Kiron Lenses

Kiron Lenses were photographic lenses sold by the Kiron Corporation, formally based in Carson, California, USA.

The company was set up as a subsidiary of Kino Precision Industries Limited, Tokyo, Japan in 1978–79, in order to market their lenses to the United States. Previously, they had made lenses under contract for Vivitar, among others, but felt production could be better maintained if they designed, manufactured and distributed their lenses under their own name.

Rise and Fall

Kiron lenses hit the US market in 1980 and following a successful advertising campaign had achieved significant sales. Kiron were then introduced around the rest of the world.

Following the introduction of Minolta's patent-protected autofocus lenses, the licence fees required to produce them, and the rapidly shrinking photographic market, Kino Precision decided to close down Kiron Corporation in the late 1980s.

Kino Precision continued to make photographic lenses for other companies for a number of years.

Some further lenses were sold in Europe, Australia, and Asia under the Kiron brand name but these were made by other manufacturers (notably Tokina) and rebranded as Kiron.

Types

Lenses for 35 mm film cameras:
* 24mm 1:2.0
* 28mm 1:2.8
* 28mm 1:2.0
* 28–70mm 1:3.5–4.5 (two versions)
* 28–70mm 1:4.0
* 28–85mm 1:2.8–3.8
* 28–105mm 1:3.2–4.5 (two versions)
* 28–210mm 1:4.0–5.6
* 30–80mm 1:3.5–4.5
* 35–135mm 1:3.5–4.5
* 105mm 1:2.8 (macro 1:1)
* 70–150mm 1:4.0
* 70–210mm 1:4.0 (two versions)
* 70–210mm 1:4.5
* 80–200mm 1:4.0
* 80–200mm 1:4.5 (six versions)

Lenses were made in the following lens mounts:
* Canon FD
* Konica AR
* Minolta MD
* Nikon F AI and AI-S
* Olympus OM
* Pentax K and K_A
* Contax/Yashica bayonet

See also

* Vivitar
* List of photographic equipment makers