[LargeFormat] Kodak serial numbers

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Les Newcomer" <lnphoto@twmi.rr.com>
To: <largeformat@f32.net>
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:04 PM
Subject: [LargeFormat] Kodak serial numbers


> I'm the new owner of two odd ball tele type Graphic
lenses.  Both are
> Kodak Anastigmats but made in '45, so I'm assuming these
are not coated.
>
> The questions lie in the realm of "what do the serial
numbers really mean?
> "  The serial numbers for both lenses are ER 000.   Did
Kodak reset the
> serial numbers every year? I've seen some pretty low
numbers in the 50s
> which suggest they did.  Other times I see 4 digit lenses
and think well
> maybe they didn't.
>
> Does anybody know if they started with 000 or if they used
that as a "pre
> production" serial and began with 001?
> Does anybody have any data as to when Kodak introduced new
lenses?
>
> the photo of the lenses are here:
> http://home.twmi.rr.com/lnphoto/255mm.jpg
> http://home.twmi.rr.com/lnphoto/388mm.jpg
>
   Now that I am home I looked at the pictures above.
Interesting! These look like lenses made to compete with the
Wollensak "Optar" telephotos made for Graflex but also sold
by Wollensak under their own trade names of Velostigmat and
Raptar. I have one of the ubiqitous 15" Tele-Optars and find
it a surprizingly good lens. It may be that Kodak decided
not to compete in this market.
  Kodak Ektar lenses are all corrected completely for
lateral color. This is hard to accomplish in an
unsymmetrical lens. The Kodak Anastigmat series seem to be
very good lenses which are not so well corrected.
  Kodak used the K.A. name for a wide variety of lenses many
of which were renamed after about 1946. ]
  The first Ektar, BTW, was the f/2.0, 45mm Biotar type lens
made for the Kodak Bantam Special in 1935.

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com