Show Off Your Nikon RF

Sorry, by 'new' I was referring to Rotolini's "The Complete Nikon Rangefinder System". I have his earlier "Nikon Rangefinder Camera".
 
Thank you all for your trouble for sharing this information. Actually I have both books by Rotoloni. I was just asking, for it is very hard to believe that in all those years this problem still isn't satisfactory solved.

Erik.
 
Thank you for the extract, great as it is Robert's book is so full of information it is hard to pin down where some comments appear.
BTW there are pictures on the web now, which may have not been up when that was written, of several F bodies marked "T".
Given the "better" dating record of manufacture for the F some cut off date may be possible which could perhaps point to a change that dropped the marking.
 
Richard de Stoutz's comment on his website here (T = tax free) matches what I've heard/been told in Japan. It's an uncommon engraving, but I've seen it on SP/S3/S4 and F cameras in Japan. Most recently, I saw this T engraving on Lynn B's fully original (and very lovely) early Nikon F (pre and post CLA photos below).

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Highway 61 said:
Richard de Stoutz writes what I had stated above from memory : the T marking is a late variation of the <E.P> marking, for cameras sold as taxfree goodies on a military base.
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I guess you're right, Nicolas! The strange thing to my mind is that the <E.P.> marking appears to have been used earlier than the T marking, in parallel with the T marking, and also continued to be used after the T marking was discontinued :confused:
 
jonmanjiro said:
The strange thing to my mind is that the <E.P.> marking appears to have been used earlier than the T marking, in parallel with the T marking, and also continued to be used after the T marking was discontinued :confused:
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I guess they finally decided to use some parts sporting the <E.P> marking after having first decided to discard them in favor of parts sporting the T marking.

Nikon has a very long history of parts having been made prior to some others eventually landing on camera bodies manufactured later than the parts made later than the parts made before... :D
 
My S-2 Kit

My S-2 Kit

I have what is for me a pretty complete Nikon S-2 kit that I have owned for a number of years and enjoy putting black and white in it. I also own a Leica M-6 with a trio of lenses, but somehow, I prefer the Nikon, or at least, I like it just as much.


S-2
with 5cm f/1.4
3.5cm f/3.5 with caps and Leitz case
13.5cm f/3.5 black/chrome barrel with caps and Nikkor case
35 and 135 finders with cases
Hood for both 3.5cm and 5cm lenses with series VII adapter and case (even has the original instructions sheet)
Also have series Tiffen Photar Series VII filters for B&W and three Walz 43 mm filters in case (Orange, Yellow, Green)
Even have an Auto-up

trying to figure out how to post a photo...
 
Highway 61 said:
I guess they finally decided to use some parts sporting the <E.P> marking after having first decided to discard them in favor of parts sporting the T marking.

Nikon has a very long history of parts having been made prior to some others eventually landing on camera bodies manufactured later than the parts made later than the parts made before... :D
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I found some more details in nikon historical society journal march 31,2015 NHS-127

There is an article on page 7 by Christophe sap

In the first paragraph
" the "t" found on some bodies is also on the rewind knob "
Rjr adds
" the T is rumored to stand for test yet is only found on later bodies such as the Sp/S3 /S4 and s3m , and not on any lenses or accessories like the 'ep'......
I was told by the factory it meant ' tax free' and identified items destined for the tax free airport shops in Europe . More research needs to be done on this "

The Nikon journal that is included with membership in the NHS is one of the benefits of joining , there are always interesting articles , that go beyond what the books say( the best information at press time) the same article covers the red 't' in circle on some test cameras and covers special numbers on s2 test cameras .
One was sold at westlicht last year if you want to see the red ' t ' in circle with test numbers engraved , rear of top plate .
 
enasniearth said:
I was told by the factory it meant ' tax free' and identified items destined for the tax free airport shops in Europe . More research needs to be done on this.
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My S3 was bought direct from Japan. So I have some doubts about the T meaning having any links with the European dutyfree airport shops.
 
The military shops in Japan were still using the <E.P> as late as 1970-71. My 24mm has it. Some time after the last SP was sold in a PX. WES
 
Still have my S2 that I bought in 1968, I believe. Only have the 50/1.4 it came with and a 35/3.5 and that's all I need.
I'll probably always keep this one.
 
Highway 61 said:
My S3 was bought direct from Japan. So I have some doubts about the T meaning having any links with the European dutyfree airport shops.
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With all respect ,
In 2001 when I discovered ebay , I started buying and selling nikon rangefinder and wwii leica
About 2 out of 5 items sold went to Japan ,
It was a way to purchase things I never was able to see or afford at
The local /regional camera shows ,
No one knew then that ebay would set the prices for classic cameras and kill the camera shows we all enjoyed , at any camera show 15-20 years ago there was always the buyer from Japan ( and they paid a great price )
So it is possible your camera was first sold in Europe or To an American traveling in Europe .
 
enasniearth said:
With all respect ,
In 2001 when I discovered ebay , I started buying and selling nikon rangefinder and wwii leica
About 2 out of 5 items sold went to Japan ,
It was a way to purchase things I never was able to see or afford at
The local /regional camera shows ,
No one knew then that ebay would set the prices for classic cameras and kill the camera shows we all enjoyed , at any camera show 15-20 years ago there was always the buyer from Japan ( and they paid a great price )
So it is possible your camera was first sold in Europe or To an American traveling in Europe .
Click to expand...
This is all true.

Yet the Nikon RF market in Europe has always been close to nil. Without the Internet and the international deals we can go through, it would still be almost impossible to get some Nikon RF cameras in Europe nowadays.

European rangefinder nuts and collectors have always been after Leicas, not Nikons.

So I still have doubts about the T being linked to the European market, even if this means the parallel dutyfree airport shops market actually. But this is possible nonetheless, of course.
 
Highway 61 said:
Yet the Nikon RF market in Europe has always been close to nil. Without the Internet and the international deals we can go through, it would still be almost impossible to get some Nikon RF cameras in Europe nowadays.
Click to expand...

I remember seeing in 1993 in a shopwindow in Utrecht an S2-set: camera (chrome dial), 35mm, 50mm and 105mm lenses and universal finder. I couldn't believe my eyes. There was however no interest for it. After a month I bought the set. I still have it.

Contax G1, Sonnar 90mm f/2.8, Tmax100.

Erik.

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I bought this lens a couple years ago - it looked like it had never been used or taken out - note how clean the lens case and straps are

FYI - this is a bathtub shot - so easy to get clean background

slight distortion due to angle of iPhone taking picture

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