Conatx/Zeiss manufacturing year

[torhan]

Hello!
I've got (among other cameras) a Contax IIIa with a Zeiss opton 5 cm/1.5. I've tried the Internet to find some information about manufacturing year to match with my serial numbers, but without any luck. Does anybody know of any source that can please me?

/T

 

[Huck Finn]

Torhan, there are 2 books that should help you:

"Zeiss Ikon Cameras 1926 - 39", by D.B. Tubbs
"Compendium: East and West - 1940-72 - Zeiss Ikon in the Postwar Era", by Marc James Small & Charles M. Barringer

You can also get help by contacting the Zeiss Historical Society directly.

 

[furcafe]

FYI, in his article on the Contax II/III (http://www.cameraquest.com/zconrf2.htm), Stephen Gandy states:

"When was your Contax II or III made ?? According to the excellent "benchmarks" book by Foto Saga in France, ISBN 2-906840-06-8, the first letter before the serial number denotes a block of 99,999 serial numbers -- not all of which were always issued: Z 1935/6, A 1936, B 1936, C 1936/7, D 1937, E 1937, F 1937/8, G 1938, J 1938/9, K 1939, L 1939, M 1940/42, N 1941/3. Keep in mind the code was also used for other Zeiss cameras, so these codes do not indicate total Contax production."

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Torhan, there are 2 books that should help you:

"Zeiss Ikon Cameras 1926 - 39", by D.B. Tubbs
"Compendium: East and West - 1940-72 - Zeiss Ikon in the Postwar Era", by Marc James Small & Charles M. Barringer

You can also get help by contacting the Zeiss Historical Society directly.

Along with these excellent references are the two volumes by Kruc, "On the Trail of the Contax."

 

[ZeissFan]

There probably exists some record. You can find an approximate date by figuring out if it's a so-called black dial or color dial camera.

 

[Mike Kovacs]

What is the serial number?

 

[torhan]

The camera is C 654 and the lens is 1054596.

 

[Honu-Hugger]

Torhan,
Your camera was quite likely built in late 1954 (the "C" run was 10/54 to 2/55 and you have an early number in that series).