First post

[JP Fecteau]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post so please excuse my lack of familliarity with this forum.

I have been a camera buff since my early teens and have had several cameras over the years, I'm now in my early forties. Of all the different cameras owned from Nikon F's to D2's I keep coming back to rangfinders, Leica M's utill today...

Today I began helping a friend sort through a colection of Nikon rangefinders and am beginning to fall in love. One particular camera, a chrome SP with what I think is a low serial number, 6200135. I wonder if anyone can confirm this as a low number? I will be testing it over the next few days and am curiuos about the number.

Thanks for your help!

JP Fecteau

 

[jonmanjiro]

Welcome to the forum, and to Nikon rangefinders 🙂

Yes, 6200135 is a very low serial number. Assuming that Nikon used every serial number from 6200001, that would make it the 135th Nikon SP!

Nikon SP serial numbers go pretty much consecutively from 6200001 to about 6223*** something, with the big change being the one from a cloth to titanium shutter at about 6214000 or so. Then there's an additional batch of about 1,000 SPs that were produced after production had ended. That batch's serial numbers range from 6230*** to 6232*** or so. Seems like there's lots of gaps in the numbers in that batch.

Jon

 

[charjohncarter]

Welcome, I know nothing about camera gear, but you will find many, many friends here that do. Go ahead fall in love. My love (Cameras) is a Leica IIIf that I have had for 46 years.

 

[JP Fecteau]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for your quick replies. I am looking forward to loading one up with film and testing it out tomorrow!

JP

 

[NIKON KIU]

Hi Everyone,

....

Today I began helping a friend sort through a colection of Nikon rangefinders and am beginning to fall in love. One particular camera, a chrome SP with what I think is a low serial number, 6200135. I wonder if anyone can confirm this as a low number? I will be testing it over the next few days and am curiuos about the number.

Thanks for your help!

JP Fecteau

Low number is in the eyes of the beholder.

SP's are worth more if they are late serial number!!

Kiu

 

[JP Fecteau]

Kiu,

Thanks for your perspective. This is my first experience with a Nikon rangefinder and so far it's been very enjoyable. I'm reluctant to make any comparison to other cameras because it represents such an important part of camera history regardless of the serial number.

It seems that low serial numbers are significant in models that represent the first of a new style, or type of camera. For instance, the first F model. I have read often about the 64**** serial number F being very significant but litte about an low numbered F2's. I imagine an early Nikon 1 would be quite valuable compared to the RF models that followed.

Just my thoughts.

JP

 

[Tom A]

JP, I just finished a couple of rolls this afternoon with SP 6200308 and a 35f2.5 Nikkor. Beware of handling Nikon Rfs. You start innocently with a body and a lens and one day you wake up and the "stash" has grown considerably!
Of course, you have to rationalize this "Oh, I should get a S2 because it is so good with the 50" or "A S3 Millenium would be a nice counterpart to the SP/S2" and so on. Pretty soon you have 13-14 cameras and innumerable lenses!
If you get hooked on the Nikon Rf's, snap up one of the R2S Bessa's and the 50f3.5 Heliar. Apart from being one of the best lenses you ever used, it does add the meter as a bonus in the body. Also consider joining the Nikon Historical Society - it will fuel your interest even further.
Hmm, any Nikon re-loadable cassettes in this collection? I am short 160 of them (that what it takes to load 1000ft of XX film).

 

[JonR]

JP welcome!
You will find RFF to be a great source of knowledge and help!
And be aware... as Tom A pointed out you easily get hooked and testing one Nikon camera or lens leads to a wish to test more... Great fun!
Jon

 

[JP Fecteau]

Hey Tom & Jon,

Thanks for the encouragement. What I really need is restraint!!

Have been messing around with one of the SP's w/ a 50mm 1.4 and an M2 w/ a 90mm 4. I have to say that my eyesight has forced me to wear glasses which makes it difficult to see the SP frame lines. On the other hand the M2 90mm framelines are perfectly visible with glasses. Any suggestions for spectacle wearing, 50mm shooting SP users??

I have another SP question, many more to follow I'm sure... It feels like the film is winding too tightly on the take-up spool and there's a bit more resistance than I'm used to while advancing. Is this normal or could have I done something wrong while loading?

Thanks to everyone for the comments, suddestions etc.

JP

 

[Tom A]

JP, the tightness can be due to the camera sitting for a long time and it needs to be exercised. Also check that the film is properly over the sprockets on the drive. if it is not running corretly there, the pressure plate on the back will excert pressure and make it feel stiff.
As for the glasses, it takes a while to get used to rangefinders if you are new to them. The SP has a very good 50 frame (only the S2 is better in this regard) but it is a tight "fit" in the finder. On the M2 you have a lot of "free" space surrounding the frame lines and that makes it easier to compose. My primary cameras has always been the M2's and as a life-long eyeglass wearer I have adjusted to the frames. If you have a chance, try the M2 with a 35 lens -one of the great street shooting combinations of all time.
You will probably find that using the M2 and the SP at the same time is tricky. I find that I can use one type of camera OR the other. When I mix them, I keep "turning the wrong way" on one of them. Then, on the other hand, I have 40+ years of Leica M shooting and only 5-6 with the Nikons so that might be the cause!
Enjoy them all and use the RFf as a source of information. Whatever question you probably have, some-one here can give you advice.

 

[JP Fecteau]

Tom,
Thanks for the advice. I think I should be spending $ on my eyes rather than wonderful little machines!
It hit me last year when I bought a DSLR after many years of not picking up a camera. I kept legnthing the strap so I could hold it far enough away so as to be able to read the settings... I quickly ran out of strap.

I would be embarrased to list the cameras I've owned and sold. I have owned a previous M2 & M4 with the wonderful 35 f/2 and incredible 50mm f/2 Summicrons. I have to say though that my first love was a Nikon. Primarily the F2 Photomic. I moved from the F2 to the M2 & M4 and fell in love with the simplicity and mecahnical perfection of Leica rangefiders. Now I have discovered Nikon rangefinders... cheaper and safer than another BMW two wheeld death machine I suppose. Oh, what we do to justify our obsessions!

JP