In the 19th Century it was common that every lens manufacturer numbered the lenses in order to keep a track on them.
Sigma is the world's largest independent lens manufacturer and is a family-owned business.
The Sonnar design has been extensively copied by other lens manufacturers, due to its excellent sharpness, low production cost and fast speed.
This was adopted as a common standard by virtually all lens manufacturers.
By this time, Tomioka was one of the largest and most reputable lens manufacturers in Japan.
While studying music and working in the factory of a lens manufacturer in Manhattan, he gave his first concerts in 1947.
It is probable that every lens manufacturer has produced lenses of the Tessar configuration.
During Andrew Ross's lifetime, the company was one of the foremost lens manufacturers.
The downside was that lens manufacturers were limited to which lenses they could adapt to fit to the camera.
In the early 1960s, the partners created the "Vivitar" brand to compete with major lens manufacturers.