Odd lens scales/markings?

[rbiemer]

Don't think I've seen this before. Just got an Industar 26 lens in the mail today.
And as I was checking it out, I noticed that the distance scale is marked with numbers that I would expect to see for aperture values.
Is this a mismarked lens or is there some functional reason to have the lens marked like this?
In the picture, from left to right are distance scale, depth of field scale, and aperture value.
Gee, maybe this really is a r@re! lens.🙄
Rob

 

[jan normandale]

Rob, that's hilarious. Perhaps it was done in the factory as an inside joke on a fellow employee? All the f-stops you could ever want on that lens! Fortunately it won't matter too much since you use the rear collar for focusing the RF patch. You just won't be able to do 'scale' focusing. It's strange that the infinity sign is on the barrel of the focus ring... that doesn't make sense. Unless the barrel has been calibrated to show metres like f-stops which would be even more curious.

You'll always be able to identify that lens, that's for sure!

 

[rbiemer]

On the part of the distance scale you can't see in the picture, the distances marked are 1 then 1.4 then 2, then the 2.8 onwards as you see.
Maybe I should ask about this in the latest DOF thread?...😀
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

If I were inclined that way, I would have to work for a living, I guess.😉
I tend to estimate short to moderate distances by thinking in units of "me"; I know how tall I am and can get fairly close by imagining how many times my height something is away from me.
I could get the Dremel tool out and re-engrave this one, I suppose...but then I would need to recalibrate as I get older...😀
I'm going to have to get the tape measure out and see if these numbers make sense. I'll let y'all know.
Rob

That's fantastic Rob!
You should put it on ebay as "Direct from Industar Museum" with a BIN $5000.
Pitxu.

 

[vicmortelmans]

Maybe you can use it in combination with flash? If you double the distance (= 2 'stops' on your distance scale), you have to double the aperture twice (= also 2 stops, on the aperture scale).

So e.g. if you know one proper flash exposure setting, like f/16 at 2.8m, you can eaily adjust aperture for all other distance settings, by adjusting for the same amount of 'stops', on both scales (in opposite directions).

If you know the guide number (in meters) of your flash, that is the same value as the aperture for exposure at 1m. So a flash with guide number 16 will give you a starting point of f/16 at 1m and you can use the matching scales to get all other settings.

Can this be right?

Groeten,
Viic

 

[rbiemer]

Viic,
Cool, a "Flash-matic FED"!
Hmm, if the distances marked are actually right, this does make some sense to me.
I have been thinking about hyperfocal distances for the various apertures but don't see any sensible relationship between that and the scale as marked...
Good, cheap fun to speculate, though!
Rob

 

[magnus67]

I'm going to have to get the tape measure out and see if these numbers make sense. I'll let y'all know.
Rob

I checked my 50 mm lens and it seems your marking might be accurate. When I set focus at approx 2.8m, my 4m mark is aligned with f8 at the depth of field scale, and 20m is just slightly left to f22 on the dof-scale. And that is just the same on your lens.

Congratulations to a very rare lens!

 

[ZorkiKat]

I don't think its that rare. I have a couple of Industar-26M which have the same distance markings. Maybe they thought it was cute 🙂

The same sort of marks also appear on (some?) Lubitel cameras.

Jay

 

[rbiemer]

So, I logged off, found a tape measure, got my tripod, and went outside to check. As close as I can measure, the numbers on that distance scale seem to be correct. And I checked against my good J-8 to find that min(1 meter) and infinity are OK as well. The only marked distance common to both lenses is 4 meters and that agreed as well.
I think how the distance between minimum and infinity is divided up is fairly arbitrary and so one could set the scales up to what ever divisions seem best and I had a thought about why these particular numbers were used;
WILD SPECULATION :
If you're machine engraving numbers, then it makes more sense to minimize the different numbers you need the machine to be set up for. So if you calibrate the distance marks for the scale as on my lens, the engraving machine becomes a little simpler to make/maintain/and use?
Especially if the engraver is some kind of automated pantograph machine.
Does any of this matter to my day to day use of the lens? Not really, I rarely use a flash and now that I figure I can rely on the distance marks to be close I'm good to go.
Though I do kind of wonder how many of these there are?
Any of you other FSU folks have a lens marked like this?
Rob

 

[rbiemer]

I used a Lubitel a long time ago and didn't remember that, Jay.
Cute? Perhaps but I like Viic's idea above too. Or maybe, a visual reminder of the inverse square thing for exposure?
Rob

I don't think its that rare. I have a couple of Industar-26M which have the same distance markings. Maybe they thought it was cute 🙂
The same sort of marks also appear on (some?) Lubitel cameras.
Jay

EDIT: I didn't say, "rare". I said, "r@re!" you know, as in "L@@K! Very R@RE!" for those 2 million FED 2s. 😉
R

 

[Nickfed]

Maybe you can use it in combination with flash?
Can this be right?


Viic

Good idea but the scale is the wrong way round. I used to use a rigid I-50 to shoot weddings. The focus scale had an aperture scale over the top. This works well but of course only for one flashgun.

 

[magnus67]

EDIT: I didn't say, "rare". I said, "r@re!" you know, as in "L@@K! Very R@RE!" for those 2 million FED 2s. 😉
R

I don't think its that rare. I have a couple of Industar-26M which have the same distance markings. Maybe they thought it was cute 🙂

The same sort of marks also appear on (some?) Lubitel cameras.

Jay

In Swedish the word "rar" can mean both unsual and cute/sweet, maybe the second meaning is the more appropriate one in this case.

 

[wolves3012]

My FED 3a has an Industar 26m marked like this too. It's a bit irritating but it works just fine. I also have an Industar 61 marked in feet, also annoying as I think in metres for photography!

 

[fanshaw]

WILD SPECULATION :
If you're machine engraving numbers, then it makes more sense to minimize the different numbers you need the machine to be set up for. So if you calibrate the distance marks for the scale as on my lens, the engraving machine becomes a little simpler to make/maintain/and use?
Especially if the engraver is some kind of automated pantograph machine.
Does any of this matter to my day to day use of the lens? Not really, I rarely use a flash and now that I figure I can rely on the distance marks to be close I'm good to go.
Though I do kind of wonder how many of these there are?
Any of you other FSU folks have a lens marked like this?
Rob

Yes, plenty. Common with Industar-26M

 

[Spyderman]

I've got one too...

and I think it's great for a beginner photographer to use "sunny 16" 🙂 "But hey - which 16 ?" 😀

 

[zhang xk]

I don't think its that rare. I have a couple of Industar-26M which have the same distance markings. Maybe they thought it was cute 🙂

The same sort of marks also appear on (some?) Lubitel cameras.

Jay

Jay,

Maybe a J-11 with this scale is rare? I have two versions of M39 J-11. One of them with this scale.

Happy spring festival!

Zhang