They would opened up the lens and confirm using the internal S/N. Only way to tell was to send the lens in.
The aluminum curtains do get as easily damaged as the titanium curtains. I had the serial number contacted Nikon and was told that they could not confirm if the lens was a US lens by the serial number. More of a cost cutting measure than making the shutter stronger. Sometime around the 785xxxx serial and 7538xxx serial block, Nikon switched to the N8008 style aluminum shutter curtains from the honeycomb pattern titanium curtains. After the 85xxxxx serial block was introduced, Nikon's convention of alternating the second digit, depending on body color, disappeared. Lower serial 8xxxxxx bodies were all chrome. 78xxxxx, April 1989-around August 1990 or so. 75xxxxx started in September 1988 and continued through July 1991. 74xxxxx started in January 1985 and continued through August 1987. The 73xxxxx serial range started in August 1983 and continued through about 1987-summer 1988. Any AF-S NIKKOR lens featuring these SWMs delivers extremely smooth, quiet and comfortable auto focusing for both.
Bodies above 724xxxx typically were the first FM2n bodies. 72xxxxx starts in 1983 and continues through about mid 1984. The FM2/FM2n bodies use the same code system as what Nikon used on the F3, however, between the years 19 or so, the code sometimes had the first two digits reversed.įM2 bodies in the 700-709xxxx range all seem to be from 1982.
If my theory that Nikon LF Lens serial numbers are consecutive, then that places the manufacture date around 2000. The formula isn't as accurate as the F3 method.į6 bodies, you'd probably have to ask Nikon about. Re: Nikkor Nikon LF lens serial numbers and reference thread 2018 As a follow-up to my post above, the serial number of the 300mm Nikkor-W lens with the 'red D' is 786113. The F4 has a formula that is listed on the old Nikon F4 FAQ site, which has been archived, since the site owner shut it down. 19xxxxx is 1990s, with the 20xxxxx serial range being 2000-04ish.
For regular F3 bodies, serial numbers up through 189xxxx are from between 19. Third digit is version of F3, fourth is revision. Four (or five) digit code inside the film back where the hinge is located.