Determining the Age of a Canon Lens Using Serial

Numbers and Date Codes

Canon has been transitioning to a 10-digit lens serial number (starting in 2008
with the Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens) and ending the inclusion of a
separate manufacturing date code. While date codes and the shorter serial
number are still found on some lenses, this inclusion will likely end completely.
We loved the date code because it made aging a lens easy. However, now we
can age a lens based on the serial number alone.
For information on determining the age of a pre-10-digit serial number lens, see
the section on interpreting the old date code below.
Determine the age of a Canon lens based on the 10-digit serial number
To age a Canon lens using the 10-digital serial number, we dissect the serial
number as follows:
DD C SSSSSSS
The DD is the key to the date the lens was manufactured - the production date
code. The Canon lens date code chart is shown below.
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

January

38

50

62

74

86

01

13

25

February

39

51

63

75

87

02

14

26

March

40

52

64

76

88

03

15

27

April

41

53

65

77

89

04

16

28

May

42

54

66

78

90

05

17

29

June

43

55

67

79

91

06

18

30

July

44

56

68

80

92

07

19

31

August

45

57

69

81

93

08

20

32

September

46

58

70

82

94

09

21

33

October

47

59

71

83

95

10

22

34

November

48

60

72

84

96

11 23

35

December

49

61

73

85

97

12

36

24

These dates should be viewed as approximations and should be used for your
amusement as the estimates are not guaranteed correct. Please send any
discrepancies you find. Note that Canon EOS DSLR camera body serial
numbers, at least for 2013, do not follow this chart. Also please note that future
dates shown in the table are predictions/expectations.
The third digit in the serial number, C, may be a charge/batch type of number.
Canon has been using this number to indicate lenses needing specific servicerelated updates such as firmware.
The remaining digits in the serial number, SSSSSSS, are a uniquely-identifying
number of the lens likely within the production month.
Please note that, while the overall chart is holding out nicely with the lenses
we've checked (including several late-2014 models), it is a work-in-process. In
part, the numbers might be shifted by a month or so. Again, please send us any
discrepancies you find.
Special thanks go out to friend-of-the-site Norbert for his role in the development
of this chart.

To determine the age of a pre-10-digit serial number Canon lens bearing a

date code
Until phasing out the practice starting in 2008, Canon included a date code
beside the rear lens element of many (but not all) lenses (note that some 2012manufactured lenses retain the date code). The date code (as seen below) is in
the form of "UR0902". This code is also present on some other Canon products
including camera bodies.

The first letter, "U", indicates that the lens was made in Canon's Utsunomiya,
Japan factory. Prior to 1986, this letter is moved to the last position of the date
code.
U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan
The second letter, "R", is a year code that indicates the year of manufacture.
Canon increments this letter each year starting with A in 1986 and prior to that, A
in 1960 without the leading factory code. Here is a table to make things simple:
A = 2012, 1986, 1960
B = 2013, 1987, 1961
C = 2014, 1988, 1962
D = 2015, 1989, 1963
E = 1990, 1964
F = 1991, 1965
G = 1992, 1966
H = 1993, 1967
I = 1994, 1968
J = 1995, 1969
K = 1996, 1970
L = 1997, 1971
M = 1998, 1972
N = 1999, 1973
O = 2000, 1974
P = 2001, 1975
Q = 2002, 1976
R = 2003, 1977
S = 2004, 1978
T = 2005, 1979
U = 2006, 1980
V = 2007, 1981
W = 2008, 1982
X = 2009, 1983
Y = 2010, 1984
Z = 2011, 1985

The first two numbers, "09", is the month number the lens was manufactured in.
Month 02 is February, month 11 = November. The leading zero of the month code
is sometimes omitted.
The next two numbers, "02", are meaningless in determining how old a Canon
lens is. This is a Canon internal code (that is occasionally omitted).
You now know the manufacture date for your lens - But - You cannot know how
long the lens was in inventory, in shipping transit and on a shelf until it was
originally purchased (without having the original receipt or a reputable person
accurately informing you).
The Canon lens date code in the sample picture indicates that this Canon EF 2470mm f/2.8L Lens (I know the lens model because I took the picture - not from
the date code) was made in Utsunomiya, Japan in September 2003.