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Thread: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

  1. #1
    schafphoto's Avatar
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    Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    I have been a long-time Nikkor LF lens user and still make my living with mostly Nikkor LF glass. Since Nikon is no longer making LF lenses I thought it would be helpful to have a spot for some reference information about the lenses here on the forum.
    There are a few previous threads with some good info but nothing comprehensive, and nothing covering serial numbers. Which is what I started out looking for. I had a copy of the 2004 PDF of the Nikkor Large Format Lens brochure.
    So I am posting a link to it here in June 2018. We'll see how long it lasts, I'll host it as long as I can. So please add any additional insight and history to this thread, it will be much appreciated!

    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://66reasons.files.wordpress.co...s-brochure.pdf

    There is also endless information in the March 1998 B&H Photography Sourcebook (pages 233-235) [There's a lot of good large format camera and lens info in this publication printed in the last decades of professional Large format in every studio, I'm glad I still have a paper copy]
    Click image for larger version. 

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    https://static.bhphotovideo.com/Fram...SourceBook.pdf

    To quote another interesting Nikkor thread that eventually became a testing/resolution argument: http://www.largeformatphotography.in...-Nikkor-lenses

    Quote Originally Posted by Per Madsen View Post

    Nikkor M = 4 elements (tessar or Apo-tessar type)
    Nikkor T = telelens
    Nikkor W = wide (plasmat type)
    Nikkor SW = Super Wide (biogon type)
    There's some info on this website as well:
    Quote Originally Posted by Pfsor View Post
    For those of us who do not speak Japanese - http://members.iinet.net.au/~cbird/nikkor/niklf.html
    `
    –Stephen Schafer HABS | HAER | HALS & Architectural Photography | Ventura, California | www.HABSPHOTO.com

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    schafphoto's Avatar
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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    If anyone does have any information about Nikkor Serial Numbers, please let me know. I have a SW120 in the 700400 serial | a W 180mm at 731500 serial | a SW 90mm in the 700300 serial and am looking at a 800600 series Nikkor W 135mm right now. Does anyone have data about the serials used by Nikkor?

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    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    Thanks for the posting. I downloaded it all.

    I like the Nikkor lens coverage graph. Makes it obvious.

    I have my share of Nikon.

  4. #4
    http://www.spiritsofsilver.com tgtaylor's Avatar
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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    I have a f5.6 Nikkor 300-W with a red "D" following the serial number: See http://www.largeformatphotography.in...r-W-300mm-f5-6. I now believe that the answer given by Nikon in post 20 is correct and the lens was believed to be "apo" by Nikon which agrees with Bob Solomon's recollection in post 24 of Rodenstock lens with the same designation on them.

    Thomas

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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    Yes, while shopping, I saw a red D in a 135 on EBay ( current listing # 223019505444). I didn't know what it meant. Duplicating maybe?

    Quote Originally Posted by tgtaylor View Post
    I have a f5.6 Nikkor 300-W with a red "D" following the serial number: See http://www.largeformatphotography.in...r-W-300mm-f5-6. I now believe that the answer given by Nikon in post 20 is correct and the lens was believed to be "apo" by Nikon which agrees with Bob Solomon's recollection in post 24 of Rodenstock lens with the same designation on them.

    Thomas
    `
    –Stephen Schafer HABS | HAER | HALS & Architectural Photography | Ventura, California | www.HABSPHOTO.com

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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    TGTAYLOR...

    I'm looking at Bobs post:
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Salomon View Post
    It sounds like they did the same thing Rodenstock did. First there was the 75mm Apo Rodagon R and now there is the 75mm Apo Rodagon D. R stood for Repro. D stands for Duplicating. Why did they switch from R to D? They never said.
    You spell "Reproduction" with an R in both German and English, so you'd think that was abetter letter.

