That FL is not listed in the Vade Mecum which is the closest to a lens bible. It's quite obviously an early CZJ wide ange lens though, and the D.R.P. 56109 (an 1890 German Patent) indicates it's an early Series V Protar made before CZJ started using the Protar trade name. It'll cover 20x24 cm, 10x8 according to Zeiss at f18 (data from the 212mm).
A nice find.
Ian
I haven't looked in Fabre, have looked in 1901 and 1910 Zeiss catalogs. Links to all three are here: http://1drv.ms/1w0vbMD
Your lens was later sold as a Protar Ser. V, has enormous coverage stopped all the way down. The catalogs I consulted show 202/18 (1901) and 205/18 (1910) Ser. V Protars, both with claimed coverage of 540 mm "at small stops." Its serial number is very, very early, probably 1889 or 1890.
Hartmut Thiele's _Fabrikationsbuch Photooptik I Carl Zeiss Jena_ shows serial number 592 (along with serial numbers 590 and 591) to be an "Anastigmat", f/18, focal length 212 mm, made in 1891. Your lens is clearly engraved with a focal length of 215 mm. If I had worked at Carl Zeiss Jena 125 years ago I might be able to explain this difference but since I didn't, I can't.
David
Bookmarks