Dating and identifying cameras

Mitica100 · Jan 26, 2006

Serial Number Ranges

for the CANON Rangefinder Cameras
(from Antique & Classic Cameras)

Rangefinder Canons after the Hansa/Original and J series were numbered more or less consecutively as they were produced (with many large gaps) and, until #700,001, without regard for model identification. The next table shows the models produced withitn the several serial number ranges.

Kwanon, Hansa, Original - No external serial number; use the number on the lens mount. 1000-3000 - J, JS (1938-42)

8000-9000 - J-II ( 1945-46 )

10001-15000 - S, SN, S-I ( 1938-46 )

15001-25000 - Seiki S-II, Canon S-II ( 1946-49 )

25001-50000 - IIB, IV trial models ( 1949-51 )

50001-60000 - IIC, III, Skinner IV, IV ( 1950-51 )

60001-100000 - IIA, IIAF, IID, IID1, IIF, III, IIIA, IIIA Signal Corps, IV, IVF, IVS, IVSB ( 1951-53 )

100001-169000 - IID, IID1, IIF, IIS, IVSB, IVSB2 ( 1953-55 ) REUSED for 7s ( 1964-68 )

170001-235000 - IID2, IIF2, IIS2, IVSB2 ( 1955-56 )

500001-600000 - VT, VT-Deluxe, VT-Deluxe M, L-1, L-2, L-3, VL, VL2 ( 1956-58 )

600001-700000 - VI-L, VI-T ( 1958-60 )

700001-800000 - P ( 1958-61 )

800001-999000 - 7 ( 1961-64 )

Various prototypes and trial models were numbered outside the above ranges.

Mitica100 · Feb 7, 2006

List of Models

Rolleicord I f:4.5 (Art Deco) (1933-36)
Rolleicord I f:3.8 (1934-36)
Rolleicord Ia (1936-37)
Rolleicord II (1936-37)
Rolleicord Ia Type 2 (1937-38)
Rolleicord IIa (1937-38)
Rolleicord Ia Type 3 (1938-47)
Rolleicord IIb (1938-39)
Rolleicord IIc (1939-49)
Rolleicord IId (1947-50)
Rolleicord IIe (1949-50)
Rolleicord III (1950-53)
Rolleicord IV (1953-54)
Rolleicord V (1954-57)
Rolleicord Va Type 1 (1957-58)
Rolleicord Va Type 2 (1958-61)
Rolleicord Vb Type 1 (1962-66)
Rolleicord Vb Type 2 (1966-70)
Rolleicord Vb Type 3 (1970-77)

Mitica100 · Feb 7, 2006

Rolleicord:
CAMERA MODEL ........YEARS ............SERIAL # RANGE
Rolleicord I (type 1) 1933-1936 1,460,000-1,760,000
Rolleicord I (type 2) 1934-1936 1,590,000-1,760,000
Rolleicord Ia (Type 1) 1936-1937 1,760,000-1,947,000
Rolleicord Ia (Type 2) 1937-1938 1,945,000-2,183,000
Rolleicord Ia (Type 3) 1938-1947 611,000-1,042,100
Rolleicord II (Type 1) 1936-1937 1,758,000-1,974,000
Rolleicord II (Type 2) 1937-1938 1,966,000-2,124,000
Rolleicord II (Type 3) 1938-1939 612,000-859,100
Rolleicord II (Type 4) 1939-1949 859,000-980,000
Rolleicord II (Type 5) 1949-1950 980,000-1,135,999
Rolleicord III (Type 1) 1950-1951 1,137,000-1,156,999
Rolleicord III (Type 2) 1952-1953 1,157,000-1,344,050
Rolleicord IV 1953-1954 1,344,051-1,390,999
Rolleicord V 1954-1957 1,500,000-1,583,999
Rolleicord Va (Type 1) 1957-1958 1,584,000-1,599,999
Rolleicord Va (Type 2) 1958-1961 1,906,001-1,943,999
Rolleicord Vb (Type 1) 1962-1967 2,600,000- ???
Rolleicord Vb (Type 2) 1968-1975 2,600,000- ???

