Nikon RF newbie

[kdemas]

My opinion... start with a nice S2 with a 50/1.4. A few months later you'll "catch the bug" and you'll be posting about whether to get a SP 2005 or the original version 🙂

Whatever you do, enjoy (they're fantastic cameras and fun to use)!

Kent

 

[jonmanjiro]

# 2 -- CV minifinder on a Nikon S2 -- You have excellent framing for 28mm, 35mm and 50mm lenses. You can get a good sense of the 25mm framing, and, as Nikon HS Webmaster says, with some experience most people can well frame an 85mm lens (owning an SP, however, really helps in developing a visual sense of missing framelines).

ＡＦＡＩＫ unfortunately the CV minifinder has been discontinued.

 

[JohnM]

They have been discontinued, but I'm pretty sure they are still in stock at CameraQuest, PhotoVillage and B&H. ($199 all around.)

 

[jonmanjiro]

Thanks for the info, John. The mini finders are no longer available in Japan but its good to know some places still have them.

 

[fbf]

Hi guys. Lately I have been digging around everywhere to look for nikon RF related stuff 😀 One quick question, if the camera does need a CLA, how much does it usually cost? who still does the nikon CLA in the states?
Any recommendation would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[jonmanjiro]

Lots of choices in the US. Here's some links to get you started:

http://nikonhistoricalsociety.yuku.com/topic/1321/t/Pete-Smith-in-Florida-USA.html
http://www.cameraquest.com/repairs.htm
http://nikonhistoricalsociety.yuku.com/forums/65/t/repair-your-collectible.html

 

[fbf]

lol. That was quick Jon. thanks for the links. 😀

 

[JohnM]

I had an S2 CLA'd by Pete Smith (FocalCamera or something like that) in Florida - I basically got his name off of someone where.

It cost $150, plus $15 shipping. The turnaround was about eight days. He called when he got it and he called when he was finished - I thought that was a nice touch.

I was pleasantly surprised by the work -- viewfinder cleaned up nicely and the helical is much, much smoother than it was. It's far smoother than the almost-new S3 2000 that I have. (That camera is about to go to Pete to get a dose of that same smoothness.)

 

[jonmanjiro]

I was pleasantly surprised by the work -- viewfinder cleaned up nicely and the helical is much, much smoother than it was. It's far smoother than the almost-new S3 2000 that I have. (That camera is about to go to Pete to get a dose of that same smoothness.)

The focus helicoid is actually designed to run dry i.e. no lubrication, to keep the rotation action as light as possible (I think?). But with the reissue Nikons, I sometimes wonder if Nikon didn't get it quite right. I've come across a few reissue bodies with squeaky, and in some cases, downright stiff helicoid actions, and have even taken a few bodies to Nikon for repair. The good news is that Nikon does excellent repair work.

A little lubrication will probably smooth things out a lot, so hopefully your S3 2000 will turn out to be just as smooth as your cla'd S2, John!

 

[JohnM]

I think there is just a little extra play in it. (If that makes sense.) The action is quite light - just needs a tweak, perhaps. Understand that I am absolutely nit-picking here - the re-issues are a near work of art, in my opinion.

 

[David Murphy]

I own a very good S now and I like it. I use it with several non-Nikon lenses (Voigtlander) and the 50mm F2 RF Nikkor, which is an unbelievably sharp lens for any era. I once owned an S2, it was OK, but it did not have much over the S IMO. The S2 has a rapid advance (big deal) and a better finder (but not that great), but slightly lower build quality - not IMO worth the money. I can imagine the higher specified and newer Nikon rangefinders with multiple frame lines/finders, etc. are really wonderful, but they cost more than I can pay for a camera.

I was lucky enough to find a Nikon S with the f/2.0 50mm Nikkor for $250. This was about four years ago, and I found it at an online pawn shop.

Like some other cameras, collectors and fanatics have really pushed up the price on the Nikon rangefinders.

 

[David Murphy]

One strategy for getting a "bargain" Nikon rangefinder is to find one that is cosmetically good, but broken and get it fixed. They are not that expensive or difficult to service, especially if the shutter curtains don't need to be replaced (I think some models have metal curtains anyway). Any good camera technician can get one back in service quickly if its been reasonably well treated.

 

[VinceC]

As David Murphy said, these are extremely easy cameras to repair. The insides should look familiar to anyone who has worked on Leicas. The main difference is that Nikon RF mirrors cannot be resilvered. If the focus image is fading badly, there's only so much you can do to bring it back. This problem is chiefly with the SPs.

 

[barnwulf]

I am fairly new to RFF and I want everyone here to know that I am so impressed by all the experience and knowledge here that I am delighted to have found RFF and the Nikon RF threads. I had been wanting a Nikon RF for several years but it wasn't until I ended up here that it actually happened. I bought a S3 and my first reaction from looking into the viewfinder was, OMG I'm not sure I can use this camera. I was used to shooting with my Leica M6. I shot with the S3 exclusively for 2 months usually 5 days a week and I became used to it and found it's viewfinder to be just fine. I then bought a SP and I liked that very much also but I think I prefer the S3 for 35mm lens use. I wear glasses but mostly for reading so I don't wear glasses while shoot. I love the 1:1 viewfinder. It's easy to be a bit put off by the dim and somewhat cluttered S3 viewfinder at first but if you use it you will become accustomed to it. The SP for sure has an advantage with longer focal lengths and the 28mm finder is fine for me although I don't like having to use 2 different VF windows but once accustomed to it they are fine in my opinion. - jim

 

[Mister E]

I love my Nikon RFs. I like the S2 with the 50/2H or 50 Millennium the best with the SP a very close second.

 

[Vincent.G]

I love my S3 2002 simple and bright viewfinder. I use it with millennium nikkor 50/1.4 and zeiss sonnar 50/1.5. I wear spectacles but can use nikkor 35/2.5 with the 35mm frame lines. The feeling is similar to seeing 35mm frame lines through an M2 - need to scan around a bit. This is amazing considering that it is a 1:1 viewfinder.

The SP original / reissue requires a slight shift in viewpoint to focus and compose when using 28mm and 35mm which I don't like but nonetheless it is a matter of preference. The parallax compensation of SP is nice to have but not crucial so the etched frame lines in S3 is fine for me.

 

[rbsinto]

Just to muddy the waters even more.....
you might consider the Cosina Voigtlander R2S body which takes all the vintage Nikon S- mount lenses as well as the new CV series Nikon S-mount lenses . It has a vastly brighter rangefinder spot than any Nikon vintage or re-issue body as well as a built in exposure meter.
To be sure, it's not a Nikon, but it's much easier to shoot with. I just got one a few weeks ago from Cameraquest and find it a better shooter than either of my S3s or SP.
And at $599.00 (without a lens) I think it is a great bargain.

 

[filmtwit]

Ebay: Keep in mind that prices as a whole go up in the months before Xmass. If you wait until after Xmass, prices should drop (but not astronomically).