Data sheet: Kilfitt Makro-Kilar 90mm f/2.8

Pekka Buttler, 12/2025

This lens was kindly provided for cataloguing by Vladimir at #photogears

Specifications

The table below summarizes the lens’ key specifications (Measurements based on pictured sample):

Brand:	Kilfitt	Lens name	Makro-Kilar E 1:3.5/4cm
Focal length(s) 1	90 mm	Angle-of-view 2	28 ° (on ‘Full Frame’) 48 ° (on Medium Format)
Maximum Aperture	f/2.8	In Production	1956– ≈late 70s
Lens mount	proprietary intermediate mount	Kilfitt Adapter available for	Long list of mounts. See Kilfitt company profile.
Length 3	99,3 mm (with adapter)	Diameter 4	79,5 mm
Filter ring diameter	complicated (see notes)	Weight	480 grams (without adapter) 670 grams (with adapter)
Lens element count5	4	Lens group count	3
Aperture blades (S/R/C) 6	16 S	Focus throw	complicated (see notes)
Minimum focusing distance (indicated)	10 cms	Maximum magnification (indicated)	1:1
Has manual aperture ring	YES	Has Manual focus ring	YES
Aperture mechanism type	Preset	Aperture click stops	none

Further notes:
• Heinz Kilfitt Optische Fabrik (aka ‘Kilfitt’) found their market niche in the mid-50s and started the production of lenses that could on the one hand serve as your daily driver, but that also included ambitious Macro capabilities.

• Those macro capabilities were initially achieved by a combination of a long-travel double helicoid in the lens’ body (taking the lens to ca 1:1,7) with another helicoid in the adapter (that would be needed to mount the lens on any 35 mm SLR).
• The typical use (by a photographer) would be that the photographer would first use the focus adjustment offered by the lens, before (if 1:1,7 was insufficient) engaging the extra extension offered by the adapter (the ‘Tum…’ series of adapters).
• Somewhere in the mid 1960s (after the move to Munich but before the Zoomar acquisition), the lens was given a triple helicoid, thereby no longer needing a specialised adapter to reach 1:1 (the ‘WE…’ series of adapters).

• Importantly, the 90/2.8 easily covers medium format and was made available by Kilfitt for multiple medium format mounts.

• The front lens element is deeply recessed, so a hood is rarely necessary.
• The filter is attached at the bottom of the (removable) funnel. The lens therefore does not offer a traditional filter thread but instead uses “series VI” 41 mm filters.
• There are several variants of the Makro-Kilar (see more under ‘versions’).

History of Kilfitt

Heinz Kilfitt Optische Werke developed from a small specialist workshop into one of the most innovative German lens makers and camera designers of the post‑war era, before ending its life under the Zoomar name in the United States. See more in the JAPB company profile on Kilfitt.

Versions

The 90 mm Makro-Kilar stayed in production for a considerable time, and there are several different variants. That said, these variations are mostly related to ergonomics and mounts, whereas the original optical design remained the same throughout.

First, different variants can be distinguished based on naming:
• Early copies (until 1960) of the 90 mm Makro-Kilar were manufactured at the Kamerabau-Anstalt Vaduz factory in Liechtenstein (and this is proclaimed on the name ring)
• Subsequent copies (1960–≈1966 were manufactured at Kilfitt’s Munich factory and say “Heinz Kilfitt München” (later “Kilfitt München” on the name ring.
• After Zoomar’s 1966 acquisition of Kilfitt, the first versions were named “Zoomar Muenchen Makro-Kilar” while the last versions were named “Zoomar Muenchen Makro Zoomatar”

Second, the 90 mm Makro-Kilar copies can be distinguished based on their mount. While an absolute majority of samples left the factory with the ‘standard’ Kilfitt intermediate mount, the lens could also be factory-ordered with mounts for several Medium format SLR systems (including Pentacon Six, Hasselblad 1600/1000, Primarflex and Reflex Korelle.

Third, somewhere in the early 1960s (after the shift of production to Munich, but before the Zoomar acquisition) Kilfitt redesigned the focusing helicoid of the lens, moving from a double helicoid to a triple helicoid

Finally, the lens is available in both silver and black (with silver samples generally being earlier and black samples being later copies).

Adapting

We’re going to be discussing adapting M42 mount lenses (as the M42 adapter is the most likely following a Makro-Kilar). If your copy of the Makro-Kilar sports another mount, please study the JAPB article on the requisite lens mount (likely Exakta) for adapting tips.

If you want to natively mount an M42 lens you need to find a functioning M42 mount film camera. Luckily that should be relatively easy as M42 bodies were produced in their millions and most of them lack features that are especially likely to have deteriorated to the point of making the entire camera inoperable. If your sample of this lens offers a switch to choose between auto- and manual aperture, I recommend using the lens on a body that is capable of stopping down the lens automatically and offers stop-down metering.

Adapting this lens to a mirrorless, full-frame digital camera is a breeze thanks to the lens having full manual controls (aperture ring, focus ring). You simply need a dumb adapter from M42 to your mirrorless system.

Due to the medium flange focal distance used by the M42 mount (45,46 mm), whether you can adapt this lens to dSLR/SLR mounts depends on which dSLR mount: Canon EF, Four Thirds, Minolta/Sony A and Pentax K can mount m42 lenses using a simple adapter ring. Nikon F on the other hand is not as problem-free, and – to retain anything near infinity focus – the adapter will necessitate corrective optics. In all cases, your camera will work only in stop-down metering.

Footnotes

1. Focal length is (unless stated otherwise) given in absolute terms, and not in Full-frame equivalent. For an understanding of whether the lens is wide/tele, see ‘Angle-of-view’. ↩︎
2. Picture angle is given in degrees (based on manufacturers’ specs) and concerns the diagonal picture angle. Rule of thumb:
   > 90 ° ==> Ultra-wide-angle
   70–90 ° ==> Wide-angle
   50–70 ° ==> Moderate wide-angle
   40–50 ° ==> ‘Standard’ or ‘normal’ lens
   20–40 ° ==> Short tele lens
   10-20 ° ==> Tele lens
   5-10 ° ==> Long tele lens
   < 5 ° ==> Ultra-tele lens ↩︎
3. Length is given from the mount flange to the front of lens at infinity. ↩︎
4. Diameter excludes protrusions such as rabbit ears or stop-down levers. ↩︎
5. Data on lens elements and groups is based on a single source. Alternatively, it might also be a 4 elements in 3 groups design. ↩︎
6. S=straight; R=rounded; C=(almost)circular at all apertures. ↩︎