Carl Zeiss Sonnar 50/1.5 - production date?

[Sanjay Sen]

Hi All,

I have a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 1:1,5 f=50mm lens that I need your help with: I am trying to determine the year it was made. The serial number of this lens is 1889949, which according to the CraigCamera.com website puts it in 1936 (pre-war). However, the lens engraving says "Carl Zeiss" and it has a "black nose", which makes me think that it is a post-war lens. Also, as far as I am aware, pre-war lenses had a "Carl Zeiss Jena" engraving. The CameraQuest website (scroll down to the "Post War Contax Lenses" section) seems to indicate that the lens I have is a post-war version.

Does anybody know about the post-war serial numbers? Your help with determining this lens' age would be much appreciated.


Thank you in advance.



Best wishes,
Sanjay

 

[wlewisiii]

It is, without any doubt, a late post-war lens, 55 to 60 or so. But the real experts with the serial lists are on the ZIUG list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZICG/ Go there & they can tell you with far more certainty than I.

What I can tell you is that you've got a nice lens there. Enjoy it!

William

 

[jmkelly]

AFAIK, Zeiss started a new series of numbers after the war for production in Oberkochen. The early lenses were engraved "Zeiss-Opton" (I have one, SN 1010xxx) and later lenses for the Contax (after 1953, starting with 1100000) were engraved "Carl Zeiss", through 2600000 in 1959. You might check this link. Based on my own limited knowledge, I think your lens is probably 1955-1956; 1957 at the latest. BTW- William is right about the guys over at ZICG.