Last FD lens production date?

[bob_hartemink]

<p>Recently I acquired a FDn 80-200mm f/4L lens (now I have two copies of my favorite zoom). The date code of UF1000 suggests it is manufactured in October 1991. So I now actually own a FD lens from the nineties! In fact I didn't know Canon still manufactured FD lenses in that decade, apart from the odd 200mm f1.8. This makes me wonder: does anybody here know when Canon stopped producing FD lenses? In other words, what is the latest date code you encountered?</p>

[awahlster]

<p>I think the F-1N was still being made in 1992. Heck the T-90 had only been out since 86.</p>

<p>The last FD mount lens as far as I know was the uber rare 200mm f1.8 nFD that came out after the EF mount version I believe to serve a bunch of Astrophotograhers that wanted to use it some sort of multi lens array </p>

[gordon_yee]

<p>The latest build codes in my collection are as follows:</p>

<ul>

<li>Code UF0216 (Feb. 1991) - New FD 28mm f/2.8</li>

<li>Code UH0100 (Jan. 1993) - New FD 80-200mm f/4L</li>

<li>Code UH0203 (Feb. 1993) - New FD 50mm f/3.5 Macro</li>

</ul>

<p>When Canon introduced the New F-1 in 1981, they made a commitment to support it and the FD system for 10 years. When they introduced the EOS SLRs and EF lenses in 1987, Canon said there would be a five year overlap during which both systems would be in production. That overlap period was needed to established their niche in the AF SLR market, develop professional level EOS bodies and lenses, and convince professional photographers to accept and convert to the AF system.</p>

[Bill C1664885404]

<p>A few of my FDn lenses have at least 3 different series of codes with U, W, and Y prefixes:<br>

<strong>Some examples are:</strong><br>

<strong>80-200L=UF0100</strong><br /><strong> 200 Macro=W600</strong><br /><strong> 35-105=Y1008</strong></p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>This discussion prompted me to look through my nFD lenses. Most of my FD lenses are of the older breechlock type, but when I began to look at the date codes on my nFD lenses, these codes brought up more questions than answers. If any of you have answers -- just look where I've typed "???" --- I'd appreciate knowing them. The most recurring issue was having a lens without the two digit alphabetical code, but only one. And none of these had the trailing letter that I read was supposed to occur before 1986.</p>

<p>All but one of my lenses have only a single letter at the beginning and no trailing letter that's supposed to occur with lenses built before 1986. Just wondering what was up with that.<br>

I have two others, the 85mm f/1.8 and the 35-105mm f/3.5, that have only a single letter code followed by a 3-digit number code. I've interpreted the numeric section as leaving out the preceding zero for the month, e.g., 2 = Feb instead of 02. And I've assumed that the single letter refers to a year and that the manufacturing facility just isn't mentioned. Is this a fair assessment?</p>

<p>85mm f/1.8 U201 ??? 1980 February?<br /> 100mm f/4 Macro UB0601 Utsushima 1987 February (the only one for which I have no questions)<br /> 200mm f/4 T1001 ??? 1979 October<br /> 35-105mm f/3.5 V302 ??? 1981 March<br /> 70-210mm f/4 W1104 ??? 1982 November</p>

<p> </p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>This forum's 15-minute time limit on edits is really annoying. I ran out of time before finishing my edits to the above post. I just wanted to reword things slightly so I wasn't repeating myself when I'm discussing the 85mm and 35-105mm. That is, all but one of my nFD lenses have only a single letter preceding the numbers. And going by the date codes, all of these lenses should have a trailing letter, but they don't. So I was just wondering why this was. All of the websites I came across with information on Canon date codes mention the same thing: prior to 1986 the lenses had a manufacturing facility code that came at the end. Well, none of these have that code.</p>

<p> </p>

[bob_hartemink]

<p>Thank you for your replies. I'm still surprised Canon made FD lenses well into the nineties.</p>

<p>Bill, I think you are tricked by a change Canon made to their date code system. Starting in 1986, the first letter indicates the factory where it was manufactured and not the year. So the first letter, <strong>"U"</strong> from your 80-200L indicates that the lens was made in Canon's Utsunomiya, Japan factory. The F indicats it is from 1991, (as is mine, BTW).</p>

<p>Michael, couldn't UB0601 mean it was manufactured in June 1987? I have a 80-200L with code UB0500, which I think is from May 1987. Then the date code system was probably changed in that respect in 1986 too. Maybe some Canonologists here can confirm this.</p>

 

[gordon_yee]

