Current Leica M lens serial numbers for 2016, 2017, 2018 ?

[LBJ2]

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Is there an online reference to check for Leica M lens serial numbers/production dates after 2015? I see several serial number references posted for dates earlier than 2015. Anyone know of more curent data ? 

Edited May 17, 2018 by LBJ2

[jaapv]

They are rather useless as Leica assigns numbers in batches and produces in runs. Some lenses don’t sell that fast, so a new lens sitting at the factory may have a number that has been assigned several years ago.

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[lct]

Is there an online reference to check for Leica M lens serial numbers/production dates after 2015? [...]

 

There is none AFAIK.

[luigi bertolotti]

You have two alternatives to satisfy your curiosity :

1) Write Leica and ask them (they won't tell… such recent figures are still "company confidential")

2) Make a patient pool on LUF, asking ANY member to detail the s/n of any lens they have bought in those years (specifying the date) … You'll have a significant amount of data to draw some conclusion onto (with some odd surprise : probably you'll find someting like an Apo Telyt 135 bought in 2016 with a s/n of several years before, published…)

 

I start it : sorry, no BRAND NEW lens bought in 16-17-18 (but MANY others did, by sure )

Edited May 17, 2018 by luigi bertolotti

[UliWer]

The date when you bought a lens may be considerably later than the date of production

 

New boxes for cameras and lenses come with a sticker which show the date when it was packed which should be very close to the date of production. The sticker of the box of my M10 shows the date 2017/02/24 which is a few days before I recieved it from my Leica dealer.

 

My newer lens boxes - both lenses bought second hand in 2017 - with dates on the stickers are:

 

35mm Summilux asph. no. 4589779 with a sticker date 2015/08/21.

90mm Macro-Elmar (11670) no. 4262558 with a sticker date 2015/12/15.

 

One may take this as an example for a lens with a lower serial number being produced later as one with much higher number - preassigned numbers for batches as described by jaapv above.

 

All other boxes are older and have no stickers with dates.

Edited May 17, 2018 by UliWer

[B-A-C]

Try this for an approximation:

 

http://www.summilux.net/numeros/

[LBJ2]

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Thanks all for your comments and suggestions. Decided to go with UliWer's suggestion to use the sticker date as reference. 

[Bill W]

I recently bought a factory fresh to the dealer SL 90-280 lens and it had a "born on date" in 2016. 

[LBJ2]

The date when you bought a lens may be considerably later than the date of production

 

New boxes for cameras and lenses come with a sticker which show the date when it was packed which should be very close to the date of production. The sticker of the box of my M10 shows the date 2017/02/24 which is a few days before I recieved it from my Leica dealer.

 

My newer lens boxes - both lenses bought second hand in 2017 - with dates on the stickers are:

 

35mm Summilux asph. no. 4589779 with a sticker date 2015/08/21.

90mm Macro-Elmar (11670) no. 4262558 with a sticker date 2015/12/15.

 

One may take this as an example for a lens with a lower serial number being produced later as one with much higher number - preassigned numbers for batches as described by jaapv above.

 

All other boxes are older and have no stickers with dates.

 

Thank you. I recently decided to send an email with lens serial number to Leica support asking if they could tell me the production date of my new lens purchased in 2018. Turns out the production date they sent me based on the serial number was exactly the same as the date printed on the sticker on the box. 

[Al Brown]

To restart this very interesting topic - why on earth did this meticulous (yet not always detailed) system of tracking serial numbers chronologically end at some point? Why is Leica keeping the dates of their lenses secret for the past 6 or so years?

[pedaes]

The last 'published' list I have noted was 2015, which was 4580055 - 4655234 if that is any help. 

[Al Brown]

Just now, pedaes said:

if that is any help. 

Thank you. I am trying to find out why this has stopped. The war did not stop the chroinological listings with s/n, nor did tough times at Leica (such as mid-seventies), so why now?

[pedaes]

12 minutes ago, Al Brown said:

Thank you. I am trying to find out why this has stopped. The war did not stop the chroinological listings with s/n, nor did tough times at Leica (such as mid-seventies), so why now?

Probably because Leica and Dealers were getting too many questions. As was said earlier, some lenses can be new with a number a few years old. Have experienced this myself.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

Lenses with serial numbers that are somewhat earlier than the date when the lenses are sold is not only a recent thing.

 In 1965 I bought a Wetzlar lens brand new in its box, with all papers, etc, at a Leitz/Leica dealer not too far from Wetzlar. The serial number dates to 1963.

Best Regards,

Michael

[jdlaing]

As far as I can recall Leica never published any lists or tracking information of serial numbers for their lenses or cameras. All the lists you find are authored by third parties other than Leica.

[lct]

We could look for serial numbers on the Leica website if memory serves. Was before the M8 i believe but i may be wrong.