Photography is one of my main hobbies. Of course I take most of my pictures with my phone now—just like everybody else—but when I want to do some serious shooting, I use cameras and lenses in the Sony E-mount mirrorless system.

One of the nice things about mirrorless cameras is that they have a much shorter flange focal distance than their single-lens-reflex (SLR) predecessors. The practical benefit is you can get equivalent optics in much smaller, lighter camera bodies and lenses. A secondary benefit for hobbyists and enthusiasts is that you can use all sorts of cool vintage lenses. Almost any SLR lens with manual controls can be adapted and used on a mirrorless body. Just grab an adapter from Fotodiox or one of its competitors and you’re good-to-go.

This can be a big money-saver if you’re strategic about it. For example, I wanted a macro lens for close-up work, but I don’t do enough of it to warrant spending a lot of money. Sony’s 50mm ƒ/2.8 full-frame macro lens retails for $549.99, and third-party options from companies like AstrHori, Samyang, Tokina, and TTArtisan still run between about $250 and $400. But I didn’t need something new . . . any decent macro lens with good glass would work.

So I poked around on eBay and found a used Nippon Kōgaku (Nikon) Micro-Nikkor 55mm ƒ/3.5 from 1966 that was in great condition and had an original M2 extension tube. The whole kit—including taxes, shipping, and the Fotodiox mount adapter—cost less than $124.09. That’s a 77% discount from Sony’s first-party option, but I got something that looks cooler and still does what I need it to do.

But today I want to tell you about a very different lens. Come with me on a completely pointless journey into an obscure, forgotten, and mostly-irrelevant corner of the history of consumer photography.

Read more . . .