Nikon s3 rangefinder patch

The camera is still considered a favourite among many nikon rangefinder users yes, there are still people using these things myself included. The s3 is an expertlycrafted, allmetal masterpiece with a lifesize finder and a rangefinder spot that doesnt flare, as leicas costreduced rangefinders since. Sep 02, 2016 id heard that nikon rangefinders are peculiar beings, but i wasnt quite prepared for the oddity that is the s2. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone. This free websites biggest source of support is when you use these links when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. The s4 amounts to the s3 with a few features removed. The s4 was never officially exported to nikon s biggest marketplace the usa. With the s3, you have the pride of shooting a real nikon, not a disposable plastic turd. My rangefinder patch is pretty pale but still accurate. A reproduction model of the vintage rf camera, nikon s3 1958 in 2000, sixty years after the last nikon rangefinder was released, something magical happened, a bit of nikon heritage came back to from the grave with a surprise reissue of the 1958 nikon s3. In 2000, nikon made the decision to reproduce the s3 with an updated version.

My rangefinder patch is pretty pale but still accurate, the shutter release which is towards the back of the top plate is a bit hard to find without looking. Jun 15, 2006 the s3 has a silver colored rangefinder patch, and i find it much harder to focus than either the s2 and the sp goldyellow, even with aftermarket improvements to increase contrast on the s3. Nikon s3 rangefinder classic film camera kit for sale. It also shares much of its internals and controls with the nikon f slr which was introduced about the same time which, with its. The nikon sp limited edition from the year 2005 is a really special camera. S3 2000 improving the focus patch by installing a color filter. Nikon rangefinder film camera helps users take photographs. Nikon laser rangefinders offer precision, speed and consistency, along with waterproof and fogproof integrity, and are an essential tool for accurate long range shooting.

Bought the s3 2000 and the camera feels much heavier than the leica m6 ttl and m7. The s4 was never officially exported to nikons biggest marketplace the usa. If you are going into the nikon contax rf field get a contax iia with the 50mm f1. Ep army px nikon s2 35mm rangefinder camera w nikkors. Nikon s3 classic 35mm rangefinder 2000 limited edition. This is the most solid and quality feeling rangefinder camera i have ever used. And in 2005, nikon rereleased the sp, along with a new.

Jan 05, 2019 in 2015 when i decided i wanted to give film photography a try, it was the leica m3 rangefinder that intrigued me the most. The astonishing thing is that one can buy this camera new even today it is like being able to go back 50 years and hold a camera of that time in your hands, only the camera is brand new. It was introduced in march of 1959, just a few months before the incredibly successful nikon f which would doom the nikon rangefinder system. Unlike the m3, the s2s rangefinder patch has no clear border and can be difficult to discern, much like canons of the day. Lotsa people dont like the canon p rangefinder spot, they prefer the m style, but if you e. The watameter is in excellent condition but the rangefinder patch is barely visible. The nikon smount is a type of interchangeable lens mount used by a series of nikon 35mm rangefinder cameras nikon i, nikon m, nikon s, nikon s2, nikon sp, nikon s3, nikon s4. Unlike the m3, the s2s rangefinder patch has no clear border and can be.

Nikon sp limited edition 2005 overview nikons rangefinder. Nikon rf this forum is dedicated to nikon rangefinders. But the cheap rfdrs on ebay may all be faint subjective things you need to look at. These viewfinders can be placed in the accessory shoe of. In 2002 nikon released the black paint s3 2000 with a production of 2000 units. It is the only multicoated normal yet made in nikon rangefinder mount, and is presumably the sharpest ever, the beneficiary of over four decades of optical improvements. The watameter is in excellent condition but the rangefinder patch is. But the lens is much lighter and smaller, even though it is a f1. Its the most capable rangefinder that nikon ever built, handcrafted with modern materials and manufacturing processes.

Here are some detailsclassic nikon s3 rangefinder 35mm film camera kit. This camera led a hard life, a real beater i cleaned up the viewfinder, took out a mask used for the rf patch to improve the rangefinder patch. Set the lens to f4 and enjoy the best quality of any 50 mm normal lens nikon made for their rangefinder line. Unfollow nikon rangefinder to stop getting updates on your ebay feed.

A basic model of the nikon sp 1957 three viewfinder frames 3. The camera came from the estate of the original owner who purchased the camera new in 1958. But it has no light meter, and the viewfinder patch indeed is less bright. These viewfinders can be placed in the accessory shoe of a nikon rangefinder camera body.

Nikon s3 was a relatively later model in the s series, featuring a rangefinder with the worlds first lifesize 1. Similarly offputting was a menacing, serrated wheel. So, we saw the second and third release of the nikon s3 limited edition black at second half of the 2000 and an eventual 2,500 units of nikon sp black in january 14, 2005. Nikon rangefinder film cameras 1948 2005 cameraville.

