How can I identify the original manufacturer of a Vivitar-branded lens from its serial number?
Asked 12/16/2018
4 views
2 answers
0
I’ve read that many older Vivitar lenses can be traced to their original manufacturer using the serial number. Is there a standard Vivitar serial-number format, and what manufacturer codes were used on these lenses?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
7
During the 1970s and early 1990s, Vivitar serial numbers took the following form:
MM Y WW SSS
MM = manufacturer code
Y = year; may be ambiguous, for instance 1979 and 1989
WW = week
SSS = item-specific serial number
The manufacturer codes used by Vivitar are:
06 - Olympus
09 - Cosina Company, Ltd.
13 - Schneider Kreuznach
22 - Kino Precision
25 - Ozone Optical Co., Ltd.
28 - Komine Co., Ltd.
32 - Makina Optical Co., Ltd
33 - Asanuma & Co., Ltd
37 - Tokina Optical Company, Ltd
42 - Bauer (possibly Bauer trademark holder Robert Bosch GmbH)
44 - Perkin-Elmer
47 - Chinon Industries, Inc.
51 - Tokyo Trading (possibly a corruption of Tokyo Koki, a Tokina predecessor)
56 - Kyoei Shoji Company, Ltd.
61 - Samyang Optics Co., Ltd
75 - Hoya Corporation
77 - Kobori Mfg Co. Ltd
81 - Polar
Of these, a few appear to be highly regarded, such as Kino/Kiron (22) and Komine (28). Others have become household names, such as Tokina (37) and Samyang (61).
See also:
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes. For many Vivitar lenses from roughly the 1970s through the early 1990s, the serial number format is commonly given as MMYWWSSS, where:
- MM = manufacturer code
- Y = year digit
- WW = production week
- SSS = item-specific sequence
The year digit can be ambiguous by decade, so you may need to use lens style or mount to tell whether, for example, it means 1979 or 1989.
Reported Vivitar manufacturer codes include: 06 Olympus 09 Cosina 13 Schneider Kreuznach 22 Kino Precision 25 Ozone Optical 28 Komine 32 Makina Optical 33 Asanuma 37 Tokina 42 Bauer 44 Perkin-Elmer 47 Chinon 51 Tokyo Trading 56 Kyoei Shoji 61 Samyang 75 Hoya 77 Kobori
So if your lens serial starts with one of these two-digit codes, that usually indicates the original maker. Keep in mind this applies to many older Vivitar lenses, not necessarily every Vivitar product ever sold.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How can I identify the manufacturer of a Soligor-branded lens from its serial number?
How can I identify the original maker of a Focal-branded Kmart lens?
How can I identify the original manufacturer of a Sears-branded lens?
Can a WWII Graflex K-20 serial number reveal which missions it flew on?
How can I identify a Vivitar lens mount with three flanges and one linking pin?