Hello, everybody! Have you heard the late Marlene Dietrich? She was a famous singer and actress from Germany in the 1930s, but she left for the United States in 1937 just 2 years before the war started. She is known for being the favorite singer of both Allied and Axis forces that fought in the Western Front. She is capable of singing in both German and English which contributed to her popularity among soldiers. Her case is rather unusual during those times and her talent serves as a commonality between people who are bent on killing each other, for duty or liberty. Our subject today is similar to Marlene, it has German roots but it is also 100% Japanese. Not only was it made for the Nikon but it’s also adapted for the Leica. It was also considered to be a very capable lens of the time for either camera system. This is the story of a great and rare lens that you will only get to know this intimately from this site.
Introduction:
The W-Nikkor•C 2.5cm f/4 that came out in 1953 was also sold for the Leica mount. This variant is not as common as the one made for the Nikon mount so it’s more expensive due to its rarity. Nobody knew if it was made until the end of production nor how many of them were ever sold. This makes it very valuable because every serious collector wants one.
The lens is tiny, it’s definitely the smallest W-Nikkor ever made for the Leica mount that I know of. Unlike the W-Nikkor•C 2.5cm f/4 for the S-mount, this one has an aperture ring that’s easier to access so I like it more specially considering that I take sample photos at various apertures for this blog. Anything else is in a familiar layout that’s typical of LTM lenses of that time.
Hello, everybody! Have you heard of the story of the “Giant Radish“? It’s an old East Asian folk tale about a farmer pulling off a giant radish off the ground with the help of his whole family along with the family’s pet rabbit. Some say that the story is just a variation of an old Slavic tale called the “Giant Turnip“, where the vegetable is the only thing that’s different between both versions. It’s just a lesson about people who get together to solve a big challenge, such as pulling an impossibly huge tuber from the ground that is as huge as a house. Today, I’ll tell you a story about something huge that has most of its body hidden, it’s so huge that it’s considered by many to be somewhat difficult to use with modern cameras but I’ll show you how to get around that issue. Read my article to know more about it.
Introduction:
The Nikkor-O 2.1cm f/4 for the Nikon S-mount was sold from 1959 to an unknown date, with numbers as low as 300+ copies made. Some speculate that it was only sold for a year or less, but everyone agrees it’s one of the most desirable items in the Nikkor collectibles game. This lens was originally conceived for the Nikon rangefinder system but was later made as a Nikon F-mount lens, too. The latter is common and the rarest of them all is the mythical Leica mount one, once only thought of as a “phantom lens” until one was sold a couple of years ago! Many consider this to be a milestone in Japanese optics design.
Everything is made out of metal except for the glass, there’s no plastic parts here. It sports the late design of many Nikkors made from the late 1950s like as the W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 which looks near the identical at a glance. The aperture ring has been modernized so the numbers are easier to read. The skirt also has a deep learning so it’s easy to grip it even while wearing gloves.
Hello, everybody! You like gambling? I sure do, because I old lenses to repair them hoping to get a great deal after servicing them. I compared it to gambling because not everything ends up being successful, it’s usually the case that I lose a lot of money because things didn’t turn out the way that I’ve expected. Today in this article, I will show you such a case. I got it to work again after servicing it but I’m not satisfied with what I saw when I took sample my photos with it. It’s not a total disaster because I still find it useful so it’s not completely wasted. Please read the whole article very carefully so you will know where I screwed up.
Introduction:
The 1 Nikkor 10mm f/2.8 is the smallest lens in the Nikon 1 system. It’s sold from late 2011 and stayed in production for several years until the Nikon 1 system died. It’s a favorite of many people because of the compact and lite nature of it. It was sold together with other lenses as a kit to several Nikon 1 cameras, it even comes in weird colors like red and pink. For many people this is the first wide angle lens that they’ve ever owned because this lens and many of the cheaper Nikon 1 cameras were aimed at beginners. It has a field-of-view that is the equivalent of 27mm in full-frame so it’s the Nikon 1 system’s signature prime lens when it comes to wide angle lenses.
