Selling my dad's Nikon S and extras

[AlaneSue]

Hi!

I found this forum via the magic of Google. My dad is in his late 70s and at a point in life where he's "weeding" things out. He's looking to sell his Nikon S and assessories. I told him I'd have a go at it on the Internet. He said to put it on eBay and get whatever I can for it.

I realize that the Nikon S isn't a particularly "rare" camera, so I'd not expecting a fortune. But I'd like to get a fair price for him and thought that some of the extras that come with the camera might increase its value.

What I'm looking for is some advice on where to set the reserve on eBay. Here's what would be included:

[/COLOR]- There's the camera (serial number [/COLOR]6105678) [/COLOR]with original lens. As far as I can tell, it's still in working condition. The shutter clicks when I wind the knob. (should I buy film and run through it to check?)

- It has a brown leather case with a separate viewfinder that attaches on top of the camera.

- Long lens with its own leather case and another viewfinder in another little case.

- The flash unit and bracket to attach it. There are two reflectors in two sizes and some kind of battery assembly.

- The instructions (taped together) for the camera and for the B.C. Flash Unit Model BCB-II

- The original box. It's brown, velvet-covered and says Nikon camera on top. Inside the box it's stamped with the Nikon Camera patent numbers.

- The original silica gel packet stamped "Nippon Kogaku K.K."

- The guarantee with the serial number for the camera and lens and the date stamped Mar - 3 1953.

All of this is in good-but-used condition. The camera was used in the '50s and '60s. I took the camera to a concert in the late '70s beause it had a telephoto lens. That may have been the last time it was used. Lord knows how long it's been since the flash was used (the cabling is gone).

If you have any suggestions, I'm open to them. I've run a couple of charity auctions on eBay, so I know how things can go there.

Thanks for reading!
[/COLOR]
Alane

 

[VinceC]

Alane,
The S is the most common of the Nikon rangefinders. Very many of the original owners are your father's age, so many of these are coming out of closets and going onto EBay. Prices are fairly low. Having it in good condition with the papers helps, but it's greatest value is probably as a family heirloom.

The lens is probably a Nikkor-Q 13.5cm f3.5 in chrome barrel.

I assume there is also a chrome 5cm "normal" lens, also chrome. If this is a Nikkor-S f1.4, that is a little more valuable than a Nikkor-H f2.

Assuming they're all in nice condition, a very rough EBay price range would be something like:
$250 to $450 for the camera.
$100-175 for the telephoto (if someone bids on it ... these don't sell well)
$175 to $250 for the 5cm lens if it is f1.4 -- more like $100 to $175 if it is f2.

In the past year, the prices have been on the low end of that range.

A reasonable reserve would be in the $350 to $450 range for the whole kit. Collectors mainly want like-new items with original packaging, never used. There's not really much point in putting a reserve on a kit like this.

So this kit would probably go to a user-enthusiast who wants to start an old Nikon system. That's actually a very small number of people these days. The other likely buyer would be a reseller who wants the original documentation and the patience and time to resell individual iterms at somewhat higher prices.

Someone else chime in if I'm way off base. Keeping it all together might not bring as much money overall, but it will all sell, if that's the goal. But it's not a bad thing to keep around in a curio cabiinet ... "hey, here's granddad's old camera, next to the figurines."

 

[AlaneSue]

Some pictures would help to rate condition and value.

The box increases value, and much depends on condition. Which Telephoto lens is with it, how fast is the normal lens? An 8.5cm F2 brings more than a 13.5cm F3.5. A 13.5cm F4 is "rare". So much depends on the details.

Also best to check with film. A known working camera brings more.

You'll have to bear with me because my knowledge of cameras is far from expert level. I did take photos with a Minota SLR about 25 years ago as a young reporter, but I switched to the world of digital long ago and have forgotten so much.

Inside the regular lens it says "Nikkor S C 1:1.4 F=5 cm. The aperature range is from f 1.4 to f 16 (I do remember that much!)

The long lens inside says Nikkor QC 1:3.5 f=3.5 cm. The aperature range is f 3.5 to f32

I'll buy a roll of flim and try to give it a go when we have a nice sunny day here. I don't have a light meter. So, there will be a lot of guesswork. 😉

Alane

 

[Richard Black]

It is his choice to sell, but I treasure, and use, the cameras I inherited from my father. Are there any grandchildren? Would you use it or keep it for them. Something from last century would be impressive to some children in the 30's of this century. Sometimes the sentimental value exceeds the cash value by a great degree. My 2 cents!

