Nov 6, 2012 - The Camera to Lens Compatibility Chart contains the complete. NIKON SLR CAMERA TO NIKKOR LENS COMPATIBILITY*. I have D200 and a Novoflex 400 mm f 5.6 with Nikon lens mount that I used with F2 for several years. LENS Serial Focal Length Designation Fstop Minimum Stop.

OK, this is a long shot, but I have tried really hard (without success) to find an online source for dating Nikon camera bodies. Lenses, no problem - bodies, forget it:frown:!

So, I would like to ask for volunteers who know the year of manufacture (or purchase, if bought new) of their Nikon SLRs to post details of their Nikon SLR serial numbers (or at least the first 3 or 4 digits:wink, so that the rest of us can get an idea when our cameras were built. Obviously, if (like me:redface you own Nikon SLRs but don't know the year of manufacture, there's not much point in posting just the serial number here.

Still, if we can at least get some posts from those who do have a fairly good idea of the year that their camera hails from, then we could all benefit from that knowledge:smile. This thread is open to any Nikon SLRs (and RFs too, I guess). If we are lucky enough to get lots of posts, then it should be easy for forum members to simply put the model that they are interested in into the 'Search' function and bring up any entries for it that way:smile. (Personally, I would love to hear from any FA owners who could help me find out what year a 5304XXX serial number belongs to:biggrin.

As I said, there appears to be no official source for this info (but please do correct me if I'm wrong), so please take part in the thread if you have anything at all to share. Nikon F100 serial number US2222xxx Date estimated 2002 (based on known dates and serial numbers from other posters) Nikon F3hp serial#173xxxx Jul 1985 Just for reference on the F3 bodies, if you remove the back and look on the body where the back hinges, you'll see a 4-place alpha-numeric code. The first place is the month - 1-9,O,N or D, and the second place is the last number of the year. I cannot remember if this was used on other bodies. Mine has the code 75VL.

7 = July, 5 = 1985 based on serial number range. Here's a with info and a few links on F3 serial numbers. And for those who haven't seen it yet, with lens serial numbers. And like you Andy, I have not been able to find a Nikon SLR serial number directory. Check dpreview.com, they have a history of new announcements from Nikon (among others) going back several years. You'll be able to get the start date for most Nikon DSLRs and their specs too.

I maintain the lens serial number site, and make the assumption that the announcement (in most cases) more or less coincides with the start of production - Nikon usually builds up stocks for a month or two before they are available. Beyond that I do record the date purchased new (where possible) as it gives me a rough picture of when other similar cameras were made and the production rates. I had a few requests for camera info over the years and collected some info, but never had enough time to put together a site. I'll see if I can pass on some of the info to you. You'll also need to consider how you will organize all your data. I have a Microsoft Access database which records all the information (type, optical design, version, subversion, individual lens, etc) so I keep all the information well sorted, and I can refer back to any entry if required. I have about 8000 lens entries so far - the site only shows the high and low serial numbers, but I like to record some between so I can be sure the serial numbers are continuous.

I suspect the camera serial numbers might be a simpler. Ebay is an excellent source of information - heaps of pictures of old cameras every day - with serial numbers. You don't often get purchase dates for older items but at least you have a good source if other information. Nikon F100 serial number 2222xxx Date estimated 2002 (based on known dates and serial numbers from other posters) Nikon F3hp serial#173xxxx Jul 1985 Just for reference on the F3 bodies, if you remove the back and look on the body where the back hinges, you'll see a 4-place alpha-numeric code. The first place is the month - 1-9,O,N or D, and the second place is the last number of the year. I cannot remember if this was used on other bodies.

Mine has the code 75VL. 7 = July, 5 = 1985 based on serial number range.