[froeschle]

How many FA* lenses were produced?
How old is a specific copy?
Can a serial number database help to answer such questions?

Serial number according to Pentax Serial Number Database - PentaxForums.com
(black: focal length of FA* lens, first production year)
(blue: FA lenses [+] with similar serial numbers, production from-to)

Assuming a chronological order of the numbers, year dates can be introduced and may only be shifted upwards in the list.

Code:

3000913 (90-04)
3001841 (90-04)
3002942 (90-04)

1991

3006237 (600, 91)
3006317 (600, 91)

1992

3012842 (85, 92)
3013599 (85, 92)

1993

3014401 (200, 93)

3014937 (85, 92)
30149XX (85, 92)
3015008 (85, 92)

3017279 (200, 93)

3019043 (85, 92)
3023443 (85, 92)

3025059 (90-04)

1994

30259XX (300, 94)

3027752 (80-200, 94)
3029052 (80-200, 94)

3029209 (85, 92)

3033282 (300, 94)
3033337 (300, 94)
3033362 (300, 94)

3033676 (85, 92)
3037217 (85, 92)

3040147 (200, 93)
304226X (200, 93)

3044452 (90-04)

3044868 (85, 92)

3046987 (300, 94)

3050777 (90-04)

3053389 (24, 91)
3055407 (24, 91)
3055647 (24, 91)
3056923 (24, 91)

3058135 (28-70, 94)

3058800 (24, 91)
3059561 (24, 91)

30599XX (28-70, 94)
3060434 (28-70, 94)

3062083 (91-04)
3100832 (91-00)
3106820 (91-00)
3120324	(92-99)
3121275	(92-99)
3207605 (91-98)
3211558 (91-98)
3262646 (91-98)

3316218 (28-70, 94)

3404924 (91-98)
3416418	(92-99)
3427184 (91-00)
34373XX	(92-99)
3661706	(92-99)
3668230 (91-98)

3690881 (28-70, 94)

36916XX (24,91)

3691755 (28-70, 94)

3695012 (24, 91)
3695342 (24, 91)

3697125 (90-04)

3697741 (24, 91)
3697770 (24, 91)

3698217 (90-04)
3699276 (90-04)
37006XX (90-04)

3703912 (250-600, 91)

3706757 (80-200, 94)

3707889 (300 4.5, 91)
3707936 (300 4.5, 91)
3708022 (300 4.5, 91)

3709707 (90-04)
3710129 (91-98)

3710477 (80-200, 94)

3711747 (85, 92)
3711868 (85, 92)

3712456 (90-04)

3713787 (600, 91)
3713907 (600, 91)

3716400 (90-04)
3716689 (90-04)
37178XX (90-04)

3718308 (85, 92)
3718326 (85, 92)
3718363 (85, 92)

37184XX (80-200, 94)
3719372 (80-200, 94)

3722436 (90-04)

3722667 (85, 92)

3725966 (80-200, 94)
3726496 (80-200, 94)

3729822 (90-04)

3730346 (300 4.5, 91)
37303XX (300 4.5, 91)
3730717 (300 4.5, 91)

3731636 (85, 92)
3736351 (85, 92)
3736537 (85, 92)
3738562 (85, 92)
3739967 (85, 92)

3741676 (90-04)
3752650 (96-04)
3752748 (96-04)
3754862 (96-04)
3765991 (96-04)

3810596 (24, 91)

1997

38106XX (400, 97)
3810722 (400, 97)
3810765 (400, 97)
3811059 (400, 97)

3811123 (28-70, 94)
38112XX (28-70, 94)
3811581 (28-70, 94)

3812406 (24, 91)
3813599 (24, 91)

2000

38142XX (200 4, 00)
3814318 (200 4, 00)
3814486 (200 4, 00)
3814524 (200 4, 00)

3814726 (28-70, 94)

3814932 (90-04)

3815350 (28-70, 94)

3815415 (90-04)

3816106 (24, 91)
3816618 (24, 91)

3816723 (90-04)

3817342 (24, 91)

3817525 (90-04)

3818115 (24, 91)

3851372 (91-04)
3866964 (90-04)

3897877 (85, 92)

3897958 (90-04)
3898689 (91-98) ???
3898882 (91-98) ???

3899782 (85, 92)
3899802 (85, 92)
3904077 (85, 92)
3904802 (85, 92)

3905646 (90-04)
3908406 (90-04)

3908558 (600, 91)

3910381 (90-04)

3912013 (85, 92)

3912077 (90-04)

3913167 (80-200, 94)

3915263 (85, 92)

4148265 (90-04)
4159171 (91-00)
4291765	(92-99) ???

It seems like charges of lenses were produced. Assuming only one charge for the FA* 200/4 (and the FA* 400/5.6) this would result in less than about 1100 (500) copies. Does anybody own a lens with a serial number between 3813599 and 38142XX?



[+]:
FA 100/2.8 Macro (91-04)
FA 100/3.5 Macro (98-04)
FA 135/2.8 (91-00)
FA 28-105/4-5.6 (92-99)
FA 28-200/3.8-5.6 (96-04)
FA 28/2.8 (91-04)
FA 28-80/3.5-4.7 (91-98)
FA 50/2.8 Macro (90-04)
FA 70-200/4-5.6 (91-00)

---

Last edited by froeschle; 10-09-2012 at 01:03 PM.

[Pål Jensen]

I once had the production numbers of all Pentax lens series. Don't have it anymore. I think I remember that the number of FA lenses was 2 million...

[froeschle]

I think I remember that the number of FA lenses was 2 million...

That seems plausible. However, I am mostly interested in the statistics of the FA* lenses.
Do you also remember, how the serial numbers were related to the actual years of production?

[Pål Jensen]

That seems plausible. However, I am mostly interested in the statistics of the FA* lenses.
Do you also remember, how the serial numbers were related to the actual years of production?

No mention of serial numbers and the lenses was grouped by series - no separate numbers for star lenses...