Nikon M
Nikon M
Nikon M, one of the last to leave the factory without Sync. According to "Nikon Rangefinder" by Rotoloni, this one was made in 10/50. By December 1950 Nikon started putting flash sync into their cameras, creating the Nikon S. This is the lowest production (~1,600) "full-frame" camera, 24x34 negative area with 8 sprocket holes per negative. The Nikon I (~600 units) was a 24x32 negative with a non-standard 7 sprockets per negative, and the Nikon S3M (~300 units) was half-frame. The Nikon I messed up all of the developing machines in the US and Nikon was told to redesign it before a license would be granted to import it into the States. Nikon came out with the M, squeezed out a 24x34 negative without redesigning the chassis and changed the mechanism to count off eight sprockets. The 2nd "screw-up" is using a Contax bayonet mount with a Leica Standard focal length lens. That meant that Contax lenses would not properly focus on the Nikon RF's. The difference is negligible with wide-angle lenses and the normal lens at F2. This Nikon M probably went through life with this pre-war Sonnar F2 collapsible attached. I can imagine the original owner cursing Nikon for discontinuing collapsible Nikkors. He also had Sync added, using PC cords as Nikon should have done with the "Nikon S". So It's a Nikon M Unsynced Synced... Whatever it is called now, I was amazed to find it at an Antique Mall on the way home from work.