It's like finding money in an old suit pocket

[Tuffythepug]

I've been wanting to buy a 70-210 zoom for the Canon A1 I which I will receive next tuesday. It has a 50mm 1.8 on it now and I've already got a 35-105 for it. So I've been looking at ads for gently used Canon FD mount zooms. But today I had to get into my safe to retrieve some documents and what do I find behind a box of papers ???? A Tokina FD mount 80-200 f/4.5 macro zoom I forgot I still had. I have loaned my daughter my AE-1 a few years ago and I thought I had included the lens in the camera bag when I let her take it home. Apparently I had put the lens in the safe and totally forgot about it.

So, It's kinda like finding cash in an old suit pocket. (I've found lots of interesting stuff in old coat pockets, but that's a story for another day)
I'm hoping that the lens has not suffered in any way being idle for several years. The safe is insulated so it cannot have gotten too hot or cold.
I suppose I'll know as soon as I mount in on the A1 next week and check it out. Here's hoping I just saved myself a few bucks

 

[Jaemie]

I think excess humidity and mold/fungus growth would be the biggest threat. But, wow... What a find!

 

[tirediron]

Hope it works!

 

[pixmedic1 1]

awesome! its like free stuff! worse case, the 70-210 f/4 lens isn't terribly expensive in EX shape. and I hear it is a pretty decent lens :mrgreen:

 

[Derrel]

I have never found money in an old suit pocket...however, wayyyyy back in 1982 I DID find a $20 bill tucked into the chest pocket of my duck-hunting camo jacket...and that was back when minimum wage take-home was like $2.65 an hour after taxes...and it was quite the rush! Hard to believe that a $20 bill USED TO BE a reasonable amount of money!

 

[Tuffythepug]

awesome! its like free stuff! worse case, the 70-210 f/4 lens isn't terribly expensive in EX shape. and I hear it is a pretty decent lens :mrgreen:

Yeah, I was prepared to spend the necessary dollars to get a used 70-210 but now I may not need to. The Tokina was a pretty good lens when I had it on the old AE-1 so I'm hoping it's still in excellent working order. I could use the lens money for some filters instead.

 

[TonysTouch]

I wish I could afford to but a lens and forget about it. Or even get my wife to stop hassling me about it...

 

[pixmedic1 1]

I wish I could afford to but a lens and forget about it. Or even get my wife to stop hassling me about it...

it happens to everyone eventually. unless you get rid of lenses you aren't using much. im a bit of a hoarder. we have a two lenses that we used twice and have sat in the spare bag in a closet since. our 18-105 VR and 70-300 VRII lenses. and an old 28-70 3.5-4.5 AF-D, but I hardly count that one.

 

[Tuffythepug]

Update: more good news and another forgotten equipment find ! The A-1 arrived today so I checked out the Tokina 80-200 lens. It works perfectly. I bought the A-1 on e-bay and I was pleasantly surprised that it arrived in virtually new condition. not a mark on it an everything functions as it should. And the 35-105 which I had purchased for it also seems to work perfectly. So I go back to my safe and return the documents that I had retrieved earlier and looked around a bit to see what else I might have forgotten about in there. Bingo ! I found a small box that, upon opening, contained a power winder that I had used on my old AE-1. inserted fresh batteries and attached to the A-1 and tripped the shutter. That old familiar whir told me that it also works just fine. I feel like I've got a complete new 35mm outfit for, really, very little cash outlay. So happy when things work out like this.