Nikon RF vs Leica RF

[LChanyungco]

🙂 what's up my nikkors ? i've always been attracted by Nikon RF camera's aesthetics but what are they like to shoot ? Leica M bodies and lenses are like second nature to use. how easy would it be to adapt to a Nikon ?

thank you !

 

[Phil_F_NM]

They focus the opposite way. Aperture controls as well.
You can use a Nikon RF one handed and control focus (with the 21, 25, 28, 35 and 50mm lenses.)
Most SP bodies had titanium shutter blades that wouldn't be burned through by the sun. The shutter blades and assemblies of the SP/S3/S4 are interchangeable with the Nikon F.
The RF mechanism is in its own chassis and is incredibly robust.
The lenses are way cheaper than the equivalent Leica offerings.
The 1:1 finders are awesome.

It's a different way of doing things, that's all. I happen to love it. I have both a Nikon SP and a Leica M4. I prefer the 1:1 finder of the SP since squinting over a long time will give me headaches. I'm a left eyed shooter anyway and have learned to just block out my right eye with the camera body so that doesn't matter as much.
For day to day shooting, I prefer the Nikon but I'm not getting rid of my Leica.

Phil Forrest

 

[sanmich]

From time to time, I have the same urge to try Nikon RFs.
But then I come to my mind, and realize it's only GAS talking in my feeble head.
I'm reasonably happy with Leica's, so unless a Nikon falls in my lap by chance, I don't think I'll spend cash in that direction.

 

[rhl-oregon]

Ditto Phil. The 1:1 VF is very very nice if you shoot 50.

I'm just getting used to an S2, and the biggest adjustment for me is changing aperture-- the lens barrel wants to move focus while I switch from f2.8 to 5.6, e.g. You can hold down the focus wheel to deal with this, but that's the sort of adjustment facing a leicaphile. But the machine is beautiful enough in design and handling to justify your desire, so give in. It's not a steep cost unless you have to have black, SP, etc.

In fact I was shooting an M5/35 2.8 Biogon and the s2/5cm earlier this evening--using the M to meter/ get wider shots, switching to the S2 for tighter angles and to take advantage of its "Sonnarity" at f1.4-2.0. Shooting them together may help you sort out their minor functional differences.

 

[jonmanjiro]

🙂 what's up my nikkors ? i've always been attracted by Nikon RF camera's aesthetics but what are they like to shoot ? Leica M bodies and lenses are like second nature to use. how easy would it be to adapt to a Nikon ?

thank you !

> what are they like to shoot ?

Compared to Leicas, they're a bit clunky and slow but definitely fun to shoot! 🙂

Besides those mentioned above, some other points to be aware of are:

* All lenses have a veeeeery long focus throw to match the 270 degree rotation from infinity to MFD of the focus helicoid built in to the body.
* Almost all lenses have a single helicoid design which means the aperture mechanism rotates as you focus (the only exception I can think of is the 50/1.1), so changing apertures on the fly can be a bit of a PITA.
* Loading film requires completely removing the back from the camera like on a Nikon F.
* The focus patch is a fuzzy blob that you'll either love or hate.

Most SP bodies had titanium shutter blades that wouldn't be burned through by the sun.

FYI the changeover from cloth to titanium shutter curtains happened around s/n 6214000 which probably means about 60% of SPs have a cloth shutter and the remaining 40% have a titanium shutter.

 

[Vincent.G]

🙂 what's up my nikkors ? i've always been attracted by Nikon RF camera's aesthetics but what are they like to shoot ? Leica M bodies and lenses are like second nature to use. how easy would it be to adapt to a Nikon ?

thank you !

They are very different. My advice is not to use a Nikon RF with a Leica M mindset. Don't compare. Just get one and shoot. My experience is that you need to spend substantial amount of time to know the camera well. After that, I find it a breeze to shoot with and appreciate the Nikon RF as it is.

 

[LChanyungco]

thank you gentlemen. i wasn't really going to switch systems now but was just curious about how they feel. they look like such mean machines 🙂 saw these today at the photomall near Shanghai Rail Station.

 

[VinceC]

Beautiful cameras in the picture. I will agree with all of the above. The 1:! viewfinder also makes telephotos a real joy to shoot -- 85/105/135 are all easy to frame and focus, and you develop a real sense of the relationship between lenses. Also, 35mm lens is pretty interesting to shoot using 1:1 finder on the S3. Shooting both eyes open is a real advantage.

Changing lenses on a Nikon is clunky at best, a bit dangerous to lens if done incorrectly.

