why aren't there chrome slr lenses

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chip j

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AI & AIs Nikkors had aluminum barrels and, I believe, a black laquer finish rather than being anodized.
 

John_Nikon_F

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AI & AIs Nikkors had aluminum barrels and, I believe, a black laquer finish rather than being anodized.

Same with the final series of pre-AI Nikkors (the K series). They also had the rubber focus ring, instead of the older scalloped metal ring.

-J
 

E. von Hoegh

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You guys need to learn to distinguish between chrome, that is chromium plating, and clear anodised/lacquered aluminum. Sheesh.

Just because it's silver and shiny doesn't make it chrome.
 

AgX

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The OP had it about the "look". As both, chromium and aluminium, surfaces show up in a variation of gloss, I guess the differentiation does not even matter in this thread.
 

E. von Hoegh

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The OP had it about the "look". As both, chromium and aluminium, surfaces show up in a variation of gloss, I guess the differentiation does not even matter in this thread.

The OP said he liked the look of "chrome on chrome" and used an M3 (IIRC) as an example. Chrome doesn't look anything like aluminum and neither look anything like nickel. For that matter, satin chrome (Camera body/lens) doesn't look at all like glossy chrome (Car bumper) So it is indeed all about the look... of various different finishes.

But it's 2013, and all the magpies call anything shiny and silvery "chrome", it seems.:sad::sad:
 

AgX

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Highly polished surfaces of chromium and blank aluminiun can be distinguished. But when the brass surface is matted before chroming and you got a fairly etched aluminum surface before anodizing, it is getting more difficult to distinguish.
 

Yashinoff

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The OP said he liked the look of "chrome on chrome" and used an M3 (IIRC) as an example. Chrome doesn't look anything like aluminum and neither look anything like nickel. For that matter, satin chrome (Camera body/lens) doesn't look at all like glossy chrome (Car bumper) So it is indeed all about the look... of various different finishes.

But it's 2013, and all the magpies call anything shiny and silvery "chrome", it seems.:sad::sad:

Well if we're going to be engaging in pointless pedantry, I may as well point out that chrome does actually look like aluminum in some ways. As well it looks like nickel in some ways too. To say it doesn't look anything like it is plainly false.
 

E. von Hoegh

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Well if we're going to be engaging in pointless pedantry, I may as well point out that chrome does actually look like aluminum in some ways. As well it looks like nickel in some ways too. To say it doesn't look anything like it is plainly false.

Yes, they're silvery and shiny, as I pointed out. They're all in the spectrum of shiny silvery things. Green and red are in the spectrum of colors, do they look anything alike? Besides being colors, that is?
 

Yashinoff

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Yes, they're silvery and shiny, as I pointed out. They're all in the spectrum of shiny silvery things. Green and red are in the spectrum of colors, do they look anything alike? Besides being colors, that is?

The only inherent quality of green is that it is green, so it's a different matter than two different materials which share similar visual characteristics. All still beside the point of the thread though. :whistling: I'm sure most of us understood what the OP meant.
 

lxdude

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Highly polished surfaces of chromium and blank aluminiun can be distinguished. But when the brass surface is matted before chroming and you got a fairly etched aluminum surface before anodizing, it is getting more difficult to distinguish.

This is true.
Though I have polished some types of aluminum to a high degree, and had average people think it was in fact, chrome plated. Sometimes it would have fooled me unless I really looked at it, if I had not been the one who polished it.
 
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Does anyone have a top on how to best shine up an old lens like this (regardless of chrome, aluminum, nickel, etc.)? I have a few old FSU ones that I'd like to look less dull and I'm loath to try anything stronger than glass cleaner on them.
 

E. von Hoegh

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This is true.
Though I have polished some types of aluminum to a high degree, and had average people think it was in fact, chrome plated. Sometimes it would have fooled me unless I really looked at it, if I had not been the one who polished it.

That's my point. Thank you!:wink:
 

Fixcinater

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Does anyone have a top on how to best shine up an old lens like this (regardless of chrome, aluminum, nickel, etc.)? I have a few old FSU ones that I'd like to look less dull and I'm loath to try anything stronger than glass cleaner on them.

I have polished up an Industar 61 and a Jupiter-8 with good results with Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish. I use it on a bunch of different things (only works on bare metal though, not anodized/plated surfaces).
 

E. von Hoegh

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The only inherent quality of green is that it is green, so it's a different matter than two different materials which share similar visual characteristics. All still beside the point of the thread though. :whistling: I'm sure most of us understood what the OP meant.

Nope, you're wrong once again Yash...
"Green" is not an inherent quality. The wavelength of the radiation (which we perceive as "green") is an inherent quality.

I understood what the OP meant. I was making a point to the others failing to distinguish between various substances and finishes.

Remember this thread? (there was a url link here which no longer exists) :laugh: You had to be right there, too.:smile::laugh:
 

Prof_Pixel

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"Green" is not an inherent quality. The wavelength of the radiation (which we perceive as "green") is an inherent quality.

LOL. I'm presently reading a medieval mystery that involves a discussion of Nominalism vs. Realism - it sounds just like that.
 

Yashinoff

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Nope, you're wrong once again Yash...
"Green" is not an inherent quality. The wavelength of the radiation (which we perceive as "green") is an inherent quality.

I understood what the OP meant. I was making a point to the others failing to distinguish between various substances and finishes.


Actually, being green is the inherent quality of green. The wavelength we perceive as "green" may also be vert, groen, zöld, etc. But at least for English speakers, the defining characteristic of "green" is that it is green. :wink:
 

AgX

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Well, meanwhile I got intrigued by this topic and re-viewed my collection. And I have to admit that the matted chromium and matted anodized aluminium surfaces could be distinguished in specular light, with the former having more gloss.
But with much more surface treatments employed nowadays in the process of anodizing this may not apply any longer.
 

ceeras

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chrome-nose canon fd

I had a chrome-nose, single-coated, Canon breech-lock 28mm f3.5 along with my first (1977) Canon F-1. It was a wonderful lens with a special affinity for Kodachrome. Handsome, too.
 

GarageBoy

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I prefer black
Less blingy
Later Zeiss were all two tone aluminum and the exposure aluminum gripping area shows wear quite easily
 

E. von Hoegh

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I prefer black
Less blingy
Later Zeiss were all two tone aluminum and the exposure aluminum gripping area shows wear quite easily

Some old aluminum lenses were polished and lacquered, which looks very nice. But when the lacquer wears, the Al tarnishes to a dingy grey.
 

E. von Hoegh

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Well, meanwhile I got intrigued by this topic and re-viewed my collection. And I have to admit that the matted chromium and matted anodized aluminium surfaces could be distinguished in specular light, with the former having more gloss.
But with much more surface treatments employed nowadays in the process of anodizing this may not apply any longer.

Under natural light aluminum, chrome, and nickel are easy to distinguish.
 
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