Radioactive Lens - Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 - Repairing a Damaged Filter Thread & Vintage Lens Test

In this vintage lens repair video we're looking at a Super-Takumar 50mm f1.4 lens, made somewhere around 1967 by the Asahi Optical Company in Japan.

These lenses have gained quite a following, being one of the best fast 50's of that time - this is the second generation 7 element Super-Takumar rather than the rarer 8 element version that came before it. This lens is slightly radioactive as it has Thoriated glass (in other words, the glass contains some Thorium) but not to an extent that it's unsafe to use the lens.

When I got this lens it had a damaged filter thread which needed to be repaired before I could attach ND filters for video work - in the video you'll see the method I used to repair the filter thread. An alternative method would be to use a lens vice, but the method I chose was fine for the damage on this particular lens.

Once the lens was repaired I did a few test shots to show how the lens performs.

We've now done a follow up video where we look at how radioactive these lenses are, compared to some other household items, and explain why they are radioactive. You can see the follow up video here:
https://youtu.be/qm1wh8qlJyc

I'll put a few Amazon affiliate links to some of the gear I use (or at least the nearest equivalent that I can find) - as with all affiliate links, if you use the link to buy the item, I get a tiny bit of commission but this doesn't affect the price you pay:

Panasonic Lumix GX80 https://amzn.to/3K9CITy
M42 to Micro 4/3 Adaptor https://amzn.to/3HZmiv3
Nikon To Micro 4/3 Adaptor https://amzn.to/3tpRvng
Sirui ET 2004 Aluminium Tripod https://amzn.to/3HYNF8L
Fositan LED Video Light Set https://amzn.to/3tsl8nU
Lume Cube https://amzn.to/3qnUafq
Tascam DR-05X Audio Recorder https://amzn.to/3zRPam8
Camera Track Slider https://amzn.to/3rbacZf
Ball Head with Quick Release https://amzn.to/3GrtqA3
Jongsun 62mm Variable ND Filter https://amzn.to/3riRAXn
Step Up Rings https://amzn.to/3Fmg0E3
Lens Vice https://amzn.to/3npcGCe
Lens Wrench https://amzn.to/3K9Tcei
Olfa Compass Cutter used for cutting out rubber discs https://amzn.to/3tm7oet
DeWalt Lens Repair Hammer as seen in this video https://amzn.to/3rd6gXX

If you've enjoyed this video, and/or it's helped you with your own lens, and you feel so inclined as to leave a donation, you can leave a PayPal donation by following the PayPal.me link here: https://paypal.me/GrumpyTimYouTube?locale.x=en_GB

Intro music
"As Yet Untitled"
by GrumpyTim (available to download from GrumpyTim's Bandcamp page)
https://grumpytim.bandcamp.com/

http://www.grumpytim.com

Видео Radioactive Lens - Super Takumar 50mm f1.4 - Repairing a Damaged Filter Thread & Vintage Lens Test канала GrumpyTim