Canon Lens Date Codes And EF Lens Chronology

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Canon lens date codes and EF lens chronology

Lens manufacturing codes

lens manufacturing codeSome older Canon lenses are stamped with a manufacturing code consisting of two letters and (typically) four numbers.

Before 1986, the code may be in a letter/4 digit/letter format

The first letter indicates the manufacturing site: U = Utsunomiya, F = Fukushima, O = Oita

The second letter is the year the lens was made

A = 2012, 1986, 1960 B = 2013, 1987, 1961 C = 2014, 1988, 1962 D = 2015, 1989, 1963 E = 2016, 1990, 1964 F = 1991, 1965
G = 1992, 1966 H = 1993, 1967 I = 1994, 1968 J = 1995, 1969 K = 1996, 1970 L = 1997, 1971
M = 1998, 1972 N = 1999, 1973 O = 2000, 1974 P = 2001, 1975 Q = 2002, 1976 R = 2003, 1977
S = 2004, 1978 T = 2005, 1979 U = 2006, 1980 V = 2007, 1981 W = 2008, 1982 X = 2009, 1983
Y = 2010, 1984 Z = 2011, 1985

So the UC1204 Canon Date code would indicate a lens made at Utsunomiya in December 1988

The date codes restarted at 'A' again in 2012. This TS-E24 mk2 lens 'UD0406' was purchased in 2015 (box dated May 2015)

It seems that the old date code system is still in use - a TS-E17 UC0903 (Sept. 2014) is consistent with the box date (Oct. 2014)

lens date code

[Thanks Ciriaco for the update]

The 3rd and 4th digits are an internal Canon manufacturing code. Starting in 1990, Canon only date coded some specific lenses

All L-series lenses EF15mm f/2.8 Fisheye EF24mm f/2.8 EF28mm f/2.8 EF28-70mm f/3.5-4.5
EF28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 II EF35mm f/2 EF35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 EF35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 EF35-105mm f/3.5-4.5
EF35-135mm f/3.5-4.5 EF50-200mm f/3.5-4.5 EF50mm f/1.8 EF50mm f/2.5 Compact Macro EF70-210mm f/4
EF100-200mm f/4.5 EF100-300mm f/5.6 EF135mm f/2.8 Soft Focus MP-E65 f/2.8 Macro TS-E45mm f/2.8
TS-E90mm f/2.8

A newer lens date code

Note that the codes have become less common on recent lenses, with serial numbers in a different 'xx y zzzzzzz' format.

This is indicated on this EF8-15 f/4L fisheye zoom 7900001555

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