Dating and identifying cameras

[Mitica100]

Well, time has come to leave a bit of info for all of you collectors out there. I'll try to cover as much as I can.

HIDDEN CODES:

Hasselblad camera owners can identify the year of manufacture by looking at the following code:

V H P I C T U R E S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

So, on the bodies and film backs you'll see a couple of letters from the above code, like UP,that means it was made in 73 (1973) and so on.

DECKEL SHUTTERS:

Compound is the first one, marked on the shutter, under the lens. The shutter appeared first around 1905.

Compur was the next one, introduced in 1912. Original Compur used a small dial to set speeds. Dial was located at the 12 o'clock position, cocking at 3 o'clock and a dial marked ZDM or ZBT at 9 o'clock. It is also known as the dial-set Compur. Next Compur variation, started in 1929, moved the shutter speed setting from the dial to a ring concentric with the shutter housing. This was known as rim-set Compur. Next Compur was the Compur Rapid, named so because of the added speed of 1/500 (from 1/250 on the older Compurs) and it was introduced in 1935. The Compurs lasted until the fifties.


FED (Russian) CAMERAS SERIAL NUMBERS (just in case...) :
1934 31-4,000
1935 4,001-16,000
1936 16,001-31,000
1937 31,001-53,000
1938 53,001-82,000
1939 82,001-116,000
1940 116,001-148,000
1941 148,001-175,000
1942-1945 No camera production (war)
1946 175,001-176,000 (small production)
1947 176,001-186,000
1948 186,001-203,000
1949 203,001-221,000
1950 221,001-248,000
1951 248,001-289,000
1952 289,001-341,000
1953 341,001-424,000
1954 424,001-560,000
1955 560,001-700,000

In general, Russian made cameras made between 1950s and 1980s show the year of manufacture as the first two digits of the serial number. Hence a SN of 640001217 denotes it was made in 1964.

Look for other interesting posts on identifying lenses and films by year of introduction.

[TPF Sponsor]

[Mitica100]

Yet another way to identify the age of your camera. It will tell you what kind of film it needs (inside the film chamber) or perhaps you find an old roll in an old camera...


101-1895
102-1895
103-1896
104-1897
105-1989
106-1898
107-1898
108-1898
109-1898
110-1898 (it's a different 110 than the newer one below)
111-1898
112-1898
113-1898
114-1898
115-1898
116-1899
117-1900
118-1900
119-1900
120-1901
121-1902
122-1903
123-1904
124-1905
126-1906 (different than the newer one below)
127-1912
128-1912
129-1912
130-1912
616-1932
620-1932
135-1935
828-1935 (also known as the Bantam)
126-1963 (the newer version)
110-1973 (the newer version, known as Pocket Instamatic)

The above is info only on American made film, perhaps we can gather some more info on other films from our TPF friends...

[Mitica100]

This is not a dating system but rather a code used by Nikon in indicating the number of lens elements used in a Nikkor lens. As far as I know it was used until the mid 1970s. The wide angle lenses didn't have this coding but rather had a W engraved. The red C found on many Nikon lenses made in the 50s means the lens was coated.

U - 1 element
B - 2 elements
T - 3 elements
Q - 4 elements
P - 5 elements
H - 6 elements
S - 7 elements
O - 8 elements
N - 9 elements
D - 10 elements.

Hope this helps.

[Mitica100]

1912 - 173400-200500
1913 - 208500-249350
1914 - 249900-252700
1915 - 282800-284500
1916 - 285200-288100
1917 - 289000-298150
1918 - 298200-322750
1919 - 322800-351600
1920 - 375200-419800
1921 - 433250-438350
1922 - 438900-498000
1923 - 561250-578300
1924 - 631850-648500
1925 - 652200-681751
1926 - 686800-703200
1927 - 722200-798250
1928 - 903100-908150
1929 - 919800-1016900
1930 - 1020500-1239700
1931 - 1239701-1365600
1932 - 1365601-1389300
1933 - 1436650-1456000
1934 - 1500450-1590000
1935 - 1615750-1752300
1936 - 1774800-1942800
1937 - 1950100-2220000
1938 - 2268000-2528000
1939 - 2528001-2651200
1940 - 2652000-2678000
1941 - 2678001-2790350
1942 - 2799600-??? (I don't have enough info on this)

[Mitica100]

