[Abstract]

So I was looking into this lens and was blown away by all the images I found here http://www.flickriver.com/groups/takumar_50mm_f14/pool/interesting/ and that it also only cost about 50 dollars. Then I noticed someones review that said it was radioactive so I dug a bit and found this: Manual Focus Lenses :: View topic - Radioactivity of old manual lenses

How bad is this, I do not know how radiation works, all I know is that its not that great for you and yeah I know there is some background radiation everywhere but these seemed like high numbers to me. If this is truly bad, any other lenses that have a F stop of about or near 1.4 that perform this well and are under 100 dollars...?

Any help is great, this was the first lens I was gonna pick up, was gonna use itas my main lens so that means it will be near my face VERY often.

[forensicscientist]

Its fine....really. Don't worry about it, and enjoy the lens. I used to own one a while back....

[privateryan]

Believe me this lens is worth it! Everything's so much easier when you have 3 hands!

[EyeSpy]

I think the foam seals and leatherette deteriorate at a faster rate. if used on the digis' turns plastic into rubber. if you don't have any lead gloves for gosh sake don't carry it around in your favorite clicking hand or your front pocket.

signed,
GlowingWorm
oh and if I hadn't said it before...welcome to the forum.

[stevebrot]

...And, for heaven's sake don't carry it in your POCKET!

All told though, the main issue with the radioactive glass is that it causes yellowing of the balsam cement used to bond elements of the lens groups together. The yellowing will tint your photos, but can be cured by exposure to sunlight or UV light. While the yellow can be cured, the radiation that caused it is still present and probably will be for a LONG time.


Steve


Just joking about the pocket...

[Abstract]

As much as I admire your patience to type that out glowing worm since you probably have a hard time getting around on the keyboard I am still uneasy, and although I often wanted a third arm on various occasions I feel as though radiation could cause cancer or something unpleasant more likely then a third arm.

Call me crazy but I always been told radiation is a bad thing :-/

The yellowing thing I read up about, doesn't seem to much like an issue since its remedied easily.

[stevebrot]

As much as I admire your patience to type that out glowing worm since you probably have a hard time getting around on the keyboard I am still uneasy, and although I often wanted a third arm on various occasions I feel as though radiation could cause cancer or something unpleasant more likely then a third arm.

Call me crazy but I always been told radiation is a bad thing :-/

The yellowing thing I read up about, doesn't seem to much like an issue since its remedied easily.

Here are a couple of articles that may or may not set your mind at ease...

Radioactive lenses - Camerapedia.org

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/consumer%20products/cameralens.htm

Steve

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Last edited by stevebrot; 10-25-2010 at 10:44 PM.

[Pentaxor]

it will turn you into a cyclops. which makes it easier for you to take photos.

[Abstract]

I might just avoid this, read somewhere on a forum that that type of radiation so close to the eyes can cause cataracts and I already have pretty bad eyes and that does run in my family oddly enough. Thats a bummer, any suggestions for a similar lens around this price that does not contain radiation emitting elements and is close performance wise? Sorry if I sound like a crazy person but I think might go the better safe then sorry route here....:-/

[Cannikin]

If this is thorium we're talking about, there is no reason to worry. Thorium is a weak alpha emitter with a very, very long half-life (comparable to the age of the universe). Alpha particles have very low penetration. They can easily be stopped by a piece of paper, or your bare skin. I seriously doubt any amount can even penetrate the camera.

This type of radiation poses virtually no threat to your health unless you eat it, or grind it up and breathe it. I assume you're not going to be doing either.

Also, given the radiation figures listed by that thread (assuming accurate measurements), if you glued that lens (literally, no camera) to your face for about 6 hours, you'd get the same amount of radiation exposure as you get every single day just by sitting on Earth (background radiation). On top of that, background radiation tends to include more strongly ionizing radiation like beta particles. So the radiation exposure you're getting right now, just sitting here, is likely a fair bit worse than any you're going to get from this lens.

It's beta emitters (moderately worse than alpha) and x-ray/gamma radiation (the real dangerous stuff) that you should worry about.

[jolepp]

I suppose anything worth serious concern would ruin unexposed film in close proximity (?).

[Freak]

Sorry if I sound like a crazy person but I think might go the better safe then sorry route here....:-/

A typical X-Ray gives off about a 10000000000x more radiation in a single dose than that of any lens, and even traveling on an Airplane gives of way more radiation than any lens by a large factor as well.

So the numbers for such a thing are so ridiculously small, it would never make any difference, even if you sat it on your eye for a million years.

[Abstract]

If this is thorium we're talking about, there is no reason to worry. Thorium is a weak alpha emitter with a very, very long half-life (comparable to the age of the universe). Alpha particles have very low penetration. They can easily be stopped by a piece of paper, or your bare skin. I seriously doubt any amount worth mentioning can even penetrate the camera.

This type of radiation poses virtually no threat to your health unless you eat it, or grind it up and breathe it. I assume you're not going to be doing either.

Also, given the radiation figures listed by that thread (assuming accurate measurements), if you glued that lens (literally, no camera) to your face for about 6 hours, you'd get the same amount of radiation exposure as you get every single day just by sitting on Earth (background radiation). On top of that, background radiation tends to include more strongly ionizing radiation like beta particles. So the radiation exposure you're getting right now, just sitting here, is likely a fair bit worse than any you're going to get from this lens.

It's beta emitters and x-ray/gamma radiation that you have to worry about.

Thank you for all the information, it does help very much, I am gonna research further into it, not that I don't believe you I am just the type that is research crazy with these sorts of things(Should have seen how nuts I went on cellphones O_O)

Thanks to everyone else also!

[SOldBear]

Don't go to bed tonight. Researches show that 99% of the people died when in bed.

[Abstract]

Don't go to bed tonight. Researches show that 99% of the people died when in bed.

of THE people? Which ones? The researches ones? Thats scary!