Rolleiflex 3.5:
CAMERA MODEL ....... YEARS .... SERIAL # RANGE
Automatic (Type 1) 1937-1939 568,516-805,000
Automatic (Type 2) 1937-1939 568.516-805,000
Automatic (Type 3) 1939-1945 805,000-999,999
Automatic (Type 4) 1945-1949 999,999-1,099,999
New Standard ...... 1939-1941 805,000-927,999
X (Type 1) ........ 1949-1950 1,100,000-1,116,999
X (Type 2) ........ 1950-1951 1,117,000-1,168,000
MX (Type 1) ....... 1951-1954 1,200,000-1,266,999
MX (Type 2)....... 1951-1954 1,267,000-1,427,999
MX-EVS (Type 1) ... 1954-1955 1,428,000-1,499,999
MX-EVS (Type 2)... 1955-1956 1,700,000-1,737,911
3.5 E (Type 1) .... 1956-1959 1,740,000-1,787,999
3.5 E (Type 2) .... 1956-1959 1,850,000-1,869,999
T (Type 1)........ 1958-1966 2,100,000-2,199,999
T (Type 2) ........ 1966-1970 2,220,000-2,228,999
T (Type 3)........ 1971-1976 2,242,000- ???
3.5 E2 (Type 1)... 1959-1960 1,870,000-1,872,299
3.5 E2 (Type 2)... 1961-1962 2,480,000-2,482,999
3.5 F (Type 1 ..... 1959-1960 2,200,000-2,229,999
3.5 F (Type 2).... 1960-1960 2,230,000-2,241,500
3.5 F (Type 3).... 1960-1969 2,250,000-2,815,050
3.5 F (Type 4) .... 1969-1980 2,815,051- ???
3.5 E3 ............ 1962-1965 2,380,000-2,385.034

Rolleiflex 2.8:
CAMERA MODEL ... YEARS .... SERIAL # RANGE
2.8 A (Type 1) 1950-1951 1,101,000-1,201,000
2.8 A (Type 2) 1951-1951 1,201,000-1,203,999
2.8 B (Type 1) 1952-1953 1,204,000-1,240,999
2.8 B (Type 2) 1952-1953 1,241,000-1,260,000
2.8 C (Type 1) 1953-1954 1,260,350-1,299,999
2.8 C (Type 2) 1954-1955 1,444,000-1,475,405
2.8 D ......... 1955-1956 1,600,000-1,620,999
2.8 E ......... 1956-1959 1,621,000-1,665,999
2.8 E2 ........ 1959-1960 2,350,000-2,356,999
2.8 F (Type 1) 1960-1966 2,400,000-2,451,850
2.8 F (Type 2) 1966-1981 2,451,851- ???
2.8 E3 ........ 1962-1965 2,360,000-2,362,024
2.8 F Aurum ... 1983-1983 Unknown
2.8 F Platin .. 1986-???? Unknown

Mitica100 · Feb 24, 2006

Of the 9-digit coded number:

Digit 1 plus 5 stands for the year of manufacture, you have to guess the
decade!

Digits 2 and 3 reflect engineering levels

Digits 4 and 5 minus 20 give the calendar week of the year of manufacture

Digits 6 to 9 stand for the sequential number of cameras built in that week.

CertochromE · Mar 25, 2006

Hello Mitica 100,
i have just read from your Super-Dollina here in these community.
But maybe some other fellow collectors can give me an advice too to prepare publishing a production history booklet about Certo Dollina and Certo Super-Dollina cameras built in Dresden-Zschachwitz.
So i would highly appreciate to receive following data :
- serial number of camera body
- type and number of the fitted lens
- number of Compur / Compur-Rapid shutter

Here a picture showing the countermarks settings of body and shutter :

http://www.photo.net/bboard/uploaded-file?bboard_upload_id=29037484

Dollina history started 1935 with Model I in its first version; then followed Mod. II, 0 and III. In 1938 Model III was replaced by the Super-Dollina, whose production ended in 1959.

Due to wartime break of production (maybe from 1942 up to 1946) there might be more different versions i couldn´t register yet. So if you own a Dollina 0, I II or Super-Dollina with a serial number higher than 40.000 i would need those data quite urgent.

Have many thanks for your help !
Best regards E.E. Schmidt

Mitica100 · Mar 25, 2006

CertochromE said:
Hello Mitica 100,
i have just read from your Super-Dollina here in these community.
But maybe some other fellow collectors can give me an advice too to prepare publishing a production history booklet about Certo Dollina and Certo Super-Dollina cameras built in Dresden-Zschachwitz.
So i would highly appreciate to receive following data :
- serial number of camera body
- type and number of the fitted lens
- number of Compur / Compur-Rapid shutter

Here a picture showing the countermarks settings of body and shutter :

http://www.photo.net/bboard/uploaded-file?bboard_upload_id=29037484

Dollina history started 1935 with Model I in its first version; then followed Mod. II, 0 and III. In 1938 Model III was replaced by the Super-Dollina, whose production ended in 1959.

Due to wartime break of production (maybe from 1942 up to 1946) there might be more different versions i couldn´t register yet. So if you own a Dollina 0, I II or Super-Dollina with a serial number higher than 40.000 i would need those data quite urgent.