Year: From: To:
================
1933 156001 195000
1934 195001 236000
1935 236001 284600
1936 284601 345000
1937 345001 416500
1938 416501 490000
1939 490001 538500
1940 538501 565000
1941 565001 582290
1942 582295 593000
1943 593001 594880
1944 594881 595000
1945 595001 601000
1946 601001 633000
1947 633001 647000
1948 647001 682000
1949 682001 765000
1950 765001 840000
1951 840001 950000
1952 950001 1051000
1953 1051001 1124000
1954 1124001 1236000
1955 1236001 1333000
1956 1333001 1459000
1957 1459001 1548000
1958 1548001 1645300
1959 1645301 1717000
1960 1717001 1827000
1961 1827001 1913000
1962 1913001 1967100
1963 1967101 2015700
1964 2015701 2077500
1965 2077501 2156300
1966 2156301 2236500
1967 2236501 2254400
1968 2254401 2312750
1969 2312751 2384700
1970 2384701 2468500
1971 2468501 2503100
1972 2503101 2556500
1973 2556501 2663400
1974 2663401 2731900
1975 2731901 2761100
1976 2761101 2809400
1977 2809401 2880600
1978 2880601 2967200
1979 2967201 3013600
1980 3013601 3087000
1981 3087001 3160500
1982 3160500 3249100
1983 3249101 3294900
1984 3294901 3346200
1985 3346201 3383200
1986 3383201 3422890
1987 3422891 3455870 (that's all I have folks!)

[Mitica100]

Name: Focal/Aperture: Filter info:
================================================== ==
Super-Elmar R 15mm/f3.5 built in
Fisheye-Elmarit R 16mm/f2.8 built in
Elmarit R 19mm/f2.8 N/A
Super-Angulon R 21mm/f4 S8.5
Elmarit R 24mm/f2.8 S8
Elmarit R 28mm/f2.8 S7
PA-Curtagon R 35mm/f4 S8
Elmarit R 35mm/f2.8 E55/S7
Summicron R 35mm/f2 E55/S7
Summicron R 50mm/f2 E55/S7
Summilux R 50mm/f1.4 E55/S7
Macro-Elmarit R 60mm/f2.8 E55/S7
Angenieux-Zoom 45-90mm/f2.8 E67/S8
Vario-Elmar 75-200mm/f4.5 E55/S7
Summilux R 80mm/f1.4 E67/S8
Elmarit R 90mm/f2.8 E55/S7
Summicron R 90mm/f2 E55/S7
Macro-Elmar R 100mm/f4 E55/S7
Elmarit R 135mm/f2.8 E55/S7
Elmar R 180mm/f4 E55/S7
Apo-Telyt R 180mm/f3.4 E60/S7.5
Elmarit R 180mm/f2.8 E67/S8
Telyt R 250mm/f4 E67/S8
Telyt R 350mm/f4.8 E77
Telyt R 400mm/f6.8 S7/S8
MR-Telyt R 500mm/f8 E77 *
Telyt R 560mm/f6.8 S7
Telyt S 800mm/f6.3 S7
================================================

* 5 special filters are part of the outfit.

[aggiezach]

WOW! Thanks for all that info yo!

Zach

[Mitica100]

Name: Focal/Aperture: Filter info:
================================================== ==
Elmarit M 21mm/f2.8 E49
Elmarit M 28mm/f2.8 E49
Summicron M 35mm/f2 E39
Summilux M 35mm/f1.4 S7
Summicron M 50mm/f2 E39
Summilux M 50mm/f1.4 E43
Noctilux M 50mm/f1 E58
Summilux M 75mm/f1.4 E60
Tele-Elmarit M 90mm/f2.8 E39
Summicron M 90mm/f2 E49
Tele-Elmar M 135mm/f4 E39
Elmarit M 135mm/f2.8 E55

Following are lenses for Visoflex 3 and Universal Focusing Bellows:

Elmar V 65mm/f3.5 S6
Tele-Elmar M 135mm/f4 E39
Elmarit M 135mm/f2.8 E55
Telyt V 200mm/f4 E58
Telyt V 280mm/f4.8 S8
Telyt V 400mm/f6.8 S7
Telyt V 560mm/f6.8 S7
Telyt S 800mm/f6.3 S7

[hobbes28]

HOLY COW!!! Are you going to write a book next? Thanks for all the info!

[Mitica100]

HOLY COW!!! Are you going to write a book next? Thanks for all the info!

No, I'm just quoting things from my books. On second thought... Naaah!

[Mitica100]

For the Leica collectors/users there is a site where you can find the model and year of production of your Leica:

Screwmount_Leicas

M_series_Leicas



Also, a link for collectors in general:

http://www.cameraquest.com/classics.htm


Enjoy!

[ferny]

Wow mitica!

[Mitica100]

Here's a great link:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~tomtiger/fakes.html

[Mitica100]

A guide on recognizing the Leica SM III models:





Model.... Date... Features

Leica III.. 1933...Top shutter speed 1/500 sec, slow speed split at 1/20 sec

Leica IIIa.. 1935..Top shutter speed 1/1000 sec

Leica IIIb.. 1938..Viewfinder/rangefinder moved close together

Leica IIIc.. 1940..Diecast body, body slightly larger, serial #360175 or greater

Leica IIId.. 1931..Very rare

Leica IIIf.. 1950..Flash synchronization

Leica IIIg.. 1957..Large brightframe viewfinder

[terri]

I'm going to have a question for you, Mitica, as soon as I can lay my hands on my hubby's new Rollei (no, NOT the WA - but he did get an apparently REALLY good deal on something else, as we discovered when we unwrapped the thing).

How are you with dating and typing Rollei lenses??