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In 1756, more than 267 years ago, Johann Christoph Voigtlander started operations in Vienna, the center of the then Holy Roman Empire where he produced mathematical instruments, precision mechanical products, optical instruments, including optical measuring instruments and opera glasses, thus becoming the oldest name in the optical & camera industry.
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When the world's first camera was released in France in 1839, Voigtländer, under the third generation of its owner, in 1840, went on to produce & launch the world's first mathematically calculated precision Petzval portrait photographic lens (the fastest lens at that time at f/3.6), followed by the world's first all-metal daguerreotype camera (Ganzmetallkamera) while also bringing out photographic plate cameras shortly afterwards. Voigtländer became a technology leader and the first manufacturer to introduce several new kinds of product that later became commonplace. With such a significantly long history & contribution made to the optical & photographic industry, Voigtländer continues to provide an extensive range of its great lenses it perfected in the last two & half centuries.
In 1999, Voigtländer moved all of its production to Japan, thereby giving Cosina the exclusive manufacturing rights to its entire catalogue & designs. Cosina, with over 60 years of unmatched history of its own in making some of the finest cameras & lenses for various Japanese & German manufacturers is a fully integrated, highly equipped & wholly indigenous manufacturer of highest quality lenses in the world. Cosina's unparalleled commitment to quality is quite evident in every single Voigltänder lens & accessory it proudly manufactures from grounds up, & passionately hand assembles it like a precious jewelry in Japan. So much so that even their packaging material, user manual are strictly "made in Japan". Cosina's R&D has taken the precious Voigtländer designs to an entirely new level by continuing to introduce the most unique & un-conventional in design, coatings, material, precision, size & speed of lenses rarely ever attempted by any other manufacturer which has literally positioned itself much above its nearest competition today. They have set such a trend in modern day history of camera lenses that people are now ditching their bulky lenses and re-building their entire collection on Voigtländer lenses because - "once a Voigtländer, is always a Voigtländer"!
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Less is more - all Voigtländer lenses have a fixed focal length without the bulky auto focus system. No compromises are made in the selection of parts and components used in building the most robust lenses in the market. We develop our own perfectly crafted glass elements and use premium materials, environment friendly coatings & sophisticated machining techniques all over to ensure ultimate precision & control. Since no motor is used like in an auto focus system, we are able to use the most premium materials without having to pay attention on their specific weight. Despite that, the overall weight of our lenses are far more lesser as compared to these auto focus lenses. Our materials are very resilient and perfect for daily use as well as for the use in all climate zones.
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Our unique manual close focus adapters from Voigtländer provide precise close focusing functionality, that further enhances the ability to shoot candid pictures at very close ranges. These adapters do not alter the image quality, infinity focusing or effective focal length of your lens and is a superb investment considering it gives access to our wide range of M-mount lenses.
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​Precision machining in Japan since 1948
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RAYQUAL, founded in 1948 as a metal processing plant, have been making precision machined close-up rings & mounts for renowned Japanese & German SLR camera manufacturers since 1973. The demand for mount adapters gradually started picking up since the year 2000 and Rayqual leveraged its years of expertise in making lens barrel mounts for many brands before formally launching its own brand. The brand name "RAYQUAL" is an expression of the manufacturer's philosophy by combining the words "RAY" (light) + "QUAL" (equal), meaning, an Image (Ray) that is equal (Qual) in quality even when shooting with lenses & cameras of different brands. All adapters have unmatched attention to detail, precision, quality, finish and some even patented in Japan, clearly a true reflection of the manufacturer's great enthusiasm!
The most notable attributes of both Voigtländer & Rayqual adapters
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Reliably Hand Crafted in Japan - from design to metal processing, surface treatment , assembly, adjustments and inspection
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Use of High Precision Metal Processing Technology - perfected & cultivated over decades for consistent quality
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High Precision Thickness - ensure that lenses are able to focus from minimum to infinity with utmost consistent accuracy
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Parallel Front & Back Mounting surfaces - ensures that no optical & sensor misalignment occurs that often causes blurred images
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Minimized Internal Reflections - by a unique light-shading plate that covers the electrical contacts & areas to minimize reflections
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Precise Mounting Feel - ensures that the adapter is free of any play and that it clicks, locks & unlocks reliably like a native lens
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High Robustness - for long term durability by stress testing the adapter's material, shape, consistent thickness & stiffness