Are Industar lenses any good?
Industar 50-2 is probably the second popular Soviet lens, after Helios 44 series. The lens is low contrast, it has fluffy out-of-focus areas and large vignetting (on a full-frame). It is also surprisingly sharp in the center (for its age/price/size). Modern lenses benefit from advanced coating technologies.
Are Industar lenses radioactive?
It’s Thorium glass that is radioactive, and those glasses use lots of Thorium, typically 10% Thorium by weight.
Is Industar 61 radioactive?
It weighs only 129 grams. “L / D” in the name of the lens indicates that the glasses were impregnated with the rare earth Lanthanum. Lanthanum is actually slightly radioactive. However, the radiation is less than the background radiation we are exposed on earth anyway.
Are pancake lenses good?
A pancake lens often shoots good and even great images. But you can sometimes find better image quality in a larger, more expensive lens. And while pancake lenses are great, you shouldn’t fill your camera bag with only small lenses. Most pancake lenses are limited to wide to standard focal lengths.
Why are old lenses radioactive?
Radioactivity in lanthanum containing lenses is due to the intentional inclusion of thorium in the optical glass mix. The presence of thorium can sometimes, depending on the mixture of other elements in the lens, cause moderate to severe browning of the lens elements.
When did they stop using thorium in camera lenses?
The production of such lenses seems to have ended in the late 1980s. Camera lenses known to have contained thorium include: Canon FL 58mm f1.
What is a 24mm pancake lens good for?
The Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM is small, inexpensive, and sharp. It’s a great lens for candid indoor shots, family snapshots, and documentary street photography alike. It doesn’t offer image stabilization, and it doesn’t capture as much light as an f/2 or f/1.4 lens would do, but you can’t have everything for $150.
What is the Canon pancake lens good for?
They’re designed to protrude as little as possible from the camera body to keep your setup small, slim, and easy to stow away. The fact that they’re less obtrusive makes them ideal for travel and street shooting – which is why some of the best pancake lenses also feature on our best lens for street photography guide.
Are thorium lenses safe?
Most smaller lenses with thorium elements pose a negligible risk to human health. However, thoriated glass eyepieces are significantly more dangerous. They can give a very large alpha and beta particle dose to the cornea of the eye, potentially causing cataracts and other problems.
Are pancake lens good?
What is the difference between 24mm and 50mm lens?
When it comes to photographing people, a 50mm lens emphasizes the subject, whereas a 24mm lens shows the environment. Image taken with a Canon 60D and a 50mm lens. That’s why a 50mm lens is great for head and shoulders portraits, while a 24mm lens is great for photographing people in the context of their surroundings.
What kind of lens is Industar 61 L / D?
While the Industar’s tried-and-true Zeiss Tessar formula is a nearly foolproof design, the spotty quality control of Soviet lenses often keeps the formula from achieving the sharpness and resolution of which that lens type is capable. But the Industar 61 L/D is one of the sharpest and highest-resolving Soviet lenses on offer.
How big is the lens on Industar 50-2?
You use something simple and the result strongly reminds the film era. NOTE: In USSR they have a bit misleading naming for lenses. For Industar 50-2 the focal length is indeed 50mm, but it is F3.5! If this was shot on a modern lens – the well-lit bus would be strikingly blue.
Is the industar-26m a good vintage lens?
The Industar-26M is a real bargain and will not break your bank. For about $20 you get a decent lens that offers excellent value for money. If you don’t want to spend much and you want to have a first peak into the world of vintage lenses, the Industar-26M could be a good first choice.
Which is better Leitz or Industar 55mm lens?
The LEITZ f/3.5 lens has less distortion, but it’s 2/3 stop slower, and has poorer ergonomics and a higher price. The Industar 55mm f/2.8 works on all LEICA screw-mount cameras, like the LEICA IIIf of the 1950s.