Nikon RF Images #1

Here are three images to enjoy.
The first is of an early Nikon M/S. It was one of a hundred imported by the Overseas Finance & Trading Company in January 1951 in response to a sudden and welcome increase in demand for Nikons. That demand had resulted from Jacob Deschin's favorable article on the Nikon that had appeared in the New York Times on December 10th, 1950.
Adolph Gasser picked this camera out and bought it for his brother. It received a lot of hard usage over the next 30 years. The finish on the base is worn and the leather is in terrible shape, but the shutter and rangefinder are accurate and it still takes good pictures. The lens is in the 316XXX series, not an earlier 5005XX that one might expect. Why? I do not know. The second series used a better formula [Yes, Nippon Kogaku did make several small optical changes to this lens over its long lifetime] and Gasser may have made a later substitution. The two series did overlap. Note other details: The accessory shoe is engraved with "Japan," as were many in that shipment. The MIOJ mark in the back leather is virtually worn away. The release guard is of the higher, later type. Perhaps the original one was lost. The cap and lens shade are contemporary, as is the yellow, drop-in filter with its type etched into the glass.

The second image shows a Nikon SP with a 35mm f1.8 Nikkor. The point of the picture is to show how the angle adapter for flash worked. It placed a Nikon flash unit (here a BC-5) off to one side, retained the hot shoe contact and allowed the mounting of an auxiliary finder. Clever.