Dating A Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 lens

CBokeh · Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 6:02 am Post subject: Dating A Canon FL 55mm f/1.2 lens

No, not that kind of date...

I've searched the web for a way to find the date of manufacture for this lens but come up short. Many sites state that Canon started dating their lenses in 1960 and supply a date code table to figure out the year of creation. One just has to check the code on the rear stamp on the lens. Though this lens is from the late '60's, there's just one problem, the lens has no rear stamp (unlike the FD lenses I own).

Any ideas guys?

BTW, the serial is 18XXX...

Thanks in advance!

AstroZon · Joined: 13 Jul 2014 Posts: 172 Location: Colorado Springs

Does it look like this lens? If so, they were made in 1966 - 1967.

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

Actually, according to the Canon Camera Museum, the 55mm f/1.2 was first offered in July 1968. See:

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/lens/fl/data/19-85/fl_55_12.html

I don't think Canon has ever published any information comparing their serial numbers to which years they were made.

CBokeh · Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 4:56 pm Post subject:

cooltouch · Joined: 15 Jan 2009 Posts: 9096 Location: Houston, Texas

I just resurrected that old thread and added my FL 55/1.2's s/n to it. Which is 16017.