Heinz Kilfitt Munchen [Tele-]Kilar 150mm F/3.5
Medium telephoto prime lens • Film era • Discontinued
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- Announced:
- · No data
- Production status:
- ● Discontinued
- Country of design:
- · FRG (Federal Republic of Germany)
- Original name:
- · Heinz Kilfitt München Tele-Kilar 1:3.5 f=150mm
- · Heinz Kilfitt München Kilar 1:3.5 f=150mm C
- · Heinz Kilfitt München Kilar 1:3.5 f=150mm ○○○
- Class:
- · Slow full-frame medium telephoto prime lens
Specification
| Optical design: | |
| 35mm full frame | |
| 150mm | |
| F/3.5 | |
| 3 elements | |
| Interchangeable mount | |
| 16.4° (35mm full frame) | |
| Diaphragm mechanism: | |
Diaphragm type: | Preset |
Aperture control: | Preset ring + Aperture ring |
| 16 (sixteen) | |
| Focusing: | |
| 1.50m | |
| <No data> | |
Focusing modes: | Manual focus only |
Manual focus control: | Focusing ring |
| Physical characteristics: | |
| 490g | |
| ⌀72×148mm | |
| Accessories: | |
| Screw-type 52mm | |
| Screw-type round | |
| <No data> |
Sources of data
- Kilfitt lenses price list by Kling Photo (September 1963).
- Kilfitt price-list and technical data (in German) (October 1961).
Manufacturer description
The large aperture of this popular long focus lens provides ample speed for color photography under all conditions in sports, press, and feature photography. Helical focusing mount. Threaded for use with 'kil' or 'tul' adapters, or reflex housings. Supplied complete with deep, screw-in lens shade, front and rear lens caps.
From the Popular Photography - ND magazine (April 1950)
It's many years now (almost ten) since long-range telephoto lenses have been available on demand to owners of precision miniature cameras like the Leica and Contax. In the recent past, an intriguing assortment of high-magnification lenses focused by mirror-reflex systems have been announced and introduced. It all began in mid-1948 when E. Leitz, Inc. announced the return of its Mirror Reflex Housing in an improved post-war version - at $157.50. (This is the interchangeable focusing and viewing element of the various Leitz "Telyt" lenses - the 200-mm f/4.5, the 400-mm f/5, and a brand-new f/6 800-mm job due to arrive here in the early part of 1950.)
The first actual break came in mid-December 1949 when Peerless Camera Stores of New York announced the arrival (from Germany) of their first shipment of Kilfitt-Kilar Telephoto Lenses for which they have exclusive U.S. importation rights. Equipped with a "prism reflex housing" for focusing and framing the photographic image, the Kilfitt-Kilar comes in two "Leica models" - a 150-mm, f/3.5 priced at $274.50 producing 3 times "normal" image size, and a 300-mm, f/5.6 (6 times "normal") at $314.50. With Contax bayonet-type adapters instead of Leica screw-in couplings, these lenses cost $40 more. Since one "prism reflex housing" may be used interchangeably with both lenses, the latter are available without housing too - at $125 for the 150-mm and $185 for the 300-mm. Early in 1949, we had the privilege of trying out a pair of Kilar telephoto lenses and found that they both produced critically sharp negatives of distant objects at full aperture. The early model had a lever-type system to raise the mirror of the reflex housing an instant before the tripping of the camera shutter - now replaced by a more efficient single-plunger cable release.
From the editor
According to the Kilfitt price-list and technical data (in German) (October 1961), the lens was available with interchangeable "kil-" adapters for the following cameras: Edixa-Reflex, Pentacon, Praktica, Alpa, Exakta, Exa, Rectaflex, Contarex, Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Miranda, Pentax, Topcon, Cine Reflex m. C-Gewinde, Camex Reflex, Nizo Reflex.
The lens was also available in a screw mount version for the Kilarscope (Kilfitt Reflex Housing for Leica rangefinder cameras). It could also be used on the Leica Visoflex I or II/IIa with the matching adapter (codewords "Cozwi" or "Kivis", respectively). The adapter for Arriflex cameras also existed.
The Kilfitt price list (September 1963) lists Alpa, Canonflex, Contax D, S, Contarex, Edixa Reflex, Exa, Exakta, Hexacon, Leica I-IIIg, Leica M2-M3, Minolta, Miranda, Nikon Reflex, Novoflex, Pentacon, Pentax, Praktica, Praktiflex, Praktina, Topcon, Arriflex CineKodak Special, C-mount cameras (reflex type). The lens could be mounted on these cameras by means of "DeLuxe" (codeword "kil-") adapters for general photography with slot for 2x2" gelatine filters in holder, built-in tripod socket, click stops for turning camera horizontal or vertical while on tripod.
The variable extension macro adapter (codeword "tul-") with an auxiliary helical focusing mount was also available for this lens. It reduced the closest focusing distance down to 0.7m for a reproduction ratio of 1:2.7. Like "kil-" adapters, the "tul-" ones also had slot for 2x2" gelatine filters in holder, built-in tripod socket, click stops for turning camera horizontal or vertical while on tripod.
***
With the dedicated adapter (codeword "kifis 2583"), the lens also accepted Series VII filters.
***
The Kilfitt price list (September 1963) indicates different weight: 14 oz. (=397g).