 

[VinceC]

Let's also not forget that Alane's dad made a great choice when he bought his camera. It still works 54 years later and has retained much of its value. What will today's cameras be worth half a century from now? Will anyone want to still use them?

 

[venchka]

In 1952 the Nikkor S C 1:1.4 F=5 cm lens retailed for $200. How many consumer items can be owned, used, loved and still give you your money back 50+ years later?

I have and use my father's Konica I from 1950. I guess he wasn't willing to part with the money for a Nikon or Canon at the time. I passed his other camera, a Pentax P&S, along to his oldest great grandaughter. She uses and appreciates it.

Take good pictures of the items and offer them here. They will be used and enjoyed.

 

[VinceC]

>>I'll buy a roll of flim and try to give it a go when we have a nice sunny day here. I don't have a light meter. So, there will be a lot of guesswork<<

Sunny-16 rule:

Sunny day, open sunlight
Set lens to f/16
Shutter speed is:
1/125 for 100 speed film
1/250 for 200 speed film
1.500 for 400 speed film

For backlit subjects (where no one is squinting into the sun):
Set lens to f/5.6, use same shutter speeds

For open shade (behind a house, under a tree)
f/4 and same shutter speeds.

Indoors, typical home, daylight, no direct sun:
f/2.8
Shutter speed:
60 for 400 speed film
30 for 200 speed film
20 for 100 speed film

Enjoy. Take nice pictures of the family for old-time's sake.

 

[VinceC]

And, if you want to have fun, try a few indoor shots at f/1.4. Focus on the eyes.

In the above formula,
Indoors, typical home, daylight, no direct sun:
f/1.4
Shutter speed:
250 for 400 speed film
125 for 200 speed film
60 for 100 speed film

(You can also use a digital camera as a light meter, if it displays shutter and aperature settings).

The 5cm 1.4 is THE classic lens of the 1950s. Its excellent quality when taking portraits indoors at 1.4 is the main reason Nikon cameras even exist today. When introduced in 1950 by an unknown Japanese company (that had made wartime binoculars and submarine periscopes) its quality knocked the socks off the professional photojournalism community and it was extensively used to photograph the Korean War after being "discovered" by Life magazine photographers. It was considered better than anything then made by Leica and at least as good as the Zeiss Contax lens, but with click stops, a bit more speed and excellent flare control. Either Modern Photography or Popular photography tested this lens about 1990 and found it is still excellent by modern standards.

 

[AlaneSue]

It is his choice to sell, but I treasure, and use, the cameras I inherited from my father. Are there any grandchildren? Would you use it or keep it for them. Something from last century would be impressive to some children in the 30's of this century. Sometimes the sentimental value exceeds the cash value by a great degree. My 2 cents!

No, no children and no siblings. My only close living relatives are my parents. Believe me, I'm really sentimental. My house is crammed with stuff from my own childhood I've never been able to part with. I have this vision of decades from now some distant cousin being forced to use a backhoe to clear my house when I'm dead. 🙂

I'd keep the camera -- and I'm sure dad would just tell me to keep it if I wanted it -- but realistically, I know I'd not be using it. So, better to give dad the check than to have it moved from his closet to mine.

I belonged to the Chatty Cathy Collectors Club for awhile, and I know that women there loved to rescue dolls that had be stuck and forgotten in attics and closets for decades. Ideally I'd like the camera to go to someone who actually would appreciate it.

Looking over the camera and accessories, I do have a technical question I'm curious about. I understand the separate viewfinder for the long lens. But why would the regular lens need one?

Alane

 

[VinceC]

If you have a 5cm separate viewfinder (not a zoom finder, but a finder that's just 5cm) that's probably the most interesting/collectible item. If it has its own box, or even if not, that would probably be worth putting by itself,on EBay, with good photos.

If it's a zoom finder, those aren't particularly rare.

At this point, you migtht want to take a good digital photo of the contents of the camera bag, and post it heere (use POST REPLY and then scroll down to manage attachments to upload a photo. Maximum size is 800 pixels on the longest end. You can resize using Windows or MAC picture editing software).

