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 ?

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

PaulB wrote:
insomnia09 wrote:
The ones without the stamp will have a longer Serial Number. Canon has changed the identification.

So date codes ARE irrelevant to Canon then.
Serial numbers rule!

Date coding was introduced when Canon had two lens manufacturing plants and the first letter denoted which plant the lens came from.

F = the Fukishima Plant opened in 1970
U = the Utsunomiya Plant opened in 1977

The Fukishima plant didn't make any EF lenses - all these were coded U.

In 2007 Canon opened the Oita lens plant and this should use the code O if any L lenses have been made there.

Perhaps Oita is coming on line for L lenses and with the date codes coming round to the end of the sequence (year code Z) perhaps Canon decided that it was an outdated system and time to be changed.

Date codes are not irrelevant to Canon. And it's not seriel numbers or date codes. All of the five Canon lenses that I have bought this year have date codes. And also the camera that I bought

Nov 01, 2010 at 04:28 PM

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

tanglefoot47 wrote:

And I wonder if the Oita plant only sends to Countries other than the US?

I shouldn't imagine so.
More probable that the first batches of MkII's went to the US and came from Utsunomiya but the newest batch were assembled at Oita and happened to go to Europe.

Perhaps the MkII's with date codes will be collectors items in the future?
If so you all in the US should stop using yours now!

Nov 01, 2010 at 04:39 PM

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

Lars Johnsson wrote:

Date codes are not irrelevant to Canon. And it's not seriel numbers or date codes. All of the five Canon lenses that I have bought this year have date codes. And also the camera that I bought

So?

All you have bought so far were produced before the new system came on stream for the lenses you have bought - same for the camera.
Only time will tell as the new and updated lenses come to market.
It is obvious that both systems will co-exist until all the old stocks are put into circulation and sold by retailers.

With the date codes having reached the end of the alphabet for the second time perhaps the date code system is simply due for an update.

Nov 01, 2010 at 04:45 PM

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

Lars Johnsson wrote:
It's not about "true value" of the date code. It doesn't matter what month/year he has on it.
But I wouldn't like to buy a new lens in a shop without any date code......when all my friends exactly the same lenses had date code's

Has everything to do with the perceived added value of a date code. The perception is 'ooooo, it's newer so I want that one over that older one of the same exact thing'...while spending more money for it. No different than mid year vehicles with no changes costing more.

tanglefoot47 wrote:
Unless your selling it because most people want the newest date code and will pay more for a newer date code just the way it is.

You are kind of wrong about spoil over the time these lenses don't last forever and the older the lens most likely the more it was used.

A date code is not at all an indicator of use. A lot of times a sell is due to not using the item much to begin with (eg, sitting on the shelf on in the bag).

Hey, I'm not here to try to convince the world that some things just don't matter much. Perception drives people to do many things that are only valuable in the mind. That's why advertisers are able to do what they do. Most consumers don't read between the lines or look at what they're actually buying.

Nov 01, 2010 at 08:21 PM

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

Nov 01, 2010 at 08:34 PM

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

The bottom line...Canon needs to do a better job of informing the public what all this stuff means.

Nov 02, 2010 at 03:13 AM

Bobster2
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p.4 #7 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Is there a code that tells you how many times the lens was used in the rain, how many times it was dropped, how many times it was taken from a cold air conditioned room to the humid outdoors, and whether it was used by a smoker?

No. And we don't need such a code because we have a date code.

And the earliest copies of the 24-105L are the most valuable because they generate a special kind of flare you can't get any other way.

What if I have a lens I don't want to sell, but it happens to have an extremely valuable date code? Can I sell the code to somebody else who wants to sell their copy of the lens but doesn't have a good code, with payment in cash plus their code?

Edited on Nov 02, 2010 at 04:08 AM · View previous versions

Nov 02, 2010 at 03:40 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.4 #8 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

cordellwillis wrote:
Lars Johnsson wrote:
It's not about "true value" of the date code. It doesn't matter what month/year he has on it.
But I wouldn't like to buy a new lens in a shop without any date code......when all my friends exactly the same lenses had date code's

Has everything to do with the perceived added value of a date code. The perception is 'ooooo, it's newer so I want that one over that older one of the same exact thing'...while spending more money for it. No different than mid year vehicles with no changes costing more.

tanglefoot47 wrote:
Unless your selling it because most people want the newest date code and will pay more for a newer date code just the way it is.

You are kind of wrong about spoil over the time these lenses don't last forever and the older the lens most likely the more it was used.

A date code is not at all an indicator of use. A lot of times a sell is due to not using the item much to begin with (eg, sitting on the shelf on in the bag).

Hey, I'm not here to try to convince the world that some things just don't matter much. Perception drives people to do many things that are only valuable in the mind. That's why advertisers are able to do what they do. Most consumers don't read between the lines or look at what they're actually buying.

I have bought older lenses that were spotless and lost money selling them again because it did have an older date code But I know exactly what your saying but a newer date code is still a better lens to sell

Nov 02, 2010 at 03:46 AM

Bobster2
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p.4 #9 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

The first rule of photography:

Buy low and sell high.

Nov 02, 2010 at 03:48 AM

tanglefoot47
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p.4 #10 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

Bobster2 wrote:
The first rule of photography:

Buy low and sell high.

People are very wise here and not often can you buy low

Nov 02, 2010 at 03:55 AM

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

tanglefoot47 wrote:

I have bought older lenses that were spotless and lost money selling them again because it did have an older date code But I know exactly what your saying but a newer date code is still a better lens to sell

That's OK if your hobby is making money buying and selling lenses.
There are those of us who buy lenses to actually use...............resale value isn't factored into the equation at all, but purchase price may have to be.

Nov 02, 2010 at 09:42 AM

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

Bobster2 wrote:
The first rule of photography:

Buy low and sell high.

Whaddaya know......I was under the impression that was "sunny f/16 rule"

Nov 02, 2010 at 12:50 PM

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

PetKal wrote:
Bobster2 wrote:
The first rule of photography:

Buy low and sell high.

Whaddaya know......I was under the impression that was "sunny f/16 rule"

.

...or f/8 and be there.

Nov 02, 2010 at 01:30 PM

tanglefoot47
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p.4 #14 · No date code on new 70-200 2.8 IS II ?

PaulB wrote:
tanglefoot47 wrote:

I have bought older lenses that were spotless and lost money selling them again because it did have an older date code But I know exactly what your saying but a newer date code is still a better lens to sell

That's OK if your hobby is making money buying and selling lenses.
There are those of us who buy lenses to actually use...............resale value isn't factored into the equation at all, but purchase price may have to be.

Oh I can assure you I use my gear

Nov 02, 2010 at 06:27 PM

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

Purchased a MII locally last week...stamped UY0400 and S#. Sweet lens BTW. MI is inked, not stamped, UT1114

Nov 02, 2010 at 07:10 PM

Chris Tylko
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p.4 #16 · 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 #17 · 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 #18 · 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 #19 · 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 #20 · 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

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