Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/07/19

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Subject: [Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!
From: ricc at embarqmail.com (Ric Carter)
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:14:18 -0400
References: <AANLkTincqj0FJWHrjcI5nf5Qj6GIgQvsrk1jZ2N4dC_V@mail.gmail.com> <954A448E-2BCF-4D56-9441-5AFC8F470DF7@comcast.net> <516533DA641A49C096E4781F86EC8845@jimnichols>

one of my favorites was a "fisheye" that featured a domed reflector that was 
housed in a transparent tube and mounted on the front of a regular lens.

I had their 20 mm which was okay  and their t-mount bellows and enjoyed 
their printing papers for year. never had as many of their gizmos, as I'd 
have liked.

ric




On Jul 19, 2010, at 12:02 PM, Jim Nichols wrote:

> Hi Dick,
> 
> I think we all have some connection to Spiratone, at least if we are over 
> 50.  I currently have in the closet a Spiratone bellows attachment and 
> lens that was made to fit an Exacta.  I seem to recall one other lens, 
> perhaps a wide-angle, also for the Exacta.  Of course, my Exacta died 
> years ago. :~((
> 
> Jim Nichols
> Tullahoma, TN USA
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Taylor" <r.s.taylor at 
> comcast.net>
> To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
> Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 10:56 AM
> Subject: Re: [Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!
> 
> 
>> Ah, Spiratone...  ... brings back old memories.  Weren't they the first 
>> to offer a cheap but well performing zoom lens?  It was a push-pull, I 
>> think. I also bought a 400 mm tele from them for my Pentax Spotmatic that 
>> I used on my two trips to Kenya.
>> 
>> Oh, *really* nice picture, too, BTW.
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Dick
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Jul 18, 2010, at 1:28 PM, Roger Rubin wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi All:
>>> No...I am not talking about the young lady in the image- Let me tell a 
>>> short
>>> story- Once upon a time- there was this wonderful accessory business in 
>>> New
>>> York, on Seventh Avenue, called: *Spiratone*. The owner was a man named 
>>> Fred
>>> Spira who imported accessories from Japan. This was before China could do
>>> anything but spout anti-US propoganda. In any event, Spiratone (you can 
>>> see
>>> their ads in old issues of Pop Photo) sold fabulous accessories from 
>>> filters
>>> to lenses to gadget bags. I remember buying a gadget bag which when 
>>> stood on
>>> end was half my height. In any event, I bougt an enlarging lens there 
>>> with
>>> the Spiratone brand on it. It was a "hot lens". When I made prints I 
>>> could
>>> count the hair on a person's head. It was better than a later EL NIKKOR. 
>>> The
>>> lens was lost in a move sometime later, but I never forgot the fact that
>>> sometimes even in a production run, you have certain products that are
>>> better than others. I feel that way about the lens that took the annexed
>>> image. I took the image yesterday at street fair in NY, and it is a Lumix
>>> 45-200 zoom. I am stunned at the results, much as I was when I saw the
>>> results of the "Naked Cowgirl" which I posted last week. I cannot 
>>> recommend
>>> this lens highy enough. Of course I feel that I received a "hot item" 
>>> -The
>>> results speak for themselves.
>>> 
>>> http://v-images.smugmug.com/gallery/12876934_mcwC3#938577028_qdonw-XL-LB
>>> 
>>> SPIRATONE ADVERT- BEFORE MY TIME- BUT IT CONTINUED THROUGH THE 80S.
>>> 
>>> http://www.jollinger.com/photo/ads/ads_052.html
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information



In reply to: Message from vroger at gmail.com (Roger Rubin) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)
Message from r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)
Message from jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)