These lenses are safe as long as you don't grind or break them. If you ingest it into your body, you have a problem. I have a few of these lenses. I do not keep it on my digital camera so my electronics don't get bombarded and I don't sleep with them. Other than that, they're fantastic. Cheers!
Ufff, not only yellow (thorium) lenses are radioactive, but also some with "blue" lanthanum glass (such as Industar 61 L/Z); on the other hand, some "robots" used for cleaning in Chornobyl were equipped with Helios 44-2 lenses (yeah...). Maybe geiger counter would be a nice addon to tools set :)
Very good point....I have a couple of them and I even make sure I store them at least 4 feet from where I sleep....I started doing that when I saw another youtuber run a geiger counter across one of them!
some of them should not be anywhere near where people are... I had one of those highly radioactive lenses and it was stored in the basement as far away from me as possible.
I have a Geiger counter to keep track of hot lenses. Most of my Takumar lenses are radioactive and was surprised to find out that a couple of my Voigtlander lenses show very low radiation.
@@Build_with_Refresco the two lenses that have low radiation are Super-Dynarex 135mm f/4 and Skoparex 35mm f/3.4. They are low but still much higher than background radiation.
Why would I grind my lens? I gently rub it with proper glass cloth. Why would I open it up. I just use it to take photographs. Then I put it away safely. I have the Pentax Takumar 50mm f1.4. What a wonderful lens it is on my Fuji x pro2 and my x-t5. Thank you for your clip and congrats on finding your cap of which I have many.
Why not open them for cleaning/repair, the THO2 is entrained in the liquid phase of the glass casting process so is not friable, grinding, of course not unless proper PPE and a HEPA-filtered laminar-flow bio-safety cabinet is used, preferably a Class II Type B2.
My Super Takymar 50/1.4 is radioactive as Chernobyl. It's my only rafioactive lens. I keep it wrapped in a cloth, inside of a small tin (tee) box. Just in case....
many japanese lenses are also - very - radioactive! usually the ones that have beautiful rendering and saturatedd colours... also: thank you for going back and educating yourself and us on the subject.
Nice advice, I have the radioactive version of the Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f1.8 (8 bladed diaphragm), which I keep in an aluminium can so not too many gamma rays can escape (I hope) ;-)
aluminum doesn't stop gamma rays. i placed my 55 mm super tak behind a plate of .125" inch [3.174 mm] aluminum and it didn't do J.S. the geiger counter had the same CPM. distance is what you need.
I got a shock finding out about these lenses, but after doing a bit of research, I would say to anyone who has handled them unwittingly, don't get too concerned, most are fairly weak alpha emitters - but take Zenography's advice in the future. They would be useless on a camera if they ended up fogging the negative.. Though I'm wondering now if that would be gamma emitters only? ... More research required. Dried kelp (iodine) is radioactively equivalent to a Pentax Takumar 55mm! The lenses can yellow, and according to Pentax you can set the lens in direct sunlight for a few hours and it will magically clear the glass. So no need to touch it at all. It is the rear element that is thoriated.
Why does everybody think alpha particles are not a problem? Outside the body - fine. Inside the body : how's that 'easily absorbed by a sheet of paper' working for you?
Note that Thorium 232 has a 11-step long decay chain, and on the way alpha, beta, *and* gamma radiation is produced. But I'd disagree with Zenography's concern about opening the lenses and glass dust waiting there to kill you. Assuming you got your lens used from an unknown source, all kinds of safety hazards are there anyways and you don't lick or sniff it. And grinding any lens, no matter whether radioactive or not, is just plain sacrilege.
Some radioactive lenses I own - many SMC pentax, super-takumars and potentially smc pentax-ms. CZJ Pancolar early zebra, topcor 1.4 re, one version of an early shacht travenar 2.8 50mm, canon fl 50mm 1.8, I may identify more when I buy a geiger counter
I am watching your videos for years and it seems to me that in the last weeks Something Is preoccupying You ,well whatever It May be i Wish you all the best and i hope that i am wrong
I Wish you to get well as soon as possible i think that many people are aprecieting You as a person and your passion for photography,the way you describe these vintage lenses, your health must be on the First Place ,get rest and then when You will feel that it's time we Will whatch gladly some more zenography,Wish you all the best from the bottom of my Heart and i apologiaize if i make mistakes in my english writtening 🤗❤️
Doubtful. C. 1965 it was possible to order a speck of random radioactive goo in a drop of epoxy on the head of a pin by sending an SASE to the Atomic Energy Commission. Then again, Polonium based Static Masters were also a hot item for photographers at about the same time.
