Bad to the Bone

I have to admit, this is one cool-looking camera. It's the one that goes well with a worn-out wide black canvas journalist strap from the 70's. And with ripped jeans. It has attitude. A harley. If Leica was from Venus, this guy is definitely from Mars.

A little history: the camera is Nikon's S2 rangefinder. Made in the 50's, from an age before Nikon made it's first SLR, the Nikon F. This is the Black Dial version. Mine is probably one of the latest ones, with serial #61928XX.

If it looks good, it is made even better. Robert Capa had a Nikon RF around his neck when he stepped on a landmine in Indochina. The camera was blown away, but still intact and working.

Some other things I like about it:

- Mechanically, it is more "modern" than its Zeiss counterpart. Film loading is easier, for one. It also has a film advance lever and lever rewind, faster than the old knobs. It also has the conventional frame spacing on the film (unlike Kievs and Contaxes which are a pain to scan if you use a negative scanner).

- Uncluttered, bright 1:1 viewfinder.

- The camera shares some mechanics with the Nikon F (or vice versa, rather), so parts and repair are easier than, say, a contax. Also, the Nikon's shutter is simpler, more robust, and more reliable.

- It's long rangefinder base length makes focusing more accurate.

- Glass. Well, I just have one lens so far, the sonnar-formula Nikkor 50/1.4. This is the reason I bought the camera. I had been wanting to try this lens, but it is difficult to find, and costs quite a bit in leica thread mount. Lens adapters are either ridiculously expensive (for the original collectible versions), or only a little expensive if you get them from Hongkong. QC is a gamble, though.

- In general, the lenses are less expensive than their LTM counterparts. As long as you don't get carried away with the more sought-after collectible lenses. I have had the 105/2.5 and 85/2 in Leica mount, and they are very impressive.

Right now, my dilemma lies in the collector value of Nikons. I got this from another RFF'er a few months ago, just before the start of the RFF Nikon craze. The camera I bought came as a kit, with paired lens, original cap and shade, case and strap, accessory strap, film canisters with leather holders that go on the strap, same with lightmeter and case that threads on the strap. It even came with a fan-type flash, instruction manuals for the camera and meter, and a book about Nikon Rangefinder photography. The camera has hardly been used, and is working well with no need for a CLA. Should I sell the kit and look for a "beater?" Or should I just pretend I stepped back in time and enjoy it?








Some other Nikon S2 resource pages:
- Nikon Web
- Photoethnography