Nikon Z 180-600mm Lens Serial Numbers

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shuncheung

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Previously we have had threads tracking the serial numbers for lenses such as the 500mm/f5.6 PF and 800mm/f6.3 PF, e.g.: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4694813

For Nikon Z-mount lenses, the serial is an 8-digit number typically starting with 20002001 for production lenses, note the 2 in the middle digit. (But a few lenses that are special editions of another existing lens, the serial number may start with a 3 to distinguish from the original version.) Typically pre-production lenses that are sent to various reviewer have serial numbers below 20002000, and sometimes those serial numbers show up in preview videos. Those are not production lenses.

Nikon started shipping the 180-600 on 31 August 2023, and today is September 4 (Labor Day in the US). It has only been four days, but we have already had reports that someone received a 180-600 with a serial number as high as 200304** on day 1: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/67229661

If Nikon is indeed using every serial number (minus whatever defective ones they remove) from 20002001 to 20030400 in the first batch, we are talking about a very large batch with close to 30K lenses, or perhaps more. In that case we should not see much shortage. Or perhaps Nikon is now using different number ranges for different markets so that there are large gaps, and therefore the total count is far fewer than 30K.

For those who are fortunate enough to have received a 180-600, if you don't mind, please share your serial number, but please do not post all 8 digits for your privacy. As long as we know the first 7 or 8 digits, it is more than sufficient. Also, it would be great to let us know where in the world you live, e.g. Australia, Asia, Europe, Canada, US, etc.

It'll also be interesting to know what serial number there are in the next batch of lenses, perhaps a few weeks from now.

Thanks a lot in advance.
 
If Nikon is indeed using every serial number (minus whatever defective ones they remove) from 20002001 to 20030400 in the first batch, we are talking about a very large batch with close to 30K lenses, or perhaps more.
If Nikon are making perhaps 5,000 a week; as they delayed the indicated but not confirmed release date from around 17th to a confirmed 31st August - they could have had time to get an extra 10,000 lenses in the pipeline.

photosynthesis has 20020013 and I have a little over 20025,000.

If others can confirm a lower number first to 5,000, then to 10,000, then to 15000 and last to 20,000 then there would seem to be no gaps - and a very large first delivery.
 
If Nikon is indeed using every serial number (minus whatever defective ones they remove) from 20002001 to 20030400 in the first batch, we are talking about a very large batch with close to 30K lenses, or perhaps more.
If Nikon are making perhaps 5,000 a week; as they delayed the indicated but not confirmed release date from around 17th to a confirmed 31st August - they could have had time to get an extra 10,000 lenses in the pipeline.

photosynthesis has 20020013 and I have a little over 20025,000.

If others can confirm a lower number first to 5,000, then to 10,000, then to 15000 and last to 20,000 then there would seem to be no gaps - and a very large first delivery.
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?

Did Nikon ship majority of lens to very remote locations around world. Say Gas-station / Convenience store / B&B in Yakutsk, Russia?

Is Nikon holding back on shipping lens and making lenses available for some reason?
 
If Nikon is indeed using every serial number (minus whatever defective ones they remove) from 20002001 to 20030400 in the first batch, we are talking about a very large batch with close to 30K lenses, or perhaps more.
If Nikon are making perhaps 5,000 a week; as they delayed the indicated but not confirmed release date from around 17th to a confirmed 31st August - they could have had time to get an extra 10,000 lenses in the pipeline.

photosynthesis has 20020013 and I have a little over 20025,000.

If others can confirm a lower number first to 5,000, then to 10,000, then to 15000 and last to 20,000 then there would seem to be no gaps - and a very large first delivery.
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?

Did Nikon ship majority of lens to very remote locations around world. Say Gas-station / Convenience store / B&B in Yakutsk, Russia?

Is Nikon holding back on shipping lens and making lenses available for some reason?
As much as I'm railing on Nikon for not making more in the first place, there's no reason for them to not ship them when they get enough to make it worth bulk shipping (which might be 1k, 2k, 4k, whatever).

The US seems to have gotten shorted though, so I think a lot of them went elsewhere in the world despite the US being one of the single largest markets.
 
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?
If you frequent specialist wildlife forums - several USA posters say they have one.

