Identifying lens age by serial number?

Peter7100

Senior Member
Is there any site that allows you to identify the age of lens by supplying a serial number?

I should add that I have found one site that list ranges for serial numbers but it can spread over many years and doesn't tie it down to a specific period.
 
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nikonpup

Senior Member
​​​​​​ google

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Peter7100

Senior Member
​​​​​​ google

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Maybe I am missing something that is obvious and apologies if I am, but these sites all seem to only be able to give a rough range eg. 14 years or more. I know Canon have a date stamp on their lenses which allows you to find the exact year. When I am looking at Nikon 180 f2.8 if-Ed in the secondhand market, I can pin the serial numbers down to between 2006 and 2020 from the above mentioned sites but that is quite a gap if the seller can’t provide a history of the lens.
 

480sparky

Senior Member
Maybe I am missing something that is obvious and apologies if I am, but these sites all seem to only be able to give a rough range eg. 14 years or more. I know Canon have a date stamp on their lenses which allows you to find the exact year. When I am looking at Nikon 180 f2.8 if-Ed in the secondhand market, I can pin the serial numbers down to between 2006 and 2020 from the above mentioned sites but that is quite a gap if the seller can’t provide a history of the lens.

Extrapolate the S/N with the database.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
Two things to consider. Nikon tends to make product in batches...put them on the shelf, and then distribute from that batch for years. They don't create continuously manufacturing assembly lines... So a lens made in 1996 might not have actually been sold until 2005... Second, Nikon has never been exactly forthcoming about their manufacturing/distribution numbers with regards to their sales and distribution. Most all of the serial number databases are created by 3rd parties that are extrapolating data that gets distributed after the fact, and NOT from Nikon.
 
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