P3D Realist SN's update

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been very pleased with the responses I received to my question
on Realist Serial Numbers.  So far I have received over 40 entries and
I am in the process of tabulating the results.  When I merge these
with my own cameras then we will have a better picture of the Realist
evolution.  I have not thanked everyone individually for sending this
information, but will do so when I am done.

So far, it appears that we have the following:

- Very early Realists:  These have Ilex lenses and the SNs go from 1 to
  a little over 10,000.  I am not sure at what date the SN was 10,000
  and the transition from Ilex to David White (DW) lenses took place.
  There is no date information inside Ilex lens boards.

- Realists with DW 3.5 lenses with old film advance mechanism.  Older 
  Realists have a slightly different film advance mechanism based on
  friction, which does not click when you rotate the film advance knob
  (with the dial in A).  I think this change happens around SN 40,000
  (estimated time, early 1952).  
  
- Realists with DW 3.5 lenses, newer film advance mechanism (it clicks)
  but no double exposure prevention button in the back or DOF scale.
  This brings up to 85,000 SN in the late 1953 (December).  Note that
  many cameras were retrofitted with these features (for only $7.50
  David White would add them in any Realist) so the only cameras that
  count for this transition are these who do not have it! (and I found
  one at 81,700 that does not have DEP button)

- Realists with DW 3.5 lenses, newer film advance and Double Exposure
  Prevention button in the back.  Serial numbers either in the bottom
  OR THE SIDE.  Production dates 1954-195?

- Finally, the most recent Realists (late 50s, through 60s) are the ones
  that have the SN at the bottom but the SN does not have an "A" in 
  front of it.  For example 020453.

Now, it seems to me that the SN at the bottom was up in the high
A90,000's then Realist switched to stamping the SN on the side of the
camera and started from zero with numbers like 001230, etc.  They
reached up to at least 16,000 on the side and then switched to the
bottom. All the newer numbers at the bottom I have seen are 19,000 or 
higher.  So I assume that they continued the numbering on the side.
Bottom line: you can safely add 100,000 to the numbers in the side and 
bottom to get the true Serial Number.

It appears that the total number of Realists produced is 130,000.

Note that Realists were produced with very different rates through the
Realist history.  For example, between 1952-1954 the demand was so high
that production reached the levels of 40,000 cameras a year!!!  After 
1955 demand was dead, with only about 20,000 cameras produced from 1956
to 1971!  I think we can thank Kodak for that, among other factors.

That's the brief story of the Realist 3.5 camera.  Will get back with
the 2.8s.

George Themelis


------------------------------