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| Soligor Semi-Auto by Ceciliacase (Image rights) |
Allied Impex Corporation[1] was an American distributor. From 1956, it used the brand name Soligor for cameras and lenses imported from Japan.[2] It imported the Miranda cameras and took control of the Miranda company at some time in the 1960s.[3]
The company founded a German sub-company called A.I.C. Phototechnik GmbH in 1968, that became Soligor GmbH in 1993.[4] This German company is the only one still active today (2009).[5] It is known for its rich product range of camera accessories.
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| 1956 advertisement in US Camera. Scan by Jeffrey Felton. (Image rights) |
Distributed cameras[]
35mm film[]
- Soligor 35 (SLR)
- Soligor 45 (viewfinder)
- Soligor TM (SLR)
120 film[]
- Soligor Reflex (TLR)
- Soligor Reflex II (TLR)
- Soligor Semi-Auto (TLR)
- Soligor 66 (SLR)
Distributed lenses[]
Soligor distributed lenses in many, many different camera mounts — basically every 35mm SLR mount. It competed with Vivitar, and both sold the T4 lenses with interchangeable mounts. Vivitar also sold TX lenses, but Soligor did not.
- Soligor lenses for 39mm screw mount
- Soligor lenses for 42mm screw mount
- Soligor lenses for Nikon rangefinder mount
- Soligor 135mm f/4.5 for Argus C3
- Elitar Soligor cine lenses
Distributed accessories[]
Soligor made a variety of accessories for many different cameras.
Notes[]
- ↑ "Impex" is probably the contraction of "Import Export".
- ↑ Date: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
- ↑ The FAQ of the Miranda Camera site says 1963, but the main page of the Miranda Society Japan says that it bought the shares in 1968 and took complete control in 1969.
- ↑ See this page of the Soligor GmbH official website.
- ↑ It seems that in 1997, the company Allied Impex Corporation was an empty structure based in the USA, owning the German company Soligor GmbH and itself owned by AIC International, Inc., another empty structure. Source: filing dated 1998 at Edgar Online.
Links[]
In English:
- Story of AIC by Lee Mannheimer in Bill's Miranda Camera Page
- FAQ of the Miranda Camera site
- Presentation at the Soligor GmbH official website
- Soligor and Vivitar T4 lenses at The Casual Collector
- Soligor 135mm f/4.5 for Argus C3 at whitemetal.com
In Japanese:
- Main page of the Miranda Society Japan
In French :
- Soligor Camera List at www.collection-appareils.fr