AN OLD-NEW TOY

            I recently came into possession of an old Konica telephoto stills lens (full name: Konishiroku 5 Hexanon 1 : f4.5 = 400mm).  Its provenance apparently traces to a small New England police department, but that’s as much as I know about it.  Compared to most lenses of this focal length, it’s not too big or heavy.  Consisting of four elements in four groups, it came with 55mm red and yellow filters, obviously for use with black and white film; when I took ownership, a UV filter was already screwed into the slot close to the mounting end.  All in all, the glass is spotless and the housing is in amazingly good condition for something manufactured in the early 1960’s.  I wonder how many times it was used in clandestine surveillance of criminal activity…

            But before we let our minds wander too far, I need to stick it on a camera and expose some images.  I have a Konica-to-EF adapter, so my trusty Canon 5D Mk III will be first to the firing line.  Then, I’ll follow up with the Konica-to-RF for a try-out on the Red Komodo.

            I’ll post the results when I get around to it, but if anyone has experience with this little gem, I’d be curious to hear from you in the comments section.  These days, cinematographers are always trying to discover unique looks by using all manner of glass.  I’ve got a feeling it might deliver something special.