Hey guys, it is wonderful to find such a warm response and a big bucket full of great information!
You are the best!
(and regarding that addiction … you are not helping one bit)
I switched from Leica Ms to Nikon RF because the felt the same as my Nikon SLRs (FTn). I found the wheel to be the best think since the focusing tab. The lenses and aperture move the same way (a big deal for me as I try to preset both as I raise a camera to my eye), shooting with both eyes open, I was in heaven.
B2 (;->
.
B2, this aspect is actually the very only single reason, I am a bit afraid may stand in the way of getting used to the Nikon RF.
It took me a few years of Leica M use and the focussing is now absolutely in my blood - I don't think anymore when focussing, the moment the camera meets the eye, the lens is already preset and prefocussed.
I have a few (some of my favorites) Nikkor lenses in LTM mount (I always loved my Nikon gear, as this is where it all started for me).
Some of those LTM Nikkors really mess with my head as apertures and focussing leads to instantaneous brain malfunction.
I have the same issues when once in a long while I grab my old F3 and leave the rangefinders at home. I could not possibly imagine to shoot Nikon and Leica gear next to each other (I mostly use two bodies with different lenses mounted).
Dirk,
Congrates on the Millenium 50 Nikkor.
From what I know the Nikon RF'ers are as durable as the Nikon F. In fact when cloth shutters need to be replaced the titanium shutter from a F (SLR) is used/cannabilized for replacement.
After an black paint S2 is a Black paint SP. LOL. I confess that I would love to have a black paint S2 and a black paint SP, but at this point they would be luxury items that remain out of reach.
To me they look so damn cool.
My understanding about Tom's trigger winder is that it is specific to the later reissued bodies. There is some pre-order list that requires a deposit, and when a long enough list of orders gets compiled to warrant production, production will be done in a batch. Kinda makes sense for economy of scale.
There was also a need to secure another back that had to be modified I believe to work with the trigger winder. When I have my breakdown I will want the trigger winder also.
Check out Tom's site for more info.
Cal
Cal, thanks for chiming in - you are to me THE Nikon user as Mr. F3HPMD-4Noct ;-)
Its good to know the Nikon RFs are tanks - I never had any Nikon gear broken or malfunction to be honest - can't count the issues, ranging from little to small with Leica gear but somehow we tend to give Leica that graceful shoulder twitch and live with the quirks ;-)
Dirk,
On CameraQuest click the link for classic camera articles. There is a small article showing the SP Rapidwinder. There is info on the waiting list that I mentioned above.
Cal
… had a good look and spend some time with the bartenders articles about the Nikon gear … also read a lovely piece on Björn Rorslet's black paint S2 history and countless other inspiring sites …
The virus is strong with this one already …
Your dexterity is superior to mine. 😉
They are simply Nikon Fs with optical viewfinders. They just work. I've owned maybe 20 over the years, never had to CLA any of them.
Haha - no way ;-)
When I started with my first Leica, I completely overthought and overcomplicated the loading, had a messed up roll every now and then and generally needed minutes to load and lots of cursing.
At some point though some nice gent pointed me to Tom's youtube channel with a quick video how to load a Leica ;-)
Ever since it really is just throwing the roll into the camera, closing it, winding on and shooting - never had a roll mis-loaded ever since - thanks there Tom.
I find loading my FM3a and F3 real messy - having to slip the tongue through the takeup spool - the film tongue that is
😛
If you want a black sp , I would buy the 2005 kit which has the multicoated 3.5cm f1.8 included .on ebay I see them as low as $3600
The Leica m4 loads very quick if you are sitting at a table with the top down ,
Loading on the fly is difficult with any camera ,
I love the nikon s2 , but that is the camera I started with in 1974 .still I find it an easy camera to use , the 50mm frame is 1:1 but the finder has a fixed frame without parrelex correction .
It is very basic , I usually shoot wide angle with a nikon or leitz brightline finder .
This works well for me , but many people prefer the rf and combined vf of the Leica superior .
The sp is more like the Leica types , combined rf /vf for 50 and up ,
Wide angle finder for 28/35 . This finder has a smaller view , but still a plus .
This comment really helped in hardening the choice towards a SP.
I am a huge fan of the 35/1.8 W-Nikkor (I have vintage LTM version and daily use my beloved UC-Hex 35/2, a close one in optical design).
I think indeed the best match to the Millennium will be the re-issue 35/1.8, pointing towards the 2005 kit - officially looking for one of these now (if only the newly issued Chinese customs regs in 2016 wouldn't be so impossible to get one here …).
Only things I can think of to watch out for on an S2 is making sure the two shutter setting dials are in proper alignment before shifting into the lower range, the shutter will likely fire when you put it in rewind mode so put a cap on the lens first, and to keep your fingers away from the rotating shutter speed dial put an AR-1 (or equivalent) soft release on the button.…PF
I don't yet understand the different shutter speed dials of the Nikon RF's.
I thought the dials from the SP, S3 and S4 would work the same as the dials on the Leica M - am I wrong?
Different minimum focus for both lenses.
ltm = 1 meter
S mount verison - 0.9m
This is a very cool feature of the Nikon RFs - I am looking forward to that as I like to use 50mm lenses close up.
Good point, though of course mfd is a function of the barrel design rather than the optics. For completeness, the LTM 50s focus down to 0.45m but only rangefinder couple down to 1m unless modified. If modified, they focus couple down to the mfd of the camera's range finder system. If used on an Amedeo adapter, internal S-mount lenses (almost all the 50s) focus down to the mfd of the adapter, which I think is about 0.65m for Amedeo's latest adapter.
