radioactive camera lens (thorium 232)

this lovely ancient super 8 camera contains a lens that was made partly out of the radioactive element thorium.

by adding thorium to the lens glass, a high refractive index could be achieved while maintaining a low dispersion. thus, radioactive camera lenses used to be state-of-the-art in high-demand photography.

Duration : 0:4:8


[youtube xeB_aL27chI]

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25 Responses to “radioactive camera lens (thorium 232)”

  1. Radioactive897 Says:

    bionerd23,
    I …

    bionerd23,
    I really need your help on buying a gamma scout and i was wonderingwhich one was best plz reply:

  2. bionerd23 Says:

    yeah, aircraft …
    yeah, aircraft instruments have been painted with very high radium content paint back in the days, it seems… quite cool. =)

  3. msylvain59 Says:

    Hi I have a laser …
    Hi I have a laser rangefinder from a fighter airgraft in my aircraft parts collection, and it is is full or thorium lenses… but the worst thing I have seem is a really bad radium paint onto an old aircraft gauge, at least 20µSv and maybe much more…

  4. bionerd23 Says:

    they’re on ebay now …
    they’re on ebay now and then though, i’ve checked. i suggest you to create and save a search (need to be logged in to do this, of course), which you can set to notify you of new “gamma scout” auctions every day.

  5. KarbineKyle Says:

    Awesome! 5/5! I …
    Awesome! 5/5! I have some Thorium containing minerals, and a gemstone (2.17 cts, cut & polished) called Ekanite. It’s dark olive-green, and transparent, but it gives off a substantial amount of radiation, and I have a Terra-P dosimeter. I wish I could afford a Gamma Scout, I can’t find a single one on eBay… Nice Video! I love to study things like you do! I like the element Thorium, it can be used for so many applications!

  6. vquinones11 Says:

    i want to do wat u …
    i want to do wat u do

  7. alin0steglinski0 Says:

    lolz
    lolz

  8. bionerd23 Says:

    …a shield for …
    …a shield for highly radioactive substances, as it is much heavier than lead and thus, a better radiation shield. uranium is only mildly radioactive, having a half time of 4.5 billion years.
    …a lovely color for glass and ceramics.
    …a collector’s item! =)

  9. thelleht Says:

    Nuclear bombs

    Nuclear bombs
    Nuclear power

    Depleted uranium can be used as balance weights for aircraft or ships

    Also, for armour piercing rounds for tank guns. Because it’s self sharpening, if it breaks, it will usually break sharp, unlike other potential tank round elements, which will break blunt.

    Depleted uranium is also pyrophoric. Which means it spontaneously burns, which from a military stand point, is a good thing to do once you’ve penetrated the armour of your target.

    It’s also relatively cheap

  10. jonatharivera Says:

    wat can uranium be …
    wat can uranium be use for pleas tell me since i saw that vid of a uranium mine

  11. bionerd23 Says:

    lol, yes – dont. :P
    lol, yes – dont. :P
    it’s an illogic language – more illogic than english, though all ‘natural’ languages are illogic to some extent. plus, you dont need it in many places in the world. if you’re not planning to live in a country where german is the primary language, i’d rather take spanish or french if i was you. :-P

  12. polonium9 Says:

    oh, its a very …
    oh, its a very small amount. that is amazing!!

  13. Dividend Says:

    I’m taking German …
    I’m taking German this fall, any tips?

  14. bionerd23 Says:

    i am referring to …
    i am referring to the amount of SPACE that is required to store all that stuff, if you still didnt get that. not the radioactivity. like, you know, one cubic meter of uranium ore takes up one cubic meter of space in a room! isnt that amazing? :P

  15. polonium9 Says:

    nope! i like my …
    nope! i like my radioactive stuff!! i use a radium clock next to my bed!! i am fine, i learned that from you! dont be scared, i will not blame you at all!

  16. bionerd23 Says:

    lol, well i hope …
    lol, well i hope you have a room at least the size of a basketball playing field, then. :P

  17. amethyst8teen Says:

    I went to my …
    I went to my optometrist with my geiger counter because they have a display of antique glasses and found three pairs that were radioactive.

  18. polonium9 Says:

    i keep the minerals …
    i keep the minerals near the cat (to cure her) and all the rest is in my room!! i wear a radium watch!

  19. legominifigure7 Says:

    awesome!
    awesome!

  20. Ch3mG33k Says:

    You’re so lucky …
    You’re so lucky that you found a thoriated lens. I’ve been looking for one for ages now!

  21. bionerd23 Says:

    jeez, i hope you do …
    jeez, i hope you do have a shed or something for all the stuff you’re collecting, especially your mineral collection is already larger than mine!

  22. polonium9 Says:

    i saw one of those …
    i saw one of those lenses on a kodak at an antique store!! now i REALLY want one!! i will hopefully get it today! and if not, then sometime in the next week!!

  23. bionerd23 Says:

    nee, eher nicht… …
    nee, eher nicht… mein temperament ist etwas mit mir durchgegangen als ich gemerkt habe, dass da eine thorium-linse drinsteckt… deswegen war das eher ein auseinanderreissen als ein auseinanderbauen. :-P

  24. bionerd23 Says:

    because that’s the …
    because that’s the only radioactive material that was used in camera lenses.

  25. bionerd23 Says:

    yep, those are so …
    yep, those are so called film dosimeters… little badges e.g. nuclear scientists or doctors working in nuclear medicine carry.
    and you’re right, the film does get exposed by the thorium in the lens; but the amount of radiation is too small to cause any real fog or whatever in a short time. if you just took a few photos and then left the film in the camera for weeks before using it up, fogging of the film material happened frequently, though!

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