Sun

See also the Sun Stereo and Sun plate folder.

Sun (サン, San) was a Japanese lens maker.

History

The company appeared soon after World War II as Sun Kōki K.K. (サン光機㈱, San Kōki). It was a successor of the company Gojō Kōki Seisakusho, maker of the K.O.L. lenses, which ceased its activity in 1945. Early Sun lenses had the brand names Xebec and Sola, inherited from the K.O.L. period. In the 1950s or 1960s, the company was using the English name Sun Optical Co., Ltd. and was based in the city of Ichikawa (in the Chiba Prefecture, at the East of Tokyo). Its logo was an elongated "S" crossed by two brackets.

Sun made interchangeable lenses in various mounts, for still and cine cameras. It changed its name to Gotō Sun (ゴトー・サン) at some time, perhaps in the 1970s, and no later than 1981. At that period, it manufactured the Orinox binocular camera, also sold as the Tasco Bino/Cam.

The company was still in existence in 1983, and disappeared in the 1980s. There is significant evidence to suggest that Sun was absorbed into Goyō Kōgaku Shōji Y.K. (五洋光学商事有限会社, also known as Goyo Optical Inc.), some time in the late 1980s. Goyo Optical was founded in 1976 and produces mainly CCTV and industrial lenses; however its 50mm f/0.95 lens has recently (2010) been sold under the Noktor brand in Micro Four Thirds mount. The Noktor brand is marketed by Noktor, LLC, Atlanta/USA.

Lenses

Advertisement for Sun lenses in Asahi Camera October 1953. (Image rights).

For 35mm cameras

• Sun lenses in Leica screw mount:
  • Sun Xebec 5cm f/2
  • Sun Sophia 5cm f/2
  • Prominar 7.3cm f/3.5 and 7.5cm f/3.5
  • Sun Sola 7.3cm f/3.5 and 7.5cm f/3.5
  • Sun Sola 9cm f/4
  • Sun Xebec Telephoto 9cm f/4
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.5
• Lenses in Exakta mount:
  • Sun Sola 9cm f/4
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.5
• Lenses in 42mm screw mount:
  • Sun Sola 9cm f/4
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8
  • Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.5
  • many others
• and many other lenses from the 1960s onwards :

Here's a list :

• Sun Optical 10-30/1.8 (to confirm)
• Sun FM 21mm f3.8 (77mm filters)
• Sun Opt. Sun Wide Zoom Macro 24-40mm 1:3.5 muti-coated (2 touch, 72mm filters)
• Sun Zoom 24-45/3.5-4.5 Macro MC (2 touch, 72mm filters))
• Sun Zoom 24-42mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC (2 touch, 67mm filters)
• Sun Optical 24/2.5 (to confirm)
• Sun Auto MC 24/2.8 (Actinon, 49mm filters)
• Sun Wide YS-24 f:2.8 24mm (62mm filter)
• Sun Zoom Lens 28-80mm 3.5-4.5 MC Macro (2 touch, macro 1:4 at 28mm end, 62mm filters)
• Sun Wide Auto 28/2.5 MC (52mm filters)
• (Sun Opt.) Sun (auto) Wide(angle) 28/2.8 (MC Auto) (YS variation, 52 & 55mm filters)
• Sun Zoom 35-70mm 1:3.5-4.5 MC Macro (1 touch, 55mm filters)
• Sun Optical 35-135mm 4-5.6 Macro (1 touch, normal focusing to 2m, macro 1:4 at 35mm end,62mm filters)
• Sun Zoom DC-1 35-200mm 3.8-5.3 MC Macro (67mm filters)
• Sun FM 35/2.8 MC (55mm filters)
• Sun Optical 38-90/3.5 (to confirm)
• Sun System Zoom 60-135/3.5 (2 touch)
• Sun MC 60-150mm 4 Macro
• Sun Auto Zoom 70-140mm F3.8 MC (1 touch, 49mm filters)
• Sun 70-210mm 1:3.8 Macro MC (1 touch)
• Sun Opt. Sun Multi Zoom 70-210/4 (2 touch - YS variation)
• Sun Optical 70-210/4.5 MC (Actinon)
• Sun Zoom 70-230mm 1:4 MC Macro (1 touch)
• Sun Auto (Tele) Zoom 75-200mmm 1:4.5 MC Macro (1 touch, 55mm filters)
• Sun Auto Zoom 80-200mm 1:4.5 MC ("Actinon", 1 touch, Macro variation)
• Sun Multi Macro Zoom 80-240mm 1:4 (2 touch, Tripod Collar)
• Sun (MC) Auto Zoom 85-210/3.8 (Macro) (58 & 62mm filters)
• Sun (MC) Zoom 85-210mm 1:3.8 (Macro) (58mm filter)
• (Sun Opt.) Sun (Auto) Zoom  85-210mm 1:4.5 (YS variation, 2 touch)
• Sun Opt. Sun Hi-Tele Zoom Lens 85-210/4.8 (Pistol Grip variation)
• Sun Zoom Lens 85-300/5 (Sun Spiratone)
• Sun Tele Zoom 110-180MM F:4.5 (1 touch, tripod collar)
• Sun Optical 135/2.5 (to confirm)
• Sun Opt. Sun (Tele) (Auto MC) 135/2.8 (YS variation, 52mm filters)
• Sun Optical 190-430/5.8 (to confirm)
• Sun Auto Telephoto Lens 200/3.5
• Sun Opt. Sun Tele 200/3.9 (YS, 58mm filters)
• Sun Optical 300/5.5 (to confirm)
• Sun Auto 2X Converter
• Sun X3 Auto Tele Up
• Sun 7Element Auto Tele Converter 2X MC

