Are the Nikon S3 2002 and Nikon SP 2005 not made of brass?

[Erik van Straten]

I've never tried an S3 or SP for actual shooting, but I use S2's since the early '90's. I use M3's since 1979. The difference of the format of the negatives is evident, even on my pictures on Flickr. I always print the wole negative. From the S3 test shot of keytarjunkie I would say that the S2 is about the same. The printed pictures of the S2 are clearly more towards a square compared to those of the M3, when you have an eye for it. As a painter, I have an eye for such things.


Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

None of my Nikon rangefinders have a film gate which looks like keytarjunkie's re-issue S3. The short sides aren't cut out straight. I wonder whether there wouldn't have been a thread about this some years ago. Mmmh... IIRC, we discussed this, yes.

I just measured my Rollei 35 S film frame. Surprise ! It is 24.0 x 36.5 mm. If 24 x 35.5 is squarish, 24 x 36.5 must be panoramic.

 

[keytarjunkie]

None of my Nikon rangefinders have a film gate which looks like keytarjunkie's re-issue S3. The short sides aren't cut out straight. I wonder whether there wouldn't have been a thread about this some years ago. Mmmh... IIRC, we discussed this, yes.

That is due to the (lack of) flatness of the film in the scan as I mentioned, not the shape of the film gate. My Nikon F 71XXXX (later model) gives the same image ratio on film. I'm more concerned here with the ratio than the exact measurement in mm, but maybe if the width is exactly 36mm, the height could be slightly more than 24mm. Either way, it is not 2:3. I thought this was discussed before, as well.

Frame spacing varies according to focal length, spacing is narrower with wider lenses (incoming light at the edges comes in at a more extreme angle so gets deeper in behind the light baffles) and wider with longer lenses.

That's an interesting observation, I wonder if the image size actually narrows on the sides depending on focal length. If someone sends me a 2.1cm lens I can really test out this hypothesis 😀

 

[jonmanjiro]

That's an interesting observation, I wonder if the image size actually narrows on the sides depending on focal length. If someone sends me a 2.1cm lens I can really test out this hypothesis 😀

Its not a hypothesis, I've confirmed it 😉 There is NO gap at all between frames when shooting a 21mm lens on a Leica IIIf (frames slightly overlap in some cases - makes scanning and cutting negatives a PITA), there's a small gap with a 35mm lens, and slightly larger gap with a 50mm lens. The same applies to the Leica Ms and Nikon rangefinders, though I don't think the effect is as extreme.

 

[Niko]

Looking at my SP2005 i would say it’s brass. 🙂 But it’s too much trouble to attach a photo on this forum so you would have to see it at my Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEyMgEynnf8/?igshid=1ox2db7h0u6u2

 

[Erik van Straten]

Yours being an actual 24 x 35.5 might be due to a machining artefact.

I looked it up in Rotoloni. He states that the S2 has a 24 x 35.5 frame.

He signed my copy personally so it must be true.


This is, btw, my 9,999th post on RFf!


Erik.

 

[Freakscene]

I looked it up in Rotoloni. He states that the S2 has a 24 x 35.5 frame.

He signed my copy personally so it must be true.


This is, btw, my 9,999th post on RFF.

Thanks for keeping the quality/volume ratio up Erik.

Your photos are one of the reasons I stay here. That S2 is beautiful too - I’d buy one if it wasn’t for the 2-shutterspeed dial arrangement that rotates during exposure. Too many photos would be wrecked by my uncoordinated hands getting near the dials.

Marty

 

[keytarjunkie]

Its not a hypothesis, I've confirmed it 😉 There is NO gap at all between frames when shooting a 21mm lens on a Leica IIIf (frames slightly overlap in some cases - makes scanning and cutting negatives a PITA), there's a small gap with a 35mm lens, and slightly larger gap with a 50mm lens. The same applies to the Leica Ms and Nikon rangefinders, though I don't think the effect is as extreme.

Does the height of the image grow as well, or only the length?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Thanks for keeping the quality/volume ratio up Erik.

Your photos are one of the reasons I stay here. That S2 is beautiful too - I’d buy one if it wasn’t for the 2-shutterspeed dial arrangement that rotates during exposure. Too many photos would be wrecked by my uncoordinated hands getting near the dials.

Marty

Thank you, Marty! Great to hear this. I have very uncoordinated hands - and thick fingers too - but I've never had any problems with the turning speed dial. Also not with the turning dials on my Leicas. This differs individually.

This one is with the S Skopar on the S2 too.

Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

Does the height of the image grow as well, or only the length?

This is a confirmed optical effect so you have the answer, unless your lenses are all astigmat... 😉

 

[jonmanjiro]

FWIW Rotoloni surmises in his rangefinder book (third edition) that the Nikon S2 film gate may be "35.5mm?" (complete with question mark).

I looked it up in Rotoloni. He states that the S2 has a 24 x 35.5 frame.

He signed my copy personally so it must be true.

He signed my copy personally too, but my copy has a question mark after that comment??? Is your copy different, Erik?

 

[Erik van Straten]

He signed my copy personally too, but my copy has a question mark after that comment??? Is your copy different, Erik?

No, it is the same. However, Bob is a pharmacist and maybe he didn't measure it himself.

I re-measured my S2 No.6170923 and it is 35.4mm.


Erik.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Who'da thunk an innocent question about whether the SP 2005 is made of brass would spark so much activity in the sleepy Nikon RF forum 😀

Just measured my Nikon SP 2005 and Leica MP.

SP 2005 is 35.4mm
Leica MP is 35.6mm

So the MP's film gate is 0.56% wider than the SP's film gate. Hair splitting difference really. Less than the percentage of Skopar 50/2.5 pin cushion distortion!

 

[Erik van Straten]

My 1958 Leica M2 is 35.8mm, btw.

NikonS2/Nikkor50mmf/1.4allblack/TMY400/IlfordMGFB

Erik.

 

[BillBingham2]

Sounds like Nikon's answer to the Leica-holics realization of cameras marked made in Sloms might be a new category of collectible........

B2 (;->

 

[Highway 61]

Let's continue to wake up the sleepy forum ! 😀

Here is what I found as for the film gate lengths of my 135 cameras family :

Nikon S2 "chrome dial" (1954) : 35.6
Nikon S2 "black dial" (1957) : 35.7
Nikon S3 (1958) : 36
Nikon SP (1962) : 35.8
Nikon F (1971) : 36
Nikon F2 (1974) : 36
Nikon F2 (1978) : 36
Nikkormat FTN (1971) : 36
Contax IIa "black dial" (1951) : 36.1
Contax II (1938) : 36.2
Nikon FM (1977) : 36
Rollei 35 S Singapore (1976) : 36.5
Rollei 35 Germany (1969) : 35.9
Rollei 35 Germany (1971) : 36.4

😱

 

[BillBingham2]

Let's continue to wake up the sleepy forum ! 😀

Here is what I found as for the film gate lengths of my 135 cameras family :

........

😱

If you'd like to practice some social distancing for the members........


Looks like an awesome family......

B2 (;->

 

[Highway 61]

Looks like an awesome family......
B2 (;->

Many other family members went away during the last decade, yet not so many as it should have been, though. 😉

Attached below is a photo of the page 31 of my own Rotoloni's copy (second issue, March 1983). He didn't sign it personally. Hence the lack of the key sentence ? :angel:

 

[tyleric]

Didn't know my question will lead to some very informative disccuions! I learnt a lot here! Thank you everyone!

 

[kshapero]

scratch deeper, its brass

Includes the S3 2000 as well?