what do the numbers on my nikon lenses mean

[RalphLambrecht]

besides all the product descriptions and the serial numbers, some of my nikon lenses have smsll silver sticky labels on them with numbers such as 7,8,9 or 10. who knows what these numbers mean?

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

What Nikon lenses and where did you buy them from? New ones or second-hand?
Are these lenses from a rental company?

 

[Gerald C Koch]

If Nikon uses the system that other manufacturers use then the label gives the number of the inspector who passed the particular lens.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I'm talking about newly-bought lensesprocured in Germanywithin the last 6 months.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Ah! Thanks for the clarification. Never seen that before, but mines are older.

 

[lxdude]

If Nikon uses the system that other manufacturers use then the label gives the number of the inspector who passed the particular lens.

I agree that this is probably what the stickers are.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

I was hoping for a QC rating.

 

[LiamG]

I was hoping for a QC rating.

Nikon would never make it that easy! We can wish, though.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Nikon would never sell lenses under their own name that did not meet their standards.

 

[mweintraub]

Does it have a recycle logo around the number? Can you post a photo?

 

[Xmas]

Nikon would never sell lenses under their own name that did not meet their standards.

yes when they sold the E series they did not call them Nikkors although they were optically comparable.

If you strip an E they have an excellent build standard.

 

[GarageBoy]

You mean the JCII inspection sticker?

Series E lenses were excellent compared to say, random department store third party lenses, but doesn't feel nearly as nice as a Nikkor. Also, not multi coated?

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

The words you most frequently run across when referring to the coatings on the Series E is "simpler coatings". It doesn't necessarily mean "not multi coated".
The prime lenses optical design were all simpler 5 or 4 elements. The revered 100mm f/2.8 is only a 4 element design. They all have a purplish coating colour. The zooms had more elements in their designs and the colour of their coatings were a mix of green mainly on the front elements and purple in others.
No where in Nikon literature I could find a reference to their coatings. You make your mind if they are multi coated, or not.

The Series E lenses are all well build and have survived for the last 30 years. In the UK, even the normal 50mm f/1.8 still fetches a high price, normally between £50-65.

 

[Xmas]

The words you most frequently run across when referring to the coatings on the Series E is "simpler coatings". It doesn't necessarily mean "not multi coated".
The prime lenses optical design were all simpler 5 or 4 elements. The revered 100mm f/2.8 is only a 4 element design. They all have a purplish coating colour. The zooms had more elements in their designs and the colour of their coatings were a mix of green mainly on the front elements and purple in others.
No where in Nikon literature I could find a reference to their coatings. You make your mind if they are multi coated, or not.

The Series E lenses are all well build and have survived for the last 30 years. In the UK, even the normal 50mm f/1.8 still fetches a high price, normally between £50-65.

Nikon did not say the Es were NIC but that does not mean they were not both mine look they are from the colour and abrasion resistance.
The 5cm was a 6 element double Gauss 1,1,1,2,1 construction similar to its predecessor and successor Nikkors.
If you buy a series E 5cm on a FG-20 or EM in a charity shop you may get the package cheap.
Nikon needed the series E for the cheapo EM, FG, and FG-20 sales, but they still needed people to buy the AI-S Nikkors. The Nikkors were designed to ignore a high speed drive and 250 back day in day out with Teflon bushes on all moving parts. kuncka, kuncka, ... kuncka.
Don't try stripping an E unless you know how.

 

[Xmas]

Nikon did not say the Es were NIC but that does not mean they were not both mine look they are from the colour and abrasion resistance.
The 5cm was a 6 element double Gauss 1,1,1,2,1 construction similar to its predecessor and successor Nikkors.
If you buy a series E 5cm on a FG-20 or EM in a charity shop you may get the package cheap.
Nikon needed the series E for the cheapo EM, FG, and FG-20 sales, but they still needed people to buy the AI-S Nikkors. The Nikkors were designed to ignore a high speed drive and 250 back day in day out with Teflon bushes on all moving parts. kuncka, kuncka, ... kuncka.
Don't try stripping an E unless you know how.

