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UltravioletPhotography

Kuribayashi 35mm f/3.5


Cadmium

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The Kuribayashi 35mm f/3.5 has an M42 threaded mount, 46mm front filter thread, made by Kyoei for Kuribayashi Camera Company (the older company name for Petri).

I believe this lens was originally made in 1959, and for a couple more years.

This lens is sharp, has exceptional UV transmission, and practically no focal shift.

The Kuribayashi 35mm f/3.5 and the Kyoei 35mm f/3.5 are exactly the same. They have the same exact physical build, the same optics, and function exactly the same.

Other than varied mounts and the absence of 'black and white' focus ring cosmetics for the Kyoei brand, they are the same lens.

Here are some photos I have already, I may add more later.

 

Kuri side and front:

post-87-0-77560600-1591415350.jpg

 

Kuri 35mm and Kyoei 35mm in center. Don't be confused and buy the Kuri 35 at the left, it is not good for UV at all:

post-87-0-02915500-1591415411.jpg

 

Kuri 35mm and Kyoei 35mm in center. Don't be confused and buy the Kuri 35 at the left, it is not good for UV at all:

post-87-0-67239900-1591415485.jpg

 

Kuribayashi 35mm f/3.5, caps, hood, and case:

post-87-0-81500400-1591415533.jpg

 

Kuri and Kyoei:

post-87-0-06787200-1591415939.jpg

 

Kuri UV Transmission comparison:

post-87-0-37013700-1591416087.jpg

 

5 Kuribayashi 35mm f/3.5 (one in original leather case) and 1 Kyoei 35mm f/3.5 (upper right) lenses archived in Pelican case:

post-87-0-49640700-1591415711.jpg

 

Kuri / Kyoei 35mm elements:

post-87-0-51426100-1591496890.jpg

 

Kyoei (shown) / Kuri 35mm elements:

post-87-0-48605900-1591496564.jpg

 

How front section with 3 front elements screws out:

post-87-0-40838000-1591496715.jpg

 

Front three elements seperated:

post-87-0-61366400-1591496765.jpg

 

...and more here:

https://www.ultravio...v-transmission/

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Cadmium, thank you for posting the photos of your Kuri Collection so that members will have some visual guidance when they shop for 35/3.5s on Ebay or elsewhere.
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Thank you Cadmium,

Knowing which of the ones is poor for UV is just as good as great, when they maybe listed with exactly the same name.

 

I didn't know there was a kyoei 35mm f3.5 that was bad. Best not to fall into the all 35mm f3.5 lenses are good.

 

Which is sharpest in uv is important. As my Steinheil 50mm f2.8 lens I got that looks exactly like the one Kolari vision tested is very soft. I thus rarely use it.

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Great collection, and very professional looking Kuri case.

Slightly different markings on the one I have, but aesthetically I really like the silver-black focus ring version.

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Cadmium, thank you for posting the photos of your Kuri Collection so that members will have some visual guidance when they shop for 35/3.5s on Ebay or elsewhere.

 

Your welcome. I want to post the pics I have of the disassembled Kuri, of the parts and elements, but that shot is hiding from me somewhere.

I only found the drawing of the element design, handy if you take it apart and forget where the elements go, or in which direction.

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The Kyoei W-Acall 35/3.5 in L39mm is very poor for UV. Just to warn off members.

 

Birna, Yes, that is the lens on the left side in the second and third photo. It is L39, and very poor UV.

Note that the left lens and the second to the left lens both are labeled "W-Acall Kyoei", but these two lenses are completely different.

The second to the left is the good Kyoei same as the Kuri to the right of it, and your Petri on the right end.

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Apparently I have all these except for the one labelled Kuribayashi. I own the two Kyoei 35/3.5, L39 and M42, plus several specimens of the Petri version.

 

Interestingly, my L39 model has a front quite similar to the Kuribayashi design, but filter size is smaller. 43mm vs 46mm for the others. The lens is pretty good optically, but its poor UV performance is bad if it was purchased for UV photography.

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Iggy's Original refurbished 35mm / f3.5 lenses do this too.

Just like a number of older legacy lenses in the lens sticky on here.

They come in T-mount & M42 threaded mounts.

Some have the focus ring in the front, & others have focus ring at the back of the lens.

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Apparently I have all these except for the one labelled Kuribayashi. I own the two Kyoei 35/3.5, L39 and M42, plus several specimens of the Petri version.

 

Interestingly, my L39 model has a front quite similar to the Kuribayashi design, but filter size is smaller. 43mm vs 46mm for the others. The lens is pretty good optically, but its poor UV performance is bad if it was purchased for UV photography.

 

Birna, my little W. Acall Kyoei 35mm L39 lens pictured on the left in photo #1 and #2 (the one that is not good for UV) has 34mm front filter threads.

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Then there must exist different versions. Mine definitively has 43mm threads and as I already stated, its front appearance mimics the M42 Kyoei/Kuribayashi.
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I would be curious to see the transmission comparison with a Noflexar 35/3.5

Bob, I may be able to do that. Let me see if I can find my Novoflex lens......

