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Old Tamron manual focus lens serial numbers
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 16, 2022 12:52 pm    Post subject: Old Tamron manual focus lens serial numbers Reply with quote
While researching some lenses and serial numbers recently I realized that older Tamron manual focus lenses seem to have used the following serial number system and labeling:

No.000000

Apparently they switched to a different system later. According to this old thread a zoom lens with the number 386XXX dates back to 1963. While it's possible to find some additional numbers, I wasn't able to find any other lenses with a definitive year of manufacturing so far. It seems like the system is continuous though. Does anyone here know about a resource/list which could help date other Tamron lenses inside this numbering system or could provide numbers + year for some of their own lenses?

It would really help me out!


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 7:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I guess no one knows


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
I guess no one knows


I guess you're probably right... Do you own any Tamron lenses, which fit into the serial number system mentioned (NO.XXXXXX) ?

It's just from looking up a couple of images online, but to me it looks like, Tamron could have used that continous system up to a certain number (there are lenses over 900000, so they might actually have used it up to one million) and then (probably somewhere around in the first half of the 80s) switched to a 7 digit number.

Here are some serials I found online:

53633 - Tamron Twin-Tele 135mm f/4.5-22 (1958-1962)

379382 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3 (1961-1969 ??)

390125 - Tamron 35 mm f/2.8 M42 (1961-1969 ??)

610736 - Tamron Auto 24mm f/3.5 (1971-1973)

632663 - Tamron Auto 21mm f/4.5 (1972)

903583 - Tamron 28-50 mm f/3.5-4.5 (1980-1982 ??)

As you can see there are a number of lenses which would seem to confirm a continuous numerical system... but there are also some lenses, which go against that:

152229 - Tamron BBAR MC 28mm f/2.5 (1979-1992)

195078 - Tamron Auto 300mm f/5.6 (1972-1973)

etc.

Another idea I had, was trying to define possible manufacturing years for the lens I'm interested in, by looking at the Tamron logo on them... So far I've seen three variants:

First logo


Second logo (sometimes used in combination with the first)


Third logo (modern AF lenses)


but so far I'm not able to definitively place any of these on a timeline unfortunately. And another factor is, that I'm also trying to find out, if a couple of lenses, which don't feature any TAMRON labeling, were made by them, so the logo thing wouldn't help me in those cases.


PostPosted: Mon Sep 19, 2022 11:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My 200mm F/3.5 870Au adapt-a-matic is probably my oldest Tamron. (71-73) Metal focus ring version. It has 186728. I also have an older Tamron but that is Soligor branded 200/6.3

Soligor 200mm 1:6.3 by The lens profile, on Flickr

Serial numbers are probably different per model, so you won't be able to tell much from them. Your second logo is likely only used on the adaptall-1 series. Just adaptall usually with white and red lettering (just white on the all black adaptall-2 lenses). http://www.adaptall-2.com/index.html has the production periods. For years you need to find ones with passed stickers I guess. They are coded year month I believe (although there are twelve months, so they must have divided them up in ten) first digit, last digit of the year, second the month.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 2:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Not useful, but just out of curiosity, Tamron made lenses for Bronica; series SQ for sure, not so sure about ETR. At the end Tamron became owner of the factory, shortly before its ending.


PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 6:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
My 200mm F/3.5 870Au adapt-a-matic is probably my oldest Tamron. (71-73) Metal focus ring version. It has 186728. I also have an older Tamron but that is Soligor branded 200/6.3

Serial numbers are probably different per model, so you won't be able to tell much from them. Your second logo is likely only used on the adaptall-1 series. Just adaptall usually with white and red lettering (just white on the all black adaptall-2 lenses). http://www.adaptall-2.com/index.html has the production periods. For years you need to find ones with passed stickers I guess. They are coded year month I believe (although there are twelve months, so they must have divided them up in ten) first digit, last digit of the year, second the month.


Thanks a lot for the additional info - that's very helpful! I'm not so sure about the numbers being different per model, at least with the initial 1 million. Perhaps they kept certain lens number patches reserved for some models (which would explain some of the 'lower' numbers among newer lenses) but from what I've seen so far, much of their lens catalogue could be chronologically. Perhaps they decided to switch to a different system afterwards, where the first digit stands for a group of lenses or something like that... Otherwise it's hard to explain the high 7 digit numbers soon after.

All just random thoughts still, but I'm sure there's a way to find out some more with the help of additional numbers...

Ultrapix wrote:
Not useful, but just out of curiosity, Tamron made lenses for Bronica; series SQ for sure, not so sure about ETR. At the end Tamron became owner of the factory, shortly before its ending.


