# Bushnell 200mm telephoto lens???



## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

I have What I am fairly sure is a Bushnell camera lens, it's a nice 200mm tele but I've no clue as to what it was manufacturered for body wise. And well all my research into Bushnell Camera lenses is comming up 





> I haven't been able to find any info on such a Bushnell product, even on an internet search.


 and Bushnells web site is....lacking in camera equipment.

So I'll ask yall, What is this screw mount? What does it go to? Is it even a camera body?


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## ScottS (Apr 14, 2008)

Perhaps its to some kind of spotting scope?


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## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

ScottS said:


> Perhaps its to some kind of spotting scope?



Not with apriture settings of 2 - 22...leist I have never seen a spoting scope with that.


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## ScottS (Apr 14, 2008)

Well, poo...

Maybe they tried to get into the lens making business, and failed miserably. You could be holding on to a collectors item... 

(wishful thinking?)


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## ScottS (Apr 14, 2008)

OH WAIT... what about night vision? My night vision scope has a screw mount...


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## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

ScottS said:


> OH WAIT... what about night vision? My night vision scope has a screw mount...



That is a possibility, but I am seeing nothing even resembeling this on Bushnells page.

Does your Night vision have the apriture controll?


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## chris (Apr 14, 2008)

It is a M42 screw mount and the 'P' on the back denotes Pentax who used this mount up until some time in the late 70's. Several other manufacturers also used the same 42 mm mount. The reason that you can't find anything on the Bushnell site is probably because it would have been last manufactured at least thirty years ago and they've all forgotten about it. As cameras became more automated it was necessary to use bayonet type mounts to align the various levers, contacts etc correctly.

From the look of the lever near the rear of the lens it was probably a preset design where you had to set the lever to close the aperture and then metered to get the correct aperture/shutter speed combination. The lens could then be opened up using the lever to enable you to focus and when the shutter was fired the lens closed to the previously set aperture. This was necessary because there was only a pin at the back of the mount to close the shutter and no way of transferring aperture information to the camera body.


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## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

chris said:


> It is a 39 mm screw mount and the 'P' on the back denotes Pentax who used this mount up until some time in the late 70's. Several other manufacturers also used the same 39 mm mount. The reason that you can't find anything on the Bushnell site is probably because it would have been last manufactured at least thirty years ago and they've all forgotten about it. As cameras became more automated it was necessary to use bayonet type mounts to align the various levers, contacts etc correctly.
> 
> From the look of the lever near the rear of the lens it was probably a preset design where you had to set the lever to close the aperture and then metered to get the correct aperture/shutter speed combination. The lens could then be opened up using the lever to enable you to focus and when the shutter was fired the lens closed to the previously set aperture. This was necessary because there was only a pin at the back of the mount to close the shutter and no way of transferring aperture information to the camera body.



Thank you.

Anything Specific body wise I should keep in mind that use that 39 mm mount.  The P and Pentax had crossed my mind but kinda wanted some confirmation.

I am curious to shoot this thing, Out of curiousity I held it up infront of one of my other bodies and peered threw it and it looks sharper than my 80-200 in the viewfinder and I really want to see just what is can do.


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## Steph (Apr 14, 2008)

It might be an M42 screwmount as used on old Pentax Spotmatics and other cameras from that era. The pin near the thread was used for stop-down metering. 

Are you sure it is a f2.0 200mm lens? The front element does not look very big for such a long and fast lens.


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## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

Yes, I am sure.


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## chris (Apr 14, 2008)

Battou said:


> Thank you.
> 
> Anything Specific body wise I should keep in mind that use that 39 mm mount.



Its an M42 as noted by Steph - I've edited my original reply.

The good news is that an M42 can be fitted to virtually any body and retain infinity focus - you need an adapter - try www.srb-griturn.com

The bad news is that its an old lens and though it looks good through the viewfinder you will probably find it a bit soft and low in contrast compared to modern lenses. Also, it really doesn't look big enough to be f2 - more likely to be f3.5.


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## Battou (Apr 14, 2008)

chris said:


> Its an M42 as noted by Steph - I've edited my original reply.
> 
> The good news is that an M42 can be fitted to virtually any body and retain infinity focus - you need an adapter - try www.srb-griturn.com
> 
> The bad news is that its an old lens and though it looks good through the viewfinder you will probably find it a bit soft and low in contrast compared to modern lenses. Also, it really doesn't look big enough to be f2 - more likely to be f3.5.





Steph said:


> Are you sure it is a f2.0 200mm lens? The front element does not look very big for such a long and fast lens.



You and Steph are right, I was mistaken, the 50mm on the Minolta I bought with it is f/2, not this, it is as you say a 3.5.


I don't use modern lenses so, I won't hesitate to pick up a camera to use it with...in fact I alredy know where I am going to look....It's just another excuse to but another camera for me.


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