Nikon rangefinder cameras
From 1948 rangefinder cameras were offered under the brand name Nikon , which were initially based on the German Contax , but which soon brought significant innovations.
overview
After the Japanese optical company Nippon Kōgaku Tōkyō KK had supplied lenses under the name Nikkor for the rangefinder camera "Hansa Canon " as early as 1936 , the construction of its own rangefinder camera with associated system was tackled from 1945. Prototypes were built as early as 1946. The external appearance as well as the range finder and the lens bayonet were modeled on the Contax rangefinder cameras , the shutter that of the Leica cameras. Due to changes to the coupling between the rangefinder and lens, the Contax and Nikon systems are not fully compatible despite the identical bayonet. With focal lengths up to 35 mm, the differences between the two systems are still within the tolerance.
The rangefinder camera system was maintained by Nikon from the appearance of the Nikon I in 1948 until the Nikon SP was discontinued in 1965. In addition to the cameras and motorized drives, the system included lenses with focal lengths from 21 to 1000 mm, mirror boxes for lenses from 180 mm (which made the rangefinder cameras practically single-lens reflex cameras ) and close-up accessories.
The new editions of the Nikon S3 and SP, produced in limited numbers primarily for collectors, did not justify a new beginning of the rangefinder system. This also applies to the 2002 to 2005 of Cosina produced under the brand name Voigtlander offered Bessa R2S.
The cameras
Nikon I
The Nikon I was the first series-produced 35mm camera from the Nippon Kōgaku Tōkyō KK , with it the name "Nikon" was used for the first time. The image format was 24 × 32 mm, which meant that 40 pictures could be taken on a 35mm film of normal length. The Nikon I had a cloth closure and the film was transported using a rotary knob. A total of 738 cameras of the Nikon I were built from March 1948 to August 1949, but about 230 of them were converted to the Nikon M before delivery.
Nikon M
Since the exotic image format of the Nikon I was a hindrance to paragraph, it was changed for the Nikon M to the "compromise format" 24 × 34 mm. The only other innovation was the built-in film reel. 1643 Nikon Ms were manufactured from August 1949 to November 1950.
Nikon S
From December 1950 there were again changes: flash synchronization , pressure rails in the viewfinder shoe and a higher rewind knob. The Nikon S was the first Nikon to be officially exported, 36724 Nikon S were built until January 1955. The first 1597 pieces still bore the "M" engraving of the Nikon M before the engraving, which was missing in later copies, but otherwise corresponded to the Nikon S.
Nikon S2 "chrome dial"
In December 1954, the Nikon S2 was a fundamentally modified version of the Nikon S. The recording format was adapted to the usual 24 × 36 mm format , the Nikon S2 received a quick-action lever, an improved viewfinder and a larger rangefinder window. The shutter speeds were adjusted to the usual scale and extended to 1/1000 s. The weight has been reduced from 630 g to 510 g compared to the Nikon S, and the leather covering has been replaced by a black plastic cover. The S2 was the first Nikon to be offered as standard with a black finish in addition to the chrome-plated version. The number of Nikon S2 “chrome dials” was 41715, the highest of all Nikon rangefinder cameras.
Nikon S2 "black dial"
The exterior of the S2 was redesigned in 1957: the shutter speed dial, film length display and distance scale are now black with white lettering. In the case of the black lacquered copies, the change only affected the distance scale, as the film length display and shutter speed dial were already black in the first version. Nevertheless, the term "black dial" has become common for the second version. Production ended in March 1958 after 15,000 pieces. The S2E version with motor connection was presented as a prototype in 1957.
