Nikon Sport Optics in the USA.....a totally clueless entity, especially customer service. They need to stick to selling cameras. They cannot tell you the mfg date of their products, even when given the serial #.
Which is why I started keeping track of Nikon serial #s! I'm pretty sure about when 500-503xxx 8x32 SEs were made, after that I'm less sure, but still have some information because old inventory started mixing with new ones at stores where the SEs weren't selling like hotcakes. I'm also pretty sure they switched over to the 550xxx Eco-Glass model in 2006-2007 since that was when the term "Eco-Glass" appeared in SE ads and when these models went on sale since I tracked them from pix on eBay.
I also thought I had a bead on EII's since I've had five of them myself and have also started keeping track on eBay, either finding the serial #s on the photos or asking the sellers. But then they disappeared from sight, and one owner said he bought his black body model, which I had assumed were later models, in 2002, just three years after the EIIs were introduced. So that's befuddling. In any case, the coatings on my black body EII seem to be slightly better than my gray body, and the rubber armoring is much more robust.
I know when Nikon went from the HG to the HGL but not sure about the Premiers since Nikon retained the HGL label in Europe. However, seeing how the coatings have improved in Nikon SEs over the years (I've owned five samples over the years, and I've tried three more), the Premiers will likely have the latest coatings and glass. However, I liked the optics in my old HG better than the HGL I bought, so I wouldn't necessary call that version "better". They still don't have dielectric coatings even though the lowly Monarch III (5) does.
Nikon customer service might not be able to tell you, because that information is not in their "knowledge data base," but I bet somewhere there's a list of serial numbers and corresponding manufacturing dates. If you get a batch error, you need to track it down. The Japanese created QCM (with some help from e.w. deming) so I doubt if they wouldn't know when their bins or scopes were produced. However, they don't what YOU to know.
Despite these shortcomings, I'm still a Nikon fan because the SEs and EIIs offer a great "bang for the buck" in sports optics. The Prostar and Astroluxe series are also highly regarded, and even the lowly Monarch outsells all other bins, so there must be something to them besides their affordability since there are alternatives at the same price point by other manufacturers.
And finally, because of their No Fault policy on second-hand Nikon bins. $10 + return shipping is a great warranty (in the US). Even Leica doesn't offer that.
<B>