 

EDIT: Found the Novoflex and also a Kuribayashi 35mm and a Prinz Galaxy 35mm too. Here are the lenses.

 

post-148-0-44701600-1591544407.jpg

 

post-148-0-71539700-1591544413.jpg

 

post-148-0-18124200-1591544418.jpg

 

post-148-0-48343500-1591544424.jpg

 

post-148-0-51298300-1591544429.jpg

 

And the transmission spectra between 280nm and 420nm.

 

post-148-0-63996800-1591544431.jpg

 

As discussed before in other threads on the topic, the fact that they do not go to zero on the low wavelength end is because of the nature of the spectrometer I have. The limit of transmission is about 330nm for the Novoflex, and 310nm for the Kuribayashi.

 

As Steve says though, transmission is only one part of the story.

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Then there must exist different versions. Mine definitively has 43mm threads and as I already stated, its front appearance mimics the M42 Kyoei/Kuribayashi.

 

Birna,

I guess that is one that is completely different than any I have seen then.

So you are saying that you have a lens that looks like the Kyoei (that I have pictured second from left) that has L39 mount threads, and 43mm front filter threads?

And it doesn't transmit UV well?

Is that all correct?

So you don't have one that looks like the one I show at the far left?

 

As far as the one I show at the far left, it doesn't transmit UV well, but Alex once said that it is a very sharp lens and good for macro,

however I have not used it for anything other than testing the UV.

 

Bob and Jonathan, I don't have a Noflexar 35mm, but from what I have heard the Kuri has slightly better UV depth and 'curve strength'.

I have seen comparison graphs in the past, but I don't have one to post. Also, the focal shift may be different between those two lenses.

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Another difference with the Kuri and Kyoei I show (the two in the center) is they both have the preset and diaphragm rings, where as the Kyoei on the left (that doesn't do UV well), and the Birna Petri on the right only have the preset ring.

Here also is a page from an old Kyoei catalog showing a few other 35mm lenses from around the same time period, or perhaps older, that have similar appearances with different mounts.

I have this entire pamphlet/book/catalog scanned, I thought I posted it on here, but I can't find it.

 

post-87-0-07140400-1591544193.jpg

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I snapped a quick picture of this "enigmatic" 35/3.5, which obviously appears in a livery not shared by any other lens of the same specification for this lens maker.

 

 

_DSC4159_kyoei35f3,5_L39_bad_UV_lens.jpg

 

Somehow looks like a cross between the L39 and rangefinder versions shown on Steve's pamphlet. The front bezel is engraved "W.Acall". It is L39 mount and has 43mm filter size.

 

It is bad for UV, though.

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Jonathan, thanks for the cool graph!

 

Birna, That is different. Like you say, it looks very much like the Kyoei I show, except it doesn't appear to have the two aperture rings (preset and diaphragm rings), it looks like it is missing the diaphragm ring.

I have never seen that type before.

Nice mouse!

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It's not "missing" the aperture ring at all. The scalloped ring in front sets the aperture directly. Thus there is no preset aperture like that one on my Kyoei M42 model. Interestingly, the L39 has distance markings in feet and m.

 

The Spanish-coloured mouse was acquired in Granada, Spain during the football ('soccer') world championship, 2018. Logitech made nationalised mice for the occasion.

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bobfriedman

Bob, I may be able to do that. Let me see if I can find my Novoflex lens......

 

As Steve says though, transmission is only one part of the story.

 

thank you!.. sure I do always factor the spectral response of the sensor.. and I have a monochrome D800 as well as an all-pass D800. I am sure for what I do the Noflexar is probably ok..

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It's not "missing" the aperture ring at all. The scalloped ring in front sets the aperture directly. Thus there is no preset aperture like that one on my Kyoei M42 model. Interestingly, the L39 has distance markings in feet and m.

 

The Spanish-coloured mouse was acquired in Granada, Spain during the football ('soccer') world championship, 2018. Logitech made nationalised mice for the occasion.

 

Birna, So you are saying that your lens has one aperture ring that has no detents? Is that correct? Or are you saying that your lens has one aperture ring that has detents?

 

On all of my Kuri/Kyoei lenses the front ring is the ring with the detents (preset ring), and the second ring from the front is the 'free sliding ring' (diaphragm ring),

with sliding distance defined/limited by the detent set by the front ring (preset ring).

 

Pertaining to the feet/meters, all of my Kuri and Kyoei 35mm lenses, as well as all of my other Kuri/Kyoei focal length lenses have dual m/feet scaling on them.

 

post-87-0-07324000-1591577181.jpg

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I wonder if anyone has tested the Asahi 35/3.5 in this manner. I do know that it is the sharpest UV lens I have, but its bandpass is distinctly less than the Steinheil 50.
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Steve, there is just the single ring to control the aperture setting and yes, it has the usual detents.
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