It was. Radioactivity was definitely pretty well understood by the 50's (we'd developed nuclear weapons by then and thorium was already being explored as a fuel source), but in post-WWII economies they really scrounged for anything that would make production cheaper. In this case thoriated glass cheapens the optical design for certain fast/wide apertures, and the levels above background are fairly minimal, so the risk to the public (***in normal use***) is minimal. There are still Thorium products available today, such as gas lantern mantles.
Nice, i also found after buying a geiger counter that my olympus rc and my yashica 35 me are radioactive about 200cpm... So i think more than we think of these lenses are radioactive. We need to make a deeper list with all the unknown ones 😢. As usually they get opened quite often.
Thank you, and let Me ask you - you haven't grind a radioactive lens, didn't You? Does white pillows behind You are making Me to think, that You are trying to say something...? Please tell Me, that I'm wrong...!
Hillarious! When you mentioned this, I can clearly see what you are thinking of! -In the last video where he was polishing a lens, it was commented that it was a bad idea to give advise about this, without mentioning not to do it on radioactive lenses. So I presume this is a ment like a warning about not to follow his advice about grinding/polishing when it comes to radioactive lenses.
as a rule, it is mostly rear element that is radioactive. i recommend not leaving these lenses on you digital camera as it may "age" the sensor. i just purchased the canon fd 17 mm f/4 which i am treating with UV light to remove any browning. i also have a 55 mm f/2 super--takumar [m42 screw mount] with radioactive rear element, that i treated with UV and removed heavy browning. both are fine performers optically. i happen to have one of those pitiful portable picnic box geiger counters and the 55 mm is especially HAWT!
Video is bogus.First of all Thorium and Lead is mixed in to the glass (quartz sand) itself and secondly I would not know any should anyone grind the glass, since glass is grinded and polished with machines and not like many thinking out there with hand. A complete nonsense is the third statement to never open it. Have you ever put the lens near Geiger meter ? If you did you will notice a read out no meter if lens is open or closed.
Opening a radioactive lens may release glass dust and other dust that may be radioactive into the air, which it would be better not to breathe. And if you check out the previous video to this one you'll see me grinding a (non-radioactive) lens with ceric oxide and and an electric drill - so it can be done! All the best to you sir.
@@zenography7923 Complete nonsense , you repair one lens and not sure why you grind another one . Keep on going , but would recommend to remove video . Thorium is mixed with glass and radioactive grind as well as in the glass. Ant glass grinding without protective equipment will cause an issue , this is why they usually doing that with emulsion in between when lens is grind with machine
yah . . . i recently got rid of all my radio active lenses. they are fine, and i know just using them is ok, but as time goes by, they need to get serviced, and its just too expensive to do it by 3rd party, which means i have to do it my self, in which case . . . no. so bye bye radio active lenses, i will miss your performances, but i cant afford to keep you all
Of course you can, if you have the skills. This thread is based on Boomer-alarmism. A single x-ray at the dentist will give you more radiation than owning a radioctive lens or three your entire life ever will.
I would prefer the word polish rather than grind. There's a channel by Simon Utak, who goes into this topic very deeply.
Like Simon Utak.....a very great mind when it comes to lenses.....
May I know can I polish my modern af lense to remove the coating successfully? I really like flare but with AF.
These lenses are safe as long as you don't grind or break them. If you ingest it into your body, you have a problem. I have a few of these lenses. I do not keep it on my digital camera so my electronics don't get bombarded and I don't sleep with them. Other than that, they're fantastic. Cheers!
Ufff, not only yellow (thorium) lenses are radioactive, but also some with "blue" lanthanum glass (such as Industar 61 L/Z); on the other hand, some "robots" used for cleaning in Chornobyl were equipped with Helios 44-2 lenses (yeah...). Maybe geiger counter would be a nice addon to tools set :)
Very good point....I have a couple of them and I even make sure I store them at least 4 feet from where I sleep....I started doing that when I saw another youtuber run a geiger counter across one of them!
some of them should not be anywhere near where people are... I had one of those highly radioactive lenses and it was stored in the basement as far away from me as possible.
First, congrats to finding your hat. Second, appreciate your kind reminder 😊
I have a Geiger counter to keep track of hot lenses. Most of my Takumar lenses are radioactive and was surprised to find out that a couple of my Voigtlander lenses show very low radiation.
