Pentax 31mm

I've noticed people talking about wanting this lens, but made in Japan. Why?

better quailty control..

The ones "Made in Wigan" (MIW) have meat and tater pie droppings between the elements!

That means more questions...
1. Apart from "meat and tater" is there a know issue with none Japan models?

2. Apart from Wigan where else are they made?

3. does the same apply to the 77mm and 43mm lenses?

1. No

2. Philippines

3. Yes .. plus others such as the 50mm f1.4

People have this notion that made in Japan is better than made in Vietnam. However the ones made in Vietnam are newer and manufactured on a brand new production line... Made in Japan people assume the factory staff will be better skilled than Vietnamese staff...

I guess make your own mind up

Thanks mike I for some reason thought it was Vietnam that must be tamron...

It may be Vietnam actually .. it may even be both

Edit : My bad .. it is Vietnam

Link

Thank you.
Seems it's just the ones from Wigan.

I have a made in Wigan one that was contaminated with said vegetable matter.

A cold rinse followed by a hot wash in the dishwasher, and now it's almost as good as a made in Japan sample. The 'Assembled by hand and with care in Wigan' label came off of course.

The aperture blades squeak a bit, and the aperture ring was a bit stiff and 'gritty'. A liberal soaking in WD40 soon sorted that out.

I'll be using it to shoot some of my son's wedding next week.

NOTE: If any young children are reading this, none of it, except the sentence above, is true. Please don't subject your dad's/mum's 31mm Ltd lens to this procedure as you will probably not survive.

It's a similar thing to thinking Made in Germany is better than Made in Singapore on a classic Rollei compact, the assumption is that standards in Germany were higher than in Singapore.

Likewise, Japan has the reputation rather than Vietnam. However, whether there is any truth in this or any evidence of it is something else. For all we know the Vietnam factories (I think Pentax has two) may have much higher standards and the people stricter attitudes to quality than the Japanese. Just as much as the way many perceive it the other way round.

My own perception is that lenses made in Japan or Vietnam seem equally well made and all deliver equally good results. The only factor might be relative rarity of one or the other from a collecting point of view. I use them though, I don't collect them.

Beware the wrath of Wigan made 31mm owners.

I'm willing to wager that the Vietnamese plant is very tightly controlled by the Japanese and that standards are identical to those in Japan. When Nissan set up a car plant in Sunderland it became the most efficient in Europe. With all due respect to the fine people of Sunderland I suspect that had more to do with the Japanese.

I would agree with Dr. O and add...

Has someone actually compared a Limited 'Japan' and Limited 'Vietnam' to see if there is a difference? No.

The whole notion is a fallacy created by inherently sceptical and ignorant white westerners, it boarders on discrimination to the Vietnamese frankly.

What do you expect you've washed off the "sticky anti squeek" (SAS) made by dissolving an "Uncle Joes Mintball" linkin pie juice!

There's a warning on the "Uncle Joe's Label" on the lens