Radioactive lenses. The radiation coming off the Aug 1, 2017 · Vintage lens lover and YouTub...
Radioactive lenses. The radiation coming off the Aug 1, 2017 · Vintage lens lover and YouTuber Mathieu Stern gets a lot of questions about radioactive lenses—will they give me cancer? are they dangerous? should I avoid buying them? These old lenses use radioactive thorium oxide, and this fact gives a lot of photographers pause when they're thinking of buying The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl. sh/framevoyager08221 From the 1940s to around the 1980s, manufacturers would make lenses radioactive . General Radioactive Lenses There are a significant number of lenses produced from the 1940s through the 1970s that are measurably radioactive. Subtitles avaliable for the video ! My Gear List : For more informations about The use of Radioactive Thorium Oxide in camera lenses was a very common practice in the 1940's-1970's and was used in photography lenses along with cinema lenses. You can read about my own collection of radioactive lenses in a later article. Thorium is a mildly radioactive metal with a handful of practical uses, the most significant being its potential as nuclear fuel. Sep 24, 2025 · Radioactive lenses Many lenses produced from the 1940s through the 1980s are measurably radioactive. Simply, thorium allowed the lens manufacturer to produce high quality lenses at a reduced price. It also shows up in welding electrodes, vintage camera lenses, and gas lantern mantles. Like fluorite, its optical May 29, 2024 · Learn about the origins, properties and risks of vintage lenses containing thorium and lanthanum, which are radioactive. zgipwxsnalcovlrriluwlbfxqtwhvrnxerudpdzqblzbhvkpooalfg