List of Lens Makers

This is a list of manufacturers of all kinds of lenses related to photography, including industrial, enlarging and projection lenses but not single components or lens elements for glasses, binoculars etc.

It’s still incomplete as it is, since the most effort has been put into making a list of European lens makers. Over time, I’ll try to extend it to all around the world though. If you have any addition, please feel invited to comment or reach out, so I can make this into a more complete and useful resource.

If you happen to spot any missing manufacturers, I’d appreciate it, if you can mention them in the comments, or via the contact form.

So please – until otherwise stated – consider this a WORK IN PROGRESS!

Asia

CHINA

Apparently early lenses from China usually didn’t have any maker engraved. Here are some of the lens names: Dalai | Shanghai | Chang Chiang | Red Flag | Type 1 | Iston

7 Artisan
BrightinStar
DK-Optik
Haiou
Iston
Laowa
Light Lens Lab
Mandler
Thypoch
TT Artisan
Viltrox
Zhong Yi

JAPAN

Aires
Asahi
Canon
Chiyoda Kōgaku
Chinon
Cima Kōgaku
Cosina
Eiki
Elega
Fuji
Fujita
Fujimoto
Gotō Kōgaku
Hama
Hoya
Ichizuka
Kajiro Kogaku Kenkyujo
Kalimar
Katsuma Kogaku
Kawakami 
Kino Precision
Kobori 
Komura/Sankyō Kōki
Komine
Konica/Konishiroku
Kowa
Kyoei
Leotax
Makina
Mamiya
Minolta
Misuzu
Mitake
Miyamoto 
Miyoshi
MS Optics
Musashino
Nikon/Nippon Kōgaku
Nishida Optical
Nittō Kōgaku
Norita
Ōfuna 
Ogasawara
Ōki  
Olympus
Okaya
Osawa
Ozone Optical 
Pentax
Petri
Promura 
Raynox
Riken Optical
Ricoh
Samoca
Sekonic
Setagaya
Shōwa Kōki
Shoten Kobo
Sigma
Soligor
Sony
Sugaya Optical
Sun Optical
Suzuki
Takahashi 
Taika
Tamron/Taisei Kōgaku
Taisei Kōki
Tanaka Kōgaku
Taron 
Tōhō Kōgaku
Tokina
Tokyo Kōgaku/Topcon
Tokiwa Kōgaku
Tomioka
Tsukada 
T.Y.O.W. 
WIPA 
Yamasaki
Yachiyo Kōgaku
Yashica
Yashima
Yasuhara 
Yoshino
Y.K. Optical
Zenza Bronica
Zuiho Optical
Zunow

SOUTH KOREA

Optrontec
Samsung
Samyang

Australia & Oceania

AUSTRALIA

Waterworth

Europe

AUSTRIA

Eumig
Carl Dietzler
Gerstendörfer
Goerz Wien 
In-Vision
Karl Kahles
K. Fritsch & Prokesch
Reichert Wien
Schwarzbauer
Swarovski Optik
Voigtlaender
Weingartshofer

BELARUS

BelOMO – Belarus Optical & Mechanical Association
MMZ – Minsk Mechanical Plant

BELGIUM

OIP Gand

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Zrak Sarajavo 

CROATIA

Ghetaldus Zagreb

CZECH REPUBLIC

Druopta
Eta Praha
Kolar
Meopta
SRB a STYS Praha

Denmark

NOCO – Nordisk Optisk Compani

FRANCE

AFR
Angenieux
Auzoux & Bauz
Balbreck
Benoist Berthiot
Boyer
Chamillard & Cie
Charles Korn
Cindo
Clement et Gilmer
Darlot
Demaria-Lapierre
Derogy
Dupluich
D. Degen
E. Français
F. Faliez
Foca – Optique & Précision de Levallois
Gallus
Guilbert & Coissac
Hermagis
Huet
Itier
Kengott
Kinoptik
Krauss
Lumiere
Mazo
OIP
Pathe Freres
Pulligny et Puyo
Roussel
Som Berthiot
Ugo Lantz
Zion

GERMANY

A. Schacht
Agfa
Askania-Werke
Astro Berlin
August Nagel
Badische Optik GmbH
Bantner & Co.
Bauer & Söhne
Berliner Optische Industrieanstalt
Biedermann & Czarnikow
Bilora
Bittner AG
BOPA – Berliner Optische Präzisionsanstalt
Borg
Bünger
C. Friedrich München
Docter Optics
Elop
Emil Busch
Enna
Erison
Erkos
Ernemann
F.A. Berner
F.A.N. – Feinmechanische Anstalt
Feinmess
Finetta
Foth
Futura
Gerlach
Goerz
Grimrath & Lauck
Guthe & Thorsch
Guido Feiks Charlottenburg
Henning
Hess & Sattler Wiesbaden
ICA
Iloca
ISCO Optik
Kilfitt
Koehler
Laack
Leidolf
Leitmeyr
Leitz
Liesegang
Ludwig
Meyer Optik Goerlitz
Meyer F.F. (Ferdinand Franz)
Moeller J.D
MOIA (Münchner optische Industrie Anstalten)
Montanus
Muller & Wetzig
Nagel
Noris
Oehler J.
OMFA
Opton
Otto Graichen Chemnitz
Pentacon
Piesker
Plaubel
Potthoff & Abbenthern Hannover
Rietzschel
Rodenstock
Roeschlein Kreuznach
Rüo Optik
R.O.W – Rathenower Optische Werke
Schneider Kreuznach
Schulze & Billerbeck
Seibert Wetzlar (Emo)
Simon
Sill Optics
Staeble
Steeg & Reuter
Steinheil
Steiner Optik
TeWe Berlin
Voigtlaender
Wachter
Will Wetzlar
Wirgin
Wittmann Dresden
Zeiss Ikon
Zeiss
Zwierzina