Nikon SP
From September 1957 the top model of the Nikon rangefinder cameras was delivered, initially parallel to the Nikon S2. The rangefinder received the most significant upgrade, in which bright frames can be reflected for the focal lengths 50, 85, 105 and 135 mm, and an integrated wide-angle viewfinder for 28 and 35 mm is also available. In addition, the longer shutter speeds can now also be selected using the shutter speed dial, the image counter has been redesigned, and a self-timer has been added. The motor connection tested in the S2E prototype became the standard for the SP, for which the S-36 camera motor was available with a speed of 3 images per second. After the introduction of the Nikon F single-lens reflex camera , its titanium foil shutter was adopted for further production of the Nikon SP. The further development of the Nikon SP with built-in exposure meter was planned, but was not carried out due to the success of the Nikon F. The Nikon SP was built in chrome and black in a total of 22,348 units until June 1965 and then was taken out of sale as the last Nikon rangefinder camera.
Nikon S3
The Nikon S3, built from March 1958, is a less complex variant of the Nikon SP and the actual successor to the Nikon S2. The reflection of bright frames in the viewfinder and the wide-angle viewfinder of the Nikon SP have been replaced by fixed markings for 35, 50 and 135 mm. All other features of the Nikon SP including the motor connection have been carried over. The Nikon S3 was also built in chrome and black until March 1961 and produced around 12,310 units. On the Nikon S3, too, the cloth closure was replaced by a titanium foil closure during production.
Nikon S4
From March 1959 to July 1960, the Nikon S4 was built as a greatly simplified version of the Nikon S3: the motor connection, self-timer and the viewfinder marking for 35 mm are missing, the simpler frame counter of the Nikon S2 and the cloth fastener were used. However, the solid basic construction of the camera remained unchanged. Since the Nikon S4 was not imported into the USA due to its economical features , sales were largely limited to the Japanese domestic market, the number of units remained low at 5898 cameras.
Nikon S3M
From April 1960, the Nikon S3 was offered as a special version of the half-format camera Nikon S3M, which could expose 72 pictures in half-format 18 × 24 mm on a 35mm film. The specially adapted S72 engine was offered for this purpose. By the time it was discontinued in April 1961, only 195 units had been made, making the Nikon S3M the rarest series-produced Nikon camera ever.
Nikon S3 "Olympic"
In 1964, on the occasion of the Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, a slightly modified reprint of the Nikon S3 was published, which bears the unofficial nickname "Olympic". The self-timer, quick-action lever and rewind crank have been adopted from the Nikon F. The Nikon S3 "Olympic" was produced in an edition of approx. 2000 pieces only in black with a titanium lock.
Nikon S3 2000
After Nikon concentrated in the following years on the construction of single-lens reflex cameras (later also compact cameras), production of the chrome-plated Nikon S3 with cloth closure with new tools was resumed in 2000. Initially only the production of 2000 pieces was intended primarily for collectors, due to extensive pre-orders this number was increased to 8000. However, this number turned out to be far in excess of demand. In the further course of the year 2000 a black version of the Nikon S3 2000 appeared, but only the announced number of 2000 copies was realized. The Nikon S3 2000 only differed from the original S3 in a few external details. It was delivered with a visually revised Nikkor-S 1.4 50 mm. Neither further lenses nor any other accessories were offered. The Nikon S3 2000 was the only Nikon rangefinder camera that was officially on sale in Germany.
Nikon SP Limited Edition
In 2005, a new edition of the black Nikon SP with a cloth fastener appeared in a limited edition of 2500 pieces. Again, only cosmetic changes were made. The delivery took place in a set with the Nikkor 1.8 35 mm, which remained visually unchanged compared to the original version and was only provided with an improved coating . The Nikon SP Limited Edition was practically only offered in Japan, only a few copies were officially exported to the USA.
literature
- Robert Rotoloni: The Complete Nikon Rangefinder System. 526 pages. Hove Photo Books 2007, ISBN 978-1-87403-177-2
- Peter Braczko: The Nikon manual. 517 pages. Wittig Fachbuchverlag 2004, ISBN 3-88984-112-0
- Peter Braczko: Nikon fascination. 412 pages. Wittig Fachbuchverlag 1992, ISBN 3-88984-047-7