[Douglas_of_Sweden]

I had to ask if they had any history on these. Here is the reply I got back:

Hi,
These were mostly used by various studios in India for portrait photography and were also carried to weddings, outdoors etc. The studio hands had a tendency to handle the lens and cameras in a rough manner.
Thanks
j.a


Rough manner? Looks like they put them in a sack and dragged them back & forth to the sites.

Never been on an Indian wedding...sounds like heavy partying?

[yusuf]

Seems to me that someone spotted this in a junk yard. Those are the places where they sell junk by weight so everything goes into one bucket.

[blende8]

The seller is based in India..if he is in Bombay,I'd like to go check the lenses out.

Yes, do this.
I am interested about the fate of these poor ones.
Never seen anything like that.

[ovim]

So nobody is adventurous enough to arrange a group purchase? I'd bet those still could be used after cla.

[Lowell Goudge]

if I didn't know better I would have to say they were put through the wash, and then tumbled dry.

either that or a stone polisher

[Lowell Goudge]

So nobody is adventurous enough to arrange a group purchase? I'd bet those still could be used after cla.

I would be interested, for perhaps $200 split 3 ways on the assumption that out of 3 we could make 3 workable and relitively respectable.

[Pentaxor]

under such poor state, it would be wise to stay on the safe side and skip these lenses. we don't know for certain if the extent of the damage is much worse on the actual lenses itself. the images looked bad enough. if someone would give these lenses a shot, I would advise one to buy the lot for $50 bucks. this is due to the fact on which and how many can still be salvaged and repaired. the costs of the repair and others. is a paint job also offered?

[matsoberg]

I was actually shocked by the price.

Me too....

[G_Money]

either that or a stone polisher

That's the image that first went through my mind too, Lowell. They admit to there being numerous mechanical problems, fungus, etc. and I can't recall seeing lenses in such a poor state. The only thing that makes these even noteworthy, to me, is that they're all f/1.2 lenses. What price could anyone ask if this were six run of the mill f/2 lenses?

[paperbag846]

G money, that is quite a spectacular lens collection.

I don't know anything about lens repair, but even if you were to synthesize 6/2 = 3 functional lenses, I doubt one could ever sell one for 200 dollars considering their history and state.

I dunno, I feel like 50 dollars for each lens is asking enough.. he wants 100 dollars for each, and there is a good enough chance that at least 3 of them won't be useful much...

[jolepp]

...
but this one looked like they were beaten and hammered.

My guess would have been that those had been in a burning building ...

[jake.astig]

Guys,

I actually bought a set of 4 SMC 50/1.2's in very similar condition and circumstances from India a couple of years back.


I sold one for US$ 100. The other 2 are still in a box somewhere. The fourth one was in really bad shape and missing some parts. I had my best CLA guy fix it up. This is how it looks like now.



It has a crack on the front element which i've covered with black gaffer's tape (see picture).
I also used gaffer's tape as part of the focusing ring replacement.
It still takes nice pictures though. See next post.

[jake.astig]

These are some photos from the lens, using Arista Premium 400 souped in PaRodinal.

[G_Money]

G money, that is quite a spectacular lens collection.

Thanks, PB. It's getting there.

[blende8]

Guys,

I actually bought a set of 4 SMC 50/1.2's in very similar condition and circumstances from India a couple of years back.

I'm curious, where do all those f1.2 lenses in so bad a condition come from?