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Abbreviations

Specification

Source of data

• SOLIGOR C/D Auto Lenses instruction manual.

Manufacturer description #1

You want to close in on your subject, but you have to keep your distance. You want to frame your picture to perfection, but you're stymied by your standard 50mm lens. It will let you take pictures. But a Soligor Zoom & Macro lens lets you make pictures.

That's especially true if you're working with Soligor's "One Touch" 70mm-220mm Zoom & Macro lens. It's an f/3.5 jewel with focus and zoom combined in a single control for a smooth, continuous action that lets you reach across a crowded room, instantly. When you can't get close, Soligor can.

Manufacturer description #2

From the Spiratone camera accessories, lenses, darkroom, viewing and projecting equipment catalogue (No. 803, Summer 1980):

Even in this age of computer design and rare earth glasses, the PUSH/PULL Spiratone 70-220 "TRUE* MACRO-FOCUS" F/3.5 PLURACOAT FULLY AUTOMATIC TELEPHOTO ZOOM represents an exceptional achievement in optical quality and range

* Focusing continuity... from infinity to 1" (from front of lens)

This is not a lens designed to be "bought on sight" - simply for looks, for size, or for any other superficial reason. It's a lens designed with one overriding criterion: outstanding performance. Its sharpness and contrast are superb: it produces results virtually undistinguishable from those of your best single focal length lens.

It is sturdily constructed and handling is silky smooth PUSH-PULL control gives you a feeling of confidence.

Its wide zoom range covers all the telephoto focal lengths you'll normally use, providing linear magnifications of approximately 1 1/2 to 4 1/2x those of your normal lens. Thanks to its outstanding optics, it performs superbly even with the optional multicoated Spiratone 2X TelXtender which increases the upper zoom range from 220 to 440mm. With this combination, the macro magnification ratio also increases from an already impressive 2/3 lifesize to 1/3 larger than lifesize - a total range that's virtually impossible to match with any other lens systems.

What this all adds up to is that with just the Spiratone '70-220' and the Spiratone Pluracoat 2X TelXtender - weighing together only 51 oz. - you'll cover every conceivable moderate, long, ultra long and macro requirement!

Here are some more facts: single push-pull control for focusing and zooming; close focus in regular range 4', in macro range 1" from front of lens to subject. Manual and Auto operation. Tripod socket for balanced tripod mounting. Internal zooming - lens does not increase in length during zooming. Built-in sliding hood. 'Man-sized' grip for focus/zoom collar, threaded to accept standard 72mm accessories.

From the editor

In macro mode, the maximum magnification is 1:1.45, while the closest focusing distance is 0.257m.

The same lens was sold under the name SPIRATONE PLURACOAT 1:3.5 f=70-220mm AUTO ZOOM MACRO.

The lens looks identical to the RMC Tokina 70-220/3.5 Macro, the specifications are also the same, except for the number of elements (16 for Tokina, 15 for Soligor) and aperture blades (6 for Tokina, 8 for Soligor). Perhaps there was a typo in the Soligor literature, or Tokina produced a version for Soligor with a slightly modified optical formula.

Notes

• Independent-brand lenses were made for 35mm film SLR cameras by companies that competed with the camera manufacturers. Some came from factories that made lenses under their own brand names (Angenieux, Kiron, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina). Many others were national and international marketing organizations (Kalimar, Panagor, Rokunar, Soligor, Starblitz) that bought lenses from anonymous manufacturers. One firm — Vivitar — actually designed its own lenses and accessories, which were then subcontracted to manufacturing firms. Still others were private labels, sold only by specific photo specialty shops (Cambron, Quantaray, Spiratone).
• This Soligor lens has s/n 1xxxxxxx, therefore it was produced by Tokina.

Lenses with similar focal length range