I just bought a Komura Commercial 210mm f6.3 lens in Copal #1. However there is very little information available about this lens. I would like to learn more about the lens such as coverage, sharpness, history of lens (Serial No: 211094), official/unofficial website, etc.. Thanks!
They are a Tessar type and most are excellent. They came on the scene to fill in the gap left after Kodak quit making the Commercial Ektar which was also a Tessar. Some smart marketing person made sure the word "Commercial" was in the name so it could ride on Kodaks coat tails. Single coated and likely a fine performer. It should cover a 5X7 film OK and 4X5 with good movements. Tessar's are usually either f6.3 or f4.5 which goes all the way back to Zeiss / Bausch & Lomb days around the turn of the century. Tessar's came in 2 flavors. The big f4.5 Series Ic was the flagship and the f6.3 Series IIb was the smaller cheaper lighter version. It stuck. Except at Kodak the f6.3 was the flagship and the f4.5 was the less well respected.
I am an owner of a Commercial Komura 210mm 6.3 lens and it is excellent. When used on a 4x5 has unlimited movements.I sometimes use mine on my 8x10 stopped down to atleast f45 and got decent results. I beleive image circle is around 250mm at infinity f22.
I have one of these lenses and I used it for several years. It is now suffering from separation. I took it out of service and recycled the Copal #1 shutter to mount a 305 mm G-Claron. However, when I used the Komura lens I thought it did a good job. I too used mine on an 8x10 camera and it covered without any movements.
leec
It is quite possible that your lens was made by Yamasaki Optical. Their web site is http://www.cosmonet.org/congo/index_e.html . They read and write English and have answered questions for me. Send them the serial number etc., ask them if they made it.
Not that it should matter much to you, but f/6.3 Tessars have more coverage and are supposed to perform better to the edges than faster Tessars. When new, that is.
Cheers,
Dan
Komura and Yamasaki are separate companies. While Komura was making the lenses in question they were competitors. Yamasaki has been making Tessar type lenses for very many years and at the time this lens was made was the principal supplier to Japanese portrait, tourist and commercial photographers. Their tradename is "Congo", but they also made house brand lenses for sale in the United States.
Besides prime lenses, Komura made many focal length multiplying lenses.
Thanks again for all the information. Appreciate it.
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