Radioactive Leica Lenses

[Flyfisher Tom]

How many of you have the "rare earth" radioative Leica lenses ... and have you observed any side effects, on film, or, I suppose, on youself (blindness, sterility etc)?

Any special qualities that favor them, other than glowing in the dark?

thanks

 

[Magus]

Post deleted by posters request

 

[Kim Coxon]

No Leica ones but a fair collection of Pentax ones. Some useful info here:
http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/radioactive.html

The paragraph on Danger Assessment covers Leicas lenses. Interesting reponse from Leica on the matter. ;-)

Kim

How many of you have the "rare earth" radioative Leica lenses ... and have you observed any side effects, on film, or, I suppose, on youself (blindness, sterility etc)?

Any special qualities that favor them, other than glowing in the dark?

thanks

 

[x-ray]

Other than minor 2nd degree burns on the face and hands, start of cataracs, low white cell count, nausia and fogged film, NO! ;<) There is some scaling of the skin and hair falling out too but that's minor.

I have no problem finding my lenses in the dark. I just look for the blue glow.


My younger years were spent living in Oak Ridge the atomic city so that could explain some of this.

Actually a number of manufacturers made lenses with rare earth radioactive elements. Pentax comes to mind and of course the old summilux 35 had Lanthinum in the elements which would register on a geiger counter.