Basically its the same except for a much simplified viewfinderrangefinder. It may not have as many framelines as the sp, but the view is clearer. Jun 15, 2006 flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. If you like this contaxnikonkiev type of rangefinder, you can buy the 2000 rerelease of the nikon s3, made by hand and absolutely gorgeous craftsmanship. The nikon sp is also the first nikon to come equipped with nikons famously reliable and tough titanium shutter curtains on later models. This was because it used a cloth shutter curtain rather than titanium foil curtains and it lacked the selftimer and motor drive lug of the s3. The first thing i noticed was the sheer prominence of the two giant windows one for the rangefinder and one for the viewfinder.

The nikkor s lenses themselves are uniformly excellent. Nikon rangefinder products are exclusively designed for golfing and hunting. A beautiful camera, no doubt, but it has its limitations specifically a rangefinder patch thats very hard to read except with high contrast edges. In february 2000 nikon surprised the rangefinder world by introducing the s3 2000, a near duplicate of their classic 1958 s3 in chrome finish. In use, the s3 functions pretty well for a 50 plus year old camera.

For most people with a proper working nikon rangefinder camera, the only maintenance you will have to do is to adjust the rangefinder patch if it got misaligned. Welcome all owners or interested in nikon rangerfinder camera nikon i, m, s, s2, sp, s3, s4, s3m all sale. The nikon s4 came after this but it was a derivative of the nikon s3 and it. May 23, 2016 nikon s2 rangefinder camera humberland. The nikon s4 was only one third of the production number as compared to nikon s3, a total of only 5,898 of the nikon s4 were being produced. When taking pictures, an essential part of the process is to gauge distance and put things in focus. An introduction and a nikon s2 rangefinder for sale. Learn more about these cuttingedge hunting and golf rangefinders. M39 so it should have an accurate rangefinder patch to match.

Nikon s3 classic 35mm rangefinder 2000 limited edition outfit usa. The s3 is basically the same thing, with a different viewfinder patch, etched frames lines as opposed to the selectable framelines of the sp. Nikon s2 35mm rangefinder film camera with 50 mm lens kit. How is a nikon rangefinder camera different from other types. When it finally released in the year 2000, the nikon s3 year 2000. To be fair though the center focusing patch on the contax seems to have higher contrast. Nikon s2 35mm rangefinder film camera with 50 mm lens kit for. Sep 10, 2015 nikon s3 rangefinder classic film camera. Released in march of 1958, the nikon s3 was the fourth in the s rangefinder series. Nikon imaging products nikon s3 year 2000 millennium model.

Naturally, being a nikon shooter, and having already fallen for the contax style, the nikon was in my sights. The camera, lenses, and leather covers are all nikonnikkor brand originals that have been well cared for by the one owner. In 2000 nikon reproduced the original s3 and offered it as the s3 2000 s3 millennial, an exact duplicate of their classic 1958 s3 in chrome finish. The nikon s3 came out in 1958 as a cheaper alternative to the sp but with an even better rangefinder view.

Get the best deals on nikon vintage rangefinder cameras when you shop the largest online selection at. If you are going into the nikoncontax rf field get a contax iia with the 50mm f1. This made it immune to burnholes but it also made the shutter a bit louder. The s3 has a silver colored rangefinder patch, and i find it much harder to focus than either the s2 and the sp goldyellow, even with. It was the last rangefinder camera made by nikon and it is unique in that it is also the first, and only, halfframe nikon camera ever made. All things considered, it may be the brands best film camera. To do that youll have to remove the front bezelfront plate and adjust the vertical alignment from there. The camera, lenses, and leather covers are all nikon nikkor brand originals that have been well cared for by the one owner. The lenses were sold under the name nikkor the mount was a copy of the zeiss ikon contax rangefinder mount, however, small differences between the two mean that although zeiss wideangle lenses can be used on the. This one is in excellent condition, fully functional with a working rangefinder, patch is clear but viewing system could use. Sure, the clarity of a rangefinder patch has more to do with the materials used and how clean it is but this is a good hack to make you see it better.

