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ostenespen
Joined: 18 Feb 2022 Posts: 19 Location: Norway
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 10:27 am Post subject: WIP: Vintage lens serial number lookup tool |
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ostenespen wrote:
I thought I'd share a new tool I'm working on and get your feedback. It's a simple serial number lookup tool for various vintage optics companies that provides an approximate year of manufacture for lenses. I created this tool to help me quickly determine the period in which my vintage lenses were made.
I've collected serial numbers from various sources and conducted my own research to compile a somewhat complete serial number/year range for some companies. Not all companies serial numbers can be organized this way. Currently, the tool supports only chronologically counted serial numbers.
If you'd like to test it out, it's live right now:
https://espensusort.no/vintage-lens-year-calculator/
#1
#2
_________________ I collect, adapt and use old lenses
https://espensusort.no/
espen.susort@gmail.com |
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Ultrapix
Joined: 06 Jan 2012 Posts: 566 Location: Italy
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 12:58 pm Post subject: |
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Ultrapix wrote:
Super! |
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caspert79
Joined: 31 Oct 2010 Posts: 3189 Location: The Netherlands
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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caspert79 wrote:
Great idea, definitely useful! |
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Rosedalelad
Joined: 18 Oct 2018 Posts: 17
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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Rosedalelad wrote:
Many thanks for your efforts |
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simple.joy
Joined: 30 May 2022 Posts: 633
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 3:31 pm Post subject: |
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simple.joy wrote:
Very nice and well done! _________________ ---
Manual lens enthusiast
https://www.flickr.com/photos/simple_joy/ |
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Max78
Joined: 14 Oct 2011 Posts: 80
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 7:00 pm Post subject: |
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Max78 wrote:
Nice, but I have checked some of my lenses and some results are contradictory. I own several books from Harthmut Thiele on serial numbers for different manufactures and Yours tool works nice for some lenses giving the proper manufacturing year but it has some discrepancies for other manufacturers , e.g. for Schneider or some CZJ. |
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stevemark
Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Posts: 3976 Location: Switzerland
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2024 7:42 pm Post subject: |
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stevemark wrote:
Interesting - thanks a lot !
S
Now someone should try to solve eternal mystery of Minolta SNs ... _________________ www.artaphot.ch |
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ostenespen
Joined: 18 Feb 2022 Posts: 19 Location: Norway
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Posted: Wed Aug 07, 2024 7:11 am Post subject: |
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ostenespen wrote:
Max78 wrote: |
Nice, but I have checked some of my lenses and some results are contradictory. I own several books from Harthmut Thiele on serial numbers for different manufactures and Yours tool works nice for some lenses giving the proper manufacturing year but it has some discrepancies for other manufacturers , e.g. for Schneider or some CZJ. |
Thank you for your feedback. Discrepancies do occur as I've used various publicly available serial number lists from various sources. The more serial numbers I have in the database the more accurate it will become. So if you have a couple of serial numbers you know the production date of I'd love to have them. _________________ I collect, adapt and use old lenses
https://espensusort.no/
espen.susort@gmail.com |
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kds315*
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 16647 Location: Weinheim, Germany
Expire: 2021-03-09
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Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2024 5:00 am Post subject: |
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kds315* wrote:
Nicely done - Congrats!! _________________ Klaus - Admin
"S'il vient a point, me souviendra" [Thomas Bohier (1460-1523)]
http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums my albums using various lenses
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV BLOG
http://www.travelmeetsfood.com/blog Food + Travel BLOG
https://galeriafotografia.com Architecture + Drone photography
Currently most FAV lens(es):
X80QF f3.2/80mm
Hypergon f11/26mm
ELCAN UV f5.6/52mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f4/60mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f2/62mm
Lomo Уфар-12 f2.5/41mm
Lomo Зуфар-2 f4.0/350mm
Lomo ZIKAR-1A f1.2/100mm
Nikon UV Nikkor f4.5/105mm
Zeiss UV-Sonnar f4.3/105mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f1.8/45mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f4.1/94mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f2.8/100mm
Steinheil Quarzobjektiv f1.8/50mm
Pentax Quartz Takumar f3.5/85mm
Carl Zeiss Jena UV-Objektiv f4/60mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha II f1.1/90mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha I f2.8/200mm
COASTAL OPTICS f4/60mm UV-VIS-IR Apo
COASTAL OPTICS f4.5/105mm UV-Micro-Apo
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f4.5/85mm
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f5.6/300mm
Rodenstock UV-Rodagon f5.6/60mm + 105mm + 150mm
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danfromm
Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 589
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Posted: Sat Aug 10, 2024 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: WIP: Vintage lens serial number lookup tool |
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danfromm wrote:
ostenespen wrote: |
I thought I'd share a new tool I'm working on and get your feedback. It's a simple serial number lookup tool for various vintage optics companies that provides an approximate year of manufacture for lenses. I created this tool to help me quickly determine the period in which my vintage lenses were made.
