Why Nikon RF?

dave lackey

dave lackey

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Why do YOU like Nikon RF?

It occurs to me why I do many times but I have never voiced it here...

But after a lot of bad news the past 8 weeks or so and now another friend passing away this morning reinforced my thoughts as I tried to escape into my own little world in photography...but the usual blah, blah, blah with the digital world just drove me crazy.

Don't get me wrong, I am earning money using the latest digital equipment (all Nikon, of course) but the computer/digital noise is reaching irritating levels. Not relaxing at all.

Last night I spent another 2 hours setting up shooting banks on my two D bodies and went to bed but not before glancing at the S3 2000 sitting on my desk. Leather case, leather strap, Tri-X loaded, ready to go...no batteries, no computer work, nothing to do but grab it and go...

Somehow that calms me down enough to drift off to sleep.

Only to wake up this morning with the terrible news of our friend passing...

Damn! I need a break. 🙁
 
I'm sorry to hear about your friend passing away.

I find using a classic camera relaxing as well, an escape from the digital electronic world. And why a Nikon- I've used F's and F2's for over thirty years. They just fit into my hands and engage the brain.
 
Okay, in answer to my own question...

Why NIKON RF? Why not a different brand? Why not an SLR? Why not a DSLR?

Well, I answered the RF portion in my first post...it is relaxing, even more so than my F3/T. The size and viewfinder and focus wheel just seem somewhat more relaxing than having to use both hands to focus an SLR lens...strange.

In answer to why a NIKON and not another brand...I have always used preominantly Nikon cameras with the odd Kodak/Canon/Minolta thrown in over the years. Now, I have seven Nikons! But why am I using a RF by Nikon? It is because of this forum and the guilty party whose initials are jonmanjiro! Thank you, Jon.

I love this little rangefinder (S3 2000) and, yes, I will probably try a Leica M6 or MP or something just for the experience, but I have bonded with this Nikon...

Now, where is Luigi's web page....oh, here it is! Bye...
 
Why a Nikon rangefinder?
I've been using Nikon SLR's since 1977, and after so many years there is a great level of comfort in using an S3 rangefinder whose controls are virtually identical in shape, function, usage characteristics and placement to those of my F and F2.
And based on the many years of dependable service that I've gotten from the SLR's, I 've no doubt that my 1959 rangefinder will likely outlast me.
For me, getting a Nikon rangefinder rather than a Leica, or Canon or whatever was never an issue.
 
Perhaps in part because while Nikon was already building some of the finest optics available at that time (or even now, for that matter), they were also not afraid to be innovative (though initially derivative) in the development of their rangefinder camera bodies and took them beyond the capabilities of the offerings of their competitors, rather than playing it safe with an already fine product. And besides, the cameras are beautiful in their own way to gaze upon and handle, uplifting the soul in times of need (OK, too corny, I know, but I really do like them). Finally, mighty fun to shoot, and sometimes the result is pretty nice too.
Short version of long winded nonsense, they're pretty sweet.
LJS
 
Dave ... you'll be pleased to hear I'm about to join the fold of Nikon RF users ... it's a week or so away.

Damn the classifieds and curse this gas! 😛
 
Pitxu said:
If we start with the two "original" RFs (Leica and Contax) Nikon took the best ideas from each and formed them into something really harmonious.
Click to expand...
What a great scoop, never figured out this before. You should have it registered, protected and TM'ed asap.
 
Nikkor-Q lenses means that four (Quad) elements were used. There are Nikkor-Q's for F-Mount (SLR), S-Mount (RF) , and Nikkorex 35 (Fixed-Lens SLR). Someday, it would be cool to take the 5cm Nikkor-Q out of my dead Nikkorex and hack it onto a lens mount for the RF.

The most common "Q" lens is the 13.5cm/135mm lenses. The same optical formula was used on the 13.5cm F3.5 RF lens well into the SLR age. Nikon even made an adapter to unscrew the optics from the RF lens and use them on an SLR. These days- MUCH cheaper to buy the SLR lens.

T= three elements
Q= four elements
P= Five elements
H= Six element
S= Seven elements
O= Eight Elements
N= Nine
U= Ten elements
UD= 11 Elements

There are more, Nikon quit using this system ~1975 or so.
 
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That is the lens module from a "Dead Nikkorex!"

