What's with the obsession with date codes?

[Prophet]

So... what's up with that! I take it, if you are buying used, you are making sure that it was built recently?

-JD-

 

[lostprophet]

yeah, well its what customers say to me anyway

 

[DSLR noob]

I really don't care, but I find it interesting that both of my current lenses date to 1987

 

[Montana]

Wasn't there slight changes made at certain dates? Like versions of the IS and lens coatings?

Derrick

 

[table1349]

It is a way of judging age and versions of a lens. The Canon 50mm f1.8 Mark I is easy to tell because of it's metal mount vs the plastic mount of the Mark II.

But can you tell me the differences between the versions of the Canon 400 f2.8? No? Me neither, but the date code lets me determine the version and from there I can determine the specs of that lens. This can help in determining a fair market value, and whether it is a lens that I would want.