# What does Blue Dot on a box means?



## DesignJinni (Sep 13, 2013)

Hi,


I just got a new Canon 70-200 II and the box has a blue dot sticker on it in the top corner. Can any one please clarify what what does that blue dot really means?


:-\


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## Jim Saunders (Sep 13, 2013)

Where did you buy it? If it came direct from Canon with it then it might mean something, but if it went through a retailer then they may have added it for some reason.

Jim


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## Don Haines (Sep 13, 2013)

Odds are that they were doing inventory and the blue sticker means that it was counted....


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Sep 14, 2013)

Some dealers put colored stickers on items to control inventory and to make sure older inventory is sold first. I'd ask your dealer first.


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## distant.star (Sep 14, 2013)

.
It means the lens is compatible with Sylvania Blue Dot flash bulbs!!


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## DesignJinni (Sep 14, 2013)

I have Googled and a lot of mix replies came up for the blue dot sticker. Apparently it is being put by canon themselves. I thought someone would have a definite answer to this? Many people got it direct, some from B&H, where as I got it from a local dealer. Every thing is in the box and looks and smells brand new but why the blue dot on the lens box? What does it really mean? 


Can any one suggest what test should i run to test my lens completely?


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## neuroanatomist (Sep 14, 2013)

DesignJinni said:


> I have Googled and a lot of mix replies came up for the blue dot sticker. Apparently it is being put by canon themselves. I thought someone would have a definite answer to this? Many people got it direct, some from B&H, where as I got it from a local dealer. Every thing is in the box and looks and smells brand new but why the blue dot on the lens box? What does it really mean?
> 
> Can any one suggest what test should i run to test my lens completely?



If Canon is putting it on, why not call and ask them?

http://www.canonrumors.com/tech-articles/how-to-test-a-lens/


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## privatebydesign (Sep 14, 2013)

takesome1 said:


> Again, it was a defective lens that after it left the factory had an issue and returned for repair. It could have been a very minor thing or major. If it were a camera it could have been a firmware change, but not as likely with a lens.
> Most companies would sell these as factory seconds, Canon chooses to sell them as new. If this bothers you and you bought it from someone like B&H the will exchange it with no fuss. There is a chance that some idiot retailer is marking new clean boxes. Rotating inventory to keep it fresh. I guess they think lenses are like milk and will spoil.
> 
> Let me modify this a bit, it could have been a missing or broken item like a bag or cap, it may have not been the lens at all.



Whilst I agree with your opinion, the wording seems ambiguous, Canon do not resell items that have been returned from retail customers as new, if it were Canon USA would be open to all kinds of legal issues. 

If it is a Canon affixed blue dot I believe, and this is certainly true of Canon products in the past, that there was a factory recall of all inventory between certain serial numbers that had been sent to importers and retailers, so the items are still considered new, unsold and unused. To keep track of which stock have had checks or adjustments made a blue dot is affixed, after blue dots if there is a second reason to recall then they have affixed yellow dots. I further believe that the reasons are often because quality control throws up question marks on component batches.

But this is not definitive and could also be used as internal stock checking or any number of other reasons for easy visual checking. I have personally seen, blue, yellow, green and red dots on new Canon boxes, both bodies and lenses.


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## Pi (Sep 14, 2013)

takesome1 said:


> Most companies would sell these as factory seconds, Canon chooses to sell them as new. If this bothers you and you bought it from someone like B&H the will exchange it with no fuss.



I have not seen any evidence of that but I read posts by Henry at B&H where he acknowledges that B&H sells returned items as new. He spins it very nicely - B&H reserves its right to decide whether a returned item looks new enough to be declared by them as being new.


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## Rienzphotoz (Sep 14, 2013)

??? ... How much pain could a blue dot, on a box, cause?


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## deleteme (Sep 14, 2013)

Its a vegan lens. Slightly more money but worth it.


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## RGF (Sep 15, 2013)

evening blue light special??


