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spiratone varxtender
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PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:15 pm    Post subject: spiratone varxtender Reply with quote

I just picked up one of these on a whim. I won't get it for a few days. Anybody familiar with it? It seems like an m42 helical but has a teleconverter as well?


PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Got it. A 2X TC with two screw on extension tunes marked 2.5X and 3X. I can't remember if I ever tried it. Unsure if extenders go before or after the TC. Redlections look like 4-element, but maybe only 2, they are close together difficult to count. No helical.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh well. It was cheap and I can always use the m42 extension tubes. The 2x well....we'll see. Spiratone stuff is a bit of grab back some quite good others....not so much.


PostPosted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 11:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I first got into photography in the early 1980s, by which time Spiratone ads were the photo equivalent to JC Whitney ads for cars. I spent lots of time scouring the Spiratone listings, but the Varxtender was an accessory that I never paid any attention to. It seems rather clunky in operation, but I imagine it works ok for what it does.

Here's an eBay ad for one:

Click here to see on Ebay

Here's another listing from Google books -- an article from a 1970 edition of Popular Mechanics which mentions the 2x Varxender, and which includes a brief description as to how it works.

https://books.google.com/books?id=bdgDAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA125&lpg=RA1-PA125&dq=spiratone+varxtender&source=bl&ots=DrmowZWQaf&sig=ACfU3U05-b4S0FQ01cG3nxttHaeushzLAg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwinr9feoODjAhVIKKwKHdVSAO4Q6AEwDXoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=spiratone%20varxtender&f=false


PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 1:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for that. The popular mechanics link was a trip down memory lane. "Skylab the US first space habitat" !


PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yep, Popular Mechanics has always been a cool read.


PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, thanks Michael for the PopMech link! The usage notes. Like stop front lens by 2 for better iq, etc..