Lens Serial Numbers

Ok, so I was checking out Cameta Camera's website - lots of cool stuff

- and I came across a few items. My question is: is there a way to

tell from the serial numbers how old they are (I prefer the older

metal lenses)? Here are the ones I was looking at:

 

Minolta 35-105 s/n# 11202894

Minolta 70-210 s/n# 56402869

Minolta 70-210 s/n# 15301743

 

Any assistance would be appreciated. Thanks!

Minolta serial numbers are totally meaningless.

These are AF 8-digit serial numbers. Back in manual focus time after 1973 (MC Rokkor-X time) Minolta would "jump" or "restart" serial number sequences each time it came out with a modified version of a lens (earlier than that there was some sort of sequential ordering). So even back in this primordial time the serial number ranges got confusing, with layers of similar ranges for different generations of lenses of the same focal length (except last generation "plain" MD). And by AF time would assume even more confusion (given the 8th digit), so Mr. Mueller's right. Without additional info these serial numbers are meaningless.

 

Call Cameta and ask them which versions/generations AF these are.

Oh, well. Didn't know if there was maybe an easy way to decipher them. Thanks anyway.

It may be better to quote: 11202### etc. as you serials on on-line forums. You can never be sure what people will do with these numbers! Like add them to their own insurance certificate and then claim them as 'stolen' .... oh look, this guy has them!

 

I agree with one of the replies that the numbers are meaningless anyway, so you may not want/need to post the numbers again anyway! There was a thread in another forum to attempt to unravel the 7Ds seial number. There were two - quite different - ideas, both were rubbish of course.

 

I have a 24-85 which has a © symbol and a year on it! I figured, wow: old lens! Written just inside the rear part of the lens. But then I was informed that this is jus the year of the design, not the year it was made!

 

>chris

A previous poster wrote "It may be better to quote: 11202### etc. as you serials on on-line forums. You can never be sure what people will do with these numbers! Like add them to their own insurance certificate and then claim them as 'stolen' .... oh look, this guy has them!"

I have heard this before and it is just another "urban legend", what we used to call BS in the old days. So I could go to a camera store, look at some used items, note the serial numbers, file a police report saying the items were stolen from me, and get them back? Sure I could. Please spare me the "My brother knows a guy that this happened to" line.

the only 70-210 that is worht anything is the 70-210/4 the other ones I think they are 4.5-5.6) are slow and the quality wasnt that good (I know, I bought the other and wasnt very happy with it.)

posting full serial numbers of kit is still a dumb idea, BS or no, brother or no, shop/on-line whereever. Was just a suggestion, and I don't think it needed a responce. Its a dumb idea!