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07-17-2008, 11:13 AM   #1
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What is a Focal MC Lens?

Hello, all,

Since I have been dabbling in M42 lenses, I have gotten familiar with the various "off" brands. I have seen some interesting lenses with the brand name "Focal." I often see these lenses with the "MC" designation. I gather "MC" would stand for "mulit-coated"--but what is a Focal lens? In general, are they any good? Is their 28/2.8 M42 any good?

Thanks,
Glen

07-17-2008, 11:17 AM   #2
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K-Mart

Focal was a trade mark (brand name ) for K mart photographic products in the 1980's

MC is multicoated
07-17-2008, 12:11 PM   #3
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Thanks...

The 1980s?--this seems at least a bit beyond the screwmount era.
07-17-2008, 01:27 PM   #4
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QuoteOriginally posted by zx-m Quote
Thanks...

The 1980s?--this seems at least a bit beyond the screwmount era.

Ummm... The K-mount has been available since the mid-70s and K-Mart has been selling photo stuff under that name since about the same time. From what I understand, some of the Focal lenses are not too bad.

Steve

07-17-2008, 10:18 PM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by zx-m Quote
Thanks...

The 1980s?--this seems at least a bit beyond the screwmount era.
Many third party M42 lenses were still being produced in the 1980s. I had moved up from the M42 mount only a few years before, and that was because of worn shutter curtains.
07-17-2008, 10:29 PM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
Focal was a trade mark (brand name ) for K mart photographic products in the 1980's

MC is multicoated
I never know that K-Mart sold decent camera gear
But then again I rarely went in there, since I wasn't all that impressed with the quality of most of their products.

QuoteOriginally posted by zx-m Quote
Thanks...

The 1980s?--this seems at least a bit beyond the screwmount era.
I have a screwmount Zeiss made in the Mid Eighties, and it's a premium lens.
I don't use it all that often, mostly because it weighs more than my car
07-18-2008, 12:12 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by zx-m Quote
Thanks...

The 1980s?--this seems at least a bit beyond the screwmount era.

I have a M42 lens that was made in the 1996.

Ok, its a Jupiter 9, but still...

07-18-2008, 07:09 AM   #8
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Sears sold lenses using their name as well. I have a 80-200mm f/4 which got me decent results, but has a bit of fungus on it, so it sits on my shelf. The 135mm f/2.8 (with the 'A' setting) is also decent, I sold that one to a forum member here.

I should do a shootout between the Sears 80-200mm f/4 and my Canon 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM.
07-18-2008, 07:22 AM   #9
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K-Mart sold Focal lenses at least as far back as the 70s because I saw them in the mid to late 70s. I have a 28mm f2.8 that I bought from Kmart in 1986 that is pretty decent. I also have a 2x TC that has the electrical connections for program cameras etc that is pretty nice. I think the Focal stuff was made for them by Tokina. I don't recall who made the Sears stuff but it looked a lot like the Vivitar stuff. I also have a Sears 135mm and a 70-200 zoom. I don't think the Sears stuff was made by the same company that made Focal. The sears stuff was more like Vivitar.
Ironically, kmart "had" a decent camera department. Hell, they probably sold 2/3 of the K1000 sold in the U.S. I think Kmart's demise is directly correlated to when they closed down there camera department. Walmart's current camera department is a joke compared to what Kmart used to have going.
07-18-2008, 07:23 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by KungPOW Quote
I have a M42 lens that was made in the 1996.

Ok, its a Jupiter 9, but still...


My J-9 (also M-42) was made in 2007!
07-18-2008, 07:26 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Blue Quote
K-Mart sold Focal lenses at least as far back as the 70s because I saw them in the mid to late 70s. I have a 28mm f2.8 that I bought from Kmart in 1986 that is pretty decent. I also have a 2x TC that has the electrical connections for program cameras etc that is pretty nice. I think the Focal stuff was made for them by Tokina. I don't recall who made the Sears stuff but it looked a lot like the Vivitar stuff. I also have a Sears 135mm and a 70-200 zoom. I don't think the Sears stuff was made by the same company that made Focal. The sears stuff was more like Vivitar.
Ironically, kmart "had" a decent camera department. Hell, they probably sold 2/3 of the K1000 sold in the U.S. I think Kmart's demise is directly correlated to when they closed down there camera department. Walmart's current camera department is a joke compared to what Kmart used to have going.
The Sears stuff was sourced through Ricoh and was probably made by Tomioka (sp?). I agree with your assessment of the K-Mart photo department. I bought all of my Hoya filters there as well as my old Vivitar flash.

Steve
02-15-2010, 01:49 PM   #12
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Kmart camera department.

I bought and still have a Focal 1:2.8 135mm without the "A" setting
a Focal 2x teleconverter w/contacts
a Focal M500TS-zoom flash
and the Pentax K1000 that I bought them for!
The lenses are as good as ever and the flash(which re-charges in 4.5 seconds) has never failed me. I don't know the manufacturer but the lenses where made in Japan and the flash was made in Hong Kong. I recently bought an AF330FTZ, an AF280T, and an AF240FT so I put the Focal flash in the drawer. The lenses I still use.
It's been a long time since I bought a new flash (thank you Kmart) but then, it's been a couple years since any body replied to this post also

Last edited by jonhock; 02-15-2010 at 02:01 PM.
02-15-2010, 02:17 PM   #13
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I have a Tou/Five Star 28mm f2.8 MC Auto and it's a very good lens also, It probably looks the same as the Focal....the 28 is one of the only 2 manual lenses I have left.
02-15-2010, 05:31 PM   #14
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I have the 28mm f2.8, 135mm f2.8 and the TC all the M type. I bought the 28 and TC at K-Mart ~84 and the 135mm recently. They are actually quite nice.

Here's the brochure for the Focal K-mount lenses. I scanned the brochure that I got back when I bought my stuff.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/pentax-film-slr-discussion/47...re-k-mount-pdf
02-15-2010, 09:04 PM   #15
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I don't know who moved this but it was a bit ridiculous. You do realize these are k-mount? Are you going to go back and move all of the Sigma, Tammy, Voightlander, Sears etc. K-mount lens threads?

Last edited by Blue; 02-15-2010 at 09:29 PM.
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