The body is mostly made from good quality plastic. What’s surprising is the bayonet mount appears to be a metal one, not plastic like most of the 1 Nikkors that I have worked with. It feels substantial so I have the impression that it is made of metal. The interface is quite simple, or should I say minimalistic because you don’t have anything to interface with, not even a little button, very much like the 1 Nikkor 18.5mm f/1.8.
Hello, everybody! There’s a Japanese song that goes “赤く咲くのはけしの花 白く咲くのは百合の花” or so, which is the opening lyrics to Fuji Keiko’s (藤 圭子) legendary song “Yume ha Yoru Hiraku” (夢は夜ひらく) which means “My Dream Blooms at Night“. The lyrics translate to “A flower that blooms red is a poppy, if it’s white then it’s a lily“. This means a young girl has two paths, one of modesty or promiscuity. It details the life of a stool pigeon who spends her nights with different men. It is a mature theme with heavy lyrics, something that we don’t get to hear much of these days. That’s why this song is considered a classic. The topic of duality is often spoken about because it’s common to only have one of two outcomes in life. This is also something that’s applicable to a lens in the production line. Would it be destined to become an old collapsible type Nikkor, or will it become part of the upcoming standard which is rigid bodied Nikkors. Its story will be told in this article, but unlike the girl in the song whose life is full of bitterness, this one has a happy life of being sought after by collectors so it doesn’t spend its life going from one owner to another.
Introduction:
This variant of the Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 is rare as it’s made within a small batch. No one knew how many of these were made nor the exact dates they were produced. All we know is this is a transitional version that was made around late 1948 to sometime around 1949. This period marks the transition between the older collapsible version produced before 1949 and the standard rigid version that became more common after 1950. Nobody knew that exact story but it’s easy to speculate that Nikon just don’t want to waste the old production version and completely replace it with the new one. A solution had to be found so we get this oddball version. As far as I know, it only appears in Nikon S-mount so you won’t find any of these in Leica mount. There’s also the possibility that some of the ones destined to be fitted to a Leica were modified to the Nikon S-mount in this way. There’s no way to tell so everything’s a wild guess.
Everything is made of metal except for the glass. It’s also heavier compared to the usual rigid type Nikkor-H•C 5cm f/2 because it has extra parts to make it what it is. The quality of the finish is a bit crude when it’s compared to later lenses but it’s definitely better than the ones made immediately after the war. The parts fit together nicely and the screws are all excellent, you can see how beautiful they are. Mine isn’t the best, it has seen better days as you can see from the photo. All of the engravings in the bezel are gone so I had to repaint them later as you shall see.
Hello, everybody! Have you ever fancied making love to that hot girl you had a crush on when you were young? I’ve had several regrets in my life and one of them is not getting it on with that girl that the whole batch was swooning over at that time. It’s really sad, after a couple of years I’ve learned from her own lips that she had me in her heart all along ever since we were 14! She’s this amazing, beautiful, and intelligent woman, she deserves everything best in her life. You can say that she is a jewel amongst gravel, that’s how rare she is, and she has aged beautifully! It’s pointless grabbing on to your memories and so playing with your turtle won’t bring back time. With all that frustration, something good has to happen, right? Well, it’s fortunate that I’ve been able to finally purchase something that I have always wanted with my tax return. I felt so much relief that it has healed my decades long worth of regret even for a short time. Do you want to know what that is? Please read this article so you will know all about this magical lens that can heal the heart of an old man.
Introduction:
The Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5 is a very special lens, with an equally special purpose and legacy. It is the first Micro-Nikkor ever made. It was sold in 1956 and only two special clients who requires high resolution for their lenses. The special cases are reproduction, microfiche, scientific use, the medical field, and so on. It’s the best in terms of resolving power of all the rangefinder era Nikkors, even when shot wide-open. There was a need back then to manufacture a photographic lens with enough resolution to capture the intricate characters used in the Japanese language so Nippon Kogaku took on the task to design a masterpiece. It’s development is partly documented in the amazing article by Sato sensei. You can also read my old article about the Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5 in Leica mount.
