No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

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Archive 2010 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #1 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Well folks, if anyone is still following this thread, Canon CPS finally answered my query as to why there was no date code on the back of my new 70-200 2.8 IS II.

Here's a cut and paste of the answer as why there is no code, and whether or not the missing date indicates it had been serviced:

Dear Mr. Tylko Thank you for your E-mail inquiry. The lens with the serial # 70300xxxxx (EF70-200/2.8LISIIUSM), is a new lens. It was purchased by the dealer on oct 26th 2010. Should you require further assistance, please feel free to email us or visit our customer support website at http://www.canon.ca

Well, at least it looks like it was a new lens after all

I guess we won't know about the date code business until more people will bought some of these optical marvels!

Nov 05, 2010 at 10:00 PM

gourdhead
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p.4 #2 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Do the new date codes only come in 100's? I saw two poster that have UYO300 (newseum and jcolwell) and one that is UYO400 (roboticspro) What is the likelihood that two poster have the exact series or number?.......sorry for my ignorance. I just own older canon L glass (even have a UB code 300 2.8) older than my students....

Nov 05, 2010 at 10:12 PM

jcolwell
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p.4 #3 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

I assume that many lenses can be produced with the same date code. It's not a precise date-time stamp to document the "moment of birth". OTOH, we're in trouble if they also have the same serial number.

Nov 05, 2010 at 10:17 PM

Mike Ganz
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p.4 #4 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Mike John wrote:
Chris Tylko wrote:
Just picked up my new 70-200 2.8 IS II and to my surprise there is no date code.

It's not much of an issue for me but I'm just curious if other copies have date codes?

Anyone out there willing to check and let me know? I'm wondering if this lens saw some canon servicing (i.e. refurbished already?).

It may not be much of an issue for you till you try to sell it.

Good luck,
Mike

Isn't that what receipts and proof-of-purchase are for?

Nov 06, 2010 at 01:20 PM

Ektar25
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p.4 #5 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Received my copy this week and the date code is clearly stamped UYO6OO

Nov 06, 2010 at 01:39 PM

jhong79
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p.4 #6 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

I picked my first copy up 2 weeks ago with date code UY0700.
Returned that copy coz of a big piece of crap inside the lens.

Had to wait a week for new stock to arrive. The current copy I have has no date code.
So I assume canon has stopped date coding the newer batches.

Notice also the coded copy I had came with a instruction booklet whereas the new one has a cd instead.

Nov 06, 2010 at 01:55 PM

Sven Jeppesen
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p.4 #7 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Mike Ganz wrote:
Mike John wrote:
Chris Tylko wrote:
Just picked up my new 70-200 2.8 IS II and to my surprise there is no date code.

It's not much of an issue for me but I'm just curious if other copies have date codes?

Anyone out there willing to check and let me know? I'm wondering if this lens saw some canon servicing (i.e. refurbished already?).

It may not be much of an issue for you till you try to sell it.

Good luck,
Mike

Isn't that what receipts and proof-of-purchase are for?

The receipt is rather good for the first owner. But not the second, third or fourth time the lens is sold.

Nov 06, 2010 at 02:22 PM

Sir_Loin
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p.4 #8 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

jhong79 wrote:
I picked my first copy up 2 weeks ago with date code UY0700.
Returned that copy coz of a big piece of crap inside the lens.

Had to wait a week for new stock to arrive. The current copy I have has no date code.
So I assume canon has stopped date coding the newer batches.

Notice also the coded copy I had came with a instruction booklet whereas the new one has a cd instead.

Regarding the CD, I bought a 24mm f1.4L MkII a couple of weeks ago with Date Code UY1003 which also came with a CD instead of a booklet. With the date code of Oct on this lens, it seems they're still using date codes on other lenses, but not the 70-200mm?

Nov 06, 2010 at 06:01 PM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #9 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

jhong79 wrote:
Notice also the coded copy I had came with a instruction booklet whereas the new one has a cd instead.

And I can confirm my "un-dated" lens also came with the CD instead of the printed manual. They do include a simple printed multi-language instruction sheet on that thin paper you can never fold back properly again.

The CD includes instructions for every single Canon EF lens currently marketed (not discontinued models though).

Nov 06, 2010 at 06:14 PM

Sir_Loin
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p.4 #10 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Chris Tylko wrote:

The CD includes instructions for every single Canon EF lens currently marketed (not discontinued models though).

If you actually go in to the PDF folder on the disc, there are some discontinued lenses in there as well. (17-35L, 300L Non IS for example) Unless of course you have a different disc?

Nov 06, 2010 at 08:21 PM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #11 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Sir_Loin wrote:
If you actually go in to the PDF folder on the disc, there are some discontinued lenses in there as well. (17-35L, 300L Non IS for example) Unless of course you have a different disc?

Yes you're quite right. Too bad they didn't include the camera manuals too!

Nov 06, 2010 at 10:15 PM

BC Rob
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p.4 #12 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

I received a 70-200mm II last week from Aden Camera in Canada and I also received the CD but no date code on the lens. Good news is it's the sharpest 70-200mm that I've ever owned!

