Lens Data Summary
Heinz Kilfitt
A number of other manufacturers have produced lenses in the Pentacon
Six mount. The most prolific was probably the Heinz Kilfitt Optical
Works of Munich in former West Germany. Here are details of their
lenses available in the USA in 1963, as reported in Al Gillespie’s Pentacon
Six Newsletter No 2 of April 1975.
| Lens name | Max aperture
& focal length |
No of
elements |
Closest focus
(feet & inches) |
Weight
(pounds & ounces) |
Approx
1963 price (US dollars) |
Comment |
| Macro-Kilar | f/2.8 / 90 | 4 | 8" | 17 oz | 260 | Incorporates an
aspherical element |
| Kilar | f/3.5 / 150 | 3 | 5' 0" | 14 oz | 205 | . |
| Tele-Kilar | f/5.6 / 300 | 4 | 9' 10" | 35 oz | 230 | . |
| Pan-Tele-Kilar | f/4 / 300 | 4 | 5' 11" | 68 oz | 475 | Double focusing mechanism:
track & helical |
| Fern-Kilar | f/5.6 / 400 | 2 | 32' 10" | 62 oz | 285 | . |
| Sport-Fern-Kilar | f/4 / 400 | 2 | 16' 5" | 6 lb | 515 | Track focusing |
| Sport-Fern-Kilar | f/5.6 / 600 | 2 | 65' 8" | 9 lb | 630 | Track focusing |
All of these lenses have a pre-set aperture. The Macro-Kilar is
reported to be an excellent lens. No doubt the others are, too.
Note: In the inscription on the lens, “Macro” is spelt with a “k”:
“Makro”.
[C444-4] When focussed at infinity, the 90mm Makro-Kilar looks like a reasonably normal, if rather large, standard lens. |
[C444-5] However, when at its closest focus setting, it looks quite remarkable. No extension tubes have been added here; this massive degree of extension is obtained with the lens alone. |
Zoomar Kilar
Al Gillespie reports that the Kilfitt firm was acquired by US-based
Zoomar Inc. In 1975 they were still selling the 90mm Macro-Kilar,
the two 300mm lenses and the 600mm 600mm lens, now called “Tele-Kilar”.
They also distributed the following lenses:
| Lens name | Max aperture
& focal length |
Approx
1975 price (US dollars) |
Comment |
| Zoomar Reflectar | f/5.6 / 500 | 450 | Mirror lens |
| Zoomar Reflectar | f/8 / 1000 | 1,075 | Mirror lens |
| Zoomar | f/4 / 170 - 320 | 875 | Zoom |
The zoom lens is very highly spoken of. Like the other lenses, it was available in mounts for a range of cameras, and a Norita mount version is known to exist.
This data is based on published sources. The 90mm Makro-Kilar is the only one of these lenses that I have.
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© TRA May 2002, May 2008