Nikon Journal NHS-110

The December 2010 issue of the Nikon Journal is in member's hands.  By joining the NHS you will receive the journal four times a year.

Excerpted from the Editorial page:
We have some interesting articles this issue starting with a landmark interview with the man who "discovered" the Nikkor lenses and made the West aware of them.  Chris Sap and Thieriy Ravassod traveled to his home in Southern France to spend a delightful day with DDD. See page one for the whole story.

On page 6 we have a second installment by Ian DC Shephard on the array of underwater housings made for the Nikon system over the years. It is amazing how many there have been.

Biagio Guerra has been working on an article about a special panorama modified Nikon F for some months. On page 8 you can finally see the results. The "Panorama l x3" custom panorama camera is discussed in detail along with photos by the designer and builder, Thomas Roma, and member Carlo Rivolti who is the proud owner of one of only 31 examples ever made! Not only a rare camera, but a fascinating and beautifully made modification of the venerable Nikon F.

Mike Symons and Uli Koch have collaborated on an article about a rare and rather esoteric rangefinder accessory. How many of you have seen the telescope adapter for the RF cameras? Better yet, have you ever seen one for the Leica SM cameras?  I wish I would have had this information when doing my book. This accessory is not covered there. See page 14 for all you need to know.

A lot of book updates this issue, along with photos this time of some really interesting new material, including an item not in the book at all. See page 17.

There is a new book just released and, although it is not about Nikons, it is done by one of our members and it is a fascinating item. Lam Netopil of Gemany is best known as one of the leading Leica dealers in the world. He has just published a beautiful 487 page book on "The Prototype Leicas." This all-color book has hundreds of photos of one-of-a-kind prototypes from the I.eica factory museum, as well as private collections from around the world. The photos are just gorgeous and well reproduced on fine paper in this "printed in Germany" volume. It comes with a dust jacket and a sturdy slipcover. You can contact Lars directly at www.lars‑netopil.com or lars‑netopi@lars‑netopil.com.

RJR

DDD with Chris' Nikon One (photo copyright 2011 Chris Sap)

Nikon Rangefinder lenses on the SONY NEX

Cameraquest now has a Voigtländer adapter to use classic Nikon RF lenses on the SONY NEX cameras.

See more information here.

This adapter is only for external mount lenses, however it appears almost all lenses should work, including short-mount lenses with the reflex housing.

www.cameramanuals.org

If you are interested in what your Nikon rangefinder cost when it was new www.cameramanuals.org/ has catalogs from the 50's. If you grew up in the Midwest, Central Camera, in Chicago, was a photographers' landmark along with Altman's Camera.

Here is their catalog from 1958 www.cameramanuals.org/booklets/central_camera_1958.pdf listing the Nikon S2 with a 50 f1.4 for $345 and only $494 for the body with a f1.1.  To put that in perspective $494 is $3600 in today's dollars, adjusted for inflation.

But still, it makes one want to crank up the old Tardis?

A Study of the Kwanon NHS-109

On page 14 of Nikon Journal 109, we have the third and final installment of Dr. Manabu Nakai's scholarly research paper on the groundbreaking Kwanon, which became the Hansa Canon.  So much has been written about this camera, yet Nakai-san has come up with new information. To read the complete article join the NHS.

click to enlarge and read

Nikon Journal NHS-107

The "rare" Mamiya-6. To read the complete article consider joining the NHS.

click to enlarge and read

Nikon Journal NHS-106

The December 2009 issue of the Nikon Journal has been mailed.  Join the NHS and receive the journal four times a year.

Excerpted from the Editorial page: 
At the beginning of 2009 I promised we would devote all 4 issues this year to celebrate the 50th birthday of the venerable Nikon F. While this is the last issue for 2009, and it is full of material on the F, I will not stop covering this greatest of all Nikons. I have enough material at hand to continue coverage, although our "official" celebration will end with #106, and the Nikon SP will return to our cover. So if you have ideas for the F send them in. Although its birthday is over, we will always have room for the Nikon F.

Both types of High Speed Nikon F cameras
and the quite rare original 300mm f2.8 Nikkor.
Click to enlarge and read

Uli Koch continues his expert coverage with nine pages of some very special Nikon F models. High speeds. scientific, and military versions seldom seen on the market. I still have some items from Uli as well as other contributions. More next issue.

On page 10 I've put together a couple of lists that have come my way over the years, They can be used as a "guide" to the approximate date of production for your F body. However, it is only a guide, as a more detailed list is not known to me at this time. I've supplemented it with some factory production photos from "THE F SPOT."

On pages 13 & 14 are two short articles by members Philip Ramsden and Bob Thompson about some of the earliest Nikkors, one of which has proven its worth in our new digital age.

This issue's "Rich & Famous" is dedicated to only one Nikon user, but a very famous one. I have 2 pages of photos and coverage of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, who was often photographed using a Nikon S2 with the 50/f1.1 Nikkor. The article is by Paul Bonner, who knows his subject well. He produced a documentary on Che for the BBC in 197l!

More info on NHS‑Con12 can be found on page 15. Please check this page as it has the address for our convention website with all the latest info you will need. It is getting close so check out our site.

And now a special note...  I first met Burt Rubin about 1973‑74. I already knew Yuki Kawai & Bill Kraus, and it was Bill who put Burt and I together. I received a phone call one day from a fellow with a definite Brooklyn accent who introduced himself and then we talked Nikons for 2 hours. Back then Yuki, Bill, Burt and I were the only serious Nikon collectors any of us knew of. We called ourselves the "Four Musketeers" and had a great time looking for and buying Nikons at prices that would make you cry today. But now we are only "three." Burt Rubin died on October 7th at the age of 68.

Back in the 70's I went to New York to visit his collection and he came to Chicago to see mine. All four of us were in constant communication about what we had seen or bought, and many of the serial numbers in my database are there because of Burt. Although he was never really involved with the NHS (an unfortunate fact), he did help me with my first book and we often saw each other at shows. I last met with him at the Miami show about 5‑6 years ago. We had a good talk and he was on top of the world as he was a new grandfather. A real "force" in world of Nikon collecting is gone but one who will not soon be forgotten.

RJR