Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/07/19

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Subject: [Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!
From: jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols)
Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 11:02:40 -0500
References: <AANLkTincqj0FJWHrjcI5nf5Qj6GIgQvsrk1jZ2N4dC_V@mail.gmail.com> <954A448E-2BCF-4D56-9441-5AFC8F470DF7@comcast.net>

Hi Dick,

I think we all have some connection to Spiratone, at least if we are over 
50.  I currently have in the closet a Spiratone bellows attachment and lens 
that was made to fit an Exacta.  I seem to recall one other lens, perhaps a 
wide-angle, also for the Exacta.  Of course, my Exacta died years ago. :~((

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Taylor" <r.s.taylor at comcast.net>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Sent: Monday, July 19, 2010 10:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!


> Ah, Spiratone...  ... brings back old memories.  Weren't they the first to 
> offer a cheap but well performing zoom lens?  It was a push-pull, I think. 
> I also bought a 400 mm tele from them for my Pentax Spotmatic that I used 
> on my two trips to Kenya.
>
> Oh, *really* nice picture, too, BTW.
>
> Regards,
>
> Dick
>
>
>
> On Jul 18, 2010, at 1:28 PM, Roger Rubin wrote:
>
>> Hi All:
>> No...I am not talking about the young lady in the image- Let me tell a 
>> short
>> story- Once upon a time- there was this wonderful accessory business in 
>> New
>> York, on Seventh Avenue, called: *Spiratone*. The owner was a man named 
>> Fred
>> Spira who imported accessories from Japan. This was before China could do
>> anything but spout anti-US propoganda. In any event, Spiratone (you can 
>> see
>> their ads in old issues of Pop Photo) sold fabulous accessories from 
>> filters
>> to lenses to gadget bags. I remember buying a gadget bag which when stood 
>> on
>> end was half my height. In any event, I bougt an enlarging lens there 
>> with
>> the Spiratone brand on it. It was a "hot lens". When I made prints I 
>> could
>> count the hair on a person's head. It was better than a later EL NIKKOR. 
>> The
>> lens was lost in a move sometime later, but I never forgot the fact that
>> sometimes even in a production run, you have certain products that are
>> better than others. I feel that way about the lens that took the annexed
>> image. I took the image yesterday at street fair in NY, and it is a Lumix
>> 45-200 zoom. I am stunned at the results, much as I was when I saw the
>> results of the "Naked Cowgirl" which I posted last week. I cannot 
>> recommend
>> this lens highy enough. Of course I feel that I received a "hot 
>> item" -The
>> results speak for themselves.
>>
>> http://v-images.smugmug.com/gallery/12876934_mcwC3#938577028_qdonw-XL-LB
>>
>> SPIRATONE ADVERT- BEFORE MY TIME- BUT IT CONTINUED THROUGH THE 80S.
>>
>> http://www.jollinger.com/photo/ads/ads_052.html
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
> 




Replies: Reply from ricc at embarqmail.com (Ric Carter) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)
In reply to: Message from vroger at gmail.com (Roger Rubin) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)
Message from r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard Taylor) ([Leica] I'VE GOT A HOT ONE!!!)