<p><a href="http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/DATECODE.HTM">http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/eosfaq/DATECODE.HTM</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-Lens-Aging.aspx">http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/Canon-Lens-Aging.aspx</a></p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>Bob, yeah, I ran out of time with my edits. I was reading it wrong at first, and then when I figured out what was going on, the 15 minutes had lapsed. So yeah, that one lens -- the only one I have NO questions about -- was made in June of 1987.</p>

<p>But what about the others that have only a single letter in front with no trailing letter? Thanks for the links, Gordon. I've read through both, already. Neither one addresses the single letter. Atkins states in his description, in parentheses, "The factory code is rarely omitted, if ever." Sounds to me like that means <em>never</em> doesn't it? Or have I managed to randomly acquire three lenses that put his claim in doubt?</p>

<p> </p>

[gordon_yee]

<p><em>The factory code is rarely omitted, if ever.</em></p>

<p>Based on my FD lens collection, <em>the factory code was never included</em>. None of my FD lenses have a trailing alpha code. Perhaps all FD lenses with the basic three part code (alpha year, numeric month and the second unspecified numeric code) were manufactured in a single factory. On the other hand, some of my Canon cameras (FD and FL bodies, Canonets, etc.) have the trailing alpha factory codes as well as an occasional second leading alpha code. Beats me what they all mean.</p>

<p>With respect to the addition in 1986 of the second, leading alpha code, it doesn't appear to have been applied by Canon on their FD bodies. My newest FD bodies have the "A" manufacturing code for 1986, lacking the additional "U" prefix that appears on EOS bodies or the "O" code mentioned by Bob Atkins. The "A" code appears on my T-90s, T-80s and on one of my A-1s. Does anyone have an FD body that was manufactured after 1986 (i.e., code "B" or later)?</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<blockquote>

<p>Based on my FD lens collection, <em>the factory code was never included</em>. None of my FD lenses have a trailing alpha code. Perhaps all FD lenses with the basic three part code (alpha year, numeric month and the second unspecified numeric code) were manufactured in a single factory.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Thanks, Gordon. Now we're getting somewhere. Glad to read your collection agrees with mine. And I've had the same working theory as you -- that is, I've assumed that a certain factory used no alpha code. Reminds me of US coins. I believe it is the Philadelphia mint that, after a certain date (in the 1950s, I believe it was), the Philadelphia mint stopped putting a "P" on their coins. So if you got a coin with no mint code (mint codes were S for San Francisco, D for Denver, or P for Philadelphia), then that meant it was from the Philadelphia mint. So perhaps Canon was doing something similar with their lens manufacturing facilities.</p>

<p>I have only one FD body that could possibly have been built after 1986 -- a New F-1, but I can't check it right now cuz it has a half-used roll of film in it.</p>

<p>As an aside, I read a while back that all T-90s will have the A code, since the entire production run of T90s (must have been a big one) occurred in 1986 only. This despite the fact that Canon didn't officially declare it discontinued until 1990 or something like that.</p>

<p>Getting back to the original topic, in addition to the rather rare 200mm f/1.8 being made in the 90s, as I recall, Canon continued to produce the TS-35 for several years after the FD line was supposedly finished. I base this on having seen ads for that lens well into the 90s, so I just assumed that Canon was continuing to make it because of its niche design and all.</p>

<p> </p>

[gordon_yee]

<p>Actually, except on a few rare occasions, the Philadelphia mint never issued coinage with the "P" mint mark. The war time silver Jefferson "nickel" (1942-1945) was one of those occasions. I was a coin and stamp collector in my youth, and a congenital collector/pack rat.</p>

<p>My theory is that Canon built up their final inventory of FD bodies in 1986 so that they could devote all of their camera manufacturing resources to EOS bodies. I suspect that FD bodies with build codes after 1986 are rare, if they exist at all, with the possible exception of the mysterious and elusive Canon T-5, bastard offspring of the T-50. In addition to the New FD lenses we've already mentioned with post-1986 build codes, there may be some 50mm f/1.8 lenses that were made specifically for the T-5 and the Cosina-made T-60. The equally mysterious and elusive New FD 50mm f/2, sold with the T-5 and which I've never seen in person, might also have been built after 1986.</p>

[bob_hartemink]

Gorden, funny that you mention the mysterious 50mm f/2, since I have one. It came with a T50 (sold in Europe). The

date code indicates this elusive lens was made in september 1985...

A little off topic, maybe: the f/2 is actually a nice lens, very sharp and at f2 the corner sharpness is better than the New FD 50mm is

at f/1.8, to my experience.

