The Super-Secret Spy Lens

[DanielA]

Interesting attachment for people photography:
http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/candid-photography-spy-lens/

Daniel

[gstark]

Daniel,

These are certainly new .... only been around for .... at least thirty years, as far as I can tell.

I seem to recall a store ... Cambridge Photo perhaps? .... used to carry multi-page ads in mags like Popular Photography and they included stuff like this.

Cheap 500mm reflex lenses ....

Darkroom gear ...

Paper .....

[Antsl]

A long time ago on a trip to Thailand I gave a British tourist a hard time for using one of these things in a market place to photograph the locals .... I told her to toughen up and get honest with the people she was photographing. She turned around and said she was not going to be given photography lessons by a damned Aussie!

Anyway... They have been about for 40 or more years now and I seriously doubt they have been taken seriously by any of my mentors! If you have to use this, maybe you should not be taking the photograph!

[Mr Darcy]

Daniel,

These are certainly new .... only been around for .... at least thirty years, as far as I can tell.

I seem to recall a store ... Cambridge Photo perhaps? .... used to carry multi-page ads in mags like Popular Photography and they included stuff like this.

I have one. My uncle gave it to me (along with an F3 & several lenses) when he was divesting himself of camera gear.
I have a vague recollection of him using it to take photos of us as wee tackers 40+ years ago (the spy "lens", not the camera - I think he had a Minolta then)
I tried it once & it has sat on the shelf ever since. I prefer the honest approach.

[ATJ]

I seem to recall a store ... Cambridge Photo perhaps? .... used to carry multi-page ads in mags like Popular Photography and they included stuff like this.

Well, remembered, Mr Stark.

I pulled out the June 1991 copy of Popular Photography. Flipped through all the ads and found one for Cambridge Camera Exchange Inc. Sure enough, there's the Cambron Super Snooper.

[gstark]

I pulled out the June 1991 copy of Popular Photography. Flipped through all the ads and found one for Cambridge Camera Exchange Inc. Sure enough, there's the Cambron Super Snooper.

Would you be able to either scan this, or bring it along on Saturday? I'm sure it will bring some (more) merriment to some of us.

And Greg ...

Ditto for the actual tool, if that's not too much trouble. Bringing, not scanning ...

[the foto fanatic]

I seem to recall a store ... Cambridge Photo perhaps? .... used to carry multi-page ads in mags like Popular Photography and they included stuff like this.

Well, remembered, Mr Stark.

I pulled out the June 1991 copy of Popular Photography. Flipped through all the ads and found one for Cambridge Camera Exchange Inc. Sure enough, there's the Cambron Super Snooper.

I take it you don't live in an apartment then?

[Glen]

I take it you don't live in an apartment then?

[ATJ]

Would you be able to either scan this, or bring it along on Saturday? I'm sure it will bring some (more) merriment to some of us.

I take it you don't live in an apartment then?

I don't.

I assume that is a comment about having space for old copies of Popular Photography. I actually only have 6 copies in total. Each was bought on a few trips to the US in the 90s.

[Mr Darcy]

I seem to recall a store ... Cambridge Photo perhaps? .... used to carry multi-page ads in mags like Popular Photography and they included stuff like this.

Well, remembered, Mr Stark.

I pulled out the June 1991 copy of Popular Photography. Flipped through all the ads and found one for Cambridge Camera Exchange Inc. Sure enough, there's the Cambron Super Snooper.

I take it you don't live in an apartment then?

If you have ever seen "They're a Weird Mob" you'll know how you can combine apartment living and lots of magazines

[PiroStitch]

She turned around and said she was not going to be given photography lessons by a damned Aussie!

Should've replied saying you're a Kiwi...so you can still continue giving her lessons

[Antsl]

Should've replied saying you're a Kiwi...so you can still continue giving her lessons

I did try and tell her I was Kiwi but she was already in a huff.
Sadly I cannot get excited about anyone who has to use a tool like this to make photos... of anyone!
If you want make photos of ordinary innocent people, at least ask or acknowledge their permission to take it or be courageous enough to point the camera in their direction without having to hide behind smoke and mirrors.

[the foto fanatic]

I take it you don't live in an apartment then?

I don't.

I assume that is a comment about having space for old copies of Popular Photography. I actually only have 6 copies in total. Each was bought on a few trips to the US in the 90s.

Yes, a light-hearted reference to the fact that I now donate my National Geographics and Esquires to the library after I have read them, and continually have to divest myself of photo reference books because I just don't have room in my apartment.

Doesn't appear to have affected my wife's shoes collection though!

[who]

and continually have to divest myself of photo reference books because I just don't have room in my apartment.

And lenses.... Just bear in mind, the more space you have, the quicker you fill it. I moved from a 80 sq.m 3 bed house + external single car garage place about 2 years ago and now have space problems in a 5 bed, double garage place

But if I ever have this garage sale..... there will be tons of space.

[gstark]

Would you be able to either scan this, or bring it along on Saturday? I'm sure it will bring some (more) merriment to some of us.

Andrew,

Thank you for posting this.

And Greg, thank you for bringing one along on Saturday.

This was the first time that I'd ever had a chance to play with one, and it was actually quite difficult to use: not at all unlike one's first time using a waist level finder or a groundglass screen, except that this was handheld, and at eye level.

Antsl, while I agree with your comments as a general rule, I can see a somewhat legitimate use for this, when perhaps you are at a family gathering, and you're trying to grab some candids of the kids. This would be offset with the degree of difficulty of use of the device, of course, and any notion of just using it to grab some quick snaps is simply not an option.

[gstark]

And everybody should pay close attention to the full ad tha Andrew has posted the scan of.

Cambridge had a lot of .... interesting would be a good word .... stuff that they sold, apart from this.

Consider, for instance, the 500mm mirror lens for just US$250, and it fits in your hand. But is that a 500mm Macro for just US$220 sitting right below the mirror?

And then there's Bertha. She's Olga's first cousin (early Sydney members will understand the reference) and is the 500mm for just US$100! Mabel is Bertha's shorter sister, and her pleasures may be had for less, too.

Let's go shopping!