Kowa Super 66 lenses and user experience

[JRSCollection]

Hello,

recently I returned to the Kowa Super 66 system. My father used this camera many years ago – at that time I was more focused on music and only observed it from the side.

This camera stayed with me after him, and only now I’m starting to understand why it was so important to him and how attached he was to it.

On a daily basis I shoot as a hobby, mostly in medium format, but the Kowa system has recently caught my interest and I would like to understand it better.

That’s why I’m here – I’m hoping to hear from people who have actually used this camera, or who have knowledge from practical experience or publications.

I’m particularly interested in how the lenses are perceived in real use – which ones do you consider the most interesting or distinctive?

I’m interested both in the more classic lenses and the less common ones – if anyone has had real experience with them, I’d be glad to hear about it.

Has anyone here worked with this system and the lenses that were available on the market? Which ones would you recommend – both in terms of rendering, as well as availability and uniqueness?

Ultimately, as a hobby project, I would like to try to build a complete set of lenses for this system.

Best regards

 

[Paul Howell]

I have a Super 66 and 66 along with 5 lens, 55 to 250. The 150 and 85 are the 2 lens I use most often, followed by the 55 and last the 250 which I only use on occasion. There is a fisheye and a 120 or it 110 macro and 500 which I don't have so cannot comment on. The 85 2.8 is a fine lens, as good as any MF lens, I've used including Zeiss. If I were to redo my system, I would skip the 250 and get a macro lens instead. Although if you are into birding the 500 could be good buy. The largest issue will be repair of maintenance of the bodies. Although build quality is good, they were last made going on 50 years ago, many saw heavy use by wedding and commercial photographers. Here in the States, there is only repair shop that has parts, the owner was an authorized Kowa repair center, and he kept a large inventory of parts. He is pushing 80. I’m not sure where on your side of the world will work on Kowa. In terms of the complete set of lens the 65 to 250 are common here, the macro and 500 rare, and I have only seen one fisheye. There is a teleconverter, waist level and eye finder and a metered finder along with focusing screens. I have been told of a bellows, might be a myth. My backs for the Super 66 are still light tight. There are 2 66 bodies, the M (?) came later and has mirror lock up. The Super does not have mirror lock up but has much better damping than the 66. I use the standard 66 body the most as it is lighter and I only shoot black and white, so I just do not need the additional backs.

 

[Alex Varas]

As Paul mentioned, the 85 and the 150 are the most used, I have the 55 but I can’t say I like it.
I got lucky and I got the 110 macro and it’s really good, love it.
With the 85mm you can do mostly everything, the 150 if you need for certain landscapes or portraits.
About bodies, I don’t like the Super 66 because is adding one more variable of the camera being jammed, but it’s your father’s camera so there is no point of having a simpler body.
I recommend you having your body, film back and lens at least checked or better serviced by a professional and never ever force anything, you do break stuff inside if you think applying more force it will solve it.

 

[AnselMortensen]

My experiences with the chrome 85mm on a Kowa SIX were excellent.
I only upgraded to a Hasselblad 500C/M because, well...Hasselblad.

 

[Paul Howell]

I forgot to add that are a couple of versions of the lens, early lens were chrome and later black. The 150 chrome has a 72mm filter thread and the newer black version the 58mm filter thread. If you buy a lens looks for ones with the clip on lens hoods.

 

[OAPOli]

I have the 85 and 150mm (first version) and they are phenomenal lenses. The 150mm is pretty big (780g, 77mm filters). I briefly used the first gen. 55mm but I found it too big and heavy (850g, 86mm filters).

The 55 and 150mm came in a second version with 67mm filters and a new optical formula. More compact and lightweight.

The 55/85/150 lenses are by far the most common. The 5.6/250 is somewhat common. All the others are mostly unobtainium!

 

[Paul Howell]

As I understand it Heinz Kilfitt was hired by Kowa to design the SL66 system, not sure he designed all the lens but did design the 85mm and likely the others. As Kowa updated the design their own engineers took over and made some significant improvements. I just check U.S ebay, only 1 250, no fisheye, marco or 500 at all.

 

[JRSCollection]

Thank you all, this is very helpful.

It’s interesting to see how often the 85 and 150 come up – that gives me a good reference point.

The comments about the rarer lenses are especially interesting. It seems like some parts of the system are much harder to come across than others.

Also, I appreciate the notes about servicing – that’s definitely something I need to take into account.

In my case I’ve been quite lucky – my father used the camera rather lightly, more on a hobby level than professionally, so it hasn’t seen heavy use.

Really glad to hear from people with real experience with this system.

 

[Paul Howell]

You can likely find someone who will CLA the shutters, the problem will finding parts. Kowa was made in small numbers, the longer lens, fisheye and macro in even smaller numbers. Kowa did not make a professional level 35mm, they did offer a series of 35mm fixed lens cameras with leaf shutters, only the last model had a limited number of lens. Maybe if you want to all things Kowa you can add the 35mm cameras to your list. I have a fixed lens camera, the lens is very sharp, metering is good, but the shutter is complex as it includes a baffel that is an added layer to block any light when the shutter is not in use. I need to dig it out and take it for spin.

 

[Barry Kirsten]

I've been using Kowas since about 1987. My first was a Kowa 6MM, for which I had the 55 and 85mm lenses. My current Kowa is a Super 66 and I have the 85 and 150mm lenses for that. I've always found the lenses to be superb and the real highlight of the Kowa system. Of the two models I've owned, my favorite was Kowa 8MM, favoured because of the mirror lockup. In my years of Kowa ownership I've never had any mechanical issues. Lucky, I guess. My current Super 66 was CLAd just before I bought it about 12 years ago. If I had any problem that I couldn't fix myself I wouldn't know where to send it, as apart from general camera technicians, I don't know of any Kowa specialists, certainly not downunder.

 

[btaylor]

I had a Kowa Six and 66. I liked them. I think the Six with the side grip was the best handling 6x6, 6x7 camera I’ve ever used. I had the 40, 55, 85, 150, 250. Never used the 40, mostly 55, 85, 150. Occasionally the 250. I never had a complaint with the optical quality of the lenses I used. The finish and feel of the lenses was not as nice as some.
Kowa made some very high quality motion picture lenses, there is a set on eBay right now for $170k.

 

[JRSCollection]

Thank you, that’s very helpful.

It really seems like a niche system with quite a bit of history.

Interesting what you mentioned about the fisheye — I’ve only seen a few references to it and wasn’t sure if it was actually produced in any meaningful numbers.

Do you know if it was more of a special order or regular production?