I've collected serial numbers from various sources and conducted my own research to compile a somewhat complete serial number/year range for some companies. Not all companies serial numbers can be organized this way. Currently, the tool supports only chronologically counted serial numbers.
If you'd like to test it out, it's live right now:
https://espensusort.no/vintage-lens-year-calculator/ |
Nice idea, but ...
Useless for B&L. No one has ever published a credible B&L chronology. B&L initially used strictly numeric serial numbers, e.g., 2839901. I have this lens, your s/n finder says it is out of range. Oops! They later switched to alphanumeric serial numbers, e.g., BS1274. I have this lens too. Your s/n finder's parser truncated it to 1274. Oops again.
And then there's Boyer. S/n 907031 comes back out of range. I had that lens. Your date range for Boyer is incorrect, they stopped making lenses in 1982. S/n 563262 comes back as 1959. No, early post-WW II.
Study, plagiarize if it comes to that, P-H Pont's Les Chiffres Cles. |
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16:9
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 311 Location: UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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16:9 wrote:
Hi Espen:
Thanks for crediting my work on the Dallmeyer sequence. I can also help you out with improved chronologies for Steinheil, Rodenstock and Taylor Hobson.
Drop me a line: there's a few other collaborations I'd like to discuss with you . . .
Mark
www.DeltaLenses.com _________________ If it ain't broke, break it. |
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16:9
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 311 Location: UK
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2024 9:48 pm Post subject: |
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16:9 wrote:
stevemark wrote: |
Interesting - thanks a lot !
S
Now someone should try to solve eternal mystery of Minolta SNs ... |
. . . and Agfa!! _________________ If it ain't broke, break it. |
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Noritar
Joined: 25 Jul 2024 Posts: 40
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Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2024 2:57 pm Post subject: Late CZJ |
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Noritar wrote:
I would love to have something like this for the late MC Zeiss Jena Pentacon Six mount lenses, but I suspect their serial number format would make that impossible. |
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visualopsins
Joined: 05 Mar 2009 Posts: 11002 Location: California
Expire: 2025-04-11
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Posted: Thu Sep 26, 2024 6:15 pm Post subject: |
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visualopsins wrote:
Thank you so much for your considerable efforts! Well done!
David Rounsevell has the best website for Takumar serial numbers at the Takumar Field Guide https://takumarguide.weebly.com/ --of course there is a lot of other information there as well...
For Nikkors there is http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html
Perhaps you can fold these into your wonderful project? _________________ ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮ like attracts like! ☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮☮
Cameras: Sony ILCE-7RM2, Spotmatics II, F, and ESII, Nikon P4
Lenses:
M42 Asahi Optical Co., Takumar 1:4 f=35mm, 1:2 f=58mm (Sonnar), 1:2.4 f=58mm (Heliar), 1:2.2 f=55mm (Gaussian), 1:2.8 f=105mm (Model I), 1:2.8/105 (Model II), 1:5.6/200, Tele-Takumar 1:5.6/200, 1:6.3/300, Macro-Takumar 1:4/50, Auto-Takumar 1:2.3 f=35, 1:1.8 f=55mm, 1:2.2 f=55mm, Super-TAKUMAR 1:3.5/28 (fat), 1:2/35 (Fat), 1:1.4/50 (8-element), Super-Multi-Coated Fisheye-TAKUMAR 1:4/17, Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR 1:4.5/20, 1:3.5/24, 1:3.5/28, 1:2/35, 1:3.5/35, 1:1.8/85, 1:1.9/85 1:2.8/105, 1:3.5/135, 1:2.5/135 (II), 1:4/150, 1:4/200, 1:4/300, 1:4.5/500, Super-Multi-Coated Macro-TAKUMAR 1:4/50, 1:4/100, Super-Multi-Coated Bellows-TAKUMAR 1:4/100, SMC TAKUMAR 1:1.4/50, 1:1.8/55
M42 Carl Zeiss Jena Flektogon 2.4/35
Contax Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70mm F3.5-4.5
Pentax K-mount SMC PENTAX-A ZOOM 1:3.5 35~105mm, SMC PENTAX ZOOM 1:4 45~125mm
Nikon Micro-NIKKOR-P-C Auto 1:3.5 f=55mm, NIKKOR-P Auto 105mm f/2.5 Pre-AI (Sonnar), Micro-NIKKOR 105mm 1:4 AI, NIKKOR AI-S 35-135mm f/3,5-4,5
Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (51B), Tamron SP 17mm f/3.5 (151B), SP 500mm f/8 (55BB), SP 70-210mm f/3.5 (19AH)
Vivitar 100mm 1:2.8 MC 1:1 Macro Telephoto (Kiron)
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16:9
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 311 Location: UK
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Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2024 8:30 am Post subject: Re: WIP: Vintage lens serial number lookup tool |
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16:9 wrote:
ostenespen wrote: |
I thought I'd share a new tool I'm working on and get your feedback. It's a simple serial number lookup tool for various vintage optics companies that provides an approximate year of manufacture for lenses. I created this tool to help me quickly determine the period in which my vintage lenses were made.
