Change of plans, no longer thinking about replacing my NIB S3 2000 with a user S3 2000 Black

[Ken Ford]

There's a bunch of S3 black bodies in Japan from $1300-1700USD.
Sure are cheaper than black Leica Ms.....

None are titanium, though.

 

[Ken Ford]

I found one! The seller confirmed it’s Ti and it’s quite clean.

 

[Ken Ford]

Never understood the fetish for black vs chrome. Working vs not working is my kink 😉

Black cameras take better pictures, everyone knows that!

 

[Ken Ford]

Opinions, please.

I plan on selling off the S32K, but I’m thinking about keeping the 50/1.4. Would I to better financially to let the body and lens go and find a reissue lens separately?

 

[steveyork]

Never understood the fetish for black vs chrome. Working vs not working is my kink 😉

I love the look of black paint cameras, original patina tells stories, but whenever I had them, using them in the field, I never gave it much thought, it really meant really nothing to me. And a silver camera never prevented me from doing anything. But yeah, love the look.

 

[steveyork]

Opinions, please.

I plan on selling off the S32K, but I’m thinking about keeping the 50/1.4. Would I to better financially to let the body and lens go and find a reissue lens separately?

I've seen the reissue lens occasionally come up the auctions sites. I understand it's a very sharp lens.

 

[Ken Ford]

I've seen the reissue lens occasionally come up the auctions sites. I understand it's a very sharp lens.

That’s my understanding too.

 

[armadsen]

Opinions, please.

I plan on selling off the S32K, but I’m thinking about keeping the 50/1.4. Would I to better financially to let the body and lens go and find a reissue lens separately?

You'll get more for the body and lens together than separate, though I don't know if it'll make enough of a difference to make it worth keeping them together and finding a separate lens. Philosophically, I like the idea of keeping the reissue sets together.

 

[Ken Ford]

You'll get more for the body and lens together than separate, though I don't know if it'll make enough of a difference to make it worth keeping them together and finding a separate lens. Philosophically, I like the idea of keeping the reissue sets together.

After reflection I actually feel the same way. It might be different if I was more of a 50 person, but I’m not. I’ll just keep them together.

 

[wlewisiii]

So, I'm not sure I understand. You're going to get the S3 Olympic _and_ keep the S3 2000? But not _use_ the 2000?

Sigh. Poor poor camera. It has my pity. It was made to be used. I know the collectors hate people like me but if I ever got the money, I'd buy the nicest NIB 2000 & try to find the 35/1.8 from 2005 and just use the hell of it 🙂

(yes, a bit of hyperbola here but I do think cameras should be used if they can be.)

 

[jaredangle]

You could also send it to Shueido Camera for a repaint. They do high quality custom repaints of classic rangefinders. They mostly do Leica but I’ve also seen them do custom Canon and Nikon rangefinders.

SHUEIDO CAMERA — LEICA HUNTER

When we think masters of Leica repaint we think SHUEIDO CAMERA. The team have done some absolute master pieces over the years, which have really changed the way we view our luxury Leicas. Shueido Camera, founded by Marc, traces its roots back to his high school days when he discovered a passion

www.leicahunter.com

 

[38Deardorff]

So, I'm not sure I understand. You're going to get the S3 Olympic _and_ keep the S3 2000? But not _use_ the 2000?

Sigh. Poor poor camera. It has my pity. It was made to be used. I know the collectors hate people like me but if I ever got the money, I'd buy the nicest NIB 2000 & try to find the 35/1.8 from 2005 and just use the hell of it 🙂

(yes, a bit of hyperbola here but I do think cameras should be used if they can be.)

Wm, I read that as selling the camera and lens as a unit.... rather than keeping the 50 1.4 and selling the body....

 

[wlewisiii]

I wonder if they could do a blue to match aki-asahi's blue lizard leather?


I mean can't you just imagine a nice bright blue (rare!) Nikon S4 to make future collectors lose their shit?

