiffen, but just who are they.
Like wise of the well to semi-well known names what or who is behind the sales efforts,i.e. Access, Aetna, Prinz, Spiratone, Polaris, Braun, Soligor, Sun, etc.

Now some are actuall lens makers, and some like Vivitar and Soligor had special lenses created but who is, or who were these people.
Bobby

 

[John Koehrer]

Most of the copanies you mention were distributors of miscellaneous photo stuff. Accessories like trays, tanks, reels, filters, lenses etc. basically anything photographic.
When these companies were around most of the product came from Japan or Germany. Quality was spotty. No idea at all who they sourced from but some of the bits were identical between brands, which suggests they had some of the same sources.