Thank you - I wasn't aware of that. I will look into it!


PostPosted: Tue Sep 20, 2022 7:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Auto Tamron Adapt-A-Matic 135mm 1:2.8 JSG-28Au 72/73 643500
Tamron Adaptall 135mm 1:2.8 (CT-135) 1976 8207743
Tamron Adaptall 70-150mm 1:3.5 (QZ- 150M) 1978 7149451

I have 2 28-50 3.5-4.5 07A (adaptall-2) those have 5713848 5731462.

Also 2 90mm/2.5 52B adaptall-2 702166 and 912530 (1980 passed sticker)

on adaptall-2 lenses the serial is on the side of the barrel preceded by the lens code so "07A No. 5713848"

I've checked my adaptal-2's serials range from 5 to 7 digits. Mass produced zooms usually have 7, primes mostly 6 and some like the 17mm only 5. My SP 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 28a also only has 5 digits This points to the use of serial number ranges per lens with maybe the lens code as part of the number.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
Auto Tamron Adapt-A-Matic 135mm 1:2.8 JSG-28Au 72/73 643500
Tamron Adaptall 135mm 1:2.8 (CT-135) 1976 8207743
Tamron Adaptall 70-150mm 1:3.5 (QZ- 150M) 1978 7149451

I have 2 28-50 3.5-4.5 07A (adaptall-2) those have 5713848 5731462.

Also 2 90mm/2.5 52B adaptall-2 702166 and 912530 (1980 passed sticker)

on adaptall-2 lenses the serial is on the side of the barrel preceded by the lens code so "07A No. 5713848"

I've checked my adaptal-2's serials range from 5 to 7 digits. Mass produced zooms usually have 7, primes mostly 6 and some like the 17mm only 5. My SP 28-135mm 1:4-4.5 28a also only has 5 digits This points to the use of serial number ranges per lens with maybe the lens code as part of the number.


Wow, thank you very much! That's a lot of numbers... You may be right and the general system is a combination of lens code + numbers of lenses, however there also seem to be some numbers contradicting a system like that. What about the following lenses for example:

T401702 - Soligor 450 mm f/8
T402455 - Soligor 200 mm f/6.3

It would mean that the lens code must be the first three digits in order to differentiate models, while in a continuous numbering system it would absolutely work.

There's also this example, the Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3:

371119 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3 (1961-1969 ??)
373064 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374174 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374712 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
379382 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
380767 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
381855 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3

Again... a continuous numbering system seems to make some sense, while there's no indication of any lens code in there, given that there are quite a number of other Tamron lenses starting with 3.

The two lenses I'm interested in have the following serials:

820917 - Tamron 48.5 mm f/2.8
830207 - Tamron 48.5 mm f/2.8

It also points towards a continuation of numbers, however I'm doubtful almost 10.000 of this particular example were ever produced... So maybe they kept numbers free for later batches?

I'm really unsure about all of this still.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Likely the adaptall-2 series differs from the earlier numbering since there is so much variation in number of digits. Then their would at least be less inconsistencies.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
simple.joy wrote:
...

There's also this example, the Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3:

371119 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3 (1961-1969 ??)
373064 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374174 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374712 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
379382 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
380767 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
381855 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3


That looks suspiciously like Soligor numbers -- lens ID "3" followed by 2-digit year of manufacture.


PostPosted: Thu Sep 22, 2022 10:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
simple.joy wrote:
...

There's also this example, the Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3:

371119 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3 (1961-1969 ??)
373064 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374174 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
374712 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
379382 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
380767 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3
381855 - Tamron 95-205 mm f/6.3


That looks suspiciously like Soligor numbers -- lens ID "3" followed by 2-digit year of manufacture.


Thanks for the input... You're right - if you only look at that particular lens, it almost looks like that. However

1.) I'm pretty sure this lens wasn't produced for this amount of time
2.) Tamron is a manufacturer, and Soligor was a label for lenses made by different manufacturers (if I remember correctly) and the first number indicates which one... Tamron wouldn't need that and they would need significantly more than 1-9 to label different lens models.

D1N0 wrote:
Likely the adaptall-2 series differs from the earlier numbering since there is so much variation in number of digits. Then their would at least be less inconsistencies.


That might be a possible solution, indeed. Thank you! Maybe the Adaptall-2 lenses used some kind of code, but I know nothing about this series, so I surely wouldn't be able to decipher it.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 7:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You are familiar with this Tamron resource I guess? http://www.adaptall-2.com/


PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 8:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
You are familiar with this Tamron resource I guess? http://www.adaptall-2.com/


Thanks a lot - looks like a wonderful resource! The person who created it still nowhere to be found?


PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
I'm not sure who created it, but it is now hosted by the same person who hosts this forum. Atilla. Since 2016. I believe it already existed before. Since 2006 according to the way back machine. The author seems to have lost interest, so Atilla took over the domain.


PostPosted: Fri Sep 23, 2022 9:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
My own Tamrons include several swaps which have similar serial numbers but otherwise there seems little pattern to them (all Adaptall 2 unless labelled otherwise):


35-80 model QZ35m (original adaptall)--7909139 (made from 1978)
------"---------------------------------------7904692
85-210 model QZ210m (original adaptall)-7740535 (made from 1978)
2x SP TC model 01F-----------------------5921332 (made from 1979 to 99)
------"---------------------------------------108278
SP90 macro model 52BB-----------------9006698 (made from 1988 )
300 Telemacro model 54B-------------------904885 (made from 1979 to 84)
28-70 model 44A ----------------------------802448 (made from 1986 to 88 )
80-210 model 103A-------------------------3115751 (made from 1981 to 87)
------"----------------------------------------3043973
70-210 model 158A--------------------------130325 (made from 1991)
200 prime model 04B------------------------906543 (made from 1979 to 84)
-------"----------------------------------------901198
35-70 model 09A-----------------------------580884 (made from 1980 to 83)
135 prime model 03B-------------------------801197 (made from 1979 to 84)
LD 200-400 (Minolta A mount)--------------503903 (made from 1994 to 2000)
28-80 AF model 177D (PK mount)---------157702 (made from 1999 to 2010)

I suspect any Soligor lenses will use their own serial numbers with the first letter indicating the manufacturer (H for my one)


PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 9:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I've just copied this off my spreadsheet, it's a list of all my Tamron. ( my list isn't 100% accurate at the moment, I think there are more )

I have also got an early Tamron Zoom 95-205 / 6.3 in M42 mount which has a zebra focusing ring but the aperture and zoom are plain black - serial no 381387.
And somewhere I have a Soligor Twin Tele 135-225 with a No T 20046 same as the Tamron

Interchangeable Mount lenses. Length Aperture Filter Size Serial No.

Tamron BBAR MC . CW-28 28mm f2.8 55mm 5201082
Tamron PFH-28Au. Adaptamatic 28mm f2.8 62mm 195710
Tamron Compact Zoom. 07A 28-50mm f3.5 / 4.5 58mm 5713078
Tamron 59A 28-79mm f3.5 / 4.5 22819
Tamron BBAR MC. 44A CF Macro 28-70mm f3.5 / 4.5 62mm 702481
Tamron SP. CF Macro. 27A 28-80mm f3.5 / 4.2 67mm 4025780
Tamron Zoom BBAR. Close Focus SZ-38 38-100mm f3.5 72mm 372597
Tamron BBAR MC CF Macro 17A 35-70mm f3.5 58mm 417356
Tamron BBAR MC CF Macro 17A 35-70mm f3.5 58mm 332885
Tamron SP BBAR 01A 35-80mm f2.8 / 3.8 62mm 906384
Tamron BBAR C Zoom Macro QZ-35M 35-80mm f 2.8 / 3.5 62mm 9121636
Tamron BBAR 22A Macro 35-135 f3.5 / 4.2 67mm 422353
Tamron 20AB 70-150mm f3.5 49mm 109455
Tamron 20A 70-150mm f3.5 49mm 5420087
Tamron 46A 70-210mm f3.8 / 4 58mm 6313716
Tamron 46A 70-210mm f3.8 / 4 58mm 8303477
Tamron 52A 70-210mm f3.5 / 4 58mm 914824
Tamron SP 19AH 70-210mm F3.5 62mm 303336
Tamron BBAR Z-220 70-220mm f3.8 62mm 591189
Tamron BBAR. 03A 80-210mm f3.8 / 4 55mm 106116
Tamron BBAR. 03A 80-210mm f3.8 / 4 55mm 5535418
Tamron BBAR Z210 Macro 85-210mm f4.5 55mm 8612253
Tamron BBAR 04A Macro 75-250mm f3.5 / 4.5 62mm 105463
Taisei Kogaku Tamron Twin-Tele 135- 225mm f2.8 / 5.5 58mm 377716
Taisei Kogaku Tamron Twin-Tele SOLD 135- 225mm f2.8 / 5.5 58mm 377263
Tamron BBAR MC. CT135 135mm f2.8 55mm 6323284
Tamron SP 52BB 90mm f2.5 55mm 8003301
Tamron SP 52BB 90mm f2.5 55mm 5817
Tamron SP 52BB 90mm f2.5 55mm 504279
Tamron Auto Adaptamatic 870AU 200mm f3.5 62mm 186352
Tamron BBAR. O4B 200mm f3.5 58mm 900838
Tamron SP 670AU (Black ) 300mm f5.6 62mm 342904
Tamron SP 670AU ( Silver ) 300mm f5.6 62mm 341106
Tamron 55B Mirror 500mm f8 30.5mm 202267


PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
All AD-2 Tamron SP:

1:3.5 17 51B 901084
1:3.5 17 51B 905915
1:3.5 17 151B 0000253
1:3.5 70-210 19AH 400318
1:8 500 55BB 501362
1:8 500 55BB 852267


PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 10:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
D1N0 wrote:
I'm not sure who created it, but it is now hosted by the same person who hosts this forum. Atilla. Since 2016. I believe it already existed before. Since 2006 according to the way back machine. The author seems to have lost interest, so Atilla took over the domain.


Thanks for the info! Great that the site was rescued - there's quite a lot of information there.

DConvert wrote:
My own Tamrons include several swaps which have similar serial numbers but otherwise there seems little pattern to them (all Adaptall 2 unless labelled otherwise):

28-70 model 44A ----------------------------802448 (made from 1986 to 88 )
135 prime model 03B-------------------------801197 (made from 1979 to 84)


Thank you very much! Those are particularly interesting to me (because they're close to the numbers my lens has). Does any of these two have a 'passed' sticker with a year of manufacture on them? That they are so close, would either mean that one was pretty much at the end of the production (in 1984) and the other one at the start (in 1986). If that's not the case it would seem like there's neither a consistent chronological, nor a 'lens code' system in place.

Lloydy wrote:
I've just copied this off my spreadsheet, it's a list of all my Tamron. ( my list isn't 100% accurate at the moment, I think there are more )

Tamron BBAR MC. 44A CF Macro 28-70mm f3.5 / 4.5 702481
Tamron BBAR. O4B 200mm f3.5 900838


Wow - thank you very much for that! Do you have any information on these two lenses in terms of manufacturing dates?

visualopsins wrote:
All AD-2 Tamron SP:

1:8 500 55BB 852267


Many thanks for the information. Is this a mirror lens? Do you know a date of production for this model?


PostPosted: Sat Sep 24, 2022 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
simple.joy wrote:
...
visualopsins wrote:
All AD-2 Tamron SP:

1:8 500 55BB 852267


Many thanks for the information. Is this a mirror lens? Do you know a date of production for this model?


http://adaptall-2.com/lenses/55BB.html says

Quote:
Tamron SP 500mm F/8 Mirror Model 55BB: This later version SP 500mm F/8, introduced in 1983, is an optically revised version of the original model 55B lens first introduced in 1979. The major optical design change is the switch to a constant thickness meniscus main mirror in order to reduce close focusing spherical aberration. The change in the main mirror design also necessitated changes for the two smallest lenses located within the middle of the optical design. This model 55BB also discards the earlier model's detachable tripod mount and the set of four filters for B&W photography. The later model 55BB is also readily distinguished from the original model by its diamond knurled rubber focus grip and the lack of the locking screw used on the earlier model 55B's built-in rotating tripod mount ring. Thus this lens does not feature any built-in tripod mount whereas the original lens featured a detachable tripod mount.


PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 5:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I don't own these anymore:


Tamron SP Teleconverter 2X 01F 5965373
Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Macro 52BB 8008965
Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Macro 52BB 311280
Tamron SP 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.2 27A 516710
Tamron SP 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.2 27A 333895
Tamron SP 60-300mm 1:3.8-5.4 23A 202220
Tamron CF 1:2.5 135mm 03B 5301405
TAMRON TELECONVERTER 1.4X BBAR MC 140F No. 00721
Tamron 1:2.8 f=28m 8008215
Tamron 1:3.5 17mm 51B 908679


PostPosted: Tue Sep 27, 2022 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
visualopsins wrote:
I don't own these anymore:


Tamron SP Teleconverter 2X 01F 5965373
Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Macro 52BB 8008965
Tamron SP 90mm 1:2.5 Macro 52BB 311280
Tamron SP 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.2 27A 516710
Tamron SP 28-80mm 1:3.5-4.2 27A 333895
Tamron SP 60-300mm 1:3.8-5.4 23A 202220
Tamron CF 1:2.5 135mm 03B 5301405
TAMRON TELECONVERTER 1.4X BBAR MC 140F No. 00721
Tamron 1:2.8 f=28m 8008215
Tamron 1:3.5 17mm 51B 908679


Thanks a lot for the numbers! It seems quite hard to make any sense of it... it probably takes someone way more familiar with Tamron, to solve the puzzle of their system(s).
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