Nice site for Leotax Nicca RF camera fans
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I picked up a 4-Digit SN Leotax D-IV with an early Simlar 5cm F1.5 over 10 years ago, had Youxin Ye rebuild the camera. I CLA'd the lens, had to soak the helical for days to loosen it enough to turn- the lubricants were dried out and like cement. Interesting- the Canon 85/1.5 uses the same 1-3-2-1, 7 elements in 4 groups. It's a Double-Gauss with a triplet in place of the front doublet.
The lens uses 39mm filters, not 40mm as stated on the site.
The lens uses 39mm filters, not 40mm as stated on the site.
charjohncarter
Veteran
I saw a Nicca once; in 1963. I thought about buying it but I didn't. The way I am I'd still have it. Was it any good?
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
Niccas are pretty good cameras, John...most in the USA and Canada were sold by Sears in the early to late 1950s under their Tower brand.
They came with the 50 mm f 2 Nikkor lens for the most part, although some had the budget 50mm f3.5 Nikkor lens in the early years (not common) and a few even came with the Nikkor 50mm f 1.4 lens if you splurged on the price.
Most Nicca/Tower cameras were a variation on the Leica III although Nicca did make models with improvements over the basic Barnack Leica III copy like on the rare Nicca Type 5 and the more common Tower 45 or 46.
The last of the Niccas was branded as the Yashica YF, as Yashica bought them out and it was a very passable Leica M copy but still with split dial shutter speeds and a fine 50mm f1.8 Yashica lens that looked like the last of the Canon 50mm f1.8 LTM lens but made by Tomioka, a really good independent lens maker.. not a common camera , as most were sold at a discount in 1960 when everyone wanted an SLR as the latest and the greatest.
raid
Dad Photographer
I got a Tower with a Nikon 5cm/2 (to get the lens).
David Murphy
Veteran
Great site, thanks for posting. I love these old bottom loaders and all their lenses, etc.!
David Murphy
Veteran
The Simlar 5cm F1.5 is getting pretty scarce and expensive these days. I once owned one and sold it for a fairly high price, but nothing like what it commands today. I found the images it made quite interesting, particularly those in color. They had sort of a retro almost pastel look to them. Perhaps it was optimized more for black and white film. It's a pretty old lens and was quite fast for its time, and it certainly predates the widespread use of color print film, or even the wide spread use of 35mm color slide film really.
The Simlar 5cm F1.5 was designed in 1937, same year as the Nikkor 5cm F1.5. The Nikkor is better, but the Simlar- as far as I know, is an original formula that implements 7 elements in a Double-Gauss and has only 8 air/glass interfaces. Others are 7/5 and 7/6 layouts.
I took the Leitz 5cm F1.5 Xenon, Simlar 5cm F1.5, Canon 50/1.4, and Asph Nokton 50/1.5 out to the Udvar Hazy Museum for a comparison shoot a couple of years ago. My "Planar Day". The Simlar is close in performance to the Xenon. The Canon 50/1.4 shows the 20 year difference in improved glass, is one of the few 1-2-2-1 F1.4 lenses.
I took the Leitz 5cm F1.5 Xenon, Simlar 5cm F1.5, Canon 50/1.4, and Asph Nokton 50/1.5 out to the Udvar Hazy Museum for a comparison shoot a couple of years ago. My "Planar Day". The Simlar is close in performance to the Xenon. The Canon 50/1.4 shows the 20 year difference in improved glass, is one of the few 1-2-2-1 F1.4 lenses.
raid
Dad Photographer
Would the original Nokton 5cm 1.5 for the Voigtlander Prominent be somewhat similar to the Simlar?
hilltime
Well-known
I ran into Paul's website back in August, as I was researching something Leotax and contacted him about how much I liked his research and website. I told him I had a nice collection of Leotax cameras, lenses, accessories, and pamphlets I had acquired over the past 15 yrs. He was interested in what I had so I sent him a number of images, which he graciously incorporated into his manuscript and even gave me credit!
