It weighs only 129 grams. “L / D” in the name of the lens indicates that the glasses were impregnated with the rare earth Lanthanum. Lanthanum is actually slightly radioactive. However, the radiation is less than the background radiation we are exposed on earth anyway.
Thereof, Which is the best Fed camera?
The FED-2 may be the best choice. Its utter simplicity makes it reliable, its back comes off for easy loading, and its range-finder has the widest base of all (for accurate focussing). As said, you will need an auxiliary finder for any focal length other than 50mm.
Accordingly, Are Industar lenses radioactive?
It’s Thorium glass that is radioactive, and those glasses use lots of Thorium, typically 10% Thorium by weight.
Why are old lenses radioactive? Radioactivity in lanthanum containing lenses is due to the intentional inclusion of thorium in the optical glass mix. The presence of thorium can sometimes, depending on the mixture of other elements in the lens, cause moderate to severe browning of the lens elements.
Also know Why is it safe to use radioactive glass in a camera?
The eye is very sensitive to Alpha and Beta particles and is easily susceptible to damage from even a small dose from a lens or a camera eyepiece made with radioactive glass. … It is commonly believed that these lenses improve the color reproduction and reduce errors in their visual representation.
What is a Helios lens? Helios (Russian: Ге́лиос) was a brand of camera lenses, made in the USSR. They were usually supplied with Zenit cameras and thus usable with other M42 lens mount cameras such as the Pentax Spotmatic. … The Helios-44 and Helios-40 are derivatives of the Carl Zeiss Biotar optical formula.
Is fed 2 GOOD?
The FED 2 feels great in the hands, it’s nicely balanced and compact, with a comfortable vulcanite exterior and a smooth, snappy shutter (a little softer and smoother on the 2e than the 2c). Very similar in feel to the slightly bulkier Zorki-4 but the viewfinder on the Zorki is astoundingly large in comparison.
When did they stop using thorium in camera lenses?
The production of such lenses seems to have ended in the late 1980s. Camera lenses known to have contained thorium include: Canon FL 58mm f1.
What is thorium dioxide used for?
Thorium Dioxide is a heavy, white, crystalline (sand-like) powder. It is used in ceramics, in nuclear fuels, as a catalyst, and in electrodes for arc welding.
Is Helios 44m radioactive?
This lens is not radioactive.
Do old cameras have radiation?
Radioactivity in old camera lenses is due mostly to the widespread use of thorium glass elements in the 1940s, ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. … The real threat comes from thorium eye pieces, which are much more rare but would be very close to a very sensitive area.
Which Leica lenses are radioactive?
For the record, thorium (aka Torio) glass was used for elements 1, 3, 6, and 7. These lenses are the unique and collectible “radioactive Summicrons” of lore and legend that tend to acquire a yellowish-brownish cast over time that can be eliminated by extended exposure to UV (that is, sunlight.)
How do you store radioactive lenses?
Ambient reading from Geiger Counter averaged around 15 CPM. So storing a radioactive lens in glass seems the best budget solution for shielding. Best defense is distance, so the further away the more scattered the radiation becomes.
When did they stop using thorium in lenses?
The production of such lenses seems to have ended in the late 1980s. Camera lenses known to have contained thorium include: Canon FL 58mm f1.
Is Helios lens good?
But are they really any good? Today, there are so many awesome new third-party lenses out of China or Japan, the Helios lenses no longer get as much attention as they used to, but they’re still fun lenses to shoot with if you can get a good copy, of course, depending on what you plan on doing with them.
Which Helios lens is the best?
The 44-2 would probably be the most readily available and will give you the swirly bokeh you’re looking for. I’d recommend the orginal Helios 44 with 13 aperture blades if you think you’re ever going to stop down.
Are old camera lenses radioactive?
If you use vintage lenses, you might have heard that some of them are radioactive. As a matter of fact, many lenses produced between the 1940s and the 1970s emit a measurable amount of radioactivity. It comes from the element named Thorium, which was used in the glass elements of the lenses.
Are vintage lenses radioactive?
Some lenses produced from the 1940s through the 1970s were treated with radioactive thorium oxide to curb chromatic aberration. … There are a significant number of lenses produced between 1940 and 1970 that are measurably radioactive, like the Pentax SMC Takumar 50mmf/1.4 lens Walker shows in the video above.
How toxic is thorium?
Thorium is radioactive and can be stored in bones. Because of these facts it has the ability to cause bone cancer many years after the exposure has taken place. Breathing in massive amounts of thorium may be lethal. People will often die of metal poisoning when massive exposure take place.
What happens if you touch thorium?
And there is research evidence that inhaling thorium dust increases the risk of lung and pancreatic cancer. Individuals exposed to thorium also have an increased risk of bone cancer because thorium may be stored in bone.
What is the 90th element?
Today, its radioactivity seems logical as when we look at the periodic table, we find thorium, element 90, just after actinium in the last row of the periodic table known as the actinides, comprising of famous radioactive elements such as uranium and plutonium.
When did Nikon stop using thorium?
Yellowing only occurs in the most extreme cases. Some lenses known to contain thorium oxide in the glass do not emit enough radiation to become yellow, but it’s still more than background level radiation. Apparently, the use of thorium oxide was abandoned by Japanese SLR lens makers by the mid-1970’s.
Is Helios 44 radioactive?
This lens is not radioactive.
Don’t forget to share this post!