The Rotoloni Report 3: This is War!

[eckmanmj]

I bring to you the third in a series of chats I've had with Nikon Historian Robert Rotoloni. This time we dive deep into Nippon Kogaku's early history and their significant role during World War II.

While many other companies contributed towards their home countries war efforts during World War II, Nippon Kogaku's had an unusually large role, and it was through their efforts leading up to and during the war which allowed Nippon Kogaku to succeed afterwards.

We all know how quickly the Japanese optics industry rose to prominence in the years after the war ended, but how did that happen so fast? Read my article to find out!

http://www.mikeeckman.com/2019/01/the-rotoloni-report-3-this-is-war/

 

[Kai-san]

Thanks Mike, very nice and interesting report. In 1972 I went out to buy my first camera and had my mind set on a Ricoh model. But the guy in the shop said; "Nah, this is what you want" and placed a nicely used Nikkormat FTn with a Nikkor S 50mm f1.4 on the counter. I was sold and never regretted that purchase. Today my favourite Nikon is the F3, but in addition I also have an FE and a 35TI. If I can find a nice FM3A for the right price I will certainly go for it.

 

[Greyscale]

I bring to you the third in a series of chats I've had with Nikon Historian Robert Rotoloni. This time we dive deep into Nippon Kogaku's early history and their significant role during World War II.

While many other companies contributed towards their home countries war efforts during World War II, Nippon Kogaku's had an unusually large role, and it was through their efforts leading up to and during the war which allowed Nippon Kogaku to succeed afterwards.

We all know how quickly the Japanese optics industry rose to prominence in the years after the war ended, but how did that happen so fast? Read my article to find out!

http://www.mikeeckman.com/2019/01/the-rotoloni-report-3-this-is-war/

They misspelled Novak.

 

[xayraa33]

Great reading article !

Should have mentioned that Dr Karl Bauer president of Zeiss USA being angry and p*ssed off at Jacob Deschin , for writing an article in the New York Times in December 1950 that mentioned that the upstart Nikkor lenses were better than German made lenses.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I've shot the Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5 along with the CZJ 5cm F1.5 in LTM. The Zeiss is sharper and has less field curvature. Dr. Karl Bauer’s statement regarding that the lenses tested “were not true Zeiss lenses” was most likely accurate. After World War II, the Zeiss factory was in upheaval. Lenses were being produced, but lacked the quality of the lenses produced during the war. The post-war Zeiss Opton 50/1.5 is close to the wartime Sonnar, but was never produced in Leica mount.

"This is War!" of course is the book by David Douglas Duncan of the Korean War, shot mostly with the Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5 and Nikkor-QC 13.5cm F4.
Reminds me I need to shoot a comparison of the Nikkor 13.5cm F4 and Zeiss 13.5cm F4, latter converted to Leica mount.

I need to update my article on this subject.