XCD lens serial number meaning

[davidjiang]

There are quite some people asking how to know the lens production date through serial number, since Leica and Zeiss all have their lens serial number system can easy to tell the produce year. HB also have its own serial number system for their bodies, but how about the XCD lens?

After I own more XCD lenses, plus some image on the second hand market which include serial numbers, I think I figured out the logic behind it.

Generally, the XCD lens serial number will be 9 digits, 1st one is a number, second one is a letter, together should present the lens model (or first one present manufactory, second one present lens model, not sure which one is right), then 2 letters present produce year, last 5 numbers present the sequence.

For example, 2OVR11028 means XCD 4/21 produced in 2018 by Nittoh, 8NHH11089 means XCD 2.5/38V produces in 2022 by (Panasonic, not sure about that). Summary of first 2 digital meanings as below:

Lens                      First 2 digits               Announce Date
XCD 3.5/45                    2U                       2016-6-22
XCD 3.2/90                    2V                       2016-6-22
XCD 3.5/30                    2W                       2016-9-19
XCD 3.5/120                   2X                       2017-2-28
XCD 2.8/65                    2Y                       2018-9-25
XCD 3.5-4.5/35-75             2Z                       2019-6-19
XCD 1.9/80                    2F                       2018-9-25
X Converter 1.7               2G                       2018-9-25
XCD 4/21                      2O                       2018-5-18
XCD 4/45P                     2P                       2020-1-15
XH Converter 0.8              2R                       2020-11-3
XCD 2.8/135                   2S                       2018-9-25

XCD 2.5/38V                   8N                       2022-9-7
XCD 2.5/55V                   8O                       2022-9-7
XCD 2.5/90V                   8P                       2022-9-7
XCD 4/28P                     8Q                       2023-8-23

You can see, all old XCD lenses are start with number "2", and letter from "U", then increase almost follow announce date, but the 35-75 break the rule, the letter assigned seems should earlier than 1.9/80 and 2.8/135, but the announce date was not. so I wondering that maybe the letter should follow the initial design sequence, but the 35-75 due to some reason delay the announce date, but the letter already assigned! and 2.8/135 in other way seems announced earlier than plan.
And there are 2 letters (Q & T) was skipped, do not know whether I missed any lens I do not aware? HB seems assign such serial numbers to all lens (include converters which has glass inside), other accessories without glass do not have such serial number

For new XCD lenses, first number is "8", maybe present "Panasonic" according to the rumor, letter starts from "N", all 4 lenses follow the announcement sequence.

Then go to the 2 letters for produce year, it exactly follow the HB camera body old codec logic:
V H P I C T U R E S
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

But seems camera bodies's serial number such as X1D & X2D are not follow this logic any more...

So for the 2 samples above:

2OVR11028 -- 2O(4/21) or 2(Nittoh) O (4/21), VR(18) -- XCD 4/21 produced on 2018
8NHH11089 -- 8N(2.5/38) or 8(Panasonic) N(2.5/38), HH(22) -- XCD 2.5/38V produces on 2022

Here I think maybe it is the first number + second letter present lens model instead of first number present manufactory and second letter present lens model, because that there is 2 "O", one is for 4/21, one is for 55V. But on other hand, HB used to assign one letter for camera model.

I considered my logic make sense, you guys can verify it with XCD lenses you have.

Thanks!

[polarphoto]

The date is given by the 2nd and third letter ie the two last letters in the beginning and the numbering there comes from VHPICTURES so a lens with

xxHPxxxx... 

was made in 2023.

If you take any of the two first characters this is not right - sorry.  SO you do not use the first number and first letter if there is a there letter series in the beginning when getting year of production.

[davidjiang]

The date is given by the 2nd and third letter ie the two last letters in the beginning and the numbering there comes from VHPICTURES so a lens with

xxHPxxxx...

was made in 2023.

If you take any of the two first characters this is not right - sorry.  SO you do not use the first number and first letter if there is a there letter series in the beginning when getting year of production.

Yes, the first 2 characters are not related to year of production at all. What I mean is that 2 characters present the lens model. As I state, All 4/21 will start with 2O, 2.8/65 start with 2Y and 2.5/90V start with 8P.

Best

[polarphoto]

My apologies. I misunderstood - poor reading on my part. Interesting.

[davidjiang]

My apologies. I misunderstood - poor reading on my part. Interesting.

No worries, I also just find that the first 2 characters are product code which was mentioned in following post on another forum 2 years ago.
https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66599872

Still curious that how exactly HB assign those product codes.

[davidjiang]

Found the HC/HCD lens serial number is same logic, further dig the product code by finding pictures on second hand market:

Product code    Lens                          Announce year
7A           HC 35mm f/3.5                 2002
7B           HC 50mm f/3.5 I/II            2003/2010
7C           HC 80mm f/2.8                 2002
7D           HC 100mm f/2.2                 2004
7E           HC 120mm f/4 Macro I/II         2004/2010
7F           HC 150mm f/3.2 (N)         2002/2007
7G           HC 50-110 f/3.5-4.5         2002
7H           HC 210mm f/4                 2003
7I           H Converter 1.7X   
7J           HC 300mm f/4.5                 2004
7L           HCD 28mm f/4                 2006
7M           HCD 35-90mm f/4-5.6         2008
7R           HCD 24mm f/4.8                 2012

The production year code is same as XCD lens