Nailed or Glued!

Get a Lens Mount from a J-8, polish it down.

Really easy way to do it, get a mount from a Collapsible Contax mount lens. Polish down the end, afix the lens to it. Then Collapse the tube to collimate it and fix it into place. I did that with a Kodak lens much like this one!

I'll check back in!

(Signing off, time to clean the Pool and Grill, Barbeque today)

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raid said:
These are very interesting "projects" with which Nikkor lenses could be added to what we have and use.
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Well my opinion is that you rather should take pictures with the cameras and lenses which you have, because according to what I can notice all around, film is disappearing way faster than what we just thought it was only a few months ago.

This is what I'm now doing, my last "project" will be cleaning off the old gooey foam and fitting new mirror, prism seat and camera back foam strips on the last Nikon SLR of mine on which I haven't done it yet.

No more camera tinkering, now I take my "classic" gear with me any time I get out, even when it's to go to the office on Monday morning, and I take pictures with them, which is what they were made to. I know what my lenses are capable of, I don't need any new "testing" session etc.

This morning I attended by chance at an architecture "happening", I had a Nikon in my walk-around bag with some slide film to finish, I took pictures, and came back home as an happy camper having probably one or two interesting shots in the box.

Some months ago I may very well have spent the same kind of free Saturday morning at dismantling a lens or a camera which was in need of a service - done with that now, all that duplicate stuff that wasn't functioning or in need of a CLA etc has been fixed and sold out for some (many) of them.

The Leica RF gear of mine has been all sold out to Leicaphiles as well. I never came to the conclusion that this stuff had me take better pictures than what my good'ol' Nikon gear did.
 
I would not panic this way. Film is here to stay for many years, but it may become more costly to develop film. This is no big deal. Life is too short to worry about "possibilities" and "signs" and other unsupported "facts" to let go of such a wonderful hobby [take photos and collect cameras and lenses].
 
I'm picking up fresh Kodacolor 400 at the local BJ's for $9 for a six pack. Fresh Fujicolor 200 is even cheaper at the Local Ritz. Developing a roll of 24 exposure to 4x6 prints is $3. Maybe for those in small towns, ordering on-line will become necessary.
 
Why Nikon RF? My first RF was the Olympus XA. Took lots of pics with that camera but didn't know it was a RFer until I found this site! Bought a couple of Zeiss cameras thinking I would get a great body/lens combo--Contessamat and Werra. Fun and somewhat difficult cameras to use after shooting digital for a while. Well, I read more on RFers and decided to try the S2 with a 50. The feel of the camera is unbelievable. I was amazed at how small the camera and lens were, yet having such a hefty weight. Wanting wide and reading about the Zeiss 21 I bought one and was hooked. After shooting several rolls through the S2 using either sunny 16 or the VC II, I'm amazed at how well the camera and lenses produce images. I've only been using the Nikon S2 for months, but I can see myself using this camera for many years to come. In fact, I trimmed down my 35mm format cameras to the S2--well I still have those Zeiss cameras. I have a D300 and some nice glass for that camera, and recently purchased a G9, but the S2 is in a class of it's own and is a special camera to me. I guess I'm amazed that a 50 year old camera and lens, fully manual, can produce such nice images, and that adds to that special-ness of my Nikon RFer.
 
Keith said:
Dave ... you'll be pleased to hear I'm about to join the fold of Nikon RF users ... it's a week or so away.

Damn the classifieds and curse this gas! 😛
Click to expand...


Hi, Keith! What a pleasant surprise! Yeah, that GAS has gotten me more than once, too...:bang:

Really looking forward to your posts from Oz!
 
Why a Nikon RF? Back in the early 70's, when a kid in high school, the local camera store got in an odd little camera on the used shelf. I thought it would be fun with my Nikormat so I got up the 100$ and bought a Nikon S #6111198 with an f2.0 lens and four Nikon cassettes. Compact, quiet and with a great lens. In college I used it for theatre work but it need a CLA. To get the slow speeds to work, I would wrap it in a thick towel, put it on my dorm room radiator for an hour and then hurry to the theater to use it quietly backstage. I still have it, still love it and even though I shoot Leica M, someday I will own an SP or S2. Wonderful cameras, fun to use, great memorys. Joe
 
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