2026-05-04 Magnicon Multi-Coated Auto Zoom Macro f/3.5-4.8 35mm-70mm

The Magnicon Multi-Coated Auto Zoom Macro f/3.5-4.8 35mm-70mm in Canon FD mount is a pretty lens. Magnicon was a store brand name used by Black’s Camera (a Canadian chain of stores—now gone). It is supposed Vivitar or Tokina supplied the lenses, just rebranding them “Magnicon”. According to CameraQuest Vivitar used a manufacturing serial number system from 1970 to 1990, but this lens has a serial number of 888005, which doesn’t fit.

There is another chance identification of this lens. There is mention of a Nikon optic with the same focal length and maximum f/stops that turns out to be made by Cosina. Cosina made Nikon’s FE-10 and FM-10 cameras and sold them with this type of lens. Cosina often made the same lenses to be sold under other names. Maybe this is one of those!

Normal closest focus marked is 0.5 m and 1.75 feet (the marks aren’t at the same place) and the lens does focus closer than the marked distances. The 70 mm zoom position and a “Macro 1:5” marking are both in bright orange (and the Macro 1:5 mark is with the focus screwed all the way, again well below the last marked distances).

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2026-03-14 - History and Evolution of the Kodak Logo

While working as a junior clerk at the Rochester Savings Bank, George Eastman first began commercial production of dry photographic plates in a rented loft of a building in Rochester, New York in April 1880. In the next few years, Eastman became very successful and expanded the company several times. His company started as the Eastman Dry Plate Company in 1881, later became the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company in 1884, and soon after the Eastman Company in 1889. The last name change occurred in 1892, when the Eastman Kodak Company of New York was organized. The company has been called Eastman Kodak Company ever since. The word "Kodak" was first registered as a trademark in 1888. The letter “K” had been a favorite of Eastman’s, he is quoted as saying, "I devised the name myself. The letter 'K' had been a favorite with me; it seems a strong, incisive sort of letter. It became a question of trying out a great number of combinations of letters that made word...

2026-03-20-Manfrotto monopods

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2026-03-25 The Kiron 70-150 mm F/4

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