Are these the best lenses in the world?

[johnstra]

As far as I know you cannot get a Cooke lens in a A mount. Nonetheless it is fascinating to know that the lenses that were used to shoot many of the movies you have seen are hand made by Cooke (yes, that Cooke, or Taylor, Taylor and Hobson as they were also once known) in Leicester, England. Go to http://www.cookeoptics.com/cooke.nsf/pr ... smade.html and once you have had a look around click on 'How a lens is made' and then on the yellow link.
Sorry if this is a little off topic but I couldn't resist it.

[classiccameras]

Hi Bob

I'm new to this forum, but I found this thread interesting. We had Taylor Hobson lenses on our RAF photo recci Canberra aircraft. I also remember seeing TH lenses in some high end enlargers and epidiascopes.
I think TH lenses were used in a variety applications from military to domestic.

I was lucky enough to look round a USAF B-47 years ago which was a surveillance model and it had Bell & Howel cameras and lenses, not any where as good as ours I might add.

Pete

[mikeriach]

Hi Bob

I'm new to this forum, but I found this thread interesting. We had Taylor Hobson lenses on our RAF photo recci Canberra aircraft. I also remember seeing TH lenses in some high end enlargers and epidiascopes.
I think TH lenses were used in a variety applications from military to domestic.

I was lucky enough to look round a USAF B-47 years ago which was a surveillance model and it had Bell & Howel cameras and lenses, not any where as good as ours I might add.

Pete

Ahh real aeroplanes, none of the modern plastic junk.....
Only ever seen a B47 in photos/videos but the PR Canberras were the dogs bits (never fancied the nav position, a wee bit cramped). Big wing and loads of power made for fantastic performance.

As an aside, Taylor Hobson made high quality surveying optics as well.

Cheers,
Mike