[johnny_scarecrow]

<p>Interesting discussion - I guess all of the manufacturing scheduling made a lot of sense in the day, but now as time has passed it all seems a little esoteric.<br>

Anyway, I have a 100mm f2 FDn with a date code of UI0401 - making it April 1994. It would be interesting to know the date of the NOS FDn lenses Ffordes has been selling (mine is not one of those).</p>

[User_4136860]

<p>I bought a new old stock Canon FD 85mm f1.8 lens from Ffords a few months ago that has the date code of UE 505 for the Ukishima factory and the 5th of May 1990 it is indeed brand new which makes me wonder where it's been for almost 25 years, or if Ffords have been in a time warp, the next time I phone them I'm going to ask them.</p>

 

[rob_van_straten1]

I have a new F1 datecode FC meaning 1988 if i'm right.

 

I also have a W413 body and a W817R body.

 

Does someone know the meaning from the additinal R ?

 

Regards from Holland,

 

Rob

[Bill C1664885404]

<p><strong>"...A few of my FDn lenses have at least 3 different series of codes with U, W, and Y prefixes:</strong><br /> <strong>Some examples are:</strong> <strong>80-200L=UF0100.....200 Macro=W600.....</strong><strong>35-105=Y1008..."<br /></strong><br /> <strong>Those links posted in this thread are very informative. <br /></strong><br /> <strong>PS: unless I overlooked something, I couldn't figure out the dates for these two lenses:</strong><br /> <strong>FDn 200 Macro=W600</strong><br /><strong> FDn 35-105=Y1008</strong></p>

[bob_hartemink]

<p>Bill, these are easy: W600: W=1982, 6=June, whereas Y1008: Y=1984 and 10 is October.<br>

Regards from Holland as well, Bob</p>

[Bill C1664885404]

<p>Ahhhhh.....I was taking the author's reference narrative too literally.<br />I thought the reference info in his chart was oriented to his narrative about a two letter prefix date code.<br>

One of my lens examples being UF seemed to fit fine, but the other two lens examples only have the one letter prefix and I didn't realize I could just use the same chart for them the same way.<br>

( if there was an "embarrassment icon" I'd use it...Thanks )</p>

[mwmcbroom]

<p>It's okay, Bill. I was equally puzzled for the same reason. You can read my puzzlement post on the first page of this thread.</p>

[jim_bielecki1]

<blockquote>

<p>I suspect that FD bodies with build codes after 1986 are rare, if they exist at all.......<br>

</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Year’s back, I recorded F-1N serial numbers and date codes. The latest date code I have for a F-1N camera shows that it was built in August, 1992.</p>

 

<p> </p>

[phil_d]

<p>- deleted - by author... </p>

[phil_d]

<p>According to the canon lens hall, the <br>

New FD200mm f/1.8L was only introduced as of November 1989. (this was the last introduction of a New FD lens I can find. <br>

As of the latest production date, I would think that might be the lens with production dates into the 90's . <br>

Canon had promoted the T60 when it was introduced in 1991 (3 years after introduction of the EOS mounts) by selling it in a kit form, usually with the FD 35-70mm f/3.5-4.5 or the FD 28-55mm f/3.5-4.5 zoom lens, depending on which market it was made available at a special price. (for these markets, the EOS camera's were just too expensive)<br>

So, It could be highly likely that one of these "kit" lenses would have the most recent production date. <br>

Actually, the T60 itself was not produced by Canon ,but By Cosina, based on their own CT-1 Chasis. Maybe T60's aim was also to sell remaining FD lenses canon still had in stock ??? <br>

I seem to remember that the T60 was sometimes also sold with a tokina ATX lens... ( I still see a lot of these combo's. Makes sense, if canon wanted to get rid of their last T60; Tokina was making some of the EOS lenses for canon... so it does seem reasonable to find the combo between the 2 ). the T60 was only marketed for about 2-3 yrs. <br>

There were quite a number of FD-type camera's and Lenses from Canon on sale at different camera stores. You can still find adds for numerous FD-stuff ( Mostly F1, T60 ,New FD lenses and accessories) in ads in the September 1993 issue of popular photography... <br>

But I think by then these were already New Old Stock... <br>

By March 1996, you can hardly find any NOS in the ads any more. </p>

<p> </p>

[rick_janes]

Phil, that's good info with the '93 advertisement...don't we all wish to go back in time and snag that 200 1.8 L?

[gary_d1]

I was amazed at the prices back then. $1039 for a

new F1N....I know it's like comparing apples to

bowling balls...but i just bought a pretty good

conditioned f1n for $ 140.00.

Got to love technological advancements and

depreciation.