Spider67
Well-known
John Robertson said:
Just abit puzzled: Didn't Hilary take the first picture on Mount Everest with a Retina (118)?
Nicca / Tower LTM Tower,Nicca,Kardon,Reid....
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Nicca / Tower M39 screw mount bodies
Just abit puzzled: Didn't Hilary take the first picture on Mount Everest with a Retina (118)?
John Robertson
Well-known
He may have done, but I have the British Geographic Magazine, June 1953, the back page is a full page advert for the Advocate, which states that Ilford are proud to anounce that they supplied the official cameras for the expedition. 🙄Spider67 said:
furcafe
Veteran
Yes, Hilary did use his Retina @ the summit. IIRC, the other 35mm cameras used on the ascent were Zeiss Ikon Contax II's & III's donated/supplied by Time-Life, but Zeiss Ikon obviously wasn't an official sponsor of the expedition.
John Robertson said:
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John Robertson
Well-known
Another point is that in 1953, UK was still trying to get on its feet after the war, the press etc would have emphasised that British equipment was being used, the public would not have been interested in contributions from other nations. I remember the time very well!! Sadly I am getting that old.
Time Magazine? we were more interested in Picture Post and Everybodys magazines then.
Time Magazine? we were more interested in Picture Post and Everybodys magazines then.
Dunk
Established
John Robertson said:
An Ilford Witness with a non working shutter and looking a bit tired sold for £847 on Ebay today ...
Here is my Ilford Witness which is working order .. just had the case repaired so will post some case pictures soon as well
The interrupted thread lens is a Dallmeyer f1.5 Septac
Dunk
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John Robertson
Well-known
Will cost at least as much again to repair, the shutter is reputed to be difficult to work on, and parts if needed would have to be manufactured.Dunk said:
However cameras like this are made for taking photos, NOT sitting in display cabinets. I have a new condition Taylor Hobson 2inch lens, which I use on my BessaR2. A dealer told me I should not use it as it might get damaged, what would be the point of having it then, it would be a well overpriced paper-weight!!
Dunk
Established
John Robertson said:
Dealers can can talk a lot of piffle and balderdash ... my Witness will be used but only occasionally ... like a nice vintage car to be enjoyed when the mood suits me ...
Dunk
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
What can I expect to pay for a Nicca 5L or Tower 46 or 48 (swing back) in good condition?
Anyone out there have one they would consider selling, I really want to try one of these cameras out
Tom
Anyone out there have one they would consider selling, I really want to try one of these cameras out
Tom
HuubL
hunter-gatherer
Beautyful!Dunk said:An Ilford Witness with a non working shutter and looking a bit tired sold for £847 on Ebay today ...
Here is my Ilford Witness which is working order .. just had the case repaired so will post some case pictures soon as well
The interrupted thread lens is a Dallmeyer f1.5 Septac
Dunk
dexdog
Veteran
LeicaTom said:
Based on what I have seen on eBay in the past couple of years, I would estimate about $400-$500 for a nice clean Tower 5L body, and probably about $600 to $700 for one with a clean 50/1.4 Nikkor.
Good luck finding one- they are not too common, and people who have one tend to hang onto it.
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
saw one two and a half years ago at the Toronto Camera Show, it was a clean Tower 45 with the black ring f 2 Nikkor lens and ER case.
it was a lovely camera, really beautifull & usefull too.
It sold pretty fast at $750 CDN.
that was more than I could afford at the time.
it was a lovely camera, really beautifull & usefull too.
It sold pretty fast at $750 CDN.
that was more than I could afford at the time.
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
dexdog said:
Yes, I kinda figured that - $600 to $700 WITH the f1.4 Nikkor is`nt a bad price......I can`t throw that $$$$ at cameras every week, but it`s something to look up too......