EDIT: The 5cm viewfinder would frame things better than the smallish finder on the camera itself. But they weren't usually sold with consumer camera kits.

 

[AlaneSue]

If you have a 5cm separate viewfinder (not a zoom finder, but a finder that's just 5cm) that's probably the most interesting/collectible item. If it has its own box, or even if not, that would probably be worth putting by itself,on EBay, with good photos.

If it's a zoom finder, those aren't particularly rare.

At this point, you migtht want to take a good digital photo of the contents of the camera bag, and post it heere (use POST REPLY and then scroll down to manage attachments to upload a photo. Maximum size is 800 pixels on the longest end. You can resize using Windows or MAC picture editing software).

EDIT: The 5cm viewfinder would frame things better than the smallish finder on the camera itself. But they weren't usually sold with consumer camera kits.

There are two viewfinders. One is chrome, about the size of a cigarette in width and is in a little leather pouch attached to the long lens leather case.

The other is black with chrome trim, about three times the width of the other, and is in a little leather pouch attached to the leather camera case.

I'm going out to lunch with my folks in a few minutes. I'll have to report what I've found out to them, and then I'll take some photos this afternoon with its great-great grandchild, the Nikon Coolpix. 😀

Alane

 

[VinceC]

It might just be a better viewfinder for the telephoto lens. The little chrome one probably shows a squinty image. There were later viewfinders which showed a very nice lifesize image and had a kind of silvery frame shownig the field of view for the lens. Sounds like he may have decided to upgrade his viewfinder.

Usually viewfinders are marked for their lens size.

 

[NIKON KIU]

This may sound stupid but the box,if in real good condition,could be worth as much as the camera!
Let me ask some questions.
Are both viewfinders Nikon?
Are there bumps on the back of the camera?
Is the 5cm lens chrome or black?
Is the camera all black?
set the camera to 1 second and release the shutter,does the slow speeds work? this could be checked by taking the back off and releasing the shutter at 1 second,1/2 second,1/4 second....

when you do list the camera please give us the auction number.


Kiu

 

[VinceC]

>>Are both viewfinders Nikon?<<

And, to clarify, accessories such as viewfinders would likely be marked "Nippon Kogaku" instead of Nikon. Nippon Kogaku means "Japanese Optical" and this was shortened to Nikon for the name of the camera itself.

On older chrome viewfinders, the sise of the finder is engraved on the front, usually white paint against a black background. For instead, for a 135mm lens, it will say 13.5 (because older lenses were measured in centimeters).

 

[VinceC]

>>This may sound stupid but the box,if in real good condition,could be worth as much as the camera!<<

Isn't the world a wonderful place? Tell you dad he has a $400 cardboard box.

 

[Stefcuoz]

My God, this forum is like an SS interrogatory!

My God, this forum is like an SS interrogatory!

Guys... we will make AllenSue crazy.😀
PLease AllenSue, answer at these simple questions and i will give you the real price, and reserve of your beauty nikon S items:

Camera serial number?=
Lens Short seial Number?=
Lens long serial number?=
Finder crome serial number?=
Finder black and crome serial number?=
Number and type or only type of other items, box, bags ecc. you have, a list?=
Try to be most precise and excuse my terrible english, i'm italian.

Regards
Steve.

 

[raid]

I hope that AllenSue will get a good sum (fair) of money for the equipment.

Raid

 

[AlaneSue]

Camera etc. photos

Camera etc. photos

1. Here is the camera. The long lens and the two viewfinders. Both of the viewfinders are Nippon Kogaku.

2. The box with the patent number stamped inside, instruction booklets, guarantee and the silica gel (it cracks me up that dad kept that)

3. Flash unit with battery holders, pretty beat up leather Nikon cases and something dad gave me this morning - Nikon canister for bulk film. I'm sure that's worth a lot. LOL!

Dad says that as far as he remembers, he bought everything at the same time at a PX in South Korea.

 

[NIKON KIU]

You have a Verifocal finder(Black and Chrome) and a finder dedicated to the 13.5cm (135mm) lens.

If I guess correctly,Dad must have paid around $300 for the outfit!!

Take some close-up pictures and list the camera package. You may want to start right here in the forum,the ad costs $2.00 No other fees apply!
I suggest an asking price of $750

Hope this helps,

Kiu

 

[migtex]

Kiu-San,
one question.. 750 including the BOX?

Tks