Canon Lens Code - How Old Your Canon Lens?

Canon Lens Code - How Old Your Canon Lens?

If you like to buy second hand lens, you have to make sure the lens still in good condition. You can check from the body and also the important things are the age of your lens from the time its build until reach to buyer hand

On Canon Lens especially L-series, theres code on the mount lens that contains information how old the lens. Example UV0207, U show the location where the lens was build, U prefer to Utsunomiya in japan. 

U = Utsunomiya, japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan

The second word "V" is the year that the lens was build

A = 1986, 1960
B = 1987, 1961
C = 1988, 1962
D = 1989, 1963
E = 1990, 1964
F = 1991, 1965
G = 1992, 1966
H = 1993, 1967
I = 1994, 1968
J = 1995, 1969
K = 1996, 1970
L = 1997, 1971
M = 1998, 1972
N = 1999, 1973
O = 2000, 1974
P = 2001, 1975
Q = 2002, 1976
R = 2003, 1977
S = 2004, 1978
T = 2005, 1979
U = 2006, 1980
V = 2007, 1981
W = 2008, 1982
X = 2009, 1983
Y = 2010, 1984
Z = 2011, 1985

the second number "02" its prefer to the month which means two is prefer to february the third number "07" is internal code from canon.

so you can tell that lens was buil in february 2007

Source : around the web