Dating Cameras Equipped
With Zeiss Lenses

Many European cameras from the period from World War I to World War II were manufactured in camera-assembly plants in a number of countries. Many of these cameras were equipped with Zeiss lenses, all of which are serial numbered. This chart, covering the years from 1912 up to World War II, provides the basis for rough-dating of a camera to within a year of its production.



                                                   Serial Numbers of Zeiss Lenses
by Year of Manufacture

Year        Serial  Number 1912       173418 -   200520 1913       208473 -   249350 1914       249886 -   252739 1915       282820 -   xxxxxx 1916       xxxxxx -   xxxxxx 1917       289087 -   298157 1918       298115 -   322748 1919       322799 -   351611 1920       375194 -   419823 1921       433273 -   438361 1922       422899 -   498006 1923       561270 -   578297 1924       631869 -   xxxxxx 1925       652230 -   681743 1926       666790 -   703198 1927       722196 -   798251 1928       903096 -   xxxxxx 1929       919794   - 1016885 1930       922488   - 1239697 1931       1239699 - 1365582 1932       1364483 - 1389279 1933       1436671 - 1456003 1934       1500474 - 1590000 1935       1615764 - 1752303 1936       1674882 - 1942806 1937       1930150 - 2219775 1938       2267991 - 2527984 1939       2527999 - 2651211 1940       xxxxxxx - xxxxxxx 1941       2678326 - 2790346 1942       2799599 - xxxxxxx