Calling on Kodak Chevron Owners

[Hunter_Compton]

I am attempting to do a serial number survey regarding Kodak's uncommon MF rangefinder, the Chevron.

If you have one of these cameras, would you please share some information about it with me? I am looking for the lens serial number with its two letter prefix and the body serial number (found on the body below the focusing helical).

The purpose of this survey is to collect a database of serial numbers in order to determine patterns of production and gain an estimate of total cameras produced.

It is my intention to make this information public once enough examples have been tallied. Please reply below with your camera's information. It is my intention to attribute individual examples to their owners. If you would like your information to not be made public, please DM me instead and I will add it to the list but not make it public.

Thanks.

 

[MarkS]

My wife's father had one from new. We have it now; s/n 002807. The lens is a 78/3.5 Kodak Ektar, #RM551. So made in 1953.
It's a real battlecruiser- but the shutter is a bit wonky and the lens is foggy. And 620 film is a pain these days, so it's an honored member of the small display collection.

 

[Hunter_Compton]

Thanks Mark, with your example I now have 43 documented. Lens serials range from RA003 to RM3443 and body serials range from 001018 to 004563. The body and lens serials do not seem to correlate in any particular order. I have not seen any examples with a later date code on the lens than RM (1953).

This trend would seem to imply two things:

1. The cameras, or at least the lenses, were all constructed from late 1952-1953 with examples being sold or assembled until 1956 when they are removed from Kodak catalogs.

2. Based on current serial number data, I would estimate that approximately 3,500 were produced in total. Continued expansion of the documented examples could change this, but i doubt if more than 5,000 were produced.