a blurred canon date code

[ptztmjun]

Hi all,

I recently bought EF 85mm 1.2 L lens from an ebay seller.

New USA market lens with a warranty card, looks good, gives sharp images.

But today, I compared mine with other 85.2 L lens purchased from B&H photo.

It turns out mine doesn't have an instruction CD and the canon date code (UFxxxx) is more blur than B&H one.

Is this usual? or should I contact the seller & Canon USA to verify it is a certified USA market product.

Thanks,

JP

[Waddizzle]

I would get a refund, if I could.  I do not recommend making a major purchase on eBay or Amazon.  Not all of their vendors are reputable.  Looks to me like you may have found one.

[ebiggs1]

JP,

Meaningless.  Keep your lens. I have bought lenses that do not come with the CD.

Yours is U = Utsunomiya, F = 2017 in January.

His is U = Utsunomiya, E = 2016 in July.

BTW, Utsunomiya is the factory in Japan where the lenses were made.  The last two numbers indicate nothing to us.

"New USA market lens with a warranty card,..."

That is what matters.  Make sure it matches the lens.  And, it only matters for a year from date of purchase.  You can purchase a Canon carePak if you want more.  Call Canon for details.

Enjoy this great fantastic lens. I know I do! 

[ptztmjun]

Discussed with canon customer service, and they forwarded me to counterfeit dept. I strongly believe this seller replaced a rear metal mount with a fake one showing the most recent year code, so he/she can sell it as a new lens. One weird thing is all lens functions are really in a good condition lol

[Stephen]

Hey guys!

Just to shed some light on the subject - any Canon-brand products which are imported and sold other than by Canon Authorized Dealers are referred to as "Gray Market" (or "parallel") products.

Learn more about Gray Market HERE.

Counterfeit, however, is an item that is made to LOOK like a Canon product, but was not made by Canon. This has been happening a lot more often lately, especially with batteries, chargers, and certain lenses. We've seen some crazy counterfeits that don't even look like the real thing, and some are outright dangerous, while others are comical. "L-series" lenses with blue, yellow, or pink bands instead of red. 

The moral of the story is this: Always buy from an Authorized Canon Dealer. If you're not sure whether you're dealing with one, ask us, we'll let you know! 

You can also check HERE for a list of Canon Authorized Dealers.

[ebiggs1]

"Always buy from an Authorized Canon Dealer."

I preach this constantly to people that ask me, what to purchase. Too many unhappy stories otherwise.  However, if the OP has a legit USA warranty card the slightly smudged date code doesn't mean anything.  You may correct me if that thought is wrong?

[Stephen]

Hey Ernie!

A smudged date code doesn't mean a thing. A valid proof of purchase from an Authorized Canon Dealer is what really matters

If you look at any of your warranty cards, it should have the verbiage that states the warranty card and receipt are both required to validate the warranty status, but our Factory Service Center understands that almost nobody holds onto warranty cards, so they just want a copy of the receipt (not a credit card statement). 

If you don't have a warranty card handy, they can all be found HERE.

If your lens or camera is out of warranty, we don't care if it's used. We'll still fix or clean it (at your cost), as long as we still make repairs on that product. 

[ebiggs1]

Well the OP needs to check out the warranty card he/she got.  I always registered my stuff and also with CPS.  You are correct brand-N will not even service grey market gear.  What little Nikon stuff I have is also USA so I never worried.  But I know of others that ran into problems.

Being an owner and user of both I can clearly say Canon service, especially CPS, is the best in the business.  Not simply that, it should be a model for other, non-camera, companies to follow.

One additional point the CPS registry web page is accepted by insurance, at least it from State Farm.

[ptztmjun]

Final update,

As some of you mentioned before, it has a legit warranty card and was able to be registered as Canon USA product.

Also the counterfeit dept. also replied to me that they believe my lens is a genuine Canon product.

Maybe I was too picky. Thanks for all advice.

Best,