Rare Yashica lenes, Germany, and the kindness of strangers
Apr 23, 2021 18:28:30 GMT
on Apr 23, 2021 18:28:30 GMT
Posted: Apr 23, 2021 18:28:30 GMT
I was able to add one of the rarer Yashica lenses to my collection last week with the help of a lot of people, including a camera dealer in Germany whom I’ve never met and who stood to make no profit.
I Iive in the United States but sometimes browse foreign online marketplaces. One day, I saw a Yashica ML 70-210 f/4, serial no. 00323, on eBay Kleinanzeigen. If you are not familiar with this app, which appears to be exclusive to Germany, it is an offshoot of eBay. It works like a yard sale and offers none of the buyer and seller protections of regular eBay.
The item was listed for 400 Euros, but the seller only accepted wire transfers. No PayPal or credit cards. She also would not communicate by email — only phone calls or texts within eBay Kleinanzeigen. Since I was not able to complete registration in eBay Kleinanzeigen because it refused to accept my U.S. bank account credentials — and more crucially, since I do not speak German — I had to enlist a friend to help.
This friend’s wife is German, and she was able to contact the seller and arrange the purchase. However, the seller did not ship internationally — only within Germany. I was too close now to give up, so I emailed a German photo dealer from whom I had purchased gear before and asked if she would agree to accept the package and then forward it to me in the United States. To my surprise, she cheerfully agreed to help and refused any sort of fee for her trouble!
I received the lens two days ago, and it is beautiful. Also extremely large and heavy. I’m looking forward to trying it out on a Sony A7R III.
This lens has me thinking about rarity and serial numbers. Has anyone here tried to start a listing of he highest known serial numbers per lens?
From my collection (which does not include the 100mm Bellows of the 100-300mm), the lowest serial numbers are:
- 70-210mm f/4 ML: 00323
- 35-70mm f/4 ML: 00415
- 300mm C f/4 ML: 00670
- 15mm f/2.8 Fish Eye: 00877
- 35-70mm f/3.5 ML: 01248
- 50mm f/1.2 ML: 001268
- 55mm f/4 Macro ML: 001620
- 28-50mm f/3.5 ML: 02084
- 100mm f/3.5 Macro ML: 002615
- 21mm f/3.5 ML: 02684
- 24mm f/2.8 ML: 03657
On the other hand, the highest serial numbers I have (excluding Cosina-made lenses) are:
- 50mm f/1.9 ML: 702,991
- 50mm f/1.9 DSB: 473,159
- 50mm f/1.7 ML: 97,517
- 42-75 f/3.5 ML: 74,633
- 28mm f/2.8: 65,531
- 135mm C f/2.8 ML: 52,215
- 50mm f/1.4 ML: 45,640
- 35mm f/2.8 ML: 34,733
- 35-105mm f/3.5 Macro ML: 26,313
- 200mm C f/4 ML: 21,655
Does anyone have lower/higher numbers than these?
Thank you!
— Dale
I Iive in the United States but sometimes browse foreign online marketplaces. One day, I saw a Yashica ML 70-210 f/4, serial no. 00323, on eBay Kleinanzeigen. If you are not familiar with this app, which appears to be exclusive to Germany, it is an offshoot of eBay. It works like a yard sale and offers none of the buyer and seller protections of regular eBay.
The item was listed for 400 Euros, but the seller only accepted wire transfers. No PayPal or credit cards. She also would not communicate by email — only phone calls or texts within eBay Kleinanzeigen. Since I was not able to complete registration in eBay Kleinanzeigen because it refused to accept my U.S. bank account credentials — and more crucially, since I do not speak German — I had to enlist a friend to help.
This friend’s wife is German, and she was able to contact the seller and arrange the purchase. However, the seller did not ship internationally — only within Germany. I was too close now to give up, so I emailed a German photo dealer from whom I had purchased gear before and asked if she would agree to accept the package and then forward it to me in the United States. To my surprise, she cheerfully agreed to help and refused any sort of fee for her trouble!
I received the lens two days ago, and it is beautiful. Also extremely large and heavy. I’m looking forward to trying it out on a Sony A7R III.
This lens has me thinking about rarity and serial numbers. Has anyone here tried to start a listing of he highest known serial numbers per lens?
From my collection (which does not include the 100mm Bellows of the 100-300mm), the lowest serial numbers are:
- 70-210mm f/4 ML: 00323
- 35-70mm f/4 ML: 00415
- 300mm C f/4 ML: 00670
- 15mm f/2.8 Fish Eye: 00877
- 35-70mm f/3.5 ML: 01248
- 50mm f/1.2 ML: 001268
- 55mm f/4 Macro ML: 001620
- 28-50mm f/3.5 ML: 02084
- 100mm f/3.5 Macro ML: 002615
- 21mm f/3.5 ML: 02684
- 24mm f/2.8 ML: 03657
On the other hand, the highest serial numbers I have (excluding Cosina-made lenses) are:
- 50mm f/1.9 ML: 702,991
- 50mm f/1.9 DSB: 473,159
- 50mm f/1.7 ML: 97,517
- 42-75 f/3.5 ML: 74,633
- 28mm f/2.8: 65,531
- 135mm C f/2.8 ML: 52,215
- 50mm f/1.4 ML: 45,640
- 35mm f/2.8 ML: 34,733
- 35-105mm f/3.5 Macro ML: 26,313
- 200mm C f/4 ML: 21,655
Does anyone have lower/higher numbers than these?
Thank you!
— Dale
