[LIJ]

Not that it is so important but I wonder if someone could help me with a couple of questions. I have two Vivitar lenses (well one is in the mail on its way to me).

The first one is the Komine built 135/2.8 (serial 28807xxx). It is PK-mount (no A on the aperture ring). The serial number suggests its either from 1978 or 1988. Can anyone help me with what year? Did Vivitar make manual lenses as late as 1988? Pentax started with PKA 1983(?) but were manual lenses produced after that? I got it myself in the early 90s so I do not know any of its history.

The second one is the Series 1 70-210, version 2 (Tokina). Serial 37300xxx. I guess there is no question that the years is 1983, but what about the week? According to that Vivitar serial number list that is on the internet the week numbers should go frpn 01-52, but what is week 00?

Any insights?

[stevebrot]

Not that it is so important but I wonder if someone could help me with a couple of questions. I have two Vivitar lenses (well one is in the mail on its way to me).

The first one is the Komine built 135/2.8 (serial 28807xxx). It is PK-mount (no A on the aperture ring). The serial number suggests its either from 1978 or 1988. Can anyone help me with what year? Did Vivitar make manual lenses as late as 1988? Pentax started with PKA 1983(?) but were manual lenses produced after that? I got it myself in the early 90s so I do not know any of its history.

The second one is the Series 1 70-210, version 2 (Tokina). Serial 37300xxx. I guess there is no question that the years is 1983, but what about the week? According to that Vivitar serial number list that is on the internet the week numbers should go frpn 01-52, but what is week 00?

Any insights?

Week? Take your pick....

As for your 135/2.8...Vivitar made manual focus lenses throughout its history and even continued offering M42 screw mount well into the 1980s. If your lens is all metal build, vanilla K-mount, and not labeled as multicoated, I would vote for 1978.


Steve

[LIJ]

Week? Take your pick....

According to Mark Robert's web page the digits after the manufacturer's code "designate the year and week of manufacture. One digit for the year and two digits (01 through 52) for the week". My lens has 00 for the week. Even though some years actually have 53 weeks, wouldn't it be strange to use 00 instead of 53 for that extra week?

[LIJ]

An update. I have been looking at pictures of diffrent Vivitar Series 1 70-210 zooms by Kiron and Tokina. Turns out some of them have "week numbers" well over 52. Saw one 59 for instance. That means that one cannot be certain that digit number 4 and 5 acctually designates the week the lens was made. I wonder if the whole dating-by-serial-number system is correct at all?