Nice, did you get which voigtlander lenses were radioactive? I am concerned about the voigtlander ultron f2 as I have grinded the front element 😢
@@Build_with_Refresco the two lenses that have low radiation are Super-Dynarex 135mm f/4 and Skoparex 35mm f/3.4. They are low but still much higher than background radiation.
Why would I grind my lens? I gently rub it with proper glass cloth. Why would I open it up. I just use it to take photographs. Then I put it away safely. I have the Pentax Takumar 50mm f1.4. What a wonderful lens it is on my Fuji x pro2 and my x-t5. Thank you for your clip and congrats on finding your cap of which I have many.
Why not open them for cleaning/repair, the THO2 is entrained in the liquid phase of the glass casting process so is not friable, grinding, of course not unless proper PPE and a HEPA-filtered laminar-flow bio-safety cabinet is used, preferably a Class II Type B2.
I think for some of us at my age its too late to worry 🧐
Glad you found your cap. Looks lovely. 😸
Very important advice. Thank you 🙏
Have you/anyone out there ever obtained advice from an authoritative source on this subject from, say, the UK Health and Safety Executive?
My Super Takymar 50/1.4 is radioactive as Chernobyl. It's my only rafioactive lens. I keep it wrapped in a cloth, inside of a small tin (tee) box. Just in case....
many japanese lenses are also - very - radioactive! usually the ones that have beautiful rendering and saturatedd colours...
also: thank you for going back and educating yourself and us on the subject.
Thank you for your care!
Nice hat :)
And, as always, thanks for your videos.
Nice advice, I have the radioactive version of the Zeiss Pancolar 50mm f1.8 (8 bladed diaphragm), which I keep in an aluminium can so not too many gamma rays can escape (I hope) ;-)
aluminum doesn't stop gamma rays. i placed my 55 mm super tak behind a plate of .125" inch [3.174 mm] aluminum and it didn't do J.S. the geiger counter had the same CPM. distance is what you need.
@@mikemcgrath5188 Point taken Mike, I do keep it well locked away, but your insight is appreciated. Thanks!
I got a shock finding out about these lenses, but after doing a bit of research, I would say to anyone who has handled them unwittingly, don't get too concerned, most are fairly weak alpha emitters - but take Zenography's advice in the future.
They would be useless on a camera if they ended up fogging the negative.. Though I'm wondering now if that would be gamma emitters only? ... More research required.
Dried kelp (iodine) is radioactively equivalent to a Pentax Takumar 55mm! The lenses can yellow, and according to Pentax you can set the lens in direct sunlight for a few hours and it will magically clear the glass. So no need to touch it at all. It is the rear element that is thoriated.
@@cameronm5248 Yes, do not eat or sniff your lenses.
Why does everybody think alpha particles are not a problem? Outside the body - fine. Inside the body : how's that 'easily absorbed by a sheet of paper' working for you?
@@hoverboverer Most of us know bugger all about the subject, either we go overboard one way - or overboard the other. We need experts. I am not one.
Note that Thorium 232 has a 11-step long decay chain, and on the way alpha, beta, *and* gamma radiation is produced. But I'd disagree with Zenography's concern about opening the lenses and glass dust waiting there to kill you. Assuming you got your lens used from an unknown source, all kinds of safety hazards are there anyways and you don't lick or sniff it. And grinding any lens, no matter whether radioactive or not, is just plain sacrilege.
Thanks very much for sharing👍🏻
Some radioactive lenses I own - many SMC pentax, super-takumars and potentially smc pentax-ms. CZJ Pancolar early zebra, topcor 1.4 re, one version of an early shacht travenar 2.8 50mm, canon fl 50mm 1.8, I may identify more when I buy a geiger counter
I find that if I put the ground particles in my expresso that I never have trouble with my zipper.
I am watching your videos for years and it seems to me that in the last weeks Something Is preoccupying You ,well whatever It May be i Wish you all the best and i hope that i am wrong
You are incredibly perceptive - I've had one or two health problems recently but I think we're on the road to recovery!
@@zenography7923 You will be in my prayers, love your videos!
I Wish you to get well as soon as possible i think that many people are aprecieting You as a person and your passion for photography,the way you describe these vintage lenses, your health must be on the First Place ,get rest and then when You will feel that it's time we Will whatch gladly some more zenography,Wish you all the best from the bottom of my Heart and i apologiaize if i make mistakes in my english writtening 🤗❤️
Thanks for keepin it real on this one!
