Miranda lens types

[Kyle M.]

Hello all, it's been awhile since I've been on here. I just picked up a Miranda F with a 50/1.9 and I have some questions about Miranda lenses that I don't seem to be able to find answers to, and I was hoping someone here might have some knowledge about them.

So I know the Miranda has the M44 internal screw mount as well as the external bayonet mount. I realize Miranda did not make their own lenses, but I'm wondering if any M44 screw mount lenses actually exist? I've not seen a Miranda lens that appears to be screw mount, even the earliest model Miranda T cameras and lenses appear to use the bayonet mount.

I've also seen what appears to be five types of Miranda lenses. With each is my guess as to what the main purpose of the change was. This is what I'm looking to nail down, I'm also curious as to which versions will and won't work with my body.

1. Lenses with the integral shutter button like an Exakta. Earliest style starting with the Miranda T.

2. Regular bayonet mount marked "Miranda" Versions for the Japanese market?

3. Marked "Soligor-Miranda" Versions to be sold outside of Japan? Found with and without the aperture lever to couple with Automex and Sensorex bodies.

4. Marked "Auto Miranda" Not sure why the auto marking when some don't have the external coupling lever? Those without seem to be exactly the same as my lens just with the word auto added to the front of the lens.

5. Marked with "Auto Miranda E" These appear to have an extra pin on the mount to couple with the Sensomat EE meter and maybe some other models. I'm not sure if these will mount on my early body?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Paul Howell]

I've seen 400mm lens by Hugo and Soligor in M44, in the past seen mention of a 800 as well but never seen one. In addition to lens Miranda made extension tubes in M44, not sure if their bellowes M44 or bayonet. I have a set of extension tubes, put a bid on ebay for a Soligor 400, sold for a couple hundred dollars. The EE lens will be crippled on a anybody but a EE or REII or DX body, lens will not stop down or open up, fixed at 5.6 or 8. The difference in labeling of lens depends on when the lens and which body the lens for made for. The Miranda T came with a Soligor lens, later lens were called Soligor Miranda, then just Miranda. Miranda bought Soligor which sold rebanded lens as a 3rd party lens maker, which included Miranda. I have a 35mm 2.8 with the side arm in both Miranda and Soligor, the Miranda is a bit sharper than the Soligor version. As I understand it, Miranda designed their own lens then outsourced production, while Soligor used Miranda and other 3rd party designs.

The F came in several version, all had internal auto aperture control, later modes of the F had built in depth of field button, but no internal meter. There was an external meter that could be clipped on. The first Miranda with TTL metering was the senorx. You need auto Miranda without the side arm, I seem to recall the G, could use either auto or sensorex lens, not sure about the F. Older lens with the external diaphragm control can be used as well in pre set mode. There was pretty good web site Miranda.com that may have been taken down as I was unable to reach it today. You can find a copy of the manual here.

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/miranda/miranda_f/miranda_f.htm

 

[BobD]

There is also an "EC" type Miranda lens. These were made after the "E" types. They have the same coupling features as E types but are smaller and lighter. EC = E Compact.

Actual M44 lenses exist but they are quite rare these days (in the USA anyway).

 

[Paul Howell]

The EC were designed for the DX3, the camera that bankrupted AiC, the American company that owned Miranda and Soligor. Years, maybe twenty I had an Email exchange with the retired owner of Brookland Camera who retailed Miranda, He, don't recall his name, wrote that the EC lens were built by Miranda one of the reason AiC aquired so much debt and pushed the release of the Dx3 despite it's shortcomings. The Dx3 does not have auto exposure, spot meter or interchangeable viewfinders, but there were plans for a motor drive. Takes 4 batteries, came with a case for batteries when the camera was in use and the manual advises the owner to carry spare batteries. I have one, it worked for a few weeks, not a bad camera, other than the battery situation nothing stands out. The 50 1.7 E.C works fine on my EE2, sharp good coatings.

 

[Kyle M.]

Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I was looking for. I’m not looking for any extra lenses at the moment but this will get me going in the right direction. I also noticed that mirandacamera.com appears to be down, I’m guessing that site may have had some good info.

 

[Quendil]

Thanks everyone! This is exactly what I was looking for. I’m not looking for any extra lenses at the moment but this will get me going in the right direction. I also noticed that mirandacamera.com appears to be down, I’m guessing that site may have had some good info.

There is a Miranda group on facebook that have a lot on information. Sadly the owner of the mirandacamera.com site died recently but the group are hoping to get the site back up with the help of his widow.

 

[Paul Howell]

I tired to find the site on Wayback Machine to see if there was an archived site, got redirected to a company that seems to have bought the domain name. Hope the site can be brought to life.

 

[Kyle M.]

I joined the Miranda Facebook group. It looks like someone there found a link to an archive of the site from some point in the past. It sounds like as long as I avoid the EE series of lenses I should be good.