I unfortunately never found any practical use of the close focussing ability of my Nikkor 50mm Sonnar lenses and only used them to what the coupling of the Leica M bodies allowed (always adjusted them to work best close up).
The 50/1.4 did come with a new type Amedeo adapter that will focus down to .65 m and I will find out around Xmas how this works on the Leica M - can't wait for Xmas this year
😀
Dirk. you are on a slippery slope! I started off with a S2 and 35/2.5, 50f1.4 and a chrome 85f2 years ago. Now I have at least 14-15 bodies and 40+ lenses! There is no known cure either. I go to swap meets and fondle S2's - and suddenly realize that I already have 4 - or even worse, S3's which I have 5 of!
The S2 is good, but it is a one-lens camera, its for the 50mm! My practical users are S3's as I can use the 35 and 50 on them - and the 105's. The latter is a handful though and with age I tend to use the 105f4 instead as it is much lighter. Maybe not the "signature" of the 105f2.5 but still god from 5.6 on.
The SP's are usually dedicated to 28 and 85's with occasional 35 use.
The Millennium 50f14 is one of the best 50's made - rivals 50f14 Summilux Asphs etc. The 2005 35f1.8 is the same - outstanding quality - rivals my Summicron 35f2 Asph. Only really beaten by the Distagon 35f1.4 and the M-Ultron 35f1.7 - but not by much.
As for Rapidwinders for SP's and S3's - I did make a couple of prototypes. mainly to check function and design parameters.Gave them away!! need to make a couple of more for my own use at some time. Anything like that takes longer than you think - and is always more complex. In some ways it is a simpler design than the M2 Rapidwinder - but due to the back of the Nikon Rf it gets a bit tricky. Production involves complex CNC machining, a special drive and belt as well as the locking mechanism. Not that simple and by the nature of low volume and complexity - damned expensive product in the end.
Enjoy the Nikonitis Disease - be sure to stay a user - not a collector.
Tom, this is probably the strongest documented case of the Nikon bug I can imagine ;-)
I plan to contain this early though (didn't we all).
The plan is for now to just get one SP body that offers all benefits.
Any further bodies will be convenience only, added over time.
I am very curious too about that S2 finder, and of course the beautiful lines of the S3 (the prettiest Nikon RF in my opinion), and of course there is my preference for black paint … :bang:
[/url]
F557 # #1 Nikon Bodies Nikon Rf Month by
T&T and Mr B Abrahamsson, on Flickr[/IMG]
Found a shot from some years ago (2010) -Nikon Rf's accumulate very quickly! Also remember that you also have a urge to find Nikon Re-loadnle cassettes. It never ends - trust me on that!
I am not putting up the picture of the lens stash - it is embarrassing enough with the bodies - nor the shot of 140+ cassettes!!!!
You have been warned.
😱😱😱
hi dirk,
i guess you're doomed. but you knew that from the beginning.
i once had my hands on an S ... nice, nice.
however, i'm now in the opposite camp. i was able to resist the nikon virus, and now my IIIa features a canon lens.
🙂
send my regards.
cheers,
s.
Haha, S. you know me.
Thanks for being so upfront with your assessment, but I know you are right ;-)
Dirk, soon you'd be looking for 'all black 5cm f2 nikor' lenses and exotics, and it's getting slippery (and expensive) but a lot of fun.
the millenium lens you have is among the best 50ies ever made, i sold mine to a forum member here, after I had found a 1.1 5cm at a good price, the millenium is worlds better optically, but the 1.1 5cm 1.1 has 'that sonnar look'
if you don't want to collect too many bodys i'd go straight to a black SP 2005 body, it's the best 'user' imo. they usually have very strong contrast viewfinders, also cla'd S2 have usually super crisp finders. all nikon rf's are super reliable and servicable, prices have gone down and the set with the mc 1.8 35 is the perfect addition to your millenium lens, best prettiest looking camera is for me the S3 in black, perfect elegance and balance to my eye, i just like the looks but i had to sell mine a few years ago unfortunatley, all S3 I had rather weak contrast finders (probably my bad luck and not general...), the SP from the looks, is a little more 'brutal' w the nikon logo on the side, and the double window finder. the S2 is the 'art deco' camera, all have their charm. and you can't go wrong with either one.
Hehe, I sincerely hope I have cured my fast lens GAS sufficiently with the Leica gear already.
I have found a tendency towards smaller and more compact rangefinder lenses recently and hardly schlepp around the fancy glass any longer, … so I am healed about the 50/1.1 and 85/1.5 … or so I believe.
Congrats on the 50/1.1 it sounds like a lovely lens.
One question about finders and the super fast Nikon glass:
With the Leica M I adjust my rangefinders and calibrate most lenses myself.
I also found the Leica rangefinder very reliable over the years if maintained every few months and checked up.
Some of my favorite lenses on the M is a Nikkor 85/1.5 LTM or the f1 Noctilux or the 100/2 Canon LTM.
How are such fast lenses with the S2, SP and S3 rangefinders?
Are they as reliable and precise as say the Leica 0.72x finders to use with such lenses?
I could imagine using a 85/1.5 in S mount as a portrait lens - would this be foolish?
![4872628763_365dbf8be1_b.jpg](http://[URL="https://flic.kr/p/8qzuLK"][IMG]https://c4.staticflickr.com/5/4142/4872628763_365dbf8be1_b.jpg)
