Radioactive lens kills the memory card?

Since I started using the Canon FD 35mm f2 on my NX11 a week ago, two of my memory cards have been corrupted, and can't be reformatted. It could be coinsidence of course, but is it possible that the lens is responsible?

It is not your lens

britho said:

Since I started using the Canon FD 35mm f2 on my NX11 a week ago, two of my memory cards have been corrupted, and can't be reformatted. It could be coinsidence of course, but is it possible that the lens is responsible?

Click to expand...

First, what makes you think your lens is "radioactive" enough to damage a memory card?

Second, if your lens is truly that radioactive I'd be far more worried about your own health than a damaged mem card LOL.

The engineer in me says to put the lens on top of a bunch of good cards for a week and see what happens. I would not be betting on a failure, but who knows...

As for health concerns, this author has the lens and no longer uses it. Doesn't mean he is right. Just careful.
http://photo.net/canon-fd-camera-forum/00MX58

britho said:

Since I started using the Canon FD 35mm f2 on my NX11 a week ago, two of my memory cards have been corrupted, and can't be reformatted. It could be coinsidence of course, but is it possible that the lens is responsible?

Click to expand...

I doubt your lens contains radioactive glass, but have you been placing your camera near a powerful magnet? - Or does your camera have shorted contacts in the memory card slot?

Assuming you just tried to be funny ( fail ) then putting that lens on a camera should not damage the memory card or the camera assuming you used a proper adapter.

If you seriously believe it's radioactive then call the authorities at once. They'll need to test it, you and anyone who has been in contact with such a serious health risk.

--
StephenG

This has been discussed many times, and what I regard as sensible answers can also be found in those old threads. But there is nothing wrong with these answers either.

sjgcit said:

Assuming you just tried to be funny ( fail ) then putting that lens on a camera should not damage the memory card or the camera assuming you used a proper adapter.

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There is always that.

Seems very unlikely radiation from this lens would be enough to damage a card, though I guess not impossible.

Most of the card failures I have had were from a combination of camera design and operator error -- removing the card either before the write cycle completed or while the camera was shutting down. With both camera and computer, be sure all processes are ended before removing the card. Be sure to use the Eject or Safely Remove option before taking it out of the compute.

It is also possible there is some flaw in the camera. Or that it's just plain bad luck.

As to the radiation level, it was not considered dangerous back when the lens was made, but we have become more cautious since then. This is not a lens I would want to use all day, every day. See Baxter's link above for more detailed information.

Gato

--
After 40 years of Canon and Nikon I'm now using a camera named after my toaster.

Silver Mirage Gallery:
http://www.silvermirage.com

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http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Radioactive_lenses

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Once seen on a bathroom wall at college:

" No Nukes "

↓ written by a different person, just underneath that ↓

" Yet another message from those, who would see us all freeze in the dark "

↓ and written by another different person, just underneath that ↓

" Yet another message from those, who would see us all glow in the dark "

I knew this lens was radioactive, due to the thorium coated glass, as I read about it before I bought it. However, I don't consider it a health risk at all, as it just emits alpha particles, and nowhere near hazardous levels. I won't put it under my pillow as I sleep, I'll just use it for casual photography, a couple of hours per month.

What effect the radioactivity emitted has on sensitive electronics is a different matter though. The lens's most radioactive part is just in front of the camera sensor when mounted, and close to the memory card.

I'll experiment with a working memory card and see if the lens has an effect on it. I'll use a low mem one, not risking any more of my Sandisk extremes.

My humble opinion would be to just turn the hot lens over to a local tech disposal.

It's not worth the aggravation and risk:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/706654-REG/Samsung_EX_S30NB_EX_S30NB_30mm_f_2_0_Standard.html

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/samsungnx10/page18.asp

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/NX10/NX10A4.HTM

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WOW you have a problem. Alpha particles can NOT penetrate the thickness of a cellophane wrapper on a pack of cigs.
--
Art

Before you spread this "news" any further, I'd suggest you rip to the border or a port

and have customs run a quick test on your lens. The gismos they have at the border are v. sensitive, where truck full of freight + some radioactive element (as a test) inside could be detected....and all the assigned officers immediately respond.