One of the rarer pieces was a Leotrax DIV with an original equipped Olympus 4cm/F2.8 lens made only for a very short time in 1950-51. I wanted to try this combo out and took it on vacation in Sept only to lose one of the front bezels and glass from the DIV. Bought a parts Leotax F with hopes of replacing it, but found it was not quite the same. Back to the drawing board on this as I'd really like to keep this camera intact.
On another note, my first Leotax purchase was an F body with a Topcor 5cm/F1.5. I was interested to see how it stacked up against my Zeiss 5cm/1.5 and an original Nokton which I had adapted to a Contax mount.
Eventually I thought I didn't need it as I had purchased a black Topcor 5cm/F2 for a FV body I had acquired. Sold the lens for a handsome profit back in 2012, but now of course find this lens would go for at least twice as much as then.
Oh well.... equipment comes and goes and I have to realize that some day and I hope not too soon, my valed Leotax collection will have to move on to another collector who hopefully enjoys it as much as I have for the past number of years.🙂
One of the rarer pieces was a Leotrax DIV with an original equipped Olympus 4cm/F2.8 lens made only for a very short time in 1950-51. I wanted to try this combo out and took it on vacation in Sept only to lose one of the front bezels and glass from the DIV. Bought a parts Leotax F with hopes of replacing it, but found it was not quite the same. Back to the drawing board on this as I'd really like to keep this camera intact.
On another note, my first Leotax purchase was an F body with a Topcor 5cm/F1.5. I was interested to see how it stacked up against my Zeiss 5cm/1.5 and an original Nokton which I had adapted to a Contax mount.
Eventually I thought I didn't need it as I had purchased a black Topcor 5cm/F2 for a FV body I had acquired. Sold the lens for a handsome profit back in 2012, but now of course find this lens would go for at least twice as much as then.
Oh well.... equipment comes and goes and I have to realize that some day and I hope not too soon, my valed Leotax collection will have to move on to another collector who hopefully enjoys it as much as I have for the past number of years.🙂
I’ve had that site bookmarked for a while, for Nicca. Valuable resource!
das
Well-known
Wonderful work!
The Prominent Nokton is a 2-1-1-2-1, 7 element in 5 group design, also a unique configuration. A double-Gauss, but different.
I can use an adapter- need to compare some shots with it.
I can use an adapter- need to compare some shots with it.
raid
Dad Photographer
Thanks, Brian.
I use the same adapter on the Nokton and the Ultron. The Ultron may be the better lens overall (other than its max aperture).
The same person designed the Xenon.
David Murphy
Veteran
I bought a Leotax DIV about ten years ago mainly for the Simlar 5cm/3.5 collapsible lens that it had. The lens was good, but the body was in bad condition with a non-working shutter and dried out shutter curtains, as many of them are these days mainly due to age. However, I was still impressed by the solidness and high degree of workmanship shown by the body. About two years ago I lucked into finding another DIV on eBay from a Japanese seller at a moderately low price and it is in very good condition (likely serviced at some point in its long life).
A working DIV is a joy to use and quite impressive mechanically - it's the best Leotax as far as build quality I've seen. I've actually shot a fair amount with mine, and it seems 100% compatible with all Leica III series accessories such as close-up devices, etc. It doesn't have flash sync, but I recently bought a Geiss Syncro Kontakt which will permit flash photography with it (without having to modify the body).
BTW there's a nicely price DIV on eBay right now with a Similar lens (I have no connection to the seller!):
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122-Showa-...121115?hash=item1cfa66bc1b:g:fhAAAOSwD4FfwEby
The one design flaw I find on the D-IV (Camera, not Klingon Battle Cruiser) is the lack of the focus adjustment on the 1.5x finder. Otherwise- heavier and better made than others- as per Youxin, more brass.
dxq.canada
Well-known
That site is great ... especially about Yashica.
Last of the Niccas by Yashica ... I am fixing it up still ... interesting camera.
Yashica YF by Dennis, on Flickr
Last of the Niccas by Yashica ... I am fixing it up still ... interesting camera.
Yashica YF by Dennis, on Flickr
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