Soligor 95 to 310 macro CD

[Paul Howell]

Just arrived a X700, with it is a Soligor 95 to 310 5.6 CD or computer designed lens. I have had other Soligor CD lens but not this one. Will not be able to shoot until this weekend, anyone have one? Soligor was part of AIG which owned Miranda which folder in 1977. I know the brand was bought and lens were sold in Europe, but the lens were re branded Cosina, I don't think they used the CD as part of the brand. The CD lens were suppose to be competitive to Vivtiar Series 1.

 

[cooltouch]

Yes, I have one. I bought it out of curiosity, mostly because I had an acquaintance some years ago who had one and claimed it was a good optic. At the time I owned one of the Soligor 85-300 f/5 two-ring zooms and, for whatever reason, thought that the 95-310 might have been a better lens.

Well, in addition to the 95-310, I also own the two-ring 85-300, a lens I recently reacquired. And I must now say that the 85-300 is vastly superior. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the Soligor 95-310 is one of the absolute worst lenses I've ever used. It isn't just bad, it is frightfully bad. I've got one in mint condition in Nikon mount with the original box I'll make anyone a good deal on it, if they're interested.

 

[Pentode]

Soligor was a line of rebranded products. They didn’t manufacture anything. This is also true of Vivitar.

Soligor optics were manufactured by Sunn, Komine, Tokina, Cosina and others. Some Soligor lenses are remarkably good. Some... not so good.

I have some really fine Soligor lenses (all circa 1970s) made by Sunn and Tokina.

Here’s a link to a site with a fair amount of good information about the brand.
https://www.apotelyt.com/photo-lens/soligor-catalog

 

[Paul Howell]

There are reports that AIC did make it's own lens towards the last years it was in operation. But you are correct, like Vivitar re-branded others lens. The CD lens like Series 1 were supposedly designed for AIC. As I rummaged through all the documentation that came with the camera I found the data sheet for the 95 to 300. It's 14 elements in 9 groups, surprisingly there is a set of resolution charts, at 95mm, 195mm and 310. Center resolution is 60 lines per mm (100 was reference) with edge resolution falling off to what looks like 24 to 30 line per mm. Don't know what F stop was used, looks to be rather poor on the edges and not all that great in the center.

The camera also came with a Kiron 28 to 70 3.5 to 4.5 also in Minolta MC mount, might be a better lens.

I have other Soligor lens in Konica and Miranda mounts, zooms and primes. The 70 200 4.5 in a Tmount is a very nice lens for the time, I use it on Sony mirrorelss body and does quite well. A Soligor 135 3.4 in Miranda mount is a better lens that it's Miranda stable mate, which is odd as both were owned by AIC.

I was hoping for better performance, but in the main I use primes and have a 100, 135m 200 and 300 Minolta lens.

 

[Paul Howell]

Thanks for link, very interesting, in term of what CD stands for, computer design or compact design, I have a 35 to 70 C/D for Konica is is anything but compact. The 95 to 310 that I have seems to have made by Sun.

 

[Pentode]

I’ll be willing to bet that the Kiron 28-70 is a pretty good lens.

The Sun Soligors could be very hit-or-miss. The good ones are very good indeed. I have a 135mm f/2.5 Sun/Soligor in Minolta MC mount that is easily as good as my Minolta and Tokina/Soligor 135s if not better, which says a lot as those are excellent lenses.