Unlike the Micro-Nikkor 5cm f/3.5 in Leica mount, this one does not have a focusing unit and it uses the helicoid of the camera to focus. What’s similar is it shares the collapsible design that serves some purpose when you want to use this for shooting at higher magnification. The construction is the best I’ve ever seen amongst all small 5cm rangefinder Nikkors. There’s no slop and the finish is exceptional. This is a high end product in every way, even the tiny screws are exquisite.
Bonjour, tout le monde! Es-tu un “poseur“? A poseur (poser) is someone who fakes his credentials to gain respect. He will try to wear expensive clothes to impress people or claim to be someone that he isn’t. I do not think it’s always a bad thing because we all have fantasies of our own, whatever they are. I sometimes imagine myself as a buff plumber giving assistance to a helpless housewife. We are all free to live up our own fantasies. There’s always a child inside of us, and this goes with photography as well. You can live an illusion all you want and it can sometimes be temporary so you can get back to your normal life when it’s convenient. We should never do anything permanent until we are in the right mindset. Today, I will show you how to live your wildest dreams, that is if you want to fantasize about being a press photographer.
Introduction:
Many people purchase cameras based on how they look and feel in their hands, these are accessories as much as they are tools. A lot of people buy black Leicas (or other black classic cameras) because of how they look when they are worn and weathered. Unfortunately, that worn look takes plenty of time and lots of handling just to get the brass parts underneath peeking out, and even more time and handling just so the patina will look just right. Some people don’t have the time and patience for that, so they cheat it by using sandpaper or denim to permanently wear the paint down. The result looks fake as fuck, but so are they. I will show you in this article an alternative way so you won’t fall into this foolishness, what’s better is it’s all temporary and you can clean it off anytime. It will also work on plastic parts, too!
This is the result that I got after spending not more than 10 minutes of faking the look of a worn camera. Do you think it looks convincing? I don’t think so but it can fool somebody looking from a meter or more.
Hello, everybody! Do you know about the song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow“? I’m pretty sure you have heard of it in one form or another. The original song came from the “Wizard of Oz” movie in 1939 which has Judy Garland in it. It has since been covered in different languages and by different singers, some are famous while some are unknowns. However, the best known version today is the version sang by the late Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, a huge mountain of a man with a sweet voice and a ukulele. I personally prefer his version over the rest because I felt it has more depth in it despite being simpler. A recent cover is at times better since the original song, it has happened several times. The topic of this article is something similar in the sense that it’s the last known version of a popular line of lenses. It’s also the best in terms of looks and ergonomics as it has benefited from several years of previous refinements. Read this article to know about this beautiful lens.
Introduction:
The W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/2.5 has gone through several iterations, what I’ll showcase today is the last one to come out of the factory. Nobody knew exactly when its production started or ended but this came out in the final years of the Nikon rangefinder era around 1959–1960. The optical formula remained the same, it is the barrel that’s new this time. The design of the barrel looks similar to the W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8 so the aperture values are much easier to see and the barrel is much lighter compared to the older ones since it is now made from aluminum alloy instead of brass. In my opinion, this is the best version of this lens. The ergonomics alone is worth the extra price and rarity of this little gem.
The barrel looks very beautiful and modern compared to the older versions of this lens. It is easier to see the numbers now that the barrel is colored black and the letters are in white. The knurling also helps a lot so your hands will not slip and it also makes it easier to recognize which barrel you’re operating.
Hello, everybody. Do you listen to heavy metal? My favorite band is Judas Priest, I love their style and the music that they make. It has been several decades since they debuted but their music never gets old. The frontman (Rob Halford) left the band for some time but now he’s back and he is just as metal today as he was more than 45 years ago. His voice became the basis of the metal sound and the guitar work became the influence of so many bands that came after, their legacy lives on each time we listen to young bands shredding and screaming at the stage. Today, I will show you another “heavy metal”, and just like Judas Priest, it has left a lasting influence in Nikkor history.
