Leica User Forum - View Single Post - Ilford Witness & Dallmeyer Septac 2" f1.5

dkpeterborough · 03/17/08, 10:53 AM

[quote=John E Robertson;514330]I noticed this Dunk, a bit too expensive for my taste!!!!
Taylor Hobson supplied large numbers of camera lenses to various UK government departments, I bet there are some lying on a shelf in some store somewhere. Perhaps that is where these surfaced from!!!
John.
QUOTE]

John, The Daron lens was made by Dallmeyer not TTH . Ilford did supply some Witness cameras to HM Govt. Prisons but these had 9cm lenses according to Andrew Holliman's ILFORD book. Incidentally, Andrew Holliman's "MAX No." table on page 46 of his book shows 164 Daron lenses and 335 Witness cameras ... but these totals appear to have been miscalculated and must be 1 short ... ie if lowest and highest serial numbers are 5004 and 5339 ... and 942 and 1106 ... then totals s/b 165 and 336.

336 cameras of which only 75 are known to exist according to A. Holliman's last published census is a very small figure and thus explains the current premium price. By the way, I think I have identified just a few more known serial numbers (probably maximum of 5) Witness cameras not listed in AH's full census figures (he sent me his spreadsheet showing all the individual cameras serial numbers he has traced)... I found the additional numbers in old Sotheby and Christies auction catalogues but need to back-track and document them properly when have a few spare hours.

There are probably some almost as scarce Leica cameras which command nowhere near the current Witness £3k body price. Consider the Leicaflex SL2 MOT with reputedly just 1020 made many of which would have been subject to heavy professional use ... so it is unlikely that there are many SL2 MOT models in collectible condition ... but the few that appear for sale seldom sell for more than £1k (ish)

Cheers

dunk

03/17/08, 10:53 AM	#26 (permalink)
dkpeterborough Erfahrener Benutzer Join Date: 06/27/04 Location: Cambridgeshire Posts: 457	Re: AW: Ilford Witness & Dallmeyer Septac 2" f1.5 [quote=John E Robertson;514330]I noticed this Dunk, a bit too expensive for my taste!!!! Taylor Hobson supplied large numbers of camera lenses to various UK government departments, I bet there are some lying on a shelf in some store somewhere. Perhaps that is where these surfaced from!!! John. QUOTE] John, The Daron lens was made by Dallmeyer not TTH . Ilford did supply some Witness cameras to HM Govt. Prisons but these had 9cm lenses according to Andrew Holliman's ILFORD book. Incidentally, Andrew Holliman's "MAX No." table on page 46 of his book shows 164 Daron lenses and 335 Witness cameras ... but these totals appear to have been miscalculated and must be 1 short ... ie if lowest and highest serial numbers are 5004 and 5339 ... and 942 and 1106 ... then totals s/b 165 and 336. 336 cameras of which only 75 are known to exist according to A. Holliman's last published census is a very small figure and thus explains the current premium price. By the way, I think I have identified just a few more known serial numbers (probably maximum of 5) Witness cameras not listed in AH's full census figures (he sent me his spreadsheet showing all the individual cameras serial numbers he has traced)... I found the additional numbers in old Sotheby and Christies auction catalogues but need to back-track and document them properly when have a few spare hours. There are probably some almost as scarce Leica cameras which command nowhere near the current Witness £3k body price. Consider the Leicaflex SL2 MOT with reputedly just 1020 made many of which would have been subject to heavy professional use ... so it is unlikely that there are many SL2 MOT models in collectible condition ... but the few that appear for sale seldom sell for more than £1k (ish) Cheers dunk __________________ Every day has its dog ...