Red Dot Dagor?

[jwanerman]

I have seen listed on Ebay a RED DOT Dagor, made in Switzerland, serial # 2002498. It is in a Copal #1 shutter which has aperture scales that seem to be from a convertable Symmar. I am suspicious of this, and wonder what our resident Goerz experts think of this curious offering. I am familiar with the Goerz history and Schneider shift to Swiss manufacture, but have never heard of a red dot dagor, and have never seen a dagor mounted in a convertable aperture shutter.

[Mark Sampson]

There were 'red dot' Goerz Artars, designed for copying and commonly found on graphic-arts cameras. Since most of those have been trashed, and many of the lenses (which were not mounted in a camera shutter) saved, it's quite possible that a RD Artar could have found its way into a non-standard shutter. At least it's something to check.

[Arne Croell]

The serial no. is consistent with the Dagors made for Schneider by Kern in Switzerland, shortly after Schneider bought Goerz. The only difference to the other lenses of this type is that the dot color is red instead of gold. I would think it is the same lens as a "gold dot" Kern Dagor, which are sought after, too, and the different color maybe due to:

discoloration of the gold paint
Kern ran out of gold paint
The lens inscription was made directly after a run of red dot Artars (Kern made a few of those, too) and they still had some red color on the brush or machine

The shutter is certainly not original.

[jwanerman]

The lens reads Dagor, It is Swiss made, but has a RED dot. I have a 10 3/4" Red Dot Artar which is a great performer. Perhaps the gold dot was painted over in red!

[imagedowser]

I guess, since we're guessing, these were made with glass (read "lenses") previously made before Kern was in lens production to distinguish them from the Gold Dot. It would be nice to know if this lens is multi-coated or single coated. Early run to test mc against sc? ...or just to get the production run started and felt them to be good enough to market. Anyone know somebody who worked there at the time? Bill

[E. von Hoegh]

I'd guess that whomever put it in the non-original shutter also put the red paint on the dot.
I wonder how many "Gold Rim" Dagors are out there that were made with some 4-0 steel wool, lacquer, and a Q-tip. ;)

I seem to remember a "Gold Star" Dagor on here, too.