Tower camera

[Red Rock Bill]

Hi, About an hour ago a friend gave me a Tower 35mm camera Serial # 50919...with a Nikkor-H 1:2 f5cm lens. The camera and lens are clean with do damage or mold and the lens is clear.I've checked here under Leica copies ....there is a flash sync and it is lever wind.Can someone please direct me to a site where I might get more info....Kind regards,Bill

 

[splitimageview]

The Tower was a rebadged Nicca. There are quite a few threads around here...one of the best Leica copies.

 

[raid]

I bought such a combo recently. I sent mine to Youxin Ye for repair and for CLA.

 

[Dwig]

It sounds like a Tower 45, 46, or 48. They were made by Nicca which was later bought by Yashica to serve as a source for the focal plane shutters needed for SLRs as there were no off-the-shelf FP shutters available until the mid-60s (run-on sentence alert!!).

Check out this page:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/iannorris/index_allalpha.htm

Of primary interest is the Tower section, though you might look at the Nicca and Yashica sections as well. Nicca never tried to make there own lenses. They just "went down the street", so to speak, and worked with a well known optical supplier (Nippon Kogaku, now Nikon). The Nikkor lens on your Tower is likely original. Sears offered a whole line of Nikkor lenses to go with their LTM models.

 

[goamules]

Here's some more links. It's a great camera. I've shot Canons, Leicas, and a few other Barnack styles, but the lever wind Nicca with the rear film door is hands down the easiest to use. Mine needed no CLA, is working fantastic just as I got it. More than I can say of my two Leicas....

Mine has a rose colored glass in one of the rangefinder windows and has a contrasty patch that's easy to focus. The lever works flawlessley. I don't have the original lens, but yours does. The Nikkors are similar to Sonnars, and are supposed to be very good lenses. Let us know how it looks and if you are going to shoot it.

mine:
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125538

http://www.cameraquest.com/nicca.htm
http://corsopolaris.net/supercameras/nicca/nicca.html

 

[farlymac]

We should all have friends like that! Congrats!

PF

 

[Red Rock Bill]

Thank you all for responding.There were 6 other 35mm slr cameras along with the Tower....I've put in new batteries and all are working....they will be used at the local branch college for students w/o cameras....The B/W film photography and darkroom class will probably be done with in 2 years I have assisted teaching there for many years..Time marches on....thanks again....regards,Bill

 

[Red Rock Bill]

Back again...it appears to be the Tower 48 as there is no back door just the bottom load...also shutter up to 1/500....I'll need to get hold of a film spool before I use it...when I get back to town I'll check one of my screw mt Leica's ...I'm looking forward to trying out the lens....Thanks again....regards,Bill

 

[raid]

Mine is the Tower 35.

 

[farlymac]

The Tower 48 is a 1957 model Nicca III (not sure what letter designation), and the film spool will not interchange with a Leica, as they are different inside diameters (the Nicca is smaller). Although Nicca was one of many Japanese companies who used the Leica design as a base for their camera after the patents were abrogated post WWII (as part of Germany's reparations), it is not a one-for-one copy. They all made changes for reasons of economy, or improvement on the original design. A Nikon rangefinder may look like a Contax II, but it has the same type shutter as a Leica.

PF

 

[Red Rock Bill]

Thank you for the info on the take-up spool...I did try one from my 3F and it was a no go....I have managed to get 5 cameras up and running for the students...the Tower will sit but I will try its Nikkor f2 5cm...can't let that lens go by the wayside...read a lot of good things about it. thanks again.....regards,Bill

 

[goamules]

The lens is surely good, but the camera is too. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to have a lever wind on a Barnack. Hope you can find a spool to try it.

 

[farlymac]

I forgot to mention the interior diameter of the Nicca spool is 9mm, while the Leica is 11mm. Some have suggested using a rubber sleeve to take up the slack. But then the spool heights are different too, so that's another problem. FED/Zorki spools are no good either. You could try to make a spool out of a used fim canister.

PF

 

[farlymac]

Here are three messages threads over on KyPhoto dealing with the Tower 48 (Nicca III), Bill. They may be of some help to you.

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/21446.html?1358447253

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/26069.html?1357268018

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/forum/messages/2/25807.html?1355970119

PF