Saw rare Nikon M rangefinder/lens yesterday.

[rob_murray]

At my local camera shop. Only about 1600 made, also came with the

rare rigid lens both like new. They only made them in one year I think

1949. It was Nikons second camera they made...Heres what it looked

like. http://www.cameraquest.com/nrfmnosy.htm

[michaelging]

That's Interesting Rob, How much did they want for the camera?I would suspect the Japanese collectors would pay high for a Mint example.

[rob_murray]

They had not set a price on it as they will be putting it on Ebay.

[profhlynnjones]

As a matter of fact, Rob, there was great pressure to change the format to 24x30 so that it would be in 4x5/8x10 aspect ratio. The original 24x32 was the aspect ratio of the european/western 2.25" x 3.25" film size. 24x30 would have reduced the the cost of lenses very significantly, permitted a normal focal length of 38mm, and made the Germans look like idiots relative to the 1x1.5/24x36 aspect ratio that Leitz started (by accident).

 

The heads of both Zeiss and Leitz went to Nippon Kogaku as got them to change the Nikon aspect ratio to 24x36 or 1 to 1.5. Because the Japanese photo industry was worshipful toward the German photo industry, they agreed to it.

 

Making 35mm a 1:1.25 would have changed the entire miniature camera industry as did Fred Simmon of Simmon Omega with his 2.25x2.75 format in the original Omega Camera in