Nikon Z 800mm/f6.3 PF Lens Serial Number Progression

We have had several threads on the shortage of the 800mm PF lens. From the beginning I thought Nikon priced it way too low, at US$6500, while the F-mount 800/5.6 FL is $16300. The Z lens is much lighter and a lot more compact, at merely 1/3 stop slower. Additionally, the production of PF element is a bottleneck.

Here are a few data points to help us get an idea how many 800 PF lenses Nikon is manufacturing:

• 6 April 2022: Nikon officially announced the 800mm PF. As far as I know and according the Roland Vink, serial numbers begin with 20002001.
• 5 May 2022: Chambeshi received his 800 PF in South Africa with serial number 2000214* https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66800418
• Late June 2022: A Nikon rep for California told me that if one placed an order at that point, it would take 12 to 18 months to receive the 800 PF or 400/2.8 TC.
• 14 July 2022: Nikon USA officially stop accepting any more new orders for the 800 PF and 400/2.8 TC.
• 5 October 2022: My friend B received his 800 PF, an NPS order from B&H on April 7 (one day after the announcement). His serial number is 200043**.
• 23 November 2022: I received my 800 PF, ordered from B&H on April 6 within the first minute after they opened ordering, but without NPS priority. Serial 200047**.
• 5 December 2022: My friend R received his 800 PF, serial 200049**.
• 24 January 2023: Roland Vink's web site is showing the latest serial number is 20005287. But Roland's web site is not necessarily very up to date.

I downloaded the attached image from Nikon on April 8, 2022. Interestingly, that lens is showing the serial number 20002001, which I believe is the very first number from production. There are earlier serial numbers from pre-production models Nikon had sent to various YouTube reviewers so that those video would be ready at the official announcement on April 6, 2022.

For those who are fortunate enough to have the 800/6.3 PF, it would be interesting if you could supply your serial numbers without perhaps the last two digits and the date you received it. That may help us get a better idea how many lenses Nikon is shipping. My personal estimate is 300 units a month (maybe slightly more) based on the data points I posted above.

Thanks in advance.

Serial Number on Nikon's Web Site, Early April 2022

Received on 08/03/22, SN 200037XX. Mighty fine lens.

Ken Seals wrote:

Received on 08/03/22, SN 200037XX. Mighty fine lens.

Ken and Wildkits, thanks for your inputs. It essentially supports my theory that Nikon's sustainable shipping rate for the 800 PF is somewhere around 300 a month.

However, that number is considerably lower than the rate for the 500mm PF back in 2019. I am not sure the production is further limited by that large, 800/6.3 = 127mm front element and/or the Covid situation in China.

If Nikon still had capacity in their PF element manufacturing set up, when they discovered the demand for the 800 PF was much higher than they had anticipated, there was a chance that they could still ramp up production around June/July 2022. And since it is taking something like 7 to 9 months to fabricate a PF element, perhaps we may see more delivery for the 800 PF around the end of 1Q or beginning of 2Q in 2023; i.e. 2, 3 months from now.

Perhaps the serial numbers for future 800 PF deliveries will give us the answer.

Thanks again guys.

P.S. Ken is using the US date format August 3, 2022. March 8 would have been before the official 800 PF announcement on April 6.

Ordered through NPS from Murphys Camera May 12, 2022

Received Nov 17, 2022

200045**

Latest serial number in USA shared on BCG is 200057**

https://bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/when-was-the-last-time-z-800mm-were-delivered-to-customers-in-the-usa.17024/post-238663

Mine was received around May 8, 2022.  The serial number was 200031XX.  So clearly production is very low with maybe 3000 lenses in 9 months.

chambeshi wrote:

Latest serial number in USA shared on BCG is 200057**

https://bcgforums.com/index.php?threads/when-was-the-last-time-z-800mm-were-delivered-to-customers-in-the-usa.17024/post-238663

Thank you for relaying the information. Unfortunately, they didn’t specify when that 800 PF was received. Assuming that is pretty recent, we may still have fewer than 4K lenses around (assuming serials begins with 20002001).

The owner received this latest copy 200057** yesterday

ericbowles wrote:

Mine was received around May 8, 2022. The serial number was 200031XX. So clearly production is very low with maybe 3000 lenses in 9 months.

Nikon announced the lens on April 6 and started shipping in late April?? Yours must be among the earliest ones. I am a bit surprised that Nikon already had at least 1100 lenses on hand to ship. That would be more than I thought.

But then we haven’t exceeded 20006000 yet, as far as I know. That is fewer than 3000 additional lenses in almost 9 months. Production indeed seems low.

chambeshi wrote:

The owner received this latest copy 200057** yesterday

Thanks. That matches 200057** to 30 January 2023. It is all approximate; doesn’t matter if we are off by a few days.

Incidentally, from my November 21 200047** to end of January, in 2 months and 10 days, the serial number goes up by 1000. Hopefully that is a sign that production maybe speeding up a little.

200041xx.  Received 8/28/22 through NPS.

200056xx. Ordered 4/6/2022 from Samys.com. Received 2/2/23.

PLMSG wrote:

Picked up my PF 800mm/6.3 on 31Jan.2023 @ Dan's Camera City. Allentown, Pa.

Preordered with downpayment ($1K) based on rumors, late March 2022, before official announcement.

Back on 14 December 2021, Nikon had announced the development of the 800/6.3 PF. Therefore there was this pre-announcement before the April 6 official announcement; it wasn’t merely rumors. However, the price wasn’t disclosed until April 6, and that turned out to be a lot lower than the US$10K I expected.

It looks like a lot of the (pre) April 6 orders are finally shipped. Congratulations to all new 800 PF owners.

Just saw a post on a different forum. Someone received 2000571*. It looks like in the last week or so, people are receiving 200055**, 56, and 57 lenses. Nikon may have just shipped a bunch of them.

Also in the UK, people can order the 800 PF from Grandy's Camera and receive it in a couple of weeks, but those are gray imports from Hong Kong.

One way or another, it looks like the supply is easing a bit. For those who are still waiting, please be patient.

Maik M wrote:

Received 200154xx Jan 9th 2023. Got the notice early January that ONE copy is on it's way to Germany from Amsterdam, and I would be next on the order list (large Nikon-only dealer in Munich). Ordered Apr 2022.

Congratulations. Looks like there were a lot of 800 PF deliveries in January. I am puzzled by the 200154** serial number, though. Previously, the higher I have seen was 200057** in late January, early February. That appears to be a huge jump by 10K.