A query re the canon FD 70 - 210 f4

Hello

I am a normal contributor to the leica and rangefinder thread (and sometimes medium format), so forgive my intrusion. I have been gifted a canon AE-1, with the standard 50mm f1.8 and a canon 70 - 210 f4. Provenance unknown. The camera came without a battery, but seems to work well, with a new battery installed. Shutter speeds appear timely, self timer ok, the meter works (though I'm yet to test its accuracy), and it has a characteristic shutter 'wheeze' (I've read about this). Serial no 5119933. The 50mm lens looks good, but the zoom has fungus, which I originally hoped was just on the exterior surface of the rear element, but after cleaning, there is some fungus inside the rear element. So after all that, to my question: is it worth getting this cleaned up? I will have to get my local technician to do this, and it will cost. I will use this camera, even if just with the 50mm, but wondered whether it was worth paying for the zoom to be cleaned; if it is not so good, or cheaper to just buy another one, or simply irradiate the one I was given (to kill the fungus), and live with it?

Thanks for any advice, Arthur (apiarist1)

I have a Nikkor 25-50mm zoom lens with a small patch of fungus in it. I got an estimate of $140 to clean it up. Instead of going that route, I bought another zoom in excellent condition from usedphotopro.com for $192. I just checked them now and they have a couple of Canon FD 70-210 f/4 lenses in very good condition (excellent condition in my opinion) for $34.

See: Search results for: 'canon FD 70-210'

Your call:)

is it worth getting this cleaned up?

Given the complexities of putting zoom lenses back together again, when we still had a technician locally, he wouldn't tackle these things.

If you look at Canon FD 70-210mm - Google Search

You'll find that this lens in usable condition is less than US$50, and some for the price of a nice supreme pizza (my eBay standard of cost).

I might also add that many lenses with even severe fungus problems can actually work well enough in practice.

Well, I recant. I called into my local photoshop this morning, and spoke to the tech (he has done good work for me in the past, largely with LTM and M leicas - so I accept his judgement), and he estimates about A$80 - 85. JD, I looked at the 'for sales', and yes, they were all around your benchmark, but with postage, for me, would come in around about the same price as the above repair for me (the A$ has suffered in the last few weeks - our low interest rates, ahem, and the collapse of mining).

I'm not sure why I'm doing this. Maybe, I'm just not prepared to be part of a throw-away society. The camera works, why not get its lenses going, rather than junk them - I went out this afternoon and took shots with the 50mm with fp4. I'll post them if they turn out. I have never really much liked Canon, but I'll see.

I've also ordered some replacement light seal foam for the camera from eprey today. Will try to do the replacement myself (in going out today, bits of degraded foam kept popping up in the viewfinder). Anyway, thanks for the advice and suggestions, JD and Vincent

Regards, Arthur (apiarist1)

apiarist1

?

To bee or not to bee?

I'm a conservationist of sorts my self, so good luck with it.

Ah, JD, yes I keep bees. Three colonies in my front yard. I'll take a photo in the next few days, and post it. I'll try to use the gifted AE - 1 to take the shot - though, I must say, I am not 'in love' with speed priority. An experience. This year has been a strange season for us in Oz: flowering early, good pollen, no nectar, and no swarms, and I haven't extracted yet, pulled a few frames off for honey and comb, but that's been it (and I had hoped to pack down over easter, but the temperature has been way too high - I need a run of several days below 24C).

Why throw out old cameras, which, with a bit of care can be returned to a sort of service. Film will eventually evaporate, but till then, I don't want to throwaway the past.

Thanks for your comments, regards, Arthur (apiarist1)

To be or not to bee. So a few of the photos from this recovered canon AE-1. It came with a vivitar 2x tele extender, but all the shots I took with that didn't turn out. All under-exposed. Indeed, most not exposed at all. I'm not sure how it works. The zoom cleaned up nicely. I've received the foam to replace the seals (not the aquatic type), and will address them this week. I'm not sure why the tele extender didn't work, but will pursue it. The shots are scanned, and are small scale - don't know why. I work near a koala sanctuary, but the only koala I've ever seen has been on this poster; the second is a flower; the last is my spouse with a manual flash. The camera seems to work - the meter does seem to over-expose a bit. But rather than throw it away, or use it as a paper weight, it's at least working now. Regards, Arthur (apiarist1)

So no pictures of my bee colonies, but one more of a flower. All were taken in fp4 and developed in infosol 3, scanned on an Epson 700 (though apparently aberrantly this time - I was trying out silverfast). After the seals are replaced, I'll try it again, and get a shot of my bees. Regards, Arthur (apiarist1)