If initial demand world wide is 100,000 and Nikon released around 30,000 - around 70% would not get a first delivery lens.

A report saying one shop did not get one - without first clarifying if they even ordered one or have a strong Nikon account - can spread like wildfire on the web to become probably distorted to Nikon USA did not get a fair share.
 
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?
If you frequent specialist wildlife forums - several USA posters say they have one.

If initial demand world wide is 100,000 and Nikon released around 30,000 - around 70% would not get a first delivery lens.

A report saying one shop did not get one - without first clarifying if they even ordered one or have a strong Nikon account - can spread like wildfire on the web to become probably distorted to Nikon USA did not get a fair share.
B&H is one of if not the largest camera store in the world and I preordered when it went live. Best buy which is a large chain store doesn't do pre-orders and as soon as the clock turned to August 31st the status went from coming soon to sold out. I contacted both and they said they didn't get their shipments in. Now I've read of one person who claims their order with B&H shipped.
 
Received mine today from Nikon UK. SN 200260**. Ordered on the day it was announced. I am not NPS.
Thank you. Congratulations on your new lens.
 
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But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?
If you frequent specialist wildlife forums - several USA posters say they have one.

If initial demand world wide is 100,000 and Nikon released around 30,000 - around 70% would not get a first delivery lens.

A report saying one shop did not get one - without first clarifying if they even ordered one or have a strong Nikon account - can spread like wildfire on the web to become probably distorted to Nikon USA did not get a fair share.
B&H is one of if not the largest camera store in the world and I preordered when it went live. Best buy which is a large chain store doesn't do pre-orders and as soon as the clock turned to August 31st the status went from coming soon to sold out. I contacted both and they said they didn't get their shipments in. Now I've read of one person who claims their order with B&H shipped.
I’m receiving mine tomorrow from B&H. Non-NPS. Ordered within first 2 minutes.
 
B&H is one of if not the largest camera store in the world and I preordered when it went live. Best buy which is a large chain store doesn't do pre-orders and as soon as the clock turned to August 31st the status went from coming soon to sold out. I contacted both and they said they didn't get their shipments in. Now I've read of one person who claims their order with B&H shipped.
I’m receiving mine tomorrow from B&H. Non-NPS. Ordered within first 2 minutes.
B&H is the largest camera store in the world. If their sales representatives tell you that they have an item in stock and can ship it to you immediately, I would believe it. However, their sales reps are trained not to reveal when an out-of-stock item will be in stock, how many they will be getting, or where your position is on their waiting list. Sometimes they'll just tell you some nonsense to dismiss you. Take all of that with a grain of salt.

This 180-600 unboxing video was posted to YouTube 2 days ago, i.e. on September 2, 2023 (as today is September 4). Only 9 seconds into the video, it shows a large shipping box with B&H's shipping tape on it. The person goes on to take the 180-600 out of the box. All the B&H did not get any 180-600 talk is total BS:

Incidentally, the 180-600 is made in China.

When a pre-order turns live, the difference of a couple of minutes can turn into several more months of waiting. Last year, I ordered the 800mm PF from B&H within the first minute without NPS priority, and it took 7.5 months before I received mine. Another person ordered from B&H a few minutes later, and his total wait was 11 months, 3.5 months longer than me.

Nextlife, congratulations on your new lens. When you receive it, please share the serial number info with us. Actually the serial number may already be on the electronic receipt. Thanks in advance.
 
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B&H is one of if not the largest camera store in the world and I preordered when it went live. Best buy which is a large chain store doesn't do pre-orders and as soon as the clock turned to August 31st the status went from coming soon to sold out. I contacted both and they said they didn't get their shipments in. Now I've read of one person who claims their order with B&H shipped.
I’m receiving mine tomorrow from B&H. Non-NPS. Ordered within first 2 minutes.
B&H is the largest camera store in the world. If their sales representatives tell you that they have an item in stock and can ship it to you immediately, I would believe it. However, their sales reps are trained not to reveal when an out-of-stock item will be in stock, how many they will be getting, or where your position is on their waiting list. Sometimes they'll just tell you some nonsense to dismiss you. Take all of that with a grain of salt.

