Nikon S2 kit, how much is reasonable to spend?

[akptc]

A friend of a friend is offering to sell her Nikon S2 kit with 35/3.5, 50/1.4, and 105/2.5 lenses. I am told the kit is very nice, not collector's grade by any means but clean and very usable. I am considering to offer about $1000. Do you think that would be fair? I would prefer not to offend anyone with an offer that's unreasonably low. Any advice would appreciated.

 

[Luddite Frank]

Last year, I purchased a nearly-mint S-2 kit including:

Body with ERC

50mm f:1.4 with case, caps, hood

135mm f: 3.5 with case, caps, hood

Nikon Varifocal finder w/ case

Nikon Series filter holder & hood in leather case

I think I paid $700 BIN on e-bay. Seller said was from an estate.

All the above gear is beautiful and functions perfectly. No scratches, no brassing, no rubs.


I purchased a nice 35mm f: 3.5 wide-angle with caps and leather case from a forum-member for somewhere around $300 ( going from memory ).

So, rolling-up my kit, I have just around $1,000 invested.

If the condition of the kit you're considering is less than nearly-mint, maybe start-off around $800 ? You can always come-up.

 

[Huss]

That is certainly more than fair if the camera is in working order (she has been taking photos with it). Nikons usually only need repairs when they are broken, since they have a ball bearing shutter which is amazingly accurate over time.

It has the same shutter as the F. All my Fs needed calibration, and that is expected. Nikon F guru Sover Womg mentions that in their day, pros would have their Nikons serviced/calibrated once a year.
The only shutters that really stay in tune are electronic metal bladed ones.

 

[Huss]

A friend of a friend is offering to sell her Nikon S2 kit with 35/3.5, 50/1.4, and 105/2.5 lenses. I am told the kit is very nice, not collector's grade by any means but clean and very usable. I am considering to offer about $1000. Do you think that would be fair? I would prefer not to offend anyone with an offer that's unreasonably low. Any advice would appreciated.

You need to check out the kit for yourself first. People have the best intentions but if they are not mechanically inclined they may not know the difference between very nice, and , umm, junk.

Been there, done that..

 

[rhl-oregon]

I paid a local dealer $665 for a very nice/tech-checked S2 with 50 1.4, 135-Q 3.5/hood/caps/case, original S2 case (worn out strap) and original box. Your offer seems both fair and generous, and yes, it's best to check the gear out to make sure all is working to the standard your offer implies. Good luck!

 

[Steve Bellayr]

Go to collectiblend for current prices.

 

[splitimageview]

black dial or no?

caps? shades? cases?

chrome or black lenses?

aux viewfinder(s)?

all these can significantly affect the value + or - regardless of the camera and lens condition

 

[akptc]

Thank you all for your very generous replies! I feel better now knowing I was in the ballpark. I've always wanted a black Nikon kit just like this one shown here on Cameraquest, I wonder if an S2 kit would quench that thirst 🙂

 

[De_Corday]

In the '70s I used Nikon F's with motor drives for 15 years without any service, shooting chromes, which did not vary. I had a Nikon SP bought in 1965 which functioned for 25 years with a motor, no issues.

Can't speak for your F's, or those of younger guys like Sover Wong -- I bought all my user F cameras new, they were checked occasionally by Pro Camera Repair in NYC, and were fine.



http://collectiblend.com/ is very interesting, although it is mostly eBay and therefore not as accurate on extremely rare pieces.

But still a very useful, interesting, database.

Just to throw some anecdotes in FWIW... I have an F2 that has been through two pro camera bags. Bought new by Burt Glinn, bought from him by my uncle who was his assistant in the early 80's, used by him until he could afford a pair of F3's in the late 80's. Glinn may have had it CLAed, my uncle didn't. It made its way to me after 20 years on a shelf. the slow speeds took some waking up, and everything below 1/8 is still a bit slow, but otherwise there is no significant exposure difference between it and my F3s or D700 when shooting negative films. Not saying it doesn't need a CLA badly, just saying that these cameras remain genuinely usable through many many cycles of abuse and use.

 

[Frontman]

It has the same shutter as the F. All my Fs needed calibration, and that is expected. Nikon F guru Sover Womg mentions that in their day, pros would have their Nikons serviced/calibrated once a year.
The only shutters that really stay in tune are electronic metal bladed ones.

Funny, I have several F cameras, from the 640 series to the Apollos, none has ever required a shutter calibration, ever. Most have never had any service since new. I have a Kyoritsu shutter tester, and used it to check my F cameras (I have 9 right now), all are within spec. One of my friends here was press photographer who shot photos in Vietnam and the middle east wars. He said that he never sent any of his three Nikon cameras in for service. I cleaned them up a last year, and replaced the rotted rubber seals. The shutter speeds on all three cameras were still within spec.

S2 cameras do not have the same shutter as the F, which it titanium, the mechsnisms are also slightly different. The S2 uses a silk shutter, which is quite durable. However, the shutter curtain ribbons can fail in the older S and S2 cameras. I have found it easier to replace the ribbons in old Nikons than the ribbons in FSU and Barnack Leicas. The S3, S4, and SP have the same shutter mechanism as the F (though not all have titanium shutters), and even have the same shutter speed dial.

I have shot pretty much every "Pro" system, from the Canon F1, to the Pentax LX, to the POS Minolta X1, to numerous Leica M cameras, none are as durable as the old Nikons. Two cameras I will never sell are my first black paint F, and my F2 Titan. I know that these cameras will always work, no matter what.

The best S2 is the black dial variation, the best lens will be a black 5cm f/1.4. The other lenses will require an accessory finder. If you shop around, you can get an S3 which has built in frame lines for the 35mm lens, the S2 is better as a 50mm lens camera. I have both, and enjoy them equally, though I love to shoot the Nikkor 2.8/3.5 with my SP, which has a built in finder for wider lenses.