For 4×4cm cameras

• sets of auxiliary lenses for 4×4cm TLR cameras:
  • Sun Xebec Telephoto Model 44
  • Sun aux. Telephoto Model 44
  • Sun aux. Wideangle Model 44

For subminiature cameras

• Sun-Tele 40mm f/5.6 for Steky

Other

• Stereo-Sun stereo attachment
• many cine lenses

For example : C Mount :

• Sun Telephoto (16mm) F:3.2 3"
• Sun-Dionar 15-60mm 1:1.8

D Mount : Sun 8mm telephoto lens F:2.5 1,5"

Advertisement for Sun lenses in Asahi Camera February 1955. (Image rights).

Bibliography

• Asahi Camera. Advertisement by Sun Kōki:
  • October 1953, p.220;
  • February 1955, p.201;
  • April 1955, p.174.
• Hagiya Takeshi (萩谷剛). "Raika to sekai no raika-yō renzu" (ライカと世界のライカ用レンズ, Leica and other Leica-mount lenses). In Sekai no Raika renzu (世界のライカレンズ, Leica lenses of the world) Part 1. Tokyo: Shashinkogyo Syuppan-sha, 2003. ISBN 4-87956-061-8. Pp.178–88.
• Inoue, Mitsuo (井上光朗). "Shashin renzu no yoake. Renzu-ya Funsenki" (写真レンズの夜明け・レンズ屋奮戦記, Dawn of the photographic lens – Fierce war tales between lens shops). Kamera Rebyū: Kurashikku Kamera Senka (カメラレビュー クラシックカメラ専科) / Camera Review: All about Historical Cameras no.14, October 1989. No ISBN number. Rikō kamera no subete (リコーカメラのすべて, special issue on Ricoh). Pp.128–132. (On the relation with Gojō.)

Links

In English:

• Sun Sola 9cm f/4 and Sun 13.5cm f/3.8 in this page of Japanese lenses in Exakta mount at Captain Jack's Exakta Pages
• Sun Telephoto 13.5cm f/3.8 for Exakta, lot no.322 of auction no.10 (18 November 2006) by Westlicht Photographica Auction
• Sun Tele for Steky at submin.com
• Sales in auction no.17 (7 December 2002) by LP Foto:
  • Stereo-Sun, lot no.85
  • Sun-Tele 40mm f/5.6 for Steky
• Corporate information in the Goyo Optical official website
• Noktor homepage

In Japanese:

• Orinox at the Old Telescope website
• Page of Imai's BBS discussing Gotō Sun lenses