My 1st S2 with 5 cm 1:1.4 lens - what type?

[TheToadMen]

Hi,
I got my first Nikon rangefinder at last. I have a Leica III, Leica M and Bronica RF-645, but still had a Nikon RF on my wish list, until now.
It's a S2 with Nikkor-S 5.0 cm 1:1.4 lens. Camera no. 6168056, lens no. 318534. The camera and lens are (almost) as new and serviced.

I tried to read up on Nikon RF, but there isn't that much in depth info. Someone told me my lens is an older lens - first series? - from before the S2. The inscription on the lens says also: "Nippon Kogaku Tokyo"

See: https://www.flickr.com/photos/43685135@N00/15555545085/

Can someone help me out and give me the details?
Thanks

 

[Erik van Straten]

Great information about the Nikon rangefinders you can find in the books by Robert Rotoloni.

The definitive work is "The Nikon Rangefinder System", but I prefer his first book "The Nikon Rangefinder Camera" from 1983.

Erik.

 

[TheToadMen]

Hi Erik,
I've heard of this book but can't get it around here in Holland. And $100 + shipping or more is too expensive for me. Does anyone know if there is a digital version available (PDF or e-pub)?

Great information about the Nikon rangefinders you can find in the books by Robert Rotoloni.

The definitive work is "The Nikon Rangefinder System", but I prefer his first book "The Nikon Rangefinder Camera" from 1983.

Erik.

 

[Erik van Straten]

Try Peter Lownds in Rotterdam.

Or this:

09/11/2014
09:00 - 16:00 75e FOTOGRAFICABEURS
Home Boxx, Nieuwegein

Erik.

 

[Highway 61]

There is a thread in this forum in which Jonmanjiro gives the information. There is, for those chrome 50/1.4 Nikkors, a split at a certain serial number. Those made after this serial number have a wider rear element, to avoid vignetting with the S2, which was the first Nikon to cover the full 24x36 frame.

 

[Jacques M.]

Hello,

Look there:http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
At the bottom of the listing, you have the lenses for rangefinders.
If I am not wrong, yours date of 1952.
I am the happy owner of such a lens, with LTM mount.

Jacques.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

You're talking about the lens, right? Because the S2 camera body was introduced later, in December 1954, after the Leica M3.

Gotta check this list to find out about my own S2 and lens...

 

[Jacques M.]

Yes. This lens was made for the Nikon S, the first one. See for example:
http://www.pacificrimcamera.com/ (click on photographica)

Ah, if I had one...

Jacques.

 

[jondotkom]

Oooh, comrade! Welcome to the fold!

I am fairly certain you shall be lovin' it. Enjoy!

 

[ChrisLivsey]

Although Robert deserves the sale try Abe books or Bibliophile:

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/ (or regional equivalent)
http://newbibliophile.ammonet-services.com/bibliophile/home

The two earlier volumes are very affordable but the new one is in a class of its own.

They are great cameras, enjoy.

 

[wes loder]

Different 5cm f1.4 Nikkors

Different 5cm f1.4 Nikkors

There is a thread in this forum in which Jonmanjiro gives the information. There is, for those chrome 50/1.4 Nikkors, a split at a certain serial number. Those made after this serial number have a wider rear element, to avoid vignetting with the S2, which was the first Nikon to cover the full 24x36 frame.

I would be interested as to what you base this statement on. The 50mm f1.4 Nikkor for the RF cameras did go through several changes over its production lifetime (at least five, I have read), but if there was a change in 1954, it would have had nothing to do with the introduction of the Nikon S2 and its 24X36 format. All 50mm Nikkors were designed with the 24X36 format in mind from the very beginning back in 1933 when the company designed the lenses for the first Canon. When the 50mm f1.4 became available in September 1950, it sold in both Nikon and Leica-thread mount. More may have sold in thread mount initially, and these were certainly full 24X36 cameras.
There was a change in design from the initial 5005XXX lenses to the 316XXX lenses and that may have included a larger rear element. I measured a 3169XX (1951_still "Nippon Kogaku Tokyo") and a 4013XX from 1959 and the back elements appear to be the same. Any 50mm f1.4 Nikkor in Nikon mount should work fine on any Nikon RF camera, if you can get it to mount. Early normal Nikkors may not mount all the way on later Nikons. Cheers, WES

 

[Highway 61]

I would be interested as to what you base this statement on. The 50mm f1.4 Nikkor for the RF cameras did go through several changes over its production lifetime (at least five, I have read), but if there was a change in 1954, it would have had nothing to do with the introduction of the Nikon S2 and its 24X36 format. All 50mm Nikkors were designed with the 24X36 format in mind from the very beginning back in 1933 when the company designed the lenses for the first Canon. When the 50mm f1.4 became available in September 1950, it sold in both Nikon and Leica-thread mount. More may have sold in thread mount initially, and these were certainly full 24X36 cameras.
There was a change in design from the initial 5005XXX lenses to the 316XXX lenses and that may have included a larger rear element. I measured a 3169XX (1951_still "Nippon Kogaku Tokyo") and a 4013XX from 1959 and the back elements appear to be the same. Any 50mm f1.4 Nikkor in Nikon mount should work fine on any Nikon RF camera, if you can get it to mount. Early normal Nikkors may not mount all the way on later Nikons. Cheers, WES

You may want to ask Jonmanjiro. I'm pretty certain he posted this a while ago in this forum but in spite of an advanced search I can't find that old thread back.