- Joined
- Nov 11, 2003
- Messages
- 9,900
- Reaction score
- 119
- Location
- Ahwatukee, AZ
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos NOT OK to edit
Well, time has come to leave a bit of info for all of you collectors out there. I'll try to cover as much as I can.
HIDDEN CODES:
Hasselblad camera owners can identify the year of manufacture by looking at the following code:
V H P I C T U R E S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
So, on the bodies and film backs you'll see a couple of letters from the above code, like UP,that means it was made in 73 (1973) and so on.
DECKEL SHUTTERS:
Compound is the first one, marked on the shutter, under the lens. The shutter appeared first around 1905.
Compur was the next one, introduced in 1912. Original Compur used a small dial to set speeds. Dial was located at the 12 o'clock position, cocking at 3 o'clock and a dial marked ZDM or ZBT at 9 o'clock. It is also known as the dial-set Compur. Next Compur variation, started in 1929, moved the shutter speed setting from the dial to a ring concentric with the shutter housing. This was known as rim-set Compur. Next Compur was the Compur Rapid, named so because of the added speed of 1/500 (from 1/250 on the older Compurs) and it was introduced in 1935. The Compurs lasted until the fifties.
FED (Russian) CAMERAS SERIAL NUMBERS (just in case...) :
1934 31-4,000
1935 4,001-16,000
1936 16,001-31,000
1937 31,001-53,000
1938 53,001-82,000
1939 82,001-116,000
1940 116,001-148,000
1941 148,001-175,000
1942-1945 No camera production (war)
1946 175,001-176,000 (small production)
1947 176,001-186,000
1948 186,001-203,000
1949 203,001-221,000
1950 221,001-248,000
1951 248,001-289,000
1952 289,001-341,000
1953 341,001-424,000
1954 424,001-560,000
1955 560,001-700,000
In general, Russian made cameras made between 1950s and 1980s show the year of manufacture as the first two digits of the serial number. Hence a SN of 640001217 denotes it was made in 1964.
Look for other interesting posts on identifying lenses and films by year of introduction.
HIDDEN CODES:
Hasselblad camera owners can identify the year of manufacture by looking at the following code:
V H P I C T U R E S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
So, on the bodies and film backs you'll see a couple of letters from the above code, like UP,that means it was made in 73 (1973) and so on.
DECKEL SHUTTERS:
Compound is the first one, marked on the shutter, under the lens. The shutter appeared first around 1905.
Compur was the next one, introduced in 1912. Original Compur used a small dial to set speeds. Dial was located at the 12 o'clock position, cocking at 3 o'clock and a dial marked ZDM or ZBT at 9 o'clock. It is also known as the dial-set Compur. Next Compur variation, started in 1929, moved the shutter speed setting from the dial to a ring concentric with the shutter housing. This was known as rim-set Compur. Next Compur was the Compur Rapid, named so because of the added speed of 1/500 (from 1/250 on the older Compurs) and it was introduced in 1935. The Compurs lasted until the fifties.
FED (Russian) CAMERAS SERIAL NUMBERS (just in case...) :
1934 31-4,000
1935 4,001-16,000
1936 16,001-31,000
1937 31,001-53,000
1938 53,001-82,000
1939 82,001-116,000
1940 116,001-148,000
1941 148,001-175,000
1942-1945 No camera production (war)
1946 175,001-176,000 (small production)
1947 176,001-186,000
1948 186,001-203,000
1949 203,001-221,000
1950 221,001-248,000
1951 248,001-289,000
1952 289,001-341,000
1953 341,001-424,000
1954 424,001-560,000
1955 560,001-700,000
In general, Russian made cameras made between 1950s and 1980s show the year of manufacture as the first two digits of the serial number. Hence a SN of 640001217 denotes it was made in 1964.
Look for other interesting posts on identifying lenses and films by year of introduction.