Where are Nikkor lens made today?

[DarkDTSHD]

Hello guys,

I found out Nikon seems to be having their lens made in so many places. From Thailand to China to Germany to Japan. Is there a website that will tell us which lens was made where? Curious.

Also, I noticed while Googling, that some VR series lens have a gold plate on the side and would say "made in Japan". Are all VR series lens "made in Japan"? And some VR series lens do not have the gold plate on the side. Are there two different grades of VR series lens out there?

Thanks.

[K1W1]

Nikon are like every manufacturer. They make things in the least expensive place possible. Sometimes the same lens (for example the 50mm f1.8) can seemingly be made in several places at the same time to supply different markets.
As far as I know all 18-200VR lenses except the very first ones are made in Thailand. I think almost all the other VR lenses are made in Japan.
I'm not aware of a lens database that lists country of manufacture. I would be a massive effort on somebodies part to complie such a list.

[DarkDTSHD]

Nikon are like every manufacturer. They make things in the least expensive place possible. Sometimes the same lens (for example the 50mm f1.8) can seemingly be made in several places at the same time to supply different markets.
As far as I know all 18-200VR lenses except the very first ones are made in Thailand. I think almost all the other VR lenses are made in Japan.
I'm not aware of a lens database that lists country of manufacture. I would be a massive effort on somebodies part to complie such a list.

Hello K1W1,

While I haven't looked into every manufacturer I know that Canon still manufactures all their camera and lens in Japan. Or they did the last time I looked. Maybe that's part of the reason why their gear is more expensive than most.

My Sony DSC-H1 was made in Japan. But I'm not sure if all other Sony cameras are also made in Japan. Shrug.

As for putting together a dbase...for some odd and maybe not so odd reasons some one will always find the time. I mean what topic or information can't be found on the net? It usually comes down to your Google skills I think. :)

And about the VR series lens...I saw a 70-200mm ED lens with a gold plate on the barrel. Did say "made in Japan". But most of the other VR lens I've seen online don't have the gold plate. Are the ones WITH the gold plate some of the "first ones"?

Any how, I still hope some one will post a link.

Have a good weekend! :)