Canon Date Code help

wxwax

I have a mint 300mm f4 IS with a manufacturing code that appears to read U8-1103. Everything about it, including the box, suggests it's relatively new.

Anyone able to tell me what year this lens was made?

This link doesn't seem to be much help.
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-Lens-Aging.aspx

wxwax

Anyone?

wxwax

Never mind.

I finally figured out that what looks like an 8 is in fact the letter Q. This makes the lens a 2002.

DJ-S1

Glad we could help.

DoctorIt

you sellin?

wxwax

DoctorIt wrote:

you sellin?

Yup. But I just discovered it ain't as mint as I thought. :cry

pathfinder

wxwax wrote:

Yup. But I just discovered it ain't as mint as I thought. :cry

Is that because it is 4 years old? Or because there are optical defects you just noticed? Good lenses rarely wear out. They can be damaged by dropping or scratching or being stored in a humid fungi-growning environment. But otherwise, older lenses can be just fine. Kind of like older wines and older gals:D

wxwax

pathfinder wrote:

Is that because it is 4 years old? Or because there are optical defects you just noticed? Good lenses rarely wear out. They can be damaged by dropping or scratching or being stored in a humid fungi-growning environment. But otherwise, older lenses can be just fine. Kind of like older wines and older gals:D

Nah, slight problem with the hood, an easy repair. The glass and body look like new to me.

4 years old? November 2002 manufacture date, which makes it 2 years and five months old, puhleeease.

pathfinder

wxwax wrote:

Nah, slight problem with the hood, an easy repair. The glass and body look like new to me.

4 years old? November 2002 manufacture date, which makes it 2 years and five months old, puhleeease.

Duh, right I think

Stan

pathfinder wrote:

Duh, right I think

How can you tell the age of a lens? my 28-70 2.8 was 2nd hand, but all the sales staff said there was no way of checking serials against online data bases.

I have no problem with the lens or the firm thatr sold it but out of curiosity I did ask the guy I dealt with. He then asked another guy who asked a third and none of them knew. So can you age a Canon?