This 180-600 unboxing video was posted to YouTube 2 days ago, i.e. on September 2, 2023 (as today is September 4). Only 9 seconds into the video, it shows a large shipping box with B&H's shipping tape on it. The person goes on to take the 180-600 out of the box. All the B&H did not get any 180-600 talk is total BS:

Incidentally, the 180-600 is made in China.

When a pre-order turns live, the difference of a couple of minutes can turn into several more months of waiting. Last year, I ordered the 800mm PF from B&H within the first minute without NPS priority, and it took 7.5 months before I received mine. Another person ordered from B&H a few minutes later, and his total wait was 11 months, 3.5 months longer than me.

Nextlife, congratulations on your new lens. When you receive it, please share the serial number info with us. Actually the serial number may already be on the electronic receipt. Thanks in advance.
I looked at the receipt but no serial number. But the camera is in Oakland only 15 miles from me so pretty confident it will be delivered tomorrow as scheduled. I’ll certainly report the number when I get it.
 
Nextlife, congratulations on your new lens. When you receive it, please share the serial number info with us. Actually the serial number may already be on the electronic receipt. Thanks in advance.
I looked at the receipt but no serial number. But the camera is in Oakland only 15 miles from me so pretty confident it will be delivered tomorrow as scheduled. I’ll certainly report the number when I get it.
I live in the South Bay, near Sunnyvale. Give me your address and I'll drive over to check out your lens. :-D
 
Nextlife, congratulations on your new lens. When you receive it, please share the serial number info with us. Actually the serial number may already be on the electronic receipt. Thanks in advance.
I looked at the receipt but no serial number. But the camera is in Oakland only 15 miles from me so pretty confident it will be delivered tomorrow as scheduled. I’ll certainly report the number when I get it.
I live in the South Bay, near Sunnyvale. Give me your address and I'll drive over to check out your lens. :-D
😎
 
For those who are fortunate enough to have received a 180-600, if you don't mind, please share your serial number, but please do not post all 8 digits for your privacy. As long as we know the first 7 or 8 digits, it is more than sufficient.
I know that one should not publish the complete serial number. But what are the privacy concerns in the end?

My flickr photos show the numbers for bodies and lenses anyway.

Just recently I learned how to strip all data with exiftool and to reinsert (quite easy with a batch command) those that might be relevant for the public. Maybe I'm the last one to have learned this procedure:

D:\[PATH]>exiftool D:\[PATH]\[folder]\ -all= -tagsfromfile @ -exif:focallength -exif:Lensmodel -exif:ExposureTime -exif:FNumber-exif:ISO -exif:FocalLength -exif:Model

But what would be the real benefit doing so?

So let me repeat my number:
  • Lens Serial Number - 200262**
Bought in Germany. What means distributed to Europe directly from the Netherlands
 
Alas, it's not mine

200271XX

I suppose it's Japan

( nice photo btw )

a010da51244842258b0869d2eb252b68.jpg.png


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Mid of French/Italian Alps - Hardiness Zone 8A
I Love all Carnivores, I have mostly Red Dioneas.
https://eu.zonerama.com/AlainCH2/1191151
 
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For those who are fortunate enough to have received a 180-600, if you don't mind, please share your serial number, but please do not post all 8 digits for your privacy. As long as we know the first 7 or 8 digits, it is more than sufficient.
I know that one should not publish the complete serial number. But what are the privacy concerns in the end?
Thanks again for your serial number information. For the purpose of this thread and survey, we only need some general, ballpark numbers to observe a trend. The last 2 or 3 digits are not necessary.

Generally speaking, I would rather not let strangers know any precise serial numbers. Sometimes we get into some spirited debates on forums (fora) such as this one. In case someone is angry with me, they could potentially report my lens serial number as stolen to some database that is tracking stolen product information. Should I want to sell my lens later on, if buyers find out my lens has been falsely reported as stolen, I may have a difficult time selling it and need to provide explanation. There are other pranks people can play on you once they have your serial number. I think we are better off not revealing the precise numbers.
My flickr photos show the numbers for bodies and lenses anyway.

Just recently I learned how to strip all data with exiftool and to reinsert (quite easy with a batch command) those that might be relevant for the public. Maybe I'm the last one to have learned this procedure:

D:\[PATH]>exiftool D:\[PATH]\[folder]\ -all= -tagsfromfile @ -exif:focallength -exif:Lensmodel -exif:ExposureTime -exif:FNumber-exif:ISO -exif:FocalLength -exif:Model

But what would be the real benefit doing so?

