Nikon F3 serial numbers

(assisted by Ron Volmershausen and John Laughlin)

The Nikon F3 bodies were produced from March 1980 till October 2000;

the Nikon F3HP was produced since March 1982;

the Nikon F3/T (titanium-champagne) since December 1982;

the Nikon F3/T black since September 1984;

the Nikon F3AF and the Nikon F3P since April 1983;

the Nikon F3Limited since October 1993

If you take off the back door you'll see a production code (above 00AF); the first two digits may refer to the year and month. Here 0 for October and the 0 for 1980.

The first digit means: 1 = Jan.; 2 = Febr.; 3 = March; 4 = April; 5 = May; 6 = June; 7 = July; 8 = Aug.; 9 = Sept.; O = Oct.; N = Nov.; D = Dec.

the second digit means: 0 = 1980/1990/2000; 1 = 1981/1991/2001; etc. etc. The meaning of the two letters is (yet) unknown.

SN period   SN period   SN period  
                 
120xxxx 3/1980   156xxxx 11/1982   192xxxx 5/1991  
121xxxx 4/1980   157xxxx 12/1982   193xxxx 7/1992  
122xxxx 6/1980   158xxxx 2/1983   194xxxx 1/1993  
123xxxx 6/1980   159xxxx 3/1983   195xxxx 6/1993  
124xxxx 8/1980   160xxxx 5/1983   196xxxx 10/1995  
125xxxx 9/1980   161xxxx 7/1983   197xxxx 8/1996  
126xxxx 10/1980   162xxxx 8/1983   198xxxx 11/1997  
127xxxx 11/1980   163xxxx 9/1983   199xxxx 2/2000  
128xxxx 12/1980   164xxxx 11/1983   200xxxx 6/2000  
129xxxx 1/1981   165xxxx 1/1984   201xxxx top for parts  
130xxxx 2/1981   166xxxx 3/1984        
131xxxx 2/1981   167xxxx 5/1984        
132xxxx 3/1981   168xxxx 7/1984   83xxxxx 4/83 - 12/83 F3 AF
133xxxx 4/1981   169xxxx 9/1984        
134xxxx 5/1981   170xxxx 1/1985   T82xxxxx 12/82 - 3/84 F3/T ch
135xxxx 6/1981   171xxxx 3/1985        
136xxxx 7/1981   172xxxx 5/1985   T85xxxxx 9/84 - 7/88 F3/T bl.
137xxxx 7/1981   173xxxx 7/1985        
138xxxx 8/1981   174xxxx 9/1985   P9xxxxxx 4/83 - 3/99 F3P
139xxxx 8/1981   175xxxx 11/1985        
140xxxx 10/1981   176xxxx 1/1986   L95xxxxx 10/1993 - F3L
141xxxx 11/1981   177xxxx 5/1986        
142xxxx 12/1981   178xxxx 7/1986   H96xxxxx 5/96 - 11/96 F3HS
143xxxx 1/1982   179xxxx 11/1986        
144xxxx 1/1982   180xxxx 5/1987        
145xxxx 2/1982   181xxxx 8/1987        
146xxxx 3/1982   182xxxx 4/1988        
147xxxx 3/1982   183xxxx 6/1988        
148xxxx 4/1982   184xxxx 11/1988        
149xxxx 4/1982   185xxxx 5/1989        
150xxxx 5/1982   186xxxx 7/1989        
151xxxx 7/1982   187xxxx 12/1989        
152xxxx 8/1982   188xxxx 5/1990        
153xxxx 9/1982   189xxxx 8/1990        
154xxxx 9/1982   190xxxx 1/1991        
155xxxx 10/1982   191xxxx 3/1991        

this page is still under construction! please report verified serial numbers and production dates to the author.