    I think the 75mm lens Bob refers to, is an APO design and then there is additional D and R marks. I'm not sure one Nikkor W300mmD or Mikkor W135mmD out of the run got designed with APO glass while all the others got "regular glass." It may have a higher tolerance, or may be "exactly 300mmm instead of 302mm, but that's all speculation. Especially if Nikon's lens guru doesn't even know. I see no difference in outside dimensions of the 135mm. And Nikon had a special purpose 120 AM/ED Nikon for the duplicating market only 15mm away from the W135mm on EBay. I have one of the 120mm AM*ED copy lenses and remember doing 2:1 and 1:2 reproductions on Ektachrome 64 in the 1980s with it. I tried the same ratio with a Nikon W210mm 5.6 and had to do a reshoot with the AM120mm because the sharpness was unacceptable at 1:1.

    My Nikkor-AM*ED 120mm 1:5.6 is in serial range 182300 by the way.
    `
    –Stephen Schafer HABS | HAER | HALS & Architectural Photography | Ventura, California | www.HABSPHOTO.com

  7. #7

    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    Quote Originally Posted by schafphoto View Post
    If anyone does have any information about Nikkor Serial Numbers, please let me know. I have a SW120 in the 700400 serial | a W 180mm at 731500 serial | a SW 90mm in the 700300 serial and am looking at a 800600 series Nikkor W 135mm right now. Does anyone have data about the serials used by Nikkor?
    I'm not sure what sort of information you want regarding lens serial numbers beyond that of the relation between numbers and lens so these are my brief records from seeing 2nd hand ones pass through my hands (all 'modern').

    Nikkor W
    100mm f5.6 - 79**** (1 lens)
    105mm f5.6 - 18**** (3)
    135mm f5.6 - 71**** (8), 72**** (4)
    150mm f5.6 - 71**** (1), 72**** (4), 75**** (1), 76**** (12), 80**** (4)
    180mm f5.6 - 73**** (5), 74**** (8), 80**** (2)
    210mm f5.6 - 74**** (6), 75**** (14), 80**** (2)
    240mm f5.6 - 77**** (7)
    300mm f5.6 - 78**** (8)
    360mm f6.5 - 20**** (4)

    Nikkor SW
    65mm f4 - 65**** (2), 66**** (8), 70**** (2), 88**** (1)
    75mm f4.5 - 66**** (5), 67**** (11), 70**** (5)
    90mm f4.5 - 67**** (2), 68**** (17), 70**** (3)
    90mm f8 - 65**** (7), 75**** (1)
    120mm f8 - 68**** (8)
    150mm f8 - 70**** (1)

    Nikkor AM ED
    120mm f5.6 - 18**** (1), 20**** (1)
    210mm f5.6 - 30**** (1)

    Nikkor M
    200mm f8 - 20**** (1)
    300mm f8 - 75**** (12), 80**** (10)
    450mm f9 - 76**** (3)

    Oddly, I rarely saw Nikon T's.

    I would think that a trawl through eBay would give similar results.

    Cheers,
    Duff.

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    schafphoto's Avatar
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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    This is helpful. I'm looking to purchase a couple more lenses and wanted to shop the newer/higher serial numbers... and look for the lowest mileage as well. It would be great to see if there is a correlation between certain years and certain serials #s, but that may be too much to hope for

    -Schaf
    `
    –Stephen Schafer HABS | HAER | HALS & Architectural Photography | Ventura, California | www.HABSPHOTO.com

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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    Here are some data points from my camera bag. All purchased used. Never looked at the serials in all these years!

    Nikkor-W 180/5.6 #742614 1986
    Nikkor-SW 90/8 # 691061 1990
    Nikkor-M 300/9 # 751415 1989
    Nikkor-SW 75/4 #672875 2000

  10. #10
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    Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018

    A few more:

    Nikkor-SW 90/8 - 69**** (2)
    Nikkor-SW 150/8 - 64****
    Nikkor-M 200/8 - 30****
    Nikkor-AM ED 210/5.6 - 20****
    Nikkor-T 270/6.3 - 51****
    Nikkor-T 360/8 - 53****, 55**** (2)
    Nikkor-T 600/ - 50****

    These are the ones I own or have seen over the years that aren't in Duff's original list. The 360mm and 600mm Nikkor-T families are tricky as every cell has its own serial number; the ones I've referenced are for the front cell as that's a constant.

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