Introduction:
The Nikkor-Q•C 13.5cm f/4 is part of the original lineup of Nikkors that Nikon made right after the war. It was1946 and Japan was in shambles with most of her industrial base fire-bombed by the Allies down to the ground, literally. Through determination and a lot of hard work, Japan has risen from defeat. A lot of that was fueled by companies like Nikon. Post war dollars had to be earned and Nikon was one of the few companies that had the capability to help. And thus, Nikon was transformed from making optics for the military to a consumer optics company. You can read more about this in my other Nikkor-Q•C 13.5cm f/4 article where I also mentioned the rest of the initial 6 great Nikkors that came out right after the war.
The barrel is made from heavy duty brass, making it a very dense lens when you hold it. It is certainly a lot heavier than it should be. You’ll notice that the workmanship isn’t as good as later Nikkors, that’s because Japan was a covering from a devastating war at that time so materials are scarce and the machines that’s left weren’t up to the task, it’s really a story of struggle and triumph for Nikon.
Hello, everybody! Do you know about the Uyghurs? They are a Turkic people living in East Turkistan which is called Xinjiang by the CCP Chinese. They are a proud people with a long and profound history. They are culturally different from the rest of communist China, because they are not part of the Han majority. They are closer to the Uzbeks, Turks and other Central Asians. Their way of life is threatened and many of them have fled to other countries as they are being persecuted, much like the Tibetans. This is to say that not all people who live in communist China are all “Chinese“, some are cultural minorities who have their distinct way of life that’s in danger of being wiped out. Today, we’ll talk of something along those lines. It’s a lens that looks similar the rest of the family, but it’s certainly different in small ways. It is important to make a distinction so we will know exactly what’s in front of us.
Introduction:
The Nikkor-S•C 5cm f/1.4 is one of the lenses that I have covered many times in this site. Many of you got familiar with it through my articles. I did not think that I would ever write another article about it, but here I am presenting you with another one. This time it’s an early version from the first part of 1950. This is the coveted “5005” series, the earliest production of the Nikkor-S•C 5cm f/1.4. This particular lens is from the 2nd batch which has less digits in the serial number, but still valuable compared to common later versions that everybody has. These are valuable because some people consider them as “Made in Occupied Japan“. While it’s technically not an “MIOJ” lens due to the lack of the engraved country of origin, the date it was manufactured should put this together with the other genuine “MIOJ” Nikkors. This is only important for a certain group of collectors, whatever its true nature should be.
The barrel is similar to the more common later version except for a few minor differences such as the different typeface used, along with being somewhat heavier. The last version (in black) is the lightest, it has many parts that are made of a lighter alloy.
Hello, everybody! Do you love blue cheese? I love it a lot and I eat it almost everyday. My favorite is made by the Danes, le Danablu or Bleu Danois. It’s not as stinky as Roquefort and it’s a bit dryer so it crumbles. It stinks just as well so the general taste and texture is slightly similar despite not being moist. There’s a lot of different varieties of blue cheeses, I hope to taste them all one day. How about you, do you like eating blue cheese? How do you like it with? Speaking of the differences between French and Danish cheeses, I’ll showcase something that came in different versions. You can think of it as Danablu and Roquefort in some ways because it’s essentially the same thing but they come in different flavors.
Introduction:
The Nikkor S•C 8.5cm f/1.5 is a legendary portrait lens for many Nikon shooters. Many people dreamed of owning one of these back in the day as it is today. It’s the Nikkor available for the Nikon rangefinder, and also for the whole company as well up until the introduction of the Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 Ai-S which is some 28 years after this one came out. I have written another article about this lens in Leica mount, so please go and see that article to find out more about its history and some other tests that I have done. We will only talk about what’s different in this article.
The all-metal barrel is robust, and feels substantial when held. You will never get anything like this today, especially from the CCP (Cheap Chinese Products). Everything feels precise and it’s nothing short of total luxury.
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Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review 