Re: [Leica] Loss of Red Dot & more! ;-)

["Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>]

>Hi Rolf,
>Hey cool answer and a great alert for all the Noctilux folks so they can
>acquire good "red dot" insurance to compensate for throwing the Nocti away.
>:-)
>
>I knew there was some kind of Nitro-gas thing attached to the Noctilux, but
>I thought it had something to do with the high concentrations of Uranium
>around Midland where the original Noctilux was designed and manufactured.
>
>My Noctilux on occasion, when the conditions are just right on a very very
>cold Canadian night,  55.5 degrees below zero and the Northern Lights are
>flashing all over the skies, the Noctilux will kind of glow as an exposure
>is made and a sort of "flashing the film" must be compensated for @ an
>exposure factor of + 3.
>
>And at times like this it is best to rate Delta 100 at 1600 to avoid
>unnecessary exposure of the "over active Nitro gases within the Noctilux."
>
>I bet there are many Nocti owners didn't know this before this very post. I
>do think the two of us have now cleared the air on the glowing Noctilux
>question and the Leica glow that is the marquee of Leica lenses!
>
>Hey folks we're two very serious guys! :-)
>ted
>
>
>
>Ted Grant Photography Limited
>www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Rolf Katzenstein" <rgk@farmington.com>
>To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
>Sent: Saturday, February 10, 2001 1:17 PM
>Subject: [Leica] Loss of Red Dot
>
>
>>  I had to throw my Noctilux away after the dot fell off. It would not focus
>>  accurately anymore. No more depth of field at f1.0. Apparently the red dot
>>  keeps the nitrogen charge in place and the nitrogen is critical to focus.
>I
>>  was relieved to find that out before I wasted any more film. After giving
>me
>>  the explanation, the guy at Cambridge was kind enough to dispose of it for
>>  me. Now I put some superglue around each red dot.
>>

Another factor that comes up in the use of the Noctilux is that it is 
a very dense and heavy piece of machinery. This causes photons to get 
attracted to it, which of course have to then go through the lens and 
are registered on film. This increases the effective speed of the 
lens, as well as depleting the near regions around the camera/lens of 
photons, making the surroundings seem even darker, so that taking 
pictures in this extra darkness seems all the more amazing.

Einstein was wrestling with this in the thirties when he was trying 
to get General Relativity nailed down, but it took another 40 years 
until the wizards of Midland made practical use of his theories.

- -- 
    *            Henning J. Wulff
   /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
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