Bernice Loui
13-Apr-2013, 09:33
There is a bit of history to this lens. It is Goerz America Red Dot Apochromatic Artar. 81/4" focal length, f9, Compur Shutter, made some where during the early 1960's.
Some time in the early 1990's a commercial photographer friend was curious about older lenses. As we yaked, I offered a lens virtually identical to this one as a loaner so he could try it and see if it would fit his needs. One day he calls me up to tell me there was a fire in the building where his studio was located and the loaner lens was toasted in this fire. While he apologized for the lost and assured me the insurance company would pay for a replacement, I told him losing that lens was OK, the much greater lost was his work and much of the contents in his studio.
In time some of his work was recovered, some of his imaging tools were replaced and the insurance company did cover the lost of the loaner lens.. Did what I can to help him get his studio back together and help him during the recovery process. At the time, I was not really motivated to find another for a host of reasons..
Fast forward to last week, this lens appeared on evil-pay. It looked ok and based on the sellers description it was not perfect, but fine as a nice user so, impulsively I put in a bid with zero expectation that the amount would end that auction. Much to my surprise, the auction ended at $49 with free shipping. Lens arrived in fine condition, glass is fine, shutter works fine, it is not a beauty winner but that is not important to me.
What occurred to me was how a series of events brought this lens to me at this time as if it was intended and meant to be.
Life can be surprising at times.
Bernice
93260
Some time in the early 1990's a commercial photographer friend was curious about older lenses. As we yaked, I offered a lens virtually identical to this one as a loaner so he could try it and see if it would fit his needs. One day he calls me up to tell me there was a fire in the building where his studio was located and the loaner lens was toasted in this fire. While he apologized for the lost and assured me the insurance company would pay for a replacement, I told him losing that lens was OK, the much greater lost was his work and much of the contents in his studio.
In time some of his work was recovered, some of his imaging tools were replaced and the insurance company did cover the lost of the loaner lens.. Did what I can to help him get his studio back together and help him during the recovery process. At the time, I was not really motivated to find another for a host of reasons..
Fast forward to last week, this lens appeared on evil-pay. It looked ok and based on the sellers description it was not perfect, but fine as a nice user so, impulsively I put in a bid with zero expectation that the amount would end that auction. Much to my surprise, the auction ended at $49 with free shipping. Lens arrived in fine condition, glass is fine, shutter works fine, it is not a beauty winner but that is not important to me.
What occurred to me was how a series of events brought this lens to me at this time as if it was intended and meant to be.
Life can be surprising at times.
Bernice
93260