Determining the Age of a Canon Lens Based on Serial Number

[Canon Rumors]

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From The Digital Picture
Bryan and Norbert over at TDP think they have deciphered the date codes built into Canon’s newish 10 digital serial numbers. Previous to July 2010, Canon put date codes on all lenses other than EF-S that let you know when the lens was manufactured.

From TDP

To age a Canon lens using the 10-digital serial number Canon lenses, we dissect the serial number as:

DD C SSSSSSS

The DD is the key to the date of manufacture of the lens – the date code. The long, narrow Canon lens date code chart is shown on the right side of this page.

They have posted what they predict to be the future date codes for Canon lenses. Please keep in mind that this is a work in progress and may not yet be definitive.

See the date code chart at TDP

cr

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Why didn't Neuro figure this out
I'll have to check my lenses.

[Drizzt321]

Why didn't Neuro figure this out
I'll have to check my lenses.

Because he's too busy schooling us on the mechanics, technology, and general photo information to be bothered with something like this. Or he figured it out already and was keeping it secret just for himself.

[Marsu42]

The first letter, "U", indicates that the lens was made in Canon's Utsunomiya, Japan factory. Prior to 1986, this letter is moved to the last position of the date code.
 
U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

Did anyone do a radioactive test on recent Fukushima lenses :-o ... or is this site closed? Anyone discovered three-eyed fish near their lens bag?

[Harv]

For what it's worth, Canon still used the old system until at least August of this year.  I know as I took delivery recently of an 'L' lens with the date code "UA08xx" which is August, 2012.

[tron]

Most of my lenses have serial numbers with much less digits than 10!!!
In fact only my 70-200 f/2.8L IS II has one.
The interesting part is that this specific lens has no date code!!!
So I can determine that it was made in 2011. Which I knew because earlier (2010) lenses were reported to have a date code and ... I bought it December ... 2011 !

However, the most interesting thing is that my TS-E 17mm L has no date code too and at the same time the serial number contains only 5 digits.

In addition the date code continues being used by Canon. My 35mm 1.4L bought this year has a date code starting with UA which is consistent (A for 2012).

So even if they have decoded the year in a 10 digit serial number it is not that useful (at least yet)

[Mt Spokane Photography]

For what it's worth, Canon still used the old system until at least August of this year.  I know as I took delivery recently of an 'L' lens with the date code "UA08xx" which is August, 2012.

It depends.  New lens models seem to have done away with date codes, while existing models still have them.  apparently, Canon is not going to spend money to convert existing lens models to the new system, it will happen by attrition.  The 70-200mm f/2.8L MK II was the first over two years ago.

[expatinasia]

Very interesting. This could come in very handy when buying or selling a lens. As you would be able to (sort of)prove the date it was manufactured, just in case you lost the lens paper work. Plus if someone was trying to pull a fast one by saying it was brand new, hardly used etc. but you can see it was manufactured a few years ago, that may raise flags.

Canon will probably spend millions now thinking up a new system! ;-)

[Harv]

For what it's worth, Canon still used the old system until at least August of this year.  I know as I took delivery recently of an 'L' lens with the date code "UA08xx" which is August, 2012.

It depends.  New lens models seem to have done away with date codes, while existing models still have them.  apparently, Canon is not going to spend money to convert existing lens models to the new system, it will happen by attrition.  The 70-200mm f/2.8L MK II was the first over two years ago.

You're probably correct as the lens I purchased is an existing, older model..... the 100-400.

[neuroanatomist]

...Canon is not going to spend money to convert existing lens models to the new system, it will happen by attrition.  The 70-200mm f/2.8L MK II was the first over two years ago.

Actually, the 70-200 II was converted to the new system.  The earliest copies have a date code (mine does, at least...I bought at the time of release), but a few months later they dropped the date code for that lens and switched to the 10-digit system.

[pengyifei]

For what it's worth my recently purchased 16-35 f/2.8L II has the code UA0610

[tron]

code UA0610

  = June 2012 much easier to decode than the serial number