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Pentax SLR Lens DiscussionDiscuss Pentax DA digital, K-mount, M42 screwmount, and medium format lenses here, as well as filters, teleconverters, and lens hoods. This is a discussion on Is your Takumar radioactive?, part of the Pentax SLR Lens Discussion category, related to radioactive, takumar: The 50 1.4.......Interesting....but it's not like I have it sitting on my lap for days on end...
Radioactive lenses - Camerapedia.org...
There was another thread like this one.
Yes your lens is radioactive but Thorium which is the isotope in the glass has a half life of 14.6 billion years. This means that it emits very very very very slowly and the only danger to you is if you eat your lens. If you did eat your lens you'd have a few other problems, like if I was is down with coffee that's radioactive to.
P.s. most things are radioactive to a greater or lesser extent.
you want something radioactive? wear an illuminated watch from the 30s or 40s heck even the 50s from timex. that radium 226 is good for nearly another 1000 years. most people already know about the radioactive element of certain older Takumar lenses. but you are exposed to more normal 'background' radiation everyday of your life than this lens could ever effect you with.
I think we have all learned a very valuable lesson here.....don't lick your lens clean...especially after eating a banana while wearing a Timex standing under a wasp nest listening to Barry Manilow.
I think we have all learned a very valuable lesson here.....don't lick your lens clean...especially after eating a banana while wearing a Timex standing under a wasp nest listening to Barry Manilow.
And if you're listening to Barry at a concert in Saratoga, NY and sipping the radioactive spring water you are really doomed.
I think we have all learned a very valuable lesson here.....don't lick your lens clean...especially after eating a banana while wearing a Timex standing under a wasp nest listening to Barry Manilow.
ROTFLMAO
I had something smart to say but this beats the hell out of it.
What are you worried about? In 14.6 billion years it will only be 1/2 as deadly.
Meanwhile, with any luck, you might start to glow in the dark. No need for flash.
Dangerous Lenses
In addition to the radioactive problem with the various Takumar lenses there is another problem which is even more dangerous.
In another thread a few months back a user related that he was was changing from an M42 mount to a K mount while standing on the platform of a train station. He dropped the mount adapter, it rolled off the platform, and ended up by the tracks. He jumped down retrieved the mount adapter, and returned to the platform.
The conclusion which I have come to is that in addition to having your eyeball shrivel up and fall out along with the potential loss of teeth from radiation exposure, you have an even better possibility of getting run over by a train. These lenses are dangerous and should only be used by a professional. Send all your Takumar lenses to Mike Cash. Mike is really "Mr. Takumar" around here and he will know what to do. You can't be too careful.
Originally posted by smc 
