A Dagor Question

[Two23]

I just picked up a Dagor lens, and was reading up on it. I couldn't find any reference to date it by serial number (322xxx), or any reference to date Compound shutters (371xxx). However, I read that when Zeiss Ikon bought out Goerz in 1926, that ended the production of Dagor Berlin lenses. Is that true? That would likely put the lens between 1914 and 1926, I would think.


Kent in SD

[John Kasaian]

315735-320000 1914-1918
751240-756909 1927-1937

Which would , I think, put your lens as one of the first out the door when the Goerz factory resumed post WWI production.

This from The LF Home Page, just click on LF Home Page on the blue banner ^^^up there^^^
Go to More on Classic Lenses and scroll down to
On Goerz Serial numbers and dates

Goerz Amer. Optical Co. Serial #'s from
Eddie Bolsetzian (former Goerz Tech.)

There is a lot of information on the LF Home Page and I know that I owe a debt of gratitude to QT and the contributors for all that knowledge being available.

[Two23]

Ah yes, found that. Lens is not a Goerz AM though, but is Goerz Berlin. Or, did they use the same serial numbering?


Kent in SD

[John Kasaian]

IIRC, Dan Fromm who often posts here has the low down on Goerz Berlin serial numbers up to the Carl Zeiss Jena merger, when the Goerz serial numbers were aligned with Zeiss production. If he doesn't chime in, you might send a him a PM.

[John Kasaian]

Dan Fromm's post regarding Goerz Berlin serial numbers is in this thread:
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?41822-C-P-Goerz-Berlin-Serial-numbers-(Dogmar)

Whoa! That's from 2008!

[IanG]

Ah yes, found that. Lens is not a Goerz AM though, but is Goerz Berlin. Or, did they use the same serial numbering?
Kent in SD

They do appear similar but how close I don't know, I think maybe Blocks of numbers were assigned to Goerz AM Opt. The outbreak of WWI split Goerz AM Opt (Goerz 2 sons) completely from CP Goerz (the father) in Berlin. The sons had emigrated in the late 1800's and become US citizens. So when the US entered the war Goerz AM Opt was supplying the US army while CP Goerz Berlin were supplying the Germans.

Your Compound shutter was made in the same period during WWI, I have a 1913 120mm f6.8 Dagor (CP Goerz, Berlin) in the last of the small Compound shutters, they are usually in Compurs by 1913/14. The Compound SN's match the Compurs.

Ian

[Two23]

Your Compound shutter was made in the same period during WWI, I have a 1913 120mm f6.8 Dagor (CP Goerz, Berlin) in the last of the small Compound shutters, they are usually in Compurs by 1913/14. The Compound SN's match the Compurs.

Ian


That matches up with what I know fairly well. And it is the Dagor 120mm f6.8 I picked up from cupog on ebay. I'll use that on 4x5 until I can snag an f9 version for my 5x7.


Kent in SD

[IanG]

That matches up with what I know fairly well. And it is the Dagor 120mm f6.8 I picked up from cupog on ebay. I'll use that on 4x5 until I can snag an f9 version for my 5x7.

Kent in SD

It just covers 7x5 when stopped right down. These are nice lenses with good contrast, actually surprisingly good for their age.

Ian