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## RGF (Sep 15, 2013)

Pi said:


> takesome1 said:
> 
> 
> > Most companies would sell these as factory seconds, Canon chooses to sell them as new. If this bothers you and you bought it from someone like B&H the will exchange it with no fuss.
> ...



not surprised. If I open it to look at it at home, is that any different from opening it in the store? 

Not sure how this works with Canon - if it is returned to the store and the store deems it "used", what do they do with it? Return it to Canon, does Canon the store a full refund?

I think any returns to Dell were sold as refurbs (after reinstalling the OS on the hard drive).


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## Coolhandchuck (Sep 15, 2013)

It means you might have bought a car CD player. Blaupunkt


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## DesignJinni (Sep 17, 2013)

When a person pays 2K$+ for a lens its does become a concern if the lens is 100% brand new not a returned / repaired and labeled as new one. At some places online it was said the blue dot is put to mark the new stock compared to the old one based on the serial numbers. But as said there is not clear cut answer to this question so far.


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## candyman (Sep 17, 2013)

DesignJinni said:


> When a person pays 2K$+ for a lens its does become a concern if the lens is 100% brand new not a returned / repaired and labeled as new one. At some places online it was said the blue dot is put to mark the new stock compared to the old one based on the serial numbers. But as said there is not clear cut answer to this question so far.


Very much understand your concern. You buy and pay for something new, you should get it new!


Sometimes I see dot stickers because a lens was part of a kit package. They separated them and sell them apart. But of course the 70-200 does not apply to that category. I would urge the seller to explain it. If you don't have a good feeling with the answer, return it.


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## axtstern (Sep 17, 2013)

Blue, Red, Green Dots are often used to mark a box if the device inside had a firmware update


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## zim (Sep 17, 2013)

candyman said:


> I would urge the seller to explain it. If you don't have a good feeling with the answer, return it.



where they put a yellow sticker on it and sell it on as new ;D

Always wondered what actually happens to lenses that are returned _'I got x copies before I got a good one' _ type of thing. Unless it's actually broken what happens I guess is stock just keeps getting rotated round buyers until a happy match if found?


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## candyman (Sep 17, 2013)

zim said:


> candyman said:
> 
> 
> > I would urge the seller to explain it. If you don't have a good feeling with the answer, return it.
> ...


Exactly.
But if you are not satisfied, don't keep it.


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## wsmith96 (Sep 17, 2013)

Perhaps it was the box with the Wonka gold ticket in it?

Seriously though, I'm inclined to agree with the blue dot having something to do with inventory control.


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## RMC33 (Sep 17, 2013)

Nothing. Nothing at all. Does the lens function, look/feel new and take pictures? If yes then you have little to no concern. As others have said, stickers are used for inventory purposes. Canon does not use stickers for inventory in their warehouses, it's all RFID tags somewhere in the box (more likely NFC). Go out and take some pictures and enjoy your new lens and let the worry go~


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## Rienzphotoz (Sep 17, 2013)

*What? *    the mystery of the blue dot is still not solved? highly irregular ;D


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## duydaniel (Sep 17, 2013)

the blue dot is special lens that had finger prints of Canon CEO inside one of the lens elements.
the yellow dot is ... Nikon CEO.

Hope it helps


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## pedro (Sep 17, 2013)

duydaniel said:


> the blue dot is special lens that had finger prints of Canon CEO inside one of the lens elements.
> the yellow dot is ... Nikon CEO.
> 
> Hope it helps



8) good one! LoL...!


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## sama (Sep 18, 2013)

I guess it is an indication that you have won the prize award for the 2013 Canon annual luck draw. I heard that the prize is a C500EF/PL with a full set of the cinema lenses.

Congratulations.


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## iaind (Sep 20, 2013)

Probably inventory control. Have you checked age by serial no/date code?

I would send it back if the sticker was on the front element.


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## mackguyver (Sep 20, 2013)

It's a smurf booger - gross.


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