Originally posted by 35mmfilmfan Anyone any ideas ?
Hmmm... a few observations and thoughts:
There are two custom rings, one in the front and one at the rear. I think the rear one is loose and has slipped off of the aperture ring. If the rear ring is intended to control the aperture setting, it seems a bit wider than it needs to be. The numbers on the aperture label seem to be upside down; perhaps it's intended to be viewed from the front of the lens.
The rings might suggest some sort of remote control for the focus and aperture, perhaps in a laboratory setting. But the teeth on the rings are spaced widely and seem rather coarse for a fine control of the focus.
The rings might have been custom made, again perhaps for a lab. However, the big honkin' machine screws seem out of place with the otherwise fairly precise construction.
Could it have been an arrangement to assist someone who had dexterity problems?
I'm amused that the lens is listed without any comment on the odd construction -- just as though the lens is normal.
- Craig