I just traded for the "IIIG" of the Canon`s the IIF 2 and await using that
camera soon 🙂
Thanks
Tom
S
Stanton
Guest
Leica Tom -- First, I think you are referring to a Tower 45 or 46, not a 48. (I don't know what a 48 is.) The bodies of the 45 and 46 were identical and were the Nicca 5L. The numbering depended on whether the same body came with a 50mm Nikkor f1.4 or f2.0. Second, just to be clear, the back does not swing open. Rather it is like a Leica M -- the bottom comes off and a panel on the back swings up to make the loading much easier.
They are hard to find. I have a Tower 45 or 46 (impossible to tell which it was since I do not have the original lens), in good condition. I like it and am not interested in selling. I bought mine in November 2005 fon eBay or $389 without a lens. It was in very good condition. I have since found the original instruction manual and Tower case.
Good luck in the hunting. I certainly like mine.
Dave
They are hard to find. I have a Tower 45 or 46 (impossible to tell which it was since I do not have the original lens), in good condition. I like it and am not interested in selling. I bought mine in November 2005 fon eBay or $389 without a lens. It was in very good condition. I have since found the original instruction manual and Tower case.
Good luck in the hunting. I certainly like mine.
Dave
Cale Arthur
---- ------
S
Stanton
Guest
There is a Tower 45/46 on eBay now (August 13) without lens, being sold from Austrialia. Current price with about two days to go is about $96 US. Dave
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
Stanton said:
as it was pointed out to the seller, that it is not a Tower 45 or 46 body.
it looks to me to to be the already mentioned Tower 48 which was a rebadged late Nicca 3-F version #2 , this 1958 model had a lever wind instead of the knob wind of the slightly earlier Nicca 3-F version #1.
LeicaTom
Watch that step!
Yes, as I see it the 48 just had the lever wind and not the swing back (swings up) like the 45/46 model
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/iannorris/leica_copies/leica_copies_t/tower4546.htm
There`s more about it 🙂
They made 4000 not alot, but there`s Canon RF`s out there that were sold in even less numbers, I just traded for a IIF 2 with a rapid winder (ONLY 2625 MADE)
and that was the most advanced "Knob Top" early Rangefinder Canon made in 1955
I have to read and study more about Leica copies, seems there were many facinating ones 🙂
Tom
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/iannorris/leica_copies/leica_copies_t/tower4546.htm
There`s more about it 🙂
They made 4000 not alot, but there`s Canon RF`s out there that were sold in even less numbers, I just traded for a IIF 2 with a rapid winder (ONLY 2625 MADE)
and that was the most advanced "Knob Top" early Rangefinder Canon made in 1955
I have to read and study more about Leica copies, seems there were many facinating ones 🙂
Tom
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xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
there was also a knob wind Nicca called the Type-5 with the back door that hinged verticaly.
It was also sold under the Tower name and the Snider 35 name, this last marque was only sold in Australia and around 60 units were sold.
It was also sold under the Tower name and the Snider 35 name, this last marque was only sold in Australia and around 60 units were sold.
dexdog
Veteran
xayraa33 said:
xayraa33, your explanation clears up my confusion with a Nicca Type 5 that I saw on eBay last month. The vertical hinge really threw me- I had never seen one before. IIRC, the seller was from Oz.
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
I think Nicca was trying very hard to stay afloat in the mid to late 1950's and tried many small things on the Barnack design to improve it for better sales, but it was too late for this small company.
Yashica bought them out in late 1958, more for their cloth focal plane shutter expertise than anything else, for putting them in the future rush of SLR's.
the very last Nicca's that wore the Yashica name like the YF, offered alot of camera for the money.
the Yashica YF had a projected frameline finder, only the fine Leica M's and the Nikon SP had this in 1959 and a year later the YF was selling for a mere discounted $100 in the U.S.
SLRs were taking over.
Yashica bought them out in late 1958, more for their cloth focal plane shutter expertise than anything else, for putting them in the future rush of SLR's.
the very last Nicca's that wore the Yashica name like the YF, offered alot of camera for the money.
the Yashica YF had a projected frameline finder, only the fine Leica M's and the Nikon SP had this in 1959 and a year later the YF was selling for a mere discounted $100 in the U.S.
SLRs were taking over.