[Jonathan Mac]

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I found this this afternoon in a Thrift Store. I don't think it was a steal - it was $14.99. What drew me to it was that it is the brand I started with, it has the lens it was sold with and it's case. I still have the one I started on a Praktica PLC 2 and it was bought used. I never had it's original lens or it's case. The MTL 3 is in wonderful condition and it hardly looks like it was used:

I have one of these that I got for less than £5 delivered from the bay, but no lens, and it has something growing inside the viewfinder that obscures the bottom of it. I've yet to work out how to get into it to clean it out but I might figure it out some day. It's a nice solid-feeling camera with a good "clunk" shutter sound.

[Sagitta]

Well that was unexpected.

The 3X Vivitar TC arrived today. It made it from Iowa to Maine in record time.

What was even more surprising was that the thing came in its original box, inside its original "I still smell strongly of leather" mint condition case. With its original caps. There is absolutely no sign this thing has ever been used before outside of someone popping open the box and checking to see what was inside.

Oh yea, and inside were the original warranty card from Ponder and Best, as well as the instruction manual and list of service centers (one of them is listed as only being active 'After 1975').

Now I'm wondering just how old this thing is and how it could possibly have survived brand new or almost so for decades (the box isn't even scuffed, it only has a bit of age discoloration to it!).

The only downside is, well... its a 3X teleconverter. I'm not sure how much use it will actually have from me, but its a nifty conversation piece I suppose.

EDIT: A pair of test shots with the thing. A 3X has no right being this not-sucky. I attribute it to the fact it hasn't had a chance to get mangled over the years.

Sears 135mm Macro- it makes the lens's wide-open glow start hitting silly levels.



Sears 75-260mm close focus

[Arjay Bee]

You asked...

how it could possibly have survived brand new or almost so for decades

and you stated

The only downside is, well... its a 3X teleconverter. I'm not sure how much use it will actually have from me, but its a nifty conversation piece I suppose.

I think you may have answered your own question

[Boris_Akunin]

Here's a shot of that Helios 40-2 i mentioned earlier:



And the first testshots off my balcony into dreadful weather:

f/1.5


f/2.8



Looks nice and sharp in the center.

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Last edited by Boris_Akunin; 06-13-2013 at 05:55 PM.

[Jean Poitiers]

Here's a shot of that Helios 40-2 i mentioned earlier:

Very nice lens ... I would like to have one! J

[Boris_Akunin]

Very nice lens ... I would like to have one! J

You can have it if I get your FA77...

[Digitalis]

well after purchasing my K 55mm f/1.8 I put it on my optics testing bench - and discovered it had some slight haze in the pair of cemented elements in the rear cell. I re-cemented them, and belatedly realised I should have posted a tutorial on how to do this - it is an misunderstood process*. But a necessary one if you want to restore a lens to its former glory when it has suffered from haze like this. The K 55mm f/1.8 performs like new now,

* And potentially disastrous should you get it wrong. Though I use an unorthodox method of separating cemented lens elements, most people heat the lens elements to around 270 degrees. These days I freeze them in liquid nitrogen for a few minutes (depending on the size of the lens elements) to embrittle the optical cement and I use a sharp physical shock with at the point where they are joined to release the elements from the grip of the thin layer of cement between them. The reason I freeze the elements is when they are separated the cement is brittle enough a stiff brush can flake it off the surface of the lens as opposed to heating lenses where you still have to soak the elements in acetone for a few hours ( or days) to completely dissolve the cement. Freezing is a high risk technique but it does save time, and it reduces the need of industrial solvents like acetone.

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Last edited by Digitalis; 06-14-2013 at 09:31 AM.

