The SP is a "Shintaro Black-Paint" SP. I bought the camera about 4 years ago, it had a large dent on the top plate and the top bezel. The dent was probably the result of a 5cm F1.1 lens being dropped on it; I did not buy the lens with the camera but at least got to play with it. Otherwise, the camera was near mint. I sent it to Shintaro in Japan, and about a year later it came with no signs of the dent. If anyone is interested, I can send some detailed pictures showing the black-painted top, bezel, and back matching up near perfectly to the original black side and trim finish. After its long trip, I had to remove the bezel and calibrate the RF. Yesterday, I cleaned the focus helical. It operates as nice as it looks. It is the Titanium Curtain version, which is louder than the cloth version. No more Nikon Finger Blisters. The paint job was $600, or about double what I paid for the Mint Black F2 that is keeping "Grand-Dad" company.
Peter; note that I use the term "Documentation" as opposed to documentary. I work in a Lab were we make a lot of custom devices. A Macro lens is all that is ever used, unless the camera is mounted on a microscope. I probably should have said scientific documentation work.
Joe, if you lived at my house I would not be able to get you out of the Hot Tub that came with the pool that we did not know was in back of the house until after we bought it.
Bill: Note the collapsible rubber hood on the 43mm Skylight filter. These were made for some Canon P&S camera, and I found them at a clearance center. Quite nice, they collapse and still allow a 44mm slip-on cap or 43mm clip-on cap. But my favorite shade is the Walz Series VI Vented shade that lives with the Summarit.
