Wide Field Ektar help

jwd722 · Jan 31, 2016

I have a 135mm f6.3 Wide Field Ektar that I am trying to find when it was made. According to the C-1 A-2 M-3 E-4 R-5 O-6 S-7 I-8 T-9 Y-0 chart my lens is either a '44 or a '48 or a weird combination of the two. It is EEI 1207, I have never seen another Ektar with three letters, ever. Judging by the spacing of the letters I believe it to be a '48, but what's with the extra letter? A mistake, an anomaly...the Holy Grail of lenses?
Any help?
Thanks

Old-N-Feeble · Jan 31, 2016

Indeed, that is weird. It may be an anomaly but (sadly) I sincerely doubt it adds to the value, such as the "inverted plane" postage stamp mistake.

Dan Fromm · Jan 31, 2016

EE means 1944 but this is very unlikely since the lens is coated. 1948 is much more likely.

shutterfinger · Jan 31, 2016

Due to the spacing of the letters I would say EI 1948. I also notice the shutter has the bayonet flash sync terminal, the common flash sync is the Bi Post. Kodak started soft coating lens in the 1930's.

http://www.cameraeccentric.com/html/info/kodak_4.html
Dead Link Removed click on the Cameras of Kodak's Golden Age link.

jwd722 · Jan 31, 2016

Ok, I've got that it's a '48 lens which I figured all along, I am just trying to figure what's with the first 'E' since I cannot find another Ektar lens with three letters. Thanks for the help so far and thanks for the links.

aoresteen · Jan 31, 2016

For those who do not know, Kodak dated Ektar lenses with a two letter code based on CAMEROSITY:

C A M E R O S I T Y
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

EI = 48 or 1948.

dpurdy · Jan 31, 2016

I have owned the wide field 135 Ektar since the mid 1980s. EEI 1242 with the same bayonet flash terminal and the single coating on the lens... very sharp and recently returned from Carol Flutot it is a really nice lens that I seem to have no use for. I never gave it much thought.
Dennis

jwd722 · Jan 31, 2016

I've owned this one for about 26 years and never paid much attention to it either, in fact I haven't used for over 15 years. Still I wonder what the deal is, just curious I guess.

I guess this makes us blood brothers or something!

Arklatexian · Jan 31, 2016

Wide Field Ektar help.

jwd722 said:
I have a 135mm f6.3 Wide Field Ektar that I am trying to find when it was made. According to the C-1 A-2 M-3 E-4 R-5 O-6 S-7 I-8 T-9 Y-0 chart my lens is either a '44 or a '48 or a weird combination of the two. It is EEI 1207, I have never seen another Ektar with three letters, ever. Judging by the spacing of the letters I believe it to be a '48, but what's with the extra letter? A mistake, an anomaly...the Holy Grail of lenses?
Any help?
Thanks

From the shutter it is in and from what looks, from here, to be a coated lens, I would be willing to consider it having been manufactured after 1945. Besides, it looks like mine which the fellow I bought it from bought it new, in the 1980s. I know cause I was there when he bought it. Remember WF EKTARS are different from other Ektars so the serial numbers could very well be different.....I like mine as it is by the way.......Regards!

Arklatexian · Jan 31, 2016

oldtimermetoo said:
From the shutter it is in and from what looks, from here, to be a coated lens, I would be willing to consider it having been manufactured after 1945. Besides, it looks like mine which the fellow I bought it from bought it new, in the 1980s. I know cause I was there when he bought it. Remember WF EKTARS are different from other Ektars so the serial numbers could very well be different.....I like mine as it is by the way.......Regards!

(Correction) My WF EKTAR was bought new in the 1950s, not the 1980s

Doremus Scudder · Feb 1, 2016

Any of you guys with 135mm WF Ektars that they aren't using and would like to pass on, PM me with an offer.

TIA

Doremus

jwd722 · Feb 1, 2016

There is one on ebay for $625.00...yea, $625.00!!!!
Heck mine looks better than that one (and I have an extra letter)!! Mine must be worth a fortune.

outwest · Feb 4, 2016

Mine is EEI 1400 something. Tilting it at an angle you can see that the first E is engraved more deeply than the second but in the same font. Strange things were happening in 1948! (cue the weird music)

outwest · Feb 4, 2016

By the way, I've had three of them fall into my hands. I kept testing them on a resolution chart looking to keep the best. Well, they were all the best - not a whit of difference. Kodak quality control must have been at its peak when these lenses were produced.

jwd722 · Feb 4, 2016

I was referred to Brian Wallen by another site as he is the "Ektar Guru" and his site has been up since the late 90's. He said he has come across this before and will look through his archives to see if had ever found a reason for this anomaly though he is not sure if he ever did.

The first 'E' on mine is a little more thinly engraved but the same font as well, it appears as though the white paint is not applied as thickly leading me to believe it was added after it's original production.

He mentioned that Kodak was fastidious about their numbering system so he is sure there was a reason for it. Possibly another "Unsolved Mystery"!

He also mentioned that 1948 was the first year for WFE's.

http://www.bnphoto.org/bnphoto/KodakEktarsIndex.htm

Ari · Feb 4, 2016

Maybe the extra "E" stands for "Engraving Error."

jwd722 · Feb 4, 2016

Maybe I could have an 'I' engraved after the first 'E'...EIEI,ohhh!/

Neil Poulsen · Mar 20, 2016

Ari said:
Maybe the extra "E" stands for "Engraving Error."

This would be a reasonable explanation. Since each was different, these serial numbers were likely done by hand. Whoever perhaps double-stroked the "E" and added the I to be as correct as possible. Most of the WF Ektars that I've seen date after 1945, so that's consistent as well.

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