Pentax Spotmatic is not allowed out of US

[JPiettro]

I got a Pentax Spotmatic with 1.4 Takumar on the @Bay a week ago. It was sent to me by a serious seller via Global Shipping Program.
Guess what? They turned it down because of... curious?

Ok, I knew that the standard Takumar 1.4 lens (any others?) is made with a thorium front element glass. I knew that! However I could never imagine that the Global Shipping Center at Erlanger would return such a camera to the US sender without allowing it to proceed on the plane:

'They say it has too high of radiation and can not be put on a plane.'

Funny?

 

[Phil_F_NM]

The background radiation at flight altitude is higher than what the lens emits.
By this rationale, you could have a clothes dryer in a Philadelphia basement with a known high radon count, and not be able to wear them on a plane.

Ridiculous.

Phil Forrest

 

[f16sunshine]

That's crazy talkin.

 

[splitimageview]

Keep our radiation here!

 

[Fixcinater]

Good excuse to find an early 8-element version.

 

[JPiettro]

There is one more thing I forgot to add: eBay recommended the seller to re-send the camera at my expense via USPS.
So it appears that according to their logic:
- When a "radio-Pentax" is shipped on a plane via Global Shipping Program it's considered 'radioactive'
- When a "radio-Pentax" is shipped on a plane via USPS it's considered 'non-radioactive'

So, as you can see that's just a question of relative judgement!

 

[Austintatious]

Stupid is as stupid does.
Forrest Gump sums it up on this one.

 

[peterm1]

Stupid is as stupid does.
Forrest Gump sums it up on this one.

Does that mean that Spotmatics are like a box of chocolates?

.........excessively radioactive boxes of chocolate...........

 

[peterm1]

There is one more thing I forgot to add: eBay recommended the seller to re-send the camera at my expense via USPS.
So it appears that according to their logic:
- When a "radio-Pentax" is shipped on a plane via Global Shipping Program it's considered 'radioactive'
- When a "radio-Pentax" is shipped on a plane via USPS it's considered 'non-radioactive'

So, as you can see that's just a question of relative judgement!

Never underwestimate the sheer stupidity of a bureaucrat.

 

[Pioneer]

However, the Spottie is just fine. It is just the questionable company it is keeping that is causing the trouble.

 

[JPiettro]

Are 1.8 standard Takumar lenses thorium free? I don't want to risk another time.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Another excuse for me to post this interesting link:

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

Chris

 

[sepiareverb]

I wonder if one might get booted from a commercial flight with that lens?

 

[JoeV]

Another excuse for me to post this interesting link:

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

Chris

That was a fun link! I realized I have both the Staticmaster dusting brush and Scotch model C-15 tape dispenser on my desk. Given the half-lives of the materials involved, I'm certain they're harmless. I'm probably getting more exposure living in proximity to Los Alamos and Sandia than anything else. That, and the mile high elevation.

 

[charjohncarter]

Another excuse for me to post this interesting link:

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

Chris

I wish you hadn't done that. The 'caring class' has already ruined paint here in California (along with many other products), I can't wait for them to see your link.