 

[38Deardorff]

You could also send it to Shueido Camera for a repaint. They do high quality custom repaints of classic rangefinders. They mostly do Leica but I’ve also seen them do custom Canon and Nikon rangefinders.

SHUEIDO CAMERA — LEICA HUNTER

When we think masters of Leica repaint we think SHUEIDO CAMERA. The team have done some absolute master pieces over the years, which have really changed the way we view our luxury Leicas. Shueido Camera, founded by Marc, traces its roots back to his high school days when he discovered a passion

www.leicahunter.com

Jared, i'd bet the work would cost more than the value of the camera. There are plenty of black Nikon rangefinders for sale at pretty modest prices.

CLA'd [NEAR MINT] Nikon S3 Original Olympic Black Paint 35mm Camera body JAPAN | eBay

Optics -Finder. Total Condition NEAR MINT. Repair Chart. No problem in the view.

www.ebay.com

 

[jaredangle]

Jared, i'd bet the work would cost more than the value of the camera. There are plenty of black Nikon rangefinders for sale at pretty modest prices.

CLA'd [NEAR MINT] Nikon S3 Original Olympic Black Paint 35mm Camera body JAPAN | eBay

Optics -Finder. Total Condition NEAR MINT. Repair Chart. No problem in the view.

www.ebay.com

Good point, I hadn’t thought of the cost. I’ve just seen some of their work and am enamored with it.

 

[Ken Ford]

So, I'm not sure I understand. You're going to get the S3 Olympic _and_ keep the S3 2000? But not _use_ the 2000?

Sigh. Poor poor camera. It has my pity. It was made to be used. I know the collectors hate people like me but if I ever got the money, I'd buy the nicest NIB 2000 & try to find the 35/1.8 from 2005 and just use the hell of it 🙂

(yes, a bit of hyperbola here but I do think cameras should be used if they can be.)

No no no - the 2K is going. What I meant is I’ll probably sell them as a set but I want to think it through, keeping the lens has some appeal.

 

[Ken Ford]

Jared, i'd bet the work would cost more than the value of the camera. There are plenty of black Nikon rangefinders for sale at pretty modest prices.

CLA'd [NEAR MINT] Nikon S3 Original Olympic Black Paint 35mm Camera body JAPAN | eBay

Optics -Finder. Total Condition NEAR MINT. Repair Chart. No problem in the view.

www.ebay.com

I came very close to buying that one, but the Ti shutter curtains are important to me and the seller said they are cloth.

 

[wlewisiii]

No no no - the 2K is going. What I meant is I’ll probably sell them as a set but I want to think it through, keeping the lens has some appeal.

Ah. I have to admit, especially now that I own a S4, I only want the glass from the two special editions 😉 so I'd wish I could afford to convince you to split the set 😈

 

[justins7]

I've seen the reissue lens occasionally come up the auctions sites. I understand it's a very sharp lens.

The original Olympic 50 I have is super sharp wide open. It's almost "too sharp," in that the rendering seems very modern. It's an amazing lens.

I also use it on Leica M's with an Amadeo adapter, which allows you to focus down to .6M with it, making it even more versatile.

 

[armadsen]

So, I'm not sure I understand. You're going to get the S3 Olympic _and_ keep the S3 2000? But not _use_ the 2000?

Sigh. Poor poor camera. It has my pity. It was made to be used. I know the collectors hate people like me but if I ever got the money, I'd buy the nicest NIB 2000 & try to find the 35/1.8 from 2005 and just use the hell of it 🙂

(yes, a bit of hyperbola here but I do think cameras should be used if they can be.)

I bought a NIB S3 2000 a few years ago and use it all the time. I love it. On the other hand, I also have a NIB SP 2005 and haven't yet been able to bring myself to use it. I got a good deal on it, but when I see the prices they go for, using it seems a bit less appealing... I do have an original 35/1.8 that I use on the S3, and I like the S3 viewfinder better than the SP's.