Chris Tylko wrote:
jhong79 wrote:
Notice also the coded copy I had came with a instruction booklet whereas the new one has a cd instead.

And I can confirm my "un-dated" lens also came with the CD instead of the printed manual. They do include a simple printed multi-language instruction sheet on that thin paper you can never fold back properly again.

The CD includes instructions for every single Canon EF lens currently marketed (not discontinued models though).

Nov 07, 2010 at 04:35 AM

Jred
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p.4 #13 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

No date code on my lens. Called B&H as well as Canon Customer service. Both clueless.

I have the 10 digit Serial Number 703000XXXX, any idea if the date of manufacture is in these numbers?

I know it seems petty, but when I pay over 2k for a lens I want a date code dammit!!

Concerned about resale as well.

Nov 10, 2010 at 07:55 PM

PaulB
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p.4 #14 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Jred wrote:
No date code on my lens. Called B&H as well as Canon Customer service. Both clueless.

I have the 10 digit Serial Number 703000XXXX, any idea if the date of manufacture is in these numbers?

I know it seems petty, but when I pay over 2k for a lens I want a date code dammit!!

Concerned about resale as well.

In each country Canon sales and service dept. is an independent company - from Canon Japan and (usually) each other. That's why service varies so much between countries.
It isn't strange that they don't know about any changes to the serial numbering of lenses, they often get to know about new releases later than everyone else!
And if Canon UK/US/Canada etc.don't know how are retailers expected to?

Why worry about resale when you have the original receipt to prove when the lens was purchased?
It's one of the oldest MkII's anyway.........................

Nov 10, 2010 at 09:01 PM

timeasterday
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p.4 #15 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

I bought 2 of these lenses about a week apart from B&H. The first one had a 6-digit S/N and a date code, the second had a 10-digit S/N and no date code. The warranty cards looked different too and the second one had a CD while the first one did not.

Nov 10, 2010 at 09:35 PM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #16 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

PaulB wrote:

In each country Canon sales and service dept. is an independent company -

Actually Paul, I was led to believe that Canon Canada is a subsidiary of Canon USA and that its basically the same company...which is why I can buy a lens in the US and Canon Canada honors the warranty (also why our warranty cards say USA/Canada on them).

In any event we're beginning to see FMr's in the US who are getting "Undated" 10 digit serial number lenses. Bet there's more to come!

I posted an email to Bryan Carnathan at The-Digital-Picture.com asking him if he knew anything about this. Someone should ask Chuck Westfall!

In the meantime folks:
a) make sure your purchase invoice shows the the lens serial number, and
b) KEEP that invoice!!!

Nov 11, 2010 at 02:44 AM

jcolwell
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p.4 #17 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

AFAIK, Canon Canada is a wholly-owned subsidary of Canon USA.

Nov 11, 2010 at 02:48 AM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #18 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Well I just got an answer back from Bryan Carnathan at The-Digital-Picture...check out his news post http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/

Nov 11, 2010 at 03:04 PM

PaulB
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p.4 #19 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Chris Tylko wrote:
PaulB wrote:

In each country Canon sales and service dept. is an independent company -

Actually Paul, I was led to believe that Canon Canada is a subsidiary of Canon USA and that its basically the same company...

You missed the last bit of the quote and the bit in brackets is quite important!

In each country Canon sales and service dept. is an independent company - from Canon Japan and (usually) each other.

Nov 11, 2010 at 05:46 PM

4x4rock
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p.4 #20 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Just received the lens today from J&R
10 digit serial numbers
CD instead of booklet manual
No date code

Nov 12, 2010 at 01:03 AM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #21 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

And a reply from Chuck Westfall:

I can confirm that the serial numbers for L-series lenses have shifted to a new 10-digit style as of 2nd-Half 2010 production. However, Canon is not releasing any further information on this topic.

Nov 12, 2010 at 02:29 PM

tt_mt6
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p.4 #22 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

I got two new ones, both does not have a date code.
My buddy got a new one last week and no date code as well.

Nov 12, 2010 at 10:07 PM

Bubble
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p.4 #23 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

no more date code for this lens for now.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/News/News-Post.aspx?News=439&Title=Canon-Lens-Date-Codes-Go-Missing

As for Nikon, yes, you can find out how old is your lens base on the SN. It just make no sense to pay for a older date code lens while you can get a newer one at the same price.

Nov 13, 2010 at 02:15 AM

Yakim Peled
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p.4 #24 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Chris Tylko wrote:
And a reply from Chuck Westfall:

I can confirm that the serial numbers for L-series lenses have shifted to a new 10-digit style as of 2nd-Half 2010 production. However, Canon is not releasing any further information on this topic.

Hi Chris,

I looked but I could not find the actual note from CW. Can you please point me to it?

TIA.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Nov 14, 2010 at 08:27 AM

digitalbug30d
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p.4 #25 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

tanglefoot47 wrote:
Gochugogi wrote:
Or maybe the worker on the line was having a bad hair day and she neglected to imprint the code.

SHE? boy you better hope the ladies here don't see this

Don't they have men on the assembly line?

well at least he didnt say "maybe it was that time of month"

Nov 14, 2010 at 09:50 AM


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