Nikon F6 serial numbers - post yours!

[jonmanjiro]

Post your serial numbers folks. Lets see if we can get an idea of how many Nikon F6s are out there!

I've seen serial numbers as high as 0036xxx which would indicate only about 36,000 units have been manufactured. Not many for a 10 year production run, but also unsurprising for a film camera in the digital age.

Mine is 0012429

 

[Huss]

I have 0030478

 

[Huss]

I had 0014886

 

[jonmanjiro]

I have 0030478

Thanks, I just added them to the list.

A bit of browsing through eBay and local used camera shop websites dug up some more serial numbers which I've also added.

0001488
0001563
0001603
0001738
0001775
0001946
0002332
0002737
0002826
0007238
0007380
0007459
0008331
0009041
0009380
0011258
0012299
0012429
0012519
0012846
0013067
0013177
0013427
0013870
0014343
0014523
0014886
0015730
0015782
0016270
0016319
0016355
0017109
0017981
0018415
0018513
0019199
0019677
0020302
0020377
0020744
0020797
0022492
0022507
0026108
0029536
0030478
0031318
0031901

 

[Flat Twin]

Thats a lot of browsing, well done! ^^^

Simon

 

[HHPhoto]

Post your serial numbers folks. Lets see if we can get an idea of how many Nikon F6s are out there!

Mine has 00314xx.
Bought brand new with MB-40 vertical grip and MV-1 data reader six years ago.
So at least more than 31,400 samples were produced until that time point.

I've seen serial numbers as high as 0036xxx which would indicate only about 36,000 units have been manufactured. Not many for a 10 year production run, but also unsurprising for a film camera in the digital age.

Are you really shure that you have seen 0036xx numbers?
Two months ago I heard from someone who has bought a new one with a 00347xx number.

I probably will buy an additional second F6 this summer, brand new (as I am often shooting colour and BW parallel that makes sense for me).
And the F6 is the perfect camera. By far the best I've ever used (and I've used so much different models in the last decades).

When I've bought the new one, I will report here about the number.
As the F6 is still manufactured in Nikon's factory in Sendai, Japan, I hope lots of others also decide to fulfill their camera dream and buy a new one, that this outstanding and unique camera can be kept in production for the next generation of younger film photographers.

Cheers, Jan

 

[jonmanjiro]

Thats a lot of browsing, well done! ^^^

Simon

I had a bit of time to kill this afternoon 😉

Are you really shure that you have seen 0036xx numbers?
Two months ago I heard from someone who has bought a new one with a 00347xx number.

Yes, I'm pretty sure. It was a new camera in a Tokyo camera store. I didn't think to make a note of it at the time, but will next time.

 

[Keith]

0024123

And once again I'll thank Jon for having the generosity to buy this camera in Japan for me and send it to OZ. 🙂

 

[HHPhoto]

Yes, I'm pretty sure. It was a new camera in a Tokyo camera store. I didn't think to make a note of it at the time, but will next time.

That is very interesting.
When was it?
Recently?

Cheers, Jan

 

[jonmanjiro]

0024123

And once again I'll thank Jon for having the generosity to buy this camera in Japan for me and send it to OZ. 🙂

I hope you're still feeding it film every now and then 😉

That is very interesting.
When was it?
Recently?

Cheers, Jan

Maybe four or five months ago. I remember thinking that serial numbers were getting close to 0040000 but weren't quite there yet.

 

[dtcls100]

14306 and 15265 for me. Anyone aware of where one can get F6 firmware update?

 

[Larry Cloetta]

0012594 is mine. Purchased new.

 

[jszokoli]

0033829 purchased as a refurb at B&H Jan. 2015...

 

[john_s]

2984x purchased new in Melbourne 2008.

 

[Noserider]

My friend has 34000 purchased from Japan in Like New condition 3-4 months ago.

 

[jonmanjiro]

14306 and 15265 for me. Anyone aware of where one can get F6 firmware update?

It's not something you can do yourself, so you'll have to send your camera to Nikon. I took mine into the Nikon Service Center in Tokyo just a few weeks ago, and they did it for me in about 30 minutes. It's a free service.

FYI here's the announcement in Japanese dated March 28, 2005 (10 years ago today!) about the firmware update. Serial numbers from 0018754 already have the updated firmware. Besides the firmware, the announcement also says Nikon adjusts the battery check level to display the battery level more accurately.

 

[jonmanjiro]

List now updated. Thanks everyone. It paints a pretty clear picture I'd say. My guess is that there are no serial numbers below 0001001. I wonder if we'll reach 0040000...

0001488
0001563
0001603
0001738
0001775
0001946
0002069
0002332
0002737
0002826
0007238
0007380
0007459
0008331
0009041
0009380
0011258
0012299
0012429
0012519
0012594
0012846
0013067
0013177
0013427
0013870
0014306
0014343
0014523
0014886
0015265
0015730
0015782
0016270
0016319
0016355
0017109
0017981
0018415
0018513
0019199
0019677
0020302
0020377
0020744
0020797
0022492
0022507
0024123
0026108
0029536
002984x (purchased in 2008)
0030478
0031318
00314xx (purchased in 2009)
0031901
0033829 (purchased in January 2015 as a refurb)
0033976 (used camera listed at Map Camera on April 15th, 2015)
0034000
00347xx (purchased in late 2014)
0034843 (new stock on shelf at Yodobashi Camera, Shinjuku, March 2015)

 

[Skiff]

List now updated. Thanks everyone. It paints a pretty clear picture I'd say. My guess is that there are no serial numbers below 0001001. I wonder if we'll reach 0040000...

Well, the F6 in the original Nikon F6 print brochure has the number
0000000.

And as with all other professional Nikon F cameras, several months before the official production started dozens (hundreds) of professional photographers worldwide had first F6 samples for intensive daily testing (pre-series / pre-production models for finding weaknesses).

I ordered mine brand new in December 2008, it was shipped late January 2009, serial number is 3147x.
Just today I was again on a lovely photo trip with this outstanding camera, shooting BW reversal film for projection.
I just can congratulate the excellent Nikon engineers for this masterpiece of film camera engineering!!

Thank you very much Jon for your efforts with this list and keeping us up to date with the serial numbers of new F6 in Tokyo's camera shops.

 

[nobbylon]

I have 31447 bought new 2014. It's the best film SLR I've had.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Well, the F6 in the original Nikon F6 print brochure has the number
0000000.

And as with all other professional Nikon F cameras, several months before the official production started dozens (hundreds) of professional photographers worldwide had first F6 samples for intensive daily testing (pre-series / pre-production models for finding weaknesses).

Interesting! That would be this camera (photo found here).

A bit of googling also dug up this photo of prototype camera no. P930045 (photo found here).