What a beauty. Nikon S3

I've an S-2, with the Nikkor 1.4.

I like it very much, and it works well along side my Kiev's.

It's much louder than my Kievs, though, as it's a very different shutter design. It's makes a KLAK(klak) sound that's not unpleasant, but... Well, louder.

I don't like the finder as much as the Kiev, which doesn't seem to cast quite as much green as the Nikon.

On my Nikon I've only used two lenses- the Nikor and the Jupiter 12. I recently shot a Holiday Party and I did it without flash, on 400 speed film. Lens was wide open, and shot at 1/30. I over exposed a few shots in the most brightly list places, but they came out O.K. on paper.
They looked simply wonderful. The lens has a lovely look to it wide open and close. I like it.

I've been trying to simplify my camera collection, but this is a real keeper and isn't going anywhere, if I can help it.
 
That Nikkor and Canon 50/1.4s are supposed to have been the best lenses of their day. The S2 and SPs are the cameras that made Nikon's reputation as a photojournalist's tool.

Talk about different shutter sounds, I took some shots with a Minolta X-700. After using my rangefinders and my EOS 10s, I wasn't ready to fire the shutter of a machanical SLR. What a difference. I am sure some of the shots will be blurry, at least the first few until I got used to the "clunk snap."
 
What I thought was funny was the sound of my mother's Canon FTBn, a 70's SLR, with the mirror up. KLACK! To heck with the mirror, Canon obviously did little to get rid of the shutter noise. Loud, but that's in contrast to my rangefinders.
 
How lucky I am! My Nikon F80 is surprisingly silent... for an SLR.

I used to have a Minolta X370s. Talk about a rotund KLAK-up sound. It just made me snicker, though... for some reason, it sounded like the camera had something stuck in its throat... 😛
 
Okay, found a Nikon RF User!

The S2 finder does have a green cast to it; I think they looked at the Contax and did a "If a little is good, a lot is better" engineering job. Remember when Pink and Green were "In" as preppy colors? Obviously a tribute to the Contax Rangefinder. The S3 dropped this approach. According to Newcombe, "35mm Photo Technique", 1948, the Pink and Green helped with low-light situations.

I also have a Kiev 4a in good working condition- even the meter-. At $45 including shipping, it is impossible to beat. The finder is not as tinted as the Contax.
 
I received my March '04 issue of Popular Photography and on the bottom of page 16 is a picture of the Nikon SP2. Herb Keppler put in a paragraph of what could have been if Nikon had not scrapped its rangefinder line. He talks too of the SPX with TTL metering.

Is it just me, or do you think they can whip one of these up on the FM3A body or frame that would work just fine?
 
The SPX was based on a Nikon F and the advance off of a Nikkormat!

If Cosina can base the R , R2, and R2s off of the SLR mainframe, I cannot see why Nikon could not do an S3a. Except economics.

Does anyone on the forum use an R2s or R2c?
 
I got my copy today and when I read that bit I thought "Hmmm... what's Brian got to say about this...?"

Now I know...

As to R2s or R2c users... let's see what jumps out of this forum. I'm curious too...
 
For those who have never seen a photo of one; Stephen Gandy has a page with photo's of it:

http://www.cameraquest.com/nrfstory.htm

Although technically superior to the SP; it certainly is not as pretty. The camera incorporated a Zoom finder like the Kodak Ektra.

As nice as the Millenium S3 is; I sure wish that it was a Millenium SP. Even dropping the 28/35 finder, having the parallax corrected finder lines for the 8.5, 10.5, and 13.5 would have been nice.
 
I've thought about buying an R2c, if only to use some of my FSU lenses, and then thought of buying an R2s, if only to have the automation and the great look of the Nikkor, but...

I've settled on a light meter. AND I can still use my Jupiter-12 on all bodies.

I'd have saved my money for a Millenium SP. Even if it cost a grand more. THAT would have been worth it- an immediate cult classic, and brand new lenses are currently available from Cameraquest. The S3 didn't quite make it.

I wish Nikon would release a couple lenses for these little gems.
 
I have noticed that the Jupiter-8 does not "want to go onto" my S2. it goes onto the Contax IIIa easily. The Zeiss-Opton Sonnar goes easily into the S2. I filed the Jupiter's retaining pin slightly, as it is thicker than what Nikon uses, but that was not the problem. It seems as if the internal bayonet is slightly different. I solved the problem by leaving the Jupiter on the Contax and the Sonnar on the Nikon.

Anyone else notice an issue?

BTW. I noticed Nina's credit card bill on her "allowance" account. We have each taken the same monthly allowance for 20 years to spend as we want. Pays the bills and no surprises. There will be an SP in my future with no complaints. I have the money set aside for an S3-2000 (saving for a while), but that SP...
 
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Yeah, I'd like an SP someday too- the lack of bright lenses that the camera deserves keeps me thinking it might not be the best way, though- the only reason I have 35mm gear is because the lenses work in lower light than my old Mamiya 7, or at least, they should and one stop is only a slight difference...

I've not had trouble mounting any lenses between my Kiev and my Nikon, with the strange observation that some of my J-12's are MUCH smoother on the Nikon, they rub somewhere on all of my Kievs.
 
I have no complaints about the original 5cm F1.4 Nikkor wide-open on the S3. According to Pop Photo, wide-open (and only wide-open) it was sharper than the Summilux. The newer "olympic" Nikon 5cm f1.4 lens improved on it.

Nikon did make a 5cm F1.1 and a 8.5cm F1.5. The F1.1 was a nine-element lens that makes the Noctilux look small. It goes for the price of a new Noctilux.
 
Nikki painting by window light; recovering from illness, so very pale.

Nikon S3 w 5cm F1.4
 
I misstated- I'd rather say "bright, easily available lenses," but even that's not quite right. I guess I'm hoping for a f1.9 28mm, or an f1.2 35mm from Stephen Gandy/Cosina!

Thinking about trying to wheel-and-deal to get an SP instead of the S2. Moving brightlines, integrated finder, &c. all call to me.
 
Last week was a SPecial week. The SP that I bought arrived AND the SP that I sent to Shintaro arrived. Both are functionally perfect, late model SP's.

This now Black-Painted SP had the proverbial $600 dent in the front plate and top plate; the reason that I could afford it several years ago. If there is interest, I will post a thread under the camera review section featuring the details of this paint job. The incredible thing about it is how he matched the paint of the front, top, and bottom plates to the existing paint on the body casting- which is not repainted. The dents are gone.
 
This is the chrome SP. I think most Nikon collectors are very happy about the S3-2000 but always ask why was it not the SP-2000. The main finder of the SP accommodates up to 50mm viewing, but effectively can be used for 35mm lenses. It does not have the flare problems of the S3 finder. The second finder on the SP is used for 35mm and 28mm lenses. The SP's finder lines for the 5cm, 8.5cm, 10.5cm, and 13.5cm allows the use of the whole RF coupled Telephoto line-up. It and the M3 are easy to use right out to 13.5cm.

These two cameras represent "profit-taking" on about four-years of "low-volume" selling on EBay for me. The pair, with the paint job, ran $4,500.
 
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