Zeiss serial numbers

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Radazz
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Zeiss serial numbers

#1 Post by Radazz » Wed May 15, 2019 4:36 pm

Does anyone know if there is a serial number list for dating Zeiss microscopes?
Interested primarily in Carl Zeiss logo 1950s black standard scopes.

Just bought what I believe to be a Standard “junior” from that period.
Just started searching for information.

I’ll post pictures after it arrives. Looks like my black inverted. Same logo. Has the black knobs.
Any and all suggestions where to look will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Radazz
Arnold, Missouri
Olympus IX70
Olympus BX40
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MicroBob
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#2 Post by MicroBob » Wed May 15, 2019 4:58 pm

Hi Radazz,
you might contact the Zeiss archive: https://www.zeiss.de/corporate/ueber-ze ... rchiv.html

I haven't tried it myself so far but in the past they have been helpful.

Bob

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75RR
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#3 Post by 75RR » Wed May 15, 2019 7:15 pm

This pamphlet would seem to indicate that the Standard Juniors were built from 1952 up to around 1958

http://www.microscopist.co.uk/wp-conten ... andard.pdf
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

MicroBob
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#4 Post by MicroBob » Wed May 15, 2019 8:00 pm

75RR wrote:Juniors were built from 1952 up to around 1958
I understand Klaus Henkels document this way: Begin of Production in 1952 - but I can't find an end date there. The Junior is mentioned in catalogs from 1958 so it has been sold at this point of time. The Junior was followed by the KF2, which looks to me like mid- to late 1970s.

There are two different models of the Junior, the newer ones have a "Chromleiste" = chromed strips at the sides of the table quides. The older Juniors had brass dovetail guides, the newer probably roller guides.

The Junior is an especially nice to use instrument.

Bob

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75RR
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#5 Post by 75RR » Wed May 15, 2019 8:48 pm

The Junior was followed by the KF2, which looks to me like mid- to late 1970s.
Agree it does have a 1970s look, and it does make sense that there be a Junior style microscope available to customers.

On the other hand a black microscope during the age of the beige standards seems odd. Perhaps the Standard 14 was meant to substitute it?

If so, then the KF probably disappeared for a bit to be resurrected later as the modern KF2, as Zeiss realized that there was still a market for a lower cost alternative to the main standards.

I wonder if the military's need for a field microscope influenced this decision.

Image


Link is to photo of 'black' zeiss
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rwer5yjkfwz6k ... g.jpg?dl=0

Note: No need to join dropbox to download anything.
Just scroll to the bottom of the 'invite page' and press on 'No thanks, continue to view'
Then press download on top right of the page.
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

MicroBob
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#6 Post by MicroBob » Thu May 16, 2019 2:56 pm

Hi 75RR,

your theory seems likely but I have no information to prove it. The Zeiss Standard Junior is not much cheaper to make than a normal Zeiss Standard, so it would have been sensible to remove it from the lineup.

This may be the solution: There also was a Standard (RA,14?) with the easy to use and cheap to build Lucigen illuminator! This might very well have been the successor of the Junior. They were already beige and look to me late 60s early 70 like. I think that Zeiss used black colour until the late 60s, so the Junior would have merged in until then.

Bob

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Radazz
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#7 Post by Radazz » Thu May 16, 2019 3:26 pm

Here’s the auction page. Should be here Monday.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/CARL-ZEISS-Vin ... 2749.l2649

Thanks for all the outstanding info everyone. This forum has become invaluable to me.
Wish I could read German :)

Radazz
Arnold, Missouri
Olympus IX70
Olympus BX40
Olympus SZ40

MicroBob
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#8 Post by MicroBob » Thu May 16, 2019 7:25 pm

Hi Radazz,
congratulation to your new microscope, these Juniors are really especially good microscopes. This is the older version with brass dovetails (probably abandoned due to manufacturing cost).
The Zeiss condensers are calculated to be used with a mirror and a lamp with field iris about 20cm from the mirror. With a lamp on the foot they don't reach the full aperture. PZO and Leitz had condensers that fitted without change and are better suited to this use.

This is already "Zeiss" and not "Zeiss Winkel" so everything is based on the same calculations as the later Standards.

The Junior would make a nice "grab and observe" microscope to take out in the garden.

Bob

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Radazz
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#9 Post by Radazz » Fri May 17, 2019 2:25 am

Looks a lot like my opton inverted black beauty.
Arnold, Missouri
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Wes
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Re: Zeiss serial numbers

#10 Post by Wes » Sun May 26, 2019 5:37 pm

Thilo Immel has good account on that. Its in German originally so here is a translated version:

https://translate.google.com/translate? ... storie.htm

Wes
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
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