Holy APO Lanthar, are you seeing what I'm seeing

[Vick Ko]

Holy APO Lanthar, are you seeing what I'm seeing on the *bay - $1512 for a 150/4.5 APO Lanthar?

Okay, granted it is a Linhof lens.

But seems like that is setting a new high for this lens.

...Vick

[Vick Ko]

Oh, and it needs a shutter service.

Vick

[Dan Fromm]

Vick, live by the cult, die by the cult. What a shame that we can't anticipate new cults before they arise and accumulate soon-to-be-highly-valuable cult objects.

[Ole Tjugen]

From this side of the ocean it looks like a pretty ordinary price - it's just that the dollar has lost value. Around $1200 last year is about $1500 now, in Euros.

[goodfood]

Another Apo Lanthar go to China.

[tom north]

I seem to recall that Lanthar glass is radioactive. Does anyone else remember reading about this?

[Jiri Vasina]

Tom, yes, it's said Lanthar lens has it's name because it contains Lanthanum - one of the rare earth elements that is radioactive. From what I recall it should be better at correcting some of the optical aberations. The amount of radioactivity in the lens is by any means negligible - you are recommended not to sleep with the lens under your pillow (or between your legs ) but in any other possible use it will do you no harm.

[Ole Tjugen]

Tom, yes, it's said Lanthar lens has it's name because it contains Lanthanum - one of the rare earth elements that is radioactive. ...

Ehr - no.

Pure Lanthanum is not radioactive - but it tends to contain quite a lot of Thorium, which is.

The rest is correct: Lanthar lenses contain Lanthanum glass, which is radioactive, and has a very high refractive index combined with a very low dispersion (or is it the other way around?)

The radioactivity is negligible - unless you have a habit of eating your lenses, keeping it in your trouser pocket, or sleeping with it under your pillow.

[Steve Hamley]

Not all Apo Lanthars are radioactive. They replaced the thorium-containing glass later on with glass that did not contain it. Thorium was added to increase the index of refraction, and later they didn't need it. I have a 150mm Apo Lanthar that shows no radioactivity above background, with the possible exception of trace thorium present in many optical glasses.

http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/c...cameralens.htm

Steve

[Jiri Vasina]

Ehr - no.

Pure Lanthanum is not radioactive - but it tends to contain quite a lot of Thorium, which is.

The rest is correct: Lanthar lenses contain Lanthanum glass, which is radioactive, and has a very high refractive index combined with a very low dispersion (or is it the other way around?)

The radioactivity is negligible - unless you have a habit of eating your lenses, keeping it in your trouser pocket, or sleeping with it under your pillow.

Thanks for the correction. Late in the evening the thinking is more clouded than other times.