Sears Tomioka Heritage

Overview

The Auto Sears 55mm f/1.4 is one of many rebadged variants of a single-formula lens manufactured by the famous Japanese optical firm Tomioka, which supplied it under numerous marques including Mamiya-Sekor, Chinon, Rikenon, Revuenon, Cosina, Porst (in Germany) and Sears (in the USA). According to reviewers, it is 'almost certainly a knock off of the legendary Carl Zeiss Pancolar 55mm f/1.4' — a claim strengthened by the fact that Tomioka had a very close working relationship with Zeiss at the time and even manufactured Japanese Zeiss lenses. The design is a standard double-Gauss with an extra converging element at the rear (seven elements in five groups), and like the Pancolar it is described as radioactive (thorium glass). Multiple named variants exist; this Sears is described as the earliest version. Its cult following stems from the widely repeated observation that its performance — sharpness, contrast and bokeh — is 'nearly identical' to the far more expensive and uber-rare Zeiss Pancolar, at roughly 3% of the price. One reviewer who owned both concluded he would never have bought the Pancolar had he known. No established nickname for this specific lens is evidenced in the reviews, though the broader Tomioka fast-fifties are noted for 'bags of character' and being 'radioactive.'

Verdict: The Auto Sears 55mm f/1.4 is a Tomioka-made 'poor man's Pancolar' — a rebadged double-Gauss with radioactive glass that reviewers say delivers sharpness and distinctive bokeh nearly indistinguishable from the coveted Zeiss Pancolar 55mm f/1.4 at a tiny fraction of the price. It's ideal for character-seeking manual-focus shooters and Pancolar admirers on a budget, provided they accept mild sample variation and a focal length that runs slightly short.

Optical Character

Bokeh

Beautiful bokeh with distinctive OOF disc shapes very close to the Pancolar's, differing only in slight illumination weighting; no swirl claimed.

Sharpness wide open

Very sharp and nearly identical to the Pancolar, with slight center-versus-edge differences and some CA revealed in test-target shots.

Contrast

Contrast described as hardly distinguishable from the Zeiss Pancolar and considered good.

Community Insights

What people love

Performance, sharpness and bokeh described as nearly identical to the far more expensive Zeiss Pancolar 55mm f/1.4
Excellent value — one reviewer bought it for about 3% of the Pancolar's price and concluded he'd have skipped the Pancolar entirely
'Beautiful bokeh' with distinctive OOF disc shapes very close to the legendary Pancolar's
Tomioka pedigree — the same firm that collaborated with Zeiss and even made Japanese Zeiss lenses

What people dislike

Sample-to-sample variation across Tomioka-made copies in sharpness, subtle bokeh and especially color rendering
Slight center-versus-edge sharpness differences and some chromatic aberration revealed in test-target shots
Focal length runs short — one reviewer calculated it closer to 52mm despite the 55mm marking
Radioactive thorium glass may deter some buyers

Pro Tips

Shoot slightly closer than a true 55mm to compensate for the shorter (~52mm) actual focal length if matching framing to a Pancolar
Because copies vary, test your specific sample for sharpness, CA and color if character consistency matters to you
Use it wide open to exploit its Pancolar-like bokeh; stop down slightly to tighten center-versus-edge sharpness

Sources (1)

Web-grounded synthesissecondary

The Auto Sears 55mm f/1.4 is one of many rebadged variants of a single-formula lens manufactured by the famous Japanese optical firm Tomioka, which supplied it under numerous marques including Mamiya-Sekor, Chinon, Rikenon, Revuenon, Cosina, Porst (in Germany) and Sears (in the USA). According to reviewers, it is 'almost certainly a knock off of the legendary Carl Zeiss Pancolar 55mm f/1.4' — a claim strengthened by the fact that Tomioka had a very close working relationship with Zeiss at the time and even manufactured Japanese Zeiss lenses. The design is a standard double-Gauss with an extra converging element at the rear (seven elements in five groups), and like the Pancolar it is described as radioactive (thorium glass). Multiple named variants exist; this Sears is described as the earliest version. Its cult following stems from the widely repeated observation that its performance — sharpness, contrast and bokeh — is 'nearly identical' to the far more expensive and uber-rare Zeiss Pancolar, at roughly 3% of the price. One reviewer who owned both concluded he would never have bought the Pancolar had he known. No established nickname for this specific lens is evidenced in the reviews, though the broader Tomioka fast-fifties are noted for 'bags of character' and being 'radioactive.'

https://toby-marshall.com/galleries/bokeh-tales/auto-sears-55mm-f1-4-lens/https://allmyfriendsarejpegs.com/2023/11/07/tomioka-auto-yashinon-55mm-f1-2-lens-review/https://deltalenses.com/tomioka-industrial-lenses/https://deltalenses.com/the-tomioka-story/https://www.reddit.com/r/VintageLenses/comments/1aeqmli/article_on_tomioka_industrial_and_enlarging_lenses/https://www.dpreview.com/forums/threads/tomioka-and-tomioka-yashinon-50-1-4-and-mamiya-sekor-55-1-4.4773463/