Olympus 18-180 serial number...?

[Brian Steele]

I'm packaging my 18-180 lens for its trip to repair and I noticed something - there's no serial number on the lens. The little depressed section where the s/n sticker is located on most Oly lenses is completely blank, no sticker present.

Thinking that the sticker might have come off somehow, I tried to check its serial number with my E620, and the E620 reports its serial number is "000000000". Weird. The warranty card says the s/n is 166043987, but there is no way to tie this back to the lens, because there's no serial number on the lens, either physically or in firmware.

I'm just wondering if this is the norm for the 18-180, or is my 18-180 an exception to the rule?

--
Brian Steele
http://mypages.spiceisle.com/brian

 

[Messier Object]

right alongside the Made in Japan lettering

Peter

 

[CollBaxter]

Mine also has no serial number. A shows a serial number of S/N 0000000. My 18-180 is about 5 years old.

--
Collin

(Aficionado Olympus DSLR )

http://collinbaxter.zenfolio.com/
http://www.pbase.com/collinbaxter

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. (George Carlin)

New Seventh Wonder of the World.

 

[LJSmak]

I'm just wondering if this is the norm for the 18-180, or is my 18-180 an exception to the rule?

Has it been repaired during it's life? It could be that the circuits have been exchanged then.

I used to have a Macbook G4, which needed motherboard-replacement. When I got it back it had no (digital) serial number anymore. They have special "numberless" parts for repairs, it seems, probably because otherwise the number would actually change after repair... (the printed number on the case sticker was till there though)

;-)
Lourens

 

[Brian Steele]

Mine also has no serial number. A shows a serial number of S/N 0000000. My 18-180 is about 5 years old.

Ok, so my own is not the only one :0. I purchased my 18-180 only two years ago though. I'm sending it back for repair now because it seems every picture I take with the lens looks like it was shot with a diffusion filter attached.

--
Brian Steele
http://mypages.spiceisle.com/brian

 

[Brian Steele]

I'm just wondering if this is the norm for the 18-180, or is my 18-180 an exception to the rule?

Has it been repaired during it's life?

Not to my knowledge. This is its first trip to Olympus Repair since I bought it two years ago from B&H.

--
Brian Steele
http://mypages.spiceisle.com/brian

 

[Historicity]

I bought mine from Amazon.com -- don't remember when. Its S/N is 166046301.

However, I did have that problem with a Pentax K20d camera. Some camera outfit was selling them at a ridiculously low price -- refurbished with low shutter actuations at $379. I ordered one and it came with a S/N (at least there was a S/N mentioned in the paperwork), but it had a stained sensor; so I sent it back. The replacement camera was excellent. It wasn't until much later that I noticed it had no S/N. I saved the paperwork in case I ever have to have it repaired.

In the case of cameras I learned that they have serial numbers in their software, at least the Pentax cameras do. I forget how one finds them, perhaps by looking at the EXIF info. I wonder now if digital lenses have internal S/Ns as well.

Lawrence

 

[Brian Steele]

I wonder now if digital lenses have internal S/Ns as well.

Yep - you can see them if you have a dSLR that can show them. On the E620, if you go into the AF adjustment menu, it will display the s/n of the attached lens (if you think about it, needs some way to identify the lens for this type of procedure).

On my E620 however, it's displaying a s/n of 000000000 for my 18-180 lens.

--
Brian Steele
http://mypages.spiceisle.com/brian

 

[Art_P]

Phil Harvey's ExifTool can extract the lens serial # from a photo.
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

Used it not long ago when trying to find serial #s for lenses stolen during a robbery.

--
Art P
"I am a creature of contrast,
of light and shadow.
I live where the two play together,
I thrive on the conflict"

 

[Brian Steele]

Phil Harvey's ExifTool can extract the lens serial # from a photo.
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

Used it not long ago when trying to find serial #s for lenses stolen during a robbery.

I tried that - it also shows "000000000".

The lens is on its way to Olympus now for cleaning / repair. Hopefully the missing s/n does not cause any issues...

--
Brian Steele
http://mypages.spiceisle.com/brian

 

[linuxworks]

my 18-180 (from amazon, I think) has a serial # on the lens body.

strange that yours was missing.

but the lens should have one. it does not make sense that they'd have runs with and without it.

grey market? that's my thought.

--
Bryan
(pic stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/linux-works )

 

[Nicolas Isaksson]

This thread scares me...what paperwork? My camera came with nothing on it.... :s