Fotofix - Vintage Cameras
Canon Data Codes (pre-10 digit serial numbers)
Before the 10-digit serial numbers, Canon included a data code in almost all lenses and cameras. In the lenses the code is deside the rear lens and in the cameras inside the film chamber.
The code is made of 4 elements: XYZZWW
X - The first element is a letter that indicates where the lens/camera was made. Prior to 1986, this letter is moved to the last position of the date code (YZZWWX):
U = Utsunomiya, Japan
F = Fukushima, Japan
O = Oita, Japan
Y - The second element is a letter that indicates the year of manufacture. Canon increments this letter each year starting with A in 1960/1986/2012. Here is a table to make things simple:
ZZ - The third element are two numbers that indicate the month when the lens/camera was manufactured (01 - January .... 12 - December). The leading zero of the month code is sometimes omitted.
WW - The last element are two numbers that are meaningless in determining the year of the lens/camera. This is a Canon internal code (that is occasionally omitted).