Dating 203 Ektar

[robbiebedell]

I have just obtained a very nice 203 F/7.7 Ektar in a graphic shutter. I have

heard great things about this lens and I am looking forward to using it on

my "new" Crown. How can I tell how old this lens is? There is no serieal

number, per se, just something that reads "RT606" and a little cirled "L" after

it. Also, does anyone know if it is coated? I am sure it's not multi-coated

but it might be single. How do you 203 owners like you lenses? Any help would

be appreciated.

[dan_fromm2]

"Circle L" = Lumenized = Kodak-speak for coated. Single-coated, not multi-.

 

CAMEROSITY maps to 1234567890

 

RT = 59 = 1959. No Y2K frenzy back then.

[jim_galvin]

The "secret" word for Kodak lenses is Camerosity. C is 1, A is 2 etc. So an RT lens is 1959. The "L" means luminized, that is single coated. My 203 is my most used lens, covers 4x5 with plenty of motions. A very good lens, hardly surpassed by modern lenses. It is a four element four group dialyte design.

[michael_briggs2]

The circle-L is Kodak's trademark for Kodak's vacuum deposited single-coating, "Luminized". Kodak stopped making LF lenses before multicoating was developed.

 

"RT606" is the serial number. "RT" indicates the date, using the date code "CAMEROSITY" = 1234567890. So your lens is the 606th from 1959.

[jim_rhoades]

Mine's in the Mount 370 so I don't know how old it is, nor do I care. It kick's @$$ and takes names. Some very big names. Don't worry, be happy.

[tito sobrinho]

Mine is from 1947 (ES). Excellent lens!

[pete_andrews10]

I also have a 203 in 370 mount, and it is a good lens, but a kick@$$ lens? Not quite. It can hold its head up alongside an old single-coated 210mm Sironar, as long as you don't ask it to shift too far, or do other fancy tricks.

[kelly_flanigan1]

Mine is from 1947; ES. Many war and slightly post WW2 lenses were coated; but without the "lumenized" L. The L was added for marketing, post war. My blackout trim 1945 127mm ektar is coated, but without the L. The pre pearl harbor Kodak Bantum Ektar is coated, but a less robust type of coating. The pre WW2 Kodak Ektra lenses are coated, without the L. I mention all this because many just after WW2 Kodak Ektars are coated, but with no L marking. <BR><BR>the 203mm Kodak lens is about symmetrical, and performs well at close distances. It really is a pre WW2 Kodak #70 Anastigmat 8 inch F7.7 lens for 5x7 cameras, maybe tweaked, maybe not when rebadged/upgraded to the Ektar label. The #70 is in the 1945 Kodak lens guide, along with many LF Anastimats and Ektars. <BR><BR>One wonders if any of these 1945 vintage #70's are coated.

[dan_fromm2]

Kelly, are you sure about when EKCo started coating? I ask because I have a 1946 101/4.5 Ektar s/n E0 3946 that's as uncoated as uncoated can be.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[kelly_flanigan1]

dan; I think its a mixed bag of when coating started, depending on camera, lens line, miltary, pro or amateur. My Kodak Bantum's Ektar has a date code of EC from 1941 is coated. The Aero Ektars I have from WW2 are all coated, as is a 1945 127mm Ektar. Some post WW2 lense might be a mixed bag too of pre WW2 assemblies? I have seen too post WW2 Kodak lenses that are not coated, so maybe it took awhile for the transision to take place.

[dan_fromm2]

Kelly, getting back to 203/7.7 Kodak lenses, I just looked in the drawer and sure enough there was a lens whose front is engraved "KODAK ANASTIGMAT F-7.7 203 mm. EC 229" Absolutely uncoated inside and out. The front element is threaded externally to, I believe, screw into a process prism. Very heavy lens for its size.

 

Not engraved #70, not engraved Ektar. So CAMEROSITY came into use no later than 1941 and not all of the types that became Ektars had changed name by then. What d'you make of it?

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[brian_wallen]

According to information I've gleaned from Kodak reference material, advertising ca 1940-45 and a couple of

Rudolf Kingslakes books, all premium Ektars from 1940--Bantam Specials, Ektra Ektars and Medalists and Eastman

Ektars--were soft-coated with calcium fluoride on inner surfaces. Bantam Specials made before 1938 could not

have been coated since the materials used for the coating were not commercially available until then.

 

Hard coating with magnesium fluoride was not discussed in the 1946 Reference Handbook: Lenses. The common wisdom

from observing individual lenses from the 40s is that lenses made for the military are likely to have been hard

coated earlier in this decade. In general production, as dates approach 1946, the likelihood is greater.

Uncoated Ektars after 1946 seem to be exceptions. The circled L trademark began appearing on Kodak lenses in

1946 and was universal on Anaston (3/2), Anastar (4/3) and Ektar (4/3, 5/3, 4/4) lenses by 1948, with the

possible exception of late Ektra Ektars.

 

I have a Bantam 4.5 with an Anastigmat Special with an EY SN, so the CAMEROSITY scheme dated from at least 1940.