Caltar Made in Japan?

[John Conway]

I noticed that a Caltar lens I was looking at was made in Japan. I thought they were all rodenstock. Anyone know who makes the Japan Caltars?

[Jan Pedersen]

Are you sure it is the lens and not the shutter that is made in Japan?
Copal shutters are made in Japan.

[Vaughn]

Was it the lens, or just the shutter (Copal) that was made in Japan?

[John Conway]

Yes, it is the shutter that is labeled Japan. Thanks

[Louie Powell]

Not all Caltars were made by Rodenstock.

The earliest Caltar resulted from a partnership with Ilex. Later lenses were made by Schneider, Komura, Rodenstock and Topcon. The more recent lenses are relabeled Rodenstock.

[John Conway]

Speaking of Ilex, a later model all black, actually a 90 f6.8. Is this lens made by Ilex or someone else?

[BradS]

Speaking of Ilex, a later model all black, actually a 90 f6.8. Is this lens made by Ilex or someone else?

Most likely that is a Rodenstock 90mm f/6.8 Grandagon-N.

With the caltar lenses you really need to pay attention to and specify all of the letters in the name. ...

That is to say, the Caltar type S is different from the Caltar S-II which is again different from the Caltar II-N and still different from the Caltar -W and Caltar HR, Caltar type Y, Caltar pro series, etc....on and on. If it matters to you who actually made the lens then you need to be clear about the full name.

[John Conway]

Thanks BradS. I appreciate the help.

[Kuzano]

I don't believe that Caltar ever made anything. They are a marketing company and specified all their products branded for them by manufacturers who met the bid specs. Kind of like the US Government... they never made anything. Lowest bidder wins, unless it's a no bid contract in which the losers are tax payers.

Everything Caltar is something else under the Caltar name.

[David Karp]

Years ago, Kerry Thalmann wrote an article for View Camera Magazine that detailed the different Caltar series and who made them. It also included specs for each lens in the series. If you can get your hands on this article it is very helpful.