I've collected serial numbers from various sources and conducted my own research to compile a somewhat complete serial number/year range for some companies. Not all companies serial numbers can be organized this way. Currently, the tool supports only chronologically counted serial numbers. |
Just a shout out to all those who have compiled these number series.
In most cases (with a couple of honourable exceptions) the manufacturer is either unwilling or unable to release such information, and it's a mighty thankless labour of love for an individual to comb the records, or painstakingly collate surviving press material and hundreds of samples, and puzzle over how best to fill the gaps. Actually, for number junkies, it's catnip. But they still deserve credit for the days and weeks they put in for the benefit of collectors and enthusiasts.
It also really helps when the community gets behind the effort. After all, the community benefits.
As Dan points out, some of the information out there is wonky, or plain trash. For instance, the Steinheil information you've taken from CameraWiki is literally wrong on every data point. I'm working toward improving this information for them, and have already published the complete Steinheil serial sequence on DeltaLenses. You're welcome to use it, suitably credited.
Some sequences – like Leica, Nikon, Dallmeyer and Steinheil – are open and shut cases: we have definitive information that will never be improved upon. By that, I mean almost every serial is accounted for, and we know the first and last lenses produced in any given year.
Many are in a kind of limbo where someone gave up, went mad or died before reaching 'full granularity'. Rodenstock's serials are like this – and others. Some are still sketched in vague approximations. Others (Minolta, Agfa and Meopta) are obscure to the point of complete opacity.
I'm in favour of centralised repositories of serial information – many are similarly gathered at Delta - but your interface (and site in general) is pretty and easy to use, and has already gathered more under one neat umbrella than anyone else. Keep going - but make sure the information is reliable, updated when possible, and communicates the difference between a known date for a given serial and an estimated one. _________________ If it ain't broke, break it. |
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16:9
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 311 Location: UK
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Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2024 9:34 pm Post subject: Steinheil Serials Updated |
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16:9 wrote:
I've just updated CameraWiki with the full Steinheil serial list: http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Steinheil_serial_numbers _________________ If it ain't broke, break it. |
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kds315*
Joined: 12 Mar 2008 Posts: 16647 Location: Weinheim, Germany
Expire: 2021-03-09
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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2024 7:32 am Post subject: Re: Steinheil Serials Updated |
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kds315* wrote:
I have a lot of STEINHEIL lenses - and I have the STEINHEIL book(s) which also lists those!
THIELE also has a book on Steinheil lenses!
_________________ Klaus - Admin
"S'il vient a point, me souviendra" [Thomas Bohier (1460-1523)]
http://www.macrolenses.de for macro and special lens info
http://www.pbase.com/kds315/uv_photos for UV Images and lens/filter info
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kds315/albums my albums using various lenses
http://photographyoftheinvisibleworld.blogspot.com/ my UV BLOG
http://www.travelmeetsfood.com/blog Food + Travel BLOG
https://galeriafotografia.com Architecture + Drone photography
Currently most FAV lens(es):
X80QF f3.2/80mm
Hypergon f11/26mm
ELCAN UV f5.6/52mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f4/60mm
Zeiss UV-Planar f2/62mm
Lomo Уфар-12 f2.5/41mm
Lomo Зуфар-2 f4.0/350mm
Lomo ZIKAR-1A f1.2/100mm
Nikon UV Nikkor f4.5/105mm
Zeiss UV-Sonnar f4.3/105mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f1.8/45mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f4.1/94mm
CERCO UV-VIS-NIR f2.8/100mm
Steinheil Quarzobjektiv f1.8/50mm
Pentax Quartz Takumar f3.5/85mm
Carl Zeiss Jena UV-Objektiv f4/60mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha II f1.1/90mm
NYE OPTICAL Lyman-Alpha I f2.8/200mm
COASTAL OPTICS f4/60mm UV-VIS-IR Apo
COASTAL OPTICS f4.5/105mm UV-Micro-Apo
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f4.5/85mm
Pentax Ultra-Achromatic Takumar f5.6/300mm
Rodenstock UV-Rodagon f5.6/60mm + 105mm + 150mm
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16:9
Joined: 04 Apr 2014 Posts: 311 Location: UK
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Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2024 4:02 pm Post subject: Re: Steinheil Serials Updated |
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16:9 wrote:
[quote="kds315*"]
16:9 wrote: |
THIELE also has a book on Steinheil lenses! |
I believe Thiele reckons the 'date' of a lens based on when it left the factory, not when it was made, or the serial allocated - hence the front cover showing lenses dating from 1989. I've not followed this example, or referred to that publication – only to Steinheil's lens books at Deutsches Museum. Neither accounting method is without issues, but dates of sale create a fuzzier chronology. I've made estimates of undocumented serials that probably differ from Thiele's but I don't have the (out of print) book to compare. I'd welcome the chance to do so if you have time. Refinement may be possible. _________________ If it ain't broke, break it. |
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