What's your favorite Nikon RF camera?

What's your favorite Nikon RF camera?

  • Total voters
    459
Erik,


another precious piece added to your wonderful collection.
meaning, a user collection and not just some gear collecting dust 🙂


I still shooting my Ms but not uploading much and I am a bit tired of scanning.


You are still a great insipiration for me.



All the best
Giulio
 
Could be that the early "All black Nikkors" were made for a series of black Nikon S cameras that was never made. Only three black painted Nikon S cameras are known.

A fine lens for the RF-Nikons is the uncoated prewar Zeiss Sonnar 50mm f/1.5.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
Finally I've found an early All black Nikkor 50mm f/1.4.

As you can read in the books by Bob Rotoloni, these are rather special lenses. The first series is from 1953, before the appearance of the black Nikon S2, about 400 pieces. At that time the Nikon S was produced. The black Nikon S is extremely rare, only a few were made, so why the early all black Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 was made? Nobody knows.


Perhaps Nikon intended to make a batch of black Nikon S cameras but this was cancelled because the S2 was already on its way.


It looks nice on the black Nikon S2 however.

Erik.

48772480972_a58472202d_c.jpg
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What's very interesting about your black Nikon S2 is that the focus helical inner part is not black. Most black paint S2 I've seen have that part black too - akin to the silver Nikon S2 'Black Dial', a later model.

I wonder if yours was repaired or serviced at some point in its life or if it has always been like that. It looks completely legit otherwise.
 
TenEleven said:
What's very interesting about your black Nikon S2 is that the focus helical inner part is not black. Most black paint S2 I've seen have that part black too - akin to the silver Nikon S2 'Black Dial', a later model.

I wonder if yours was repaired or serviced at some point in its life or if it has always been like that. It looks completely legit otherwise.
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Hey Manuel, Erik's BP S2 is indeed 100% original including the focus helical. Just like the chrome S2s, the early BP S2s have an all chrome helical and the later BP S2s have the black inner helical.
 
jonmanjiro said:
Hey Manuel, Erik's BP S2 is indeed 100% original including the focus helical. Just like the chrome S2s, the early BP S2s have an all chrome helical and the later BP S2s have the black inner helical.
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That's very interesting. I did not know that the black paint S2s predated the 'Black Dial' models. Noted!
 
NIKON KIU said:
OK, here is a Poll 🙂

Which Nikon RF do you like most? I left the extra box for nuts like me 😱

Please note, this is a public Poll(your identity will be revealed),you can choose more than one answer...so get your votes in.

Kiu
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How did Nikon 1 get in there?
I have one and just purchased a 70-300 VR. There hasn't been anything quite like it for a long time.
 
hap said:
How did Nikon 1 get in there?
I have one and just purchased a 70-300 VR. There hasn't been anything quite like it for a long time.
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just an example of my NIkon RF ignorance. Never had, used, or even fingered one. They are pretty though.
 
TenEleven said:
I wonder if yours was repaired or serviced at some point in its life or if it has always been like that. It looks completely legit otherwise.
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I think it was never repaired except that I've cleaned the finder and the rangefinder prism. I've also put an extremely little bit of oil on the gear train because it felt a bit dry.

These cameras are so extremely well made that they almost need no maintenance, just like the Nikon F and the early Nikkormats (before the EL).

Erik.
 
I took delivery of an S2 this week, then an S3 popped up on local off-ebay site (where this kind of thing never, ever shows up..) so somehow I'm sitting here with two Nikon rangefinders.


I like the spartan appeal of the S2, but the S3 overall is a better shooter imho and the one I will be keeping. The focusing patch on my S3 is beautiful, not quite a Leica but better than most LTM Canons I've used. I'd put the camera on the same level as a Canon L1 or VL.


The in body helicoid design is one thing I've totally fallen for. With a 50/1.4 so deeply recessed into the body the camera fits nicely in my jacket pocket, where on LTM I know I'd have to put it in a bag. The little toothwheel isn't hurting my fingers at all, I guess it helps that I also play guitar? Any way, for all you fence sitters out there.. Nikon rangefinders and their lenses are a joy to shoot.
 
Doddle said:
I

I like the spartan appeal of the S2, but the S3 overall is a better shooter imho and the one I will be keeping. The focusing patch on my S3 is beautiful, not quite a Leica but better than most LTM Canons I've used. I'd put the camera on the same level as a Canon L1 or VL.
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When the prism of the rangefinder is cleaned, the S2 beats anything.

I'd much prefer an S2 with an extra 35mm viewfinder on top than an S3.

Erik.
 
I too prefer the S2, but interestingly, there is very little usable area outside the framelines on an S2, one of the apparent advantages of rangefinders.

The S3 viewfinder is still life-size even though it covers the wider 35mm focal length. So there is quite a bit of area outside the 50mm frames.
 
splitimageview said:
I too prefer the S2, but interestingly, there is very little usable area outside the framelines on an S2, one of the apparent advantages of rangefinders.

The S3 viewfinder is still life-size even though it covers the wider 35mm focal length. So there is quite a bit of area outside the 50mm frames.
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Yes, but that is too large to be useful. A 35mm viewfinder must not be life size, but 0.7x or so. See the Leica M2. The finder of the S3 disturbs composing properly with a 50mm (because the viewing field is much too large) and makes composing with a 35mm lens impossible. Therefore the S2 is much handier: composing for a 50mm is a pleasure and when you want to use a 35mm lens you simply put a 35mm finder with a factor of 0.7x on top of the camera.


Erik.
 
The S3's 35mm frame is unique and incredible if you use it properly, with both eyes open. It acts like a HUD over reality. If you just peer through the finder with one eye closed, it's on the edges and a bit difficult to use. I know of no other camera with a 1:1 viewfinder and 35mm framelines - if someone else knows of one, please share.

That said, the S2 viewfinder and RF patch is definitely better if you only shoot 50mm.

Erik van Straten said:
A 35mm viewfinder must not be life size, but 0.7x or so.
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Erik's commandments: Thou shalt not make a life-size 35mm viewfinder. 🙄
 
Erik van Straten said:
Yes, it is unique with a reason: impossible to use.
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We're each entitled to our own opinions, no matter how silly. Like the opinion that the styling of the F and S2 is somehow more similar than the F and S3/SP 😉

Jokes aside, you've certainly found what works for you. Your photos with the Skopar are always wonderful to see.
 
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