I used to love my 21 mm and had it permanently married to my black nikon s3, making a perfect setup for unnoticed, discreet photography. In the usa price lists from 1960, it is described as. The s2 is a classic rangefinder that is a great experience to use. Maybe the venerable nikon rangefinder mount is not dead after all. Ive been meaning to try it on my nikon s3, which also has. Review nikon s3 rangefinder by allan uhlmann west end. Nikon was not here to patch the sentimental element or treating it as part of a corporate rebranding programme andor trying to present their. Nikon s2 35mm rangefinder camera overview duration. The s3 is the cheap version of the legendary nikon sp. I prefer the leicaflex sl to either the nikon f and f2 and all the great internet experts say im wrong, so im probably wrong here too. It was the junior version of the very sophisticated but very expensive nikon sp. For all nikon rangefinder cameras mentioned hereto nikon provided clipon viewfinders with viewing angles of the corresponding lenses. While it was an amazing camera, i ultimately sold it due to a dim rangefinder patch.

Nikon did surprised many by releasing a remake of old rangefinder nikon s3 chrome classic in year 2000. Nikon s3m, april 1960 the first and only 12 frame camera ever produced by nikon and highly source by collectors worldwide as it was known to be only 195 units being produced by nikon thus far. The nikon s4 is a rangefinder camera produced by nikon that was very similar to the nikon s3 but had a slightly lower price. The nikon s2 upstart rival to the leica m3 by steven bleistein. Nikon s3s4s were actually built on the sp chassis as an. In june 2002 the black paint s3 2000 was introduced, with a production of 2000. Ive never tried this myself so take it with a grain of salt but ive read that if you place a small piece of tape the size and shape of the rangefinder patch on the main viewfinder lens black tape is recommended, it will improve the visibility of the rf patch. The nikon s3 2000 limited edition is a reproduction of the original s3 rangefinder introduced in 1958. Not seen a nikon s2 or s3 with patch problems either. May 18, 2015 it was the last rangefinder camera made by nikon and it is unique in that it is also the first, and only, halfframe nikon camera ever made. The grandfather of all subsequent mseries leicas, including the latest 35mm and digital m cameras, it also inspired nikon and canon to add multiple parallaxcompensating frame lines to the last and greatest versions of their interchangeablelens rangefinder cameras, the canon 7 and 7s, and the nikon s3, s4, and sp. After doing some reading around, i ended up deciding on buying a nikon s2 of the same era, found a reasonable deal on ebay and made the purchase. Thankfully nikon decided on a fully removeable back which makes film loading much easier than a leica. It has the best 50mm viewfinder of any nikon rangefinder, and is less expensive than the later sp, s3 and s4 models.

Nikon made some of the fastest lenses for their rangefinder system, it should have an accurate rangefinder patch to match. The shutter works great and it is accurate on all speeds. Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world. Expand your photography with nikon rangefinder film cameras. Its the most capable rangefinder that nikon ever built, handcrafted with modern. The nikon s2 did not come out until after the korean war in 1954, but by. The first nicknamed olympic accompanied a special series of s3 cameras made for the 1964 olympics in tokyo, japan, and was built bigger than the ordinary 501. The s3 has a silver colored rangefinder patch, and i find it much harder to focus than either the s2 and the sp goldyellow, even with aftermarket improvements to increase contrast on the s3. Specializing in nikkor rangefinder cameras, nikon rangefinder lenses, nikon sp, nikon s2, nikon s3, nikon s, nikon varioframe finder, nikon sm lenses. This camera was introduced in 1958, after the more professional version, the nikon sp.

Id heard that nikon rangefinders are peculiar beings, but i wasnt quite prepared for the oddity that is the s2. Nikon rangefinder s3 2000 y2k limited edition black paint model the black paint s3 y2k model was announced barely a few months after the february s3 y2k chrome. If i can recall it correctly, it was in june, 2000 but actual shipment was very much later. Shown here are the february, 2000 nikon s3 chrome and june release of the nikon s3 limited edition black. Introduced with the s3 was a new formula multicoated 501. Jan 30, 2019 the s3 is the cheap version of the legendary nikon sp.

Share nikon s2 35mm rangefinder film camera with 50 mm lens kit. I experimented with several filters i have, holding it over the main viewfinder to see if it improved visibility of the rangefinder patch, which it seemed to primarily by darkening the main view. It also shares much of its internals and controls with the nikon f slr which was introduced about the same time which, with its success, basically ended nikon rangefinders. Knowing the exact range of your shot is key to effectively using bdc reticles and spot on ballistic match technology. The nikon s2 upstart rival to the leica m3 by steven. This can ensure a crisper image and an incredible result. The sp also had a second viewfinder for wider lenses next to the main viewfinder. In the middle of the 20th century at possibly the height of rangefinder camera popularity. Now have the original sp and s2 my go to nikon is the sp. Nikon made two improved versions of their standard 50 mm design. However, at the time i did not feel i was ready to plunk down the cash to invest in a leica just to indulge a curiosity. Its better than the s2 imho, but doesnt have the frame lines the s3 does 35, 50, 105, and are undervalued in the market.