Nikkor Lens Serial Number Questions

[mjm6]

Greetings folks,

I purchased a Nikkor SC 5cm f1.4 recently in screw mount configuration to use on my Canon and Leica gear.

I was looking at it last night and I noticed that it has a six-digit serial number end the serial number is followed by a colon. Can anyone tell me what the colon represents?


Many thanks,


---Michael

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Several Ebay sellers have stated that the colon denotes a duplicate serial number. One "explanation" is that the lens was sent in for repair and the serial number ring was replaced, but the original number was engraved into it. That would make sense as the rear group has the serial number etched into it.

Or the engraver could have gotten the colon that goes on the 1:1.4 in the wrong place.

What is the serial numer? Nikon used an early numbering system for the year and month of the order, but changed over to a sequential numbering in 1951.

BTW: Great lens, and in Leica mount it will focus to 18". The Nicca cameras could close-focus. On an M2 or later camera, the Nikkor will focus past the point that the RF pickup falls off. Perhaps this is one reason that many people state the Nikkor was optimized for close-up work.

 

[mjm6]

Brian,

Thanks. This is a later serial number. It does not have the four digit date code at the beginning.

327334:

I now have a Canon 50/1.4 to compare it against, and I'll be doing some testing soon to see what I think of these two lenses (along with about 6 other 50's that I have sitting here, mostly FSU).

I understand the duplicate serial number idea, but I don't think a repair woud make sense, unless the lens came back to the factory without the fromt ID bezel. I say that because if it did have the bezel, they could have removed it, made a new one and destroyed the original, and there would be no need to indicate a duplicate.

I don't think it is possible it was intended to be part of a matched set with another item either, because I have the blue flocked box, and inside is the inspection tag with the serial number, so it appears to have been sold as an individual item.

Maybe Nikkor intentionally overlapped serial numbers for some purpose.


---Michael

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Does the Serial Number on the inspection tag also have the colon?

I also have both of the Nikkor and Canon F1.4's in LTM. They yield a different look; the Nikkor is higher contrast and the Canon has a smoother background. We will all be interested in your results. The Nikkor is also a different look from the Canon F1.5 and Sonnar F1.5.