Knowing the year by the serial number...

[Q.G.]

How would that teach you how silly that sig-line is?

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Go for it! Let me know how it turns out. You are the one who's bowels are loosening over this thing.

But now since we are concerned with irrelevance; how can I tell the age of my Hassy lenses by the serial number?

While you two are discussing and wasting time in one go, take a look at what I've collected on the subject of dating Hasselblad lenses. Unfortunately, I don't have the source for the Word document anymore. It may have been from Q.G., just don't remember.

 

[Q.G.]

Since then, the 'numberbase' has been extended, and an online applet published on the Hasselblad Historical site (in the left margin of every page).
Just enter a serial number and click "go".

Mind you, it only works for the lenses made by Zeiss for Hasselblad.

(And i notice the server still has problems keeping session states 'alive'.
If you get an error page, surf away from the page, return, and try again. It will work then.)

(P.S.
Ralph, we cannot waste time, you cannot use the word "while" and have it mean something, i can't say "since then", etc.

Come to think of it, this entire thread, being about the year of production, is impossible.)

 

[Paul Goutiere]

Since then, the 'numberbase' has been extended, and an online applet published on the Hasselblad Historical site (in the left margin of every page).
Just enter a serial number and click "go".

This worked fine. Thank you! It tells me my lens was made in 2000 and that the camera that came with it was made in 1997. The guy I bought the thing from told me he got it in 2001, which is likely correct.

(P.S.
Ralph, we cannot waste time, you cannot use the word "while" and have it mean something, i can't say "since then", etc.

Come to think of it, this entire thread, being about the year of production, is impossible.)

I wouldn't fret too much....its all relative anyway. Time is just something us humans use to keep everything from happening all at once.

 

[mike c]

Not really.
The black barreled C 250 mm lens was introduced some two or three years before T* was introduced on that lens.
What's the serial number?

The red T* is on the barrel, not benzole sorry bout'that.,ser# is Nr 2595460 on barrel and 1302 1307 U on inside of lens by lens mount.
Mike

 

[Q.G.]

The red T* is on the barrel, not benzole sorry bout'that.,ser# is Nr 2595460 on barrel and 1302 1307 U on inside of lens by lens mount.
Mike

That would be a lens from 1971.

A 'strange' one, from one of the 'strange' serial number ranges (the one starting with 259).
This number range was used (among other things) for lenses sold to behind the Iron Curtain, where Zeiss could not use the Zeiss name, or any of the Zeiss lens names (They used the brand name OPTON instead, calling a Planar "Pl", a Sonnar "So", etc.).

Richard Nordin lists one black Opton So f/5.6 250 mm C lens, with serial number 2594384, i.e. earlier than your chrome lens (which does not necessarily mean it was made earlier too). It has T* coating.

The number range was apparently also used for 'special' lenses. Like ones to be used in publicity shots, in catalogues.
And for prototypes.

With T* coating beginning to be introduced in Zeiss/Hasselblad lenses a coule of years later than your 1971 lens, it may well be that your chrome T* 250 mm Sonnar is a 'prototype', a lens used to test the effect of T* coating. To see whether it would be worth the bother.

That could also explain perhaps why it was stamped in february, and then again in july: a normal production run lens (completed in february 1971), pulled from stock, given T* coating and a new serial number (and a mark on the barrel) 5 months later.

Could be something else completely too.

 

[mike c]

Q.G. The barrel does have Carl Zeiss and Sonnar stamped on it like my other Hasselblad lens.Traded a 500 c camera with a pitted 80mm lens for it Around 1980 or so.Like new condition when I received it,put a few scratches on it since then (on the barrel not glass).So roughly I have a special,strange,chrome commie,catalogue,prototype,double dated stamped 250 T* Hassie lens!! All ways wanted one of those.Thanks for all the trouble of looking that stuff up Q.G.That pretty takes care of my curiosity about the chrome and T* stuff.It is a great shooting lens,all tho I usually use the 80mm and 150mm.
Mike