Wow. Thanks for the update.
I was getting worried about the hat....
;)
:)
After dozens x-rays, radio active lenses avoid ME
Good point! Although I've opened a couple of pancolars 😮
Please don't open the zebra ones!
Wow. Was the risk known at the time of making them?
Doubtful. C. 1965 it was possible to order a speck of random radioactive goo in a drop of epoxy on the head of a pin by sending an SASE to the Atomic Energy Commission. Then again, Polonium based Static Masters were also a hot item for photographers at about the same time.
It was. Radioactivity was definitely pretty well understood by the 50's (we'd developed nuclear weapons by then and thorium was already being explored as a fuel source), but in post-WWII economies they really scrounged for anything that would make production cheaper. In this case thoriated glass cheapens the optical design for certain fast/wide apertures, and the levels above background are fairly minimal, so the risk to the public (***in normal use***) is minimal. There are still Thorium products available today, such as gas lantern mantles.
pay back for hiroshima and nagasaki?
Good advice. Can’t help wondering if the radiation affected the loaded film.
No of course not.
Actually, you can see radiation on a mirrorless camera. Just cover the lens and you'll see the shooting particles on the screen.
@philipslighting8240 Silly Me! 🤪
Hello friends, please help me figure out, Carl Zeiss Jena 180 2.8 zebra, radioactive? ☢️
What? Lenses are radioactive? Why am I hearing this for the first time? Even the loads of books that I have don't seem to mention it.
Nice, i also found after buying a geiger counter that my olympus rc and my yashica 35 me are radioactive about 200cpm... So i think more than we think of these lenses are radioactive. We need to make a deeper list with all the unknown ones 😢. As usually they get opened quite often.
Thank you, and let Me ask you - you haven't grind a radioactive lens, didn't You? Does white pillows behind You are making Me to think, that You are trying to say something...? Please tell Me, that I'm wrong...!
Hillarious! When you mentioned this, I can clearly see what you are thinking of! -In the last video where he was polishing a lens, it was commented that it was a bad idea to give advise about this, without mentioning not to do it on radioactive lenses. So I presume this is a ment like a warning about not to follow his advice about grinding/polishing when it comes to radioactive lenses.
as a rule, it is mostly rear element that is radioactive. i recommend not leaving these lenses on you digital camera as it may "age" the sensor. i just purchased the canon fd 17 mm f/4 which i am treating with UV light to remove any browning. i also have a 55 mm f/2 super--takumar [m42 screw mount] with radioactive rear element, that i treated with UV and removed heavy browning. both are fine performers optically. i happen to have one of those pitiful portable picnic box geiger counters and the 55 mm is especially HAWT!
@@HM-eb4cono, it isn't "fake news".
@@HM-eb4co what are you talking about??
Thanks
Thanks very much!
Video is bogus.First of all Thorium and Lead is mixed in to the glass (quartz sand) itself and secondly I would not know any should anyone grind the glass, since glass is grinded and polished with machines and not like many thinking out there with hand. A complete nonsense is the third statement to never open it. Have you ever put the lens near Geiger meter ? If you did you will notice a read out no meter if lens is open or closed.
Opening a radioactive lens may release glass dust and other dust that may be radioactive into the air, which it would be better not to breathe. And if you check out the previous video to this one you'll see me grinding a (non-radioactive) lens with ceric oxide and and an electric drill - so it can be done! All the best to you sir.
@@zenography7923 Complete nonsense , you repair one lens and not sure why you grind another one . Keep on going , but would recommend to remove video . Thorium is mixed with glass and radioactive grind as well as in the glass. Ant glass grinding without protective equipment will cause an issue , this is why they usually doing that with emulsion in between when lens is grind with machine
yah . . . i recently got rid of all my radio active lenses. they are fine, and i know just using them is ok, but as time goes by, they need to get serviced, and its just too expensive to do it by 3rd party, which means i have to do it my self, in which case . . . no. so bye bye radio active lenses, i will miss your performances, but i cant afford to keep you all
Ah balls, I keep meaning to take my Takumar 50mm apart to clean it. I guess I can’t now then?
Of course you can, if you have the skills.
This thread is based on Boomer-alarmism.
A single x-ray at the dentist will give you more radiation than owning a radioctive lens or three your entire life ever will.