I will agree that the differences make it hard for a long-time user to switch systems. I'm the opposite. I used Nikon RFs daily for several years, then tried a Leica. I didn't like the difference -- reduced image viewfinder, lenses and aperture turned in opposite direction, the RF focus patch was too well defined and therefore distracting.

The cameras are fun, but very different. It really probably makes sense to stick with Leica due to much wider range of available lenses (including some Nikkor lenses in LTM).

 

[thegman]

I had an S2 for a bit, nice camera, I adapted easy enough, but then I find it easy to switch between cameras in general.

The S2 is a nice camera and can be good value so long as you don't want to build up a big lens collection.

I like the little focus wheel too.

 

[ChrisLivsey]

saw these today at the photomall near Shanghai Rail Station.

So that's where they all are 😀

 

[raid]

I have not used a Nikon RF camera yet, but I bought recently a Nikon S3 (2000), so that I try it out. A camera is a camera, and after having used many different cameras, I have no problem with using a non- Leica camera, say.

 

[jonmanjiro]

So that's where they all are 😀

The rest are here 😉


95 Nikon rangefinders in a single cabinet, Sankyo Camera by jonmanjiro, on Flickr

 

[furcafe]

Not much to add, but my take is that the Nikon RFs are basically improved versions of Zeiss Ikon's Contax RFs, which puts them on the high end of the spectrum between the old "Barnack" thread mount Leicas & the M system in terms of overall usability. To echo others, the high-magnification VF is nice, especially if you shoot 50s & up, & mechanical reliability is high, but VF/RF are not up to Leica M standards. The essential usability is that of a professional system of the 1950s, which is very usable, indeed.

For me, the difference in focusing direction, etc. is not a big deal, but I started out using Contax equipment before ever getting a Leica, so I was accustomed to the basic form factor & ergonomics. I now switch between Leica/Leica copies/compatible, Contax RF, Nikon RF, & Nikon F equipment all the time & have various adapters that let me mount most of my Zeiss & Nikon lenses on LTM & M bodies.

 

[Range-rover]

Hi,
I was a long time Leica rangefinder user, which I still like.
but I got a Nikon S3 at a great price and jump on it, I really
enjoy using it. You have to get used to the differences, like
making sure the lens is set at infinity when mounting wide
angle lenses but other than that it great to use that I don't
miss my Leicas at all. The lenses are great even the Cosina
ones and the cameras are built. I did use mine this weekend in NYC
and one of the street vendors said wow your the fourth person
I saw with a film camera and I said yep where still around it's
just more fun. You don't see to many of them around except
in the pictures above wow!

Range

 

[Rodchenko]

The rest are here 😉


95 Nikon rangefinders in a single cabinet, Sankyo Camera by jonmanjiro, on Flickr

I think I'm in love...

 

[raid]

Yes, but how would we pack all these Nikons into a camera bag?
Imagine the weight!

 

[Vincent.G]

thank you gentlemen. i wasn't really going to switch systems now but was just curious about how they feel. they look like such mean machines 🙂 saw these today at the photomall near Shanghai Rail Station.

Lem, you don't have to switch systems. Nikon RF and Leica RF can coexist peacefully together. 😛

 

[Fred R.]

I`d love to give the Nikon`s a go (I did use a sp years ago) but no parallax correction kills it for me. And in the sp, with the correction, the squinty wide finder. . . un-corrected for parallax. This doesn`t seem to bother the thousands of people who use them.

 

[Tom A]

I use both systems, rarely together though. The Benefit of the Nikon's lies mainly in the compact lenses (and reasonably priced lenses).
The long focus throw takes a while to get used to - but it also allows for very precise focussing. The finders are OK, a bit squinty but works. Rangefinder cameras are not meant for precise framing anyway. The Nikon's are also lighter, I can pack 3 of them in my bag without falling over.
The lenses are good, in some cases as good as anything from Leica at a fraction of the cost.
My personal favorite is the S3 - great finder with the 35 and 50. OK, no parallax compensation, but you quickly learn how to adjust "mentally".
Loading is easy, but just like with Leica, you really need three hands to do it - or hold the baseplate (Leica M) or the whole back (Nikon) with your teeth.
I have shot M's for 50+ years and Nikon's for the last 12-15 years. I usually switch between them for a change of pace. If you haven't tried one yet, do it - but give yourself time and some rolls of film to get used to it. Well worth the effort. With some careful shopping, you can get your hand on a S3, a 35f2.5 and a 50f1.4 for less than a used M6 with no lens.

 

[Erik van Straten]

no parallax correction kills it for me.

The S2 doesn't have parallax correction either, but I've never missed it. The viewfinder is very close to the optical axis of the lens (much closer than on M-Leicas) and the frame is surprisingly precise.

Erik.