Lens History

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

I was wondering if anyone knew of some kind of online document that tells the lineage of lenses from the 70's till now?

[Chris Keth]

Max can be found online, though he isn't a document.;)

 

Is there anything specific you are looking for?

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

I'm looking to expand my knowledge of lenses of the past and what they look like. Particularly the 70's and 80's.

[Rod Otaviano]

I don't know if this helps, but here's an interesting site with the history of Cooke lenses:

 

http://www.cookeoptics.com/cooke.nsf/history/1970

[Leo Anthony Vale]

I don't know if this helps, but here's an interesting site with the history of Cooke lenses:

 

http://www.cookeoptics.com/cooke.nsf/history/1970

 

Strange as it seems, the pre-70s sections contain a number of errors with the chronology of the Speed Panchros.

[Frank Barrera]

I'm looking to expand my knowledge of lenses of the past and what they look like. Particularly the 70's and 80's.

 

try going through AC issues from that time period. You'll get all the technical info and then you can watch the films they discuss.

 

f

[Max Jacoby]

Primos were first used in 1987 on 'Empire of the Sun'

 

Cooke S4s got released in 1998.

 

Zeiss Ultra Primes in 1999.

 

Zeiss Master Primes were released in 2005. One of the first films shot on it was 'Perfume'.

 

For older lenses it gets a bit more tricky. I have one source that says the Canon High Speeds were released in 1987. Maybe Stephen can chime in here. Panavision's Ultra Speed 'Z' Series apparently was released in 1985, as were Zeiss Standards.

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

What about lenses like Zeiss T1.3 MKI Super Speed, MKII, and MKIII?

[Max Jacoby]

They were released in the 70s over a period of years. Don't have any more specific dates.

[Chayse Irvin ASC, CSC]

Awesome. Thanks Max!

[Leo Anthony Vale]

For older lenses it gets a bit more tricky. I have one source that says the Canon High Speeds were released in 1987. .

 

I was at Sawyer Camera in 1979 and we had a set of Canon High Speeds.

I can't imagine Cliff Sawyer ever buying anything new.

 

There was a second series which had a 50mm instead of a 55mm & were T1.3 instead of T1.4.

& were supposedly also availiable with PL mounts.

They're probably the 1987 models.

[John Sprung]

I was wondering if anyone knew of some kind of online document that tells the lineage of lenses from the 70's till now?

Perhaps this will help, at least with Schneider's lenses. It gives you approximate dates based on serial numbers.

 

http://www.schneideroptics.com/info/age_of_lenses/

 

 

 

 

-- J.S.