HUNGARY

Finommechanikai és Acélárugyár
Forte
Gamma
MOM (Magyar Optikai Művek)
Pontos Optikai Lencsegyár

ITALY

Autor
Ballerio
Bonaventura
Bosio L & Figlio
Capelli
Chinaglia Domenico
C.O.M.I – Costruzioni Ottiche Milano
Durst (possibly 3rd party lenses only?)
Ducati
FAF
Filippini Attilio Dott.
Filotecnica Salmoiraghi
Foto Vita
Ganzini
GNM
Grilli
GPM
Industria Scientifica Ottica
Ligny
Koristka
Lamperti & Garbagnati
Lepage
Microtecnica Turino
Murer
Namias
Officine Galileo
OMI Nistri
PBB
PEB
Photoalpha
San Giorgio
S.I.L.O
SCAT
SEDE
SIRIO
Torrani

LATVIA

VEF – Valsts elektrotehniskā fabrika (Minox)

THE NETHERLANDS

Nedinsco
Nedoptifa 
Oude Delft
Philips

PORTUGAL

Leica Portugal (any lens development?)

POLAND

ŁZK (Prexer)
WZFO
PZO

ROMANIA

IOR

RUSSIA

AOMZ
Glavuchtechprom Plant №6
GOI – Gosudarstvennyi opticheskii institut
Jupiter
KMZ
KOMZ
Lenkinap
LOMO (former GOMZ)
LZOS – Lytkarino Optical Glass Factory
NPO Ekran
NPZ – Novosibirsk Instrument-Building Plant
ROMZ – Rostov Optical-Mechanical Plant
School Instrument-Making Plant
VOMZ – Vologda Optical-Mechanical Plant
UOMZ – Urals Optical-Mechanical Plant
ZOMZ – Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant

SLOVENIA

Vega
TOS – Tovarna Optičnih Steklopihaških

SPAIN

Optical

SWEDEN

AB Fritz Weist & Co
AGA (Aktiebolaget Gasaccumulator)
Hasselblad
NIFE

SWITZERLAND

Engels-Feitknecht & Cie, Biel/Bienne
Gretag Regensdorf
Härdi Optisch-Feinmechanische Werkstätte, Uerkheim
Kern Aarau
(Kern) Paillard
Phoba Basel
Suter
Spectros
Wild Heerbrugg

UK

Adam Hilger Limited
Aldis
Argus
Beck
Bender Optical Works
Butcher & Sons (?)
Chadwick
Cooke (formerly Taylor, Taylor, & Hobson)
Corfield
Dallmeyer
Ensign (?)
Grubb
Hailer Adam
Hall
Houghton & Butcher
Kershaw
Kodak Ltd.
Lancaster
Leech Optics
Marion
National Optical
Omnar
Perken Son and Rayment
Pullin Optical
Ross
Simplex Ampro
Sutton
Swift and Son
Taylor, Taylor & Hobson
Watson
Wray
Zeiss London – Mill Hill

Ukraine

FED 
IPZ – Izyum Instrument-Making Plant
Kiev Arsenal (Arax)
Vinnytsia Production Association “Aerogeopribor”

North America

Canada

ELCAN (Ernst Leitz Canada)

United States

Airequipt
American Optics
Ampro
Ansco
Bell & Howell
Bausch & Lomb
Boston Camera Co
Century
Crown Optical
D.O. Industries/Navitar
Graflex
EA Labs
Elgeet
Elite Optics
Enterprise Optical
FJW Industries
Goerz American
Gundlach
Ilex Optical
JML Optical
Kodak
Kollmorgen
Perkin-Elmer
Precision Optics
Projection Optics
Ray Camera Company
Rochester Optical Company
Simplex/Precision Machines Co.
Simpson Optical
Varo Optical
Vogt Optical Company
Williams Brown & Earle
Wollensak

South America

Argentina

Enrique Lepage & Cia

This list wouldn’t be possible without the great help of people from the mflenses forum, the dpreview adapted lens forum, the photrio forum, the great contributions from Dan Fromm on the largeformatphotography forum as well as the excellent lens vademecum and the wonderful books by Hartmut Thiele, several of which offer many more details about many of the lens makers listed and their products. So please consider supporting those!