Have many thanks for your help !
Best regards E.E. Schmidt

Hello E.E. and welcome to TPF.

I checked my Super-Dollina and the serial is 28029. The shutter is Compur (T,B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 300) and lens is Steinheil Cassar 5cm/2.9 uncoated, black rim, serial number 362176. On the black face of the Compur there is the F Deckel-Munchen all in white letters.

What version does this make it (since I am not an expert in Super-Dollinas)?

BTW, this camera came from Russia.

Thanks for your info as well.

Mitica100 · Mar 26, 2006

Oh, by the way... I belong to the Internet Directory of Camera Collectors, an international directory of people being in touch and discussing different cameras at length. You can join as well, it's free:

http://www.photographyhistory.com/idccinfo.html

You might want to post the same question there.

CertochromE · Mar 26, 2006

Hello Mitica,
have many thanks for yoiur fast reply and the link to photographyhistory.
Your Super-Dollina might be one of the first ones built in 1938 or maybe springtime 1939.
Those delivered to Russia in 1946/47 for compensation (or is it called reparation ?) should have higher numbers - or even they weren´t numbered anymore at that time.
So maybe yours formerly belonged to a German soldier or came abroad to Russia during Soviet occupation - but there are too many other possibilities what might have happened at that time in the 1940´s.

Best regards an a nice sunday !

Here below a link to some more Dollina versions (hope it runs) :

http://de.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/certochrom/detail?.dir=/3947&.dnm=3d3d.jpg&.src=ph

Mitica100 · Mar 26, 2006

Danke!

I am now intrigued by the non-rangefinder Dollina.

santino · Oct 13, 2006

Contax IIa, mechanical sync

Letter, Number series, Production date
P, 97,001-100,000, 11/1949 to 6/1950
S, 20,001-28,000, 7/1950 to 4/1951
T, 5,001-9,000, 3/1951 to 7/1951
T, 28,001-35,000, 8/1951 to 12/1951
U, 1-5,000, 1/1952 to 5/1952
V, 15,001-20,000, 7/1952 to 8/1952
X, 1-3,000, 9/1952 to 10/1952
Y, 57,001-62,001, 11/1952 to 3/1953
A, 43,001-46,001, 4/1953 to 10/1953

Contax IIa, PC sync

Letter, Number series, Production dates
A, 46,000-53,000, 11/1953 to 9/1954
B, 90,001-95,000, 10/1954 to 2/1955
F, 20,001-25,000, 3/1955 to7/1956
Q, 30,001-33,000, 7/1956 to 9/1957
R, 33,001-34,000, 11/1956 to 4/1958
L, 85,001-87,000, 4/1958 to 2/1961

Contax IIIa, mechanical sync

Letter, Number series, Production dates
T, 35,001-40,000, 3/1951 to 7/1952
V, 20,001-25,000, 7/1952 to 10/1952
Y, 52,001-57,000, 11/1952 to 3/1953
A, 53,001-63,000, 4/1953 to 10/1953

Contax IIIa, PC sync

Letter, Number series, Production dates
B, 95,001-100,000, 11/1953 to 9/1954
C, 1-5,000, 10/1954 to 2/1955
D, 76,001-86,000, 3/1955 to 1/1956
F, 25,001-30,000, 2/1956 to 8/1956
L, 75,001-85,000, 7/1956 to 7/1961
O, 86,001-91,000, 11/1956 to 7/1957
Q, 1 to 25, 1960
R, 34.001-38,000, 2/1961 to 8/1962

donnad · Dec 2, 2006

I have my grandfathers old camera and I cant find info specific to what is on this camera. Any help would be great.

Agfamatic II
Agfa Color - Apotar 1:2.8 / 45
Prontormator
Made in germany

Its all that is written on the outside of the camera
Inside is a pic of agfa isopan IF 17 prob just a film suggestion.

Much Thanks
Donna

Mitica100 · Dec 2, 2006

Hi Donna,

Your Agfamatic II, a.k.a. Agfa Optima was made between 1959 and 1963. A simple but efficient 35mm rangefinder, it was pretty cheap back then and it's still cheap amongst collectors. Now... if you had an Agfamatic IIIS (or Optima IIIS), things would be different. They were made in small numbers and are considered quite rare.

The camera has the Apotar, a very decent lens, I would suggest popping a film in it and shooting using a hand held meter or the sunny 16 rule. You might be pleasantly surprised. As for pricing, it can be priced anywhere between $10 and $50, depending on its condition and willingnes of a collector to pay.

Hope this helps.

Commonman · Feb 13, 2007

Hi, I just aquired a Rolleiflex E2. There's a number after the "E2" underneath the bottom lens on the front of the camera.
That number is 1870410.

Someone said it might be a 60s camera.