[grhazelton]

I found this this afternoon in a Thrift Store. I don't think it was a steal - it was $14.99. What drew me to it was that it is the brand I started with, it has the lens it was sold with and it's case. I still have the one I started on a Praktica PLC 2 and it was bought used. I never had it's original lens or it's case. The MTL 3 is in wonderful condition and it hardly looks like it was used:

Yeah, my first 35mm SLR was a Haminex/Praktica LTL. I still have it, it still works even after bouncing off sidewalks, etc. The 50mm is/was a fine glass, mine has a sticky diaphragm after some 45 or so years. It has to be the best implementation of stop down metering out there, with the momentary contact meter key just above the shutter release. BTW, if it uses a mercury cell like my LTL and uses a bridge circuit for metering it should be able to use a silver oxide cell, since a bridge circuit is somewhat tolerant of voltage.

[arnold]

well after purchasing my K 55mm f/1.8 I put it on my optics testing bench - and discovered it had some slight haze in the pair of cemented elements in the rear cell. I re-cemented them, and belatedly realised I should have posted a tutorial on how to do this - it is an misunderstood process*. But a necessary one if you want to restore a lens to its former glory when it has suffered from haze like this. The K 55mm f/1.8 performs like new now,

* And potentially disastrous should you get it wrong. Though I use an unorthodox method of separating cemented lens elements, most people heat the lens elements to around 270 degrees. These days I freeze them in liquid nitrogen for a few minutes (depending on the size of the lens elements) to embrittle the optical cement and I use a sharp physical shock with at the point where they are joined to release the elements from the grip of the thin layer of cement between them. The reason I freeze the elements is when they are separated the cement is brittle enough a stiff brush can flake it off the surface of the lens as opposed to heating lenses where you still have to soak the elements in acetone for a few hours ( or days) to completely dissolve the cement. Freezing is a high risk technique but it does save time, and it reduces the need of industrial solvents like acetone.

An interesting way of lens restoration by freezing. I think one needs to have some experience before going this route. Thanks for the information.

[littledrawe]

Here is the original listing

Cosina 55mm 1 1 2 Lens with APK C Mount Adapter | eBay

I couldn't find much information on the APK-c mount adapter between the time I found the listing and it closing so I tossed in a bid and won. It is what I thought it was and I think it is a good price for f1.2!

[Vormulac]

My latest acquisition was a Cotton Carrier hand strap. I've been getting increasingly irritated with the neck strap getting in the way so thought I'd give it a go. First impressions are not entirely brilliant: It's too big, I have hands like shovels and attached to my K5-II with battery grip at it's tightest setting it's very loose. Secondly I was not prepared for the plate that the strap attaches to being rubber, I had assumed that it would be metal in order to prevent my expensive camera plummeting to the floor, but no, it's just a piece of rubber. I'll probably try it for a few days to see if it grows on me, but I suspect it'll be coming off the camera again before long.

[Docrwm]

My latest acquisition was a Cotton Carrier hand strap. I've been getting increasingly irritated with the neck strap getting in the way so thought I'd give it a go. First impressions are not entirely brilliant: It's too big, I have hands like shovels and attached to my K5-II with battery grip at it's tightest setting it's very loose. Secondly I was not prepared for the plate that the strap attaches to being rubber, I had assumed that it would be metal in order to prevent my expensive camera plummeting to the floor, but no, it's just a piece of rubber. I'll probably try it for a few days to see if it grows on me, but I suspect it'll be coming off the camera again before long.

I tried one very similar to that a couple years ago and got rid of it because the plastic bottom plate flexed and gave me no confidence that my camera would not get damaged.

[toidpentax]

Here is the original listing

Cosina 55mm 1 1 2 Lens with APK C Mount Adapter | eBay

I couldn't find much information on the APK-c mount adapter between the time I found the listing and it closing so I tossed in a bid and won. It is what I thought it was and I think it is a good price for f1.2!

So since it was listed as not working. What was wrong with it? I am assuming if nothing else it is still usable wide open.

[Docrwm]

For my main desktop at home. The fan in the old one started to speed up, stop, and generally make me worry. Just swapped it and am now back up and running at home. More wattage than the OEM with better shielding for the cables and a better fan, all for $40 including expedited shipping for delivery Saturday AM.

[Vormulac]

I went for the Cotton Carrier because of the number of positive reviews versus the number of people complaining about the cheapo far east ones with plastic plates. Seems like a bit of a contradiction.