I checked the leaflet that came with the 5cm E it's print date is 83.11.EE. the lens was sold in '85
It says
'if you use ether in cleaning the lens, a smudge sometimes appears on the surface of a multicoated lens. If this happens wipe it again with a cotton cloth moistened with alcohol'
The lens is a pig to clean like the MC filters I use.
I have an earlier '79 5cm E and it is similarly difficult but butt ugly all black plastic.

 

[benjiboy]

You mean the JCII inspection sticker?

Series E lenses were excellent compared to say, random department store third party lenses, but doesn't feel nearly as nice as a Nikkor. Also, not multi coated?

Ralph says he bought the lenses in the last six months, the JCII stopped putting the passed stickers on in 1987.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

I checked the leaflet that came with the 5cm E it's print date is 83.11.EE. the lens was sold in '85
It says
'if you use ether in cleaning the lens, a smudge sometimes appears on the surface of a multicoated lens. If this happens wipe it again with a cotton cloth moistened with alcohol'
The lens is a pig to clean like the MC filters I use.
I have an earlier '79 5cm E and it is similarly difficult but butt ugly all black plastic.

Thanks!
I re-checked my Series E 75-150mm leafleat and it actually says "Multilayer Nikon Integrated Coating (NIC) on the air-to-glass lens surfaces helps to minimize ghost images and flare..." It is dated 80.3.E.
So, I stand corrected. There is now document evidence of multi coating.

 

[Xmas]

hi Ricardo

Thanks for your brief, mine all look multi coated but it might not have been NIC. There is no detectable difference in performance between the E and the AI-S 5cm, apart from the absence of rabbits ears and weight difference of the longnose.

They all flare occasionally, low sun in frame, but that is probably the uv filters.

Noel

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Hi Noel

I have an AIS 50mm f/1.8 version that was produced for the Japanese market. It is a pancake lens, very similar design to the Series E, apart from the rubber focusing ring and it focuses down to 0.45. The colour of the coatings are also different, but performance is about the same. I can't see a difference.

Ricardo

 

[cliveh]

Red means run, son,
Numbers add up to nothin'

 

[Xmas]

Hi Noel

I have an AIS 50mm f/1.8 version that was produced for the Japanese market. It is a pancake lens, very similar design to the Series E, apart from the rubber focusing ring and it focuses down to 0.45. The colour of the coatings are also different, but performance is about the same. I can't see a difference.

Ricardo

I have a long nose AI Nikkor
an early all black poly carbonate E
a late aluminium E
and a pancake AI-S Nikkor

the last three are only different in few grams and rabbits ears.
The coating colours are different in each but all are vestigial reflections as multi coated things should be not vibrant single colours like my single coated lenses from pre 65.
I've only got one to hand to check as Im away from home.

 

[Ricardo Miranda]

Thanks Noel!
As a curiosity, some marketing photos of lenses are manipulated to exaggerate the coatings colour. I saw this on Flickr and it made me laugh: http://www.flickr.com/photos/867882...8Yhu-6So36n-E5ueU-7TpMfz-9LLLn7-bfUMFe-9jUrra

 

[RalphLambrecht]

besides all the product descriptions and the serial numbers, some of my nikon lenses have smsll silver sticky labels on them with numbers such as 7,8,9 or 10. who knows what these numbers mean?

thanks for all the suggestions, but thanks to Ken Rockwell's amazing site, I finally figured it out.It has nothong to do with quality ,manufacturing lines or inspectors.It is simply a recycling code.Sadly Nikon is assuming that their product will eventually ends up in the trash and at a material recycler.:confused:

 

[AgX]

And what do they mean??

So far such coding has only be employed to one-material parts. A whole lens though is a conglomerate of materials.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

And what do they mean??

So far such coding has only be employed to one-material parts. A whole lens though is a conglomerate of materials.

this explained in wikepedia under recycling codes