2.5cm W-Nikkor - what am I missing?

[menos]

I am following the tail of this little lens for a while now but am quite confused.

What am I missing here, for example with these two auction offers:

232415835336

222553445992

I have seen these offered at vastly lower asking prices but what is special about that second offer - more than 4000,- EUR asking price and not even remotely complete a kit as sometimes seen 😱😕?

Is this a certain unknown rare version of the lens I cannot make any sense of it?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Dirk, can you post the actual links? Thanks!

 

[Erik van Straten]

The first one is now $1,535.40 with the viewfinder included!

The second is way overpriced.

Erik.

 

[menos]

Sure Jon, I wasn't certain if thats ok on the forum:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EXCELLENT-N...835336?hash=item361d1034c8:g:I7gAAOSwglZZbw0w

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-EXC-Ni...968274&hash=item33d1381668:g:R4QAAOSwWxNYqk4l

So Erik, the second one is just overpriced and nothing is special about this lens?
The price was so far off from what I have seen thus far I figured there had to be something special about it.

Is it correct that there really are only the two versions (earlier chrome, later all black) of this lens with no variations and identical optics?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Dirk, there are two great bibles written on the Nikon rangefinders, both by Robert Rotoloni. Everything that is worth knowing about the subject is in those books.

The Old Testament is: Nikon Rangefinder Camera, 1983.

The New Testament is: The Complete Nikon Rangefinder System, 2007.

Wonderful books that every lover of the Nikon rangefinders should have.

Yes, there are only tho versions, chrome (1953, heavy) and black (1956, light). The Old Testament says that there are no variations.

Erik.

 

[CameraQuest]

What am I missing here:

1) Any ebay item can be priced any price.

2) Ebay prices do not necessarily reflect value in any way.

3) both lens sets are incomplete

 

[jonmanjiro]

The seller "world-style" is either smoking something very potent or is waiting for a sucker to come along.

I got a complete set some time back for around US$2000. The set included bayonet style hood/filter attachment, series VII UV filter, front and rear caps, finder, case.

 

[menos]

Thanks a lot for the clarification Erik, Stephen and Jon ;-)

Erik, I do have a Hove print of Robert Rotoloni's book, which incidentally came with a very treacherous feature. As a book sold in Germany it includes a small folded leaflet with German translations of all book illustrations.
This leaflet has the magical tendency to reposition itself right to the next interesting lens one has not tried after one has found another piece in the puzzle of the Nikon RF system.

I think I am not yet settled with this strange astronomical overpricing of items by some eBay sellers and still remember the times when asking prices were at least in the rough ballpark of realistic value :-(

Jon, that price sounds what I have seen (only saw two complete sets on offer over the years - they seem hard to come by).