Observed arrival · 2026-08-30
Glass Bodies: A Census of Vintage Lens Variants
A variant-level encyclopedia of vintage lenses and cameras, organized by lens family, mount, focal length, optical design, production year, and distinguishing details.
Field notes
The catalog breaks lens families into individual variants rather than treating each model name as a single object. Entries record mount combinations, focal length, aperture, optical formula, production year, and the number of variants; the Nikkor section alone includes multiple 1940s and 1950s families with distinct markings and designs. The homepage also uses a rotating “Today's gem” and says it aggregates reviews and live listings, although the extract does not show the depth or verification of those materials.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
One card from the complete issue