I'd suggest to look for some other culprit/malfunction.

Leswick

It is a fact: there are some old lenses that were made with a radioactive component in the glass, and retain some residual (apparently harmless) radioactivity. Some FD lenses are amongst these.
(knowledge acquired in these forums!)
--
Antonio

http://ferrer.smugmug.com/

Joe186 said:

Once seen on a bathroom wall at college:

" No Nukes "

↓ written by a different person, just underneath that ↓

" Yet another message from those, who would see us all freeze in the dark "

↓ and written by another different person, just underneath that ↓

" Yet another message from those, who would see us all glow in the dark "

Click to expand...

That was pretty funny... LOL

Candice in PA

--

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross."

-- Sinclair Lewis

britho said:

I knew this lens was radioactive, due to the thorium coated glass, as I read about it before I bought it. However, I don't consider it a health risk at all, as it just emits alpha particles, and nowhere near hazardous levels.

Click to expand...

This video demonstrates that thorium lenses do emit gamma rays. He explains how he shuts the door on his detector to block alpha and beta, and still gets hits on his counter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr6IIU-uB_4

The higher energy particles are what turns the glass in these lenses brown after 30 years. A key part of a memory chip is the glass (actually silicon dioxide) in every MOS or CMOS transistor. I would expect one week exposure not nearly enough to nuke a critical transistor, but after 30 years?

sjgcit said:

Assuming you just tried to be funny ( fail ) then putting that lens on a camera should not damage the memory card or the camera assuming you used a proper adapter.

If you seriously believe it's radioactive then call the authorities at once. They'll need to test it, you and anyone who has been in contact with such a serious health risk.

--
StephenG

Click to expand...

Why don't you and the several other folks think there aren't radioactive lenses out there take 2 minutes to read the link provided or google it.

Thorium decay products do produce gamma rays despite the fact that the Thorium nucleus itself does not. Gamma rays can damage flash chips. So it is certainly theoretically possible for your lens to damage your flash card.

Is that what is actually happening, or is it just a coincidence? Really hard to say with so little data. There are a number of people using such lenses on digital cameras and I've never heard of this before. Sounds like you need a bunch of flash cards, some sitting under your lens and some sitting in another room.

Years ago I had a floppy drive go bad in a new computer. Tried three disks, all gave read errors. Called the shop I purchased from and they said they'd replace it. Took it in, they tested it and it worked fine so no replacement drive. Said bring it back if I had a problem again. Took it home, put in a disk and got errors, put in another and got errors, put in a third and got errors. Was getting very annoyed. Finally, thinking "what are the odds, but what the heck," I put in a fourth disk and got no errors. Fifth, sixth and seventh were all fine too. I randomly happened to pick up three floppies with errors on them. Never had a problem with the drive with another disk ever again. Nasty coincidence does happen.
--
Ken W
See plan in profile for equipment list

I have yet to have a memory card fail due to the x-ray at the local airport so I fail to see how the radiation from a lens could affect the memory card. Have you tried formatting the card on your computer? Maybe it’s the camera
--
The Camera is only a tool, photography is deciding how to use it.
http://ianstuartforsythphotography.com

I did not say that there were no radioactive lenses, but there are many sources of radioactivity all around you and, by comparison with those, the level of radioactivity is quite insignificant.

The Thorium used in such lenses has a half life of about 14.5 billion years. The primary danger from Thorium is not from it's own radiation, but from decay products. However these are produced at a low level ( slow decay rate ) so they're not a significant risk either. The main risk is to those handling Thorium in manufacturing circumstances, where you might potentially ingest Thorium dioxide ( for example ). Ingesting it does increase the risk significantly as it can be absorbed by bones.

Next time you want to get some real radioactivity into you take a one hour flight in a jet at typical cruising altitudes or stand behind an old cathode tube display unit. The background radiation level you live in is much higher than the lens can produce. Humans can cope fine with reasonable levels of radiation - we have evolved to.

It's also worth comparing radiation risks to other risks. As a friend of mine from my physics days said, medical doctors in his radiology unit were in mortal fear of his equipment ( scanners ) but had no fear of smoking, which is, of course, a much, much greater risk.

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StephenG