So let me repeat my number:
  • Lens Serial Number - 200262**
Bought in Germany. What means distributed to Europe directly from the Netherlands
 
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?
If you frequent specialist wildlife forums - several USA posters say they have one.

If initial demand world wide is 100,000 and Nikon released around 30,000 - around 70% would not get a first delivery lens.

A report saying one shop did not get one - without first clarifying if they even ordered one or have a strong Nikon account - can spread like wildfire on the web to become probably distorted to Nikon USA did not get a fair share.
Oh sure that's it. A shop with a Pre-order list with over 28 names on it; chose to order only 1 (one) Z 180-600mm lens.

Where are you coming up with these numbers? How about some links showing around 30,000 Z 180-600mm lens have been put in dealer hands?

Once again, if Z 180-600mm lens is so available as you keep promoting; for good others wanting lens post links to U.S. dealers who have Z 180-600mm available for purchase now.
 
But where are Z 180-600mm lenses of possible "very large first delivery"?
If you frequent specialist wildlife forums - several USA posters say they have one.

If initial demand world wide is 100,000 and Nikon released around 30,000 - around 70% would not get a first delivery lens.

A report saying one shop did not get one - without first clarifying if they even ordered one or have a strong Nikon account - can spread like wildfire on the web to become probably distorted to Nikon USA did not get a fair share.
Oh sure that's it. A shop with a Pre-order list with over 28 names on it; chose to order only 1 (one) Z 180-600mm lens.

Where are you coming up with these numbers? How about some links showing around 30,000 Z 180-600mm lens have been put in dealer hands?

Once again, if Z 180-600mm lens is so available as you keep promoting; for good others wanting lens post links to U.S. dealers who have Z 180-600mm available for purchase now.
Hi Astirusty and Leonard, the two of you have been arguing about the same topic from one thread to another without a lot of facts behind them. Of course the exact number of any lens Nikon has produced and shipped is company proprietary information that we'll probably never get to know.

The reason I started this thread is to get a collection of serial number data points, large enough to get some idea approximately how many lenses are out there. It hasn't even been a week since Nikon started shipping the 180-600; please gave another week or two for the lenses to arrive in the hands of photographers, such that people can post some images and report some serial numbers. There is a similar question on FaceBook and someone immediately referenced this very thread, and I am also trying to get some more data points from other groups.

I had a quick discussion with Roland Vink in New Zealand. Roland maintains the web site with the best collection of Nikon serial numbers: http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/lenses.html#Z_Zoom

Roland mentioned that he got the initial 20002013 serial number on his web site for the 180-600 from the Ricci video that was posted two months ago as soon as the lens was officially announced. Clearly Ricci had a pre-production lens, but that S/N is already greater than the normal range from 20002001 that Nikon uses for production lenses. Therefore, while Nikon is still using the 8-digit, 20******* serial number format for the 180-600, the number range they are using is now different. I have some idea what Nikon may be doing, but I would wait until there are far more data points to verify my assumption.

Again, I appreciate those who are providing S/N to this thread.
 
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Regarding how many lenses are being delivered, I got a phone call from my photo shop (Japan Photo in Norway), and I was informed that they got 6 (six) samples in the first batch. I am number five in the pre-order list, so I am now waiting for my sample.

If this is true, that one of the largest photo shop chains in Norway only got 6 samples this time around, I think we can conclude that there is going to be some waiting time for those who didn't pre-order.
 
Regarding how many lenses are being delivered, I got a phone call from my photo shop (Japan Photo in Norway), and I was informed that they got 6 (six) samples in the first batch. I am number five in the pre-order list, so I am now waiting for my sample.

If this is true, that one of the largest photo shop chains in Norway only got 6 samples this time around, I think we can conclude that there is going to be some waiting time for those who didn't pre-order.
6 copies of a lens is quite a bit however not many shops get in (6) of either the 400 or 600 T/C.. When a lens is so cheap everyone (but me) jumps on the band wagon. Never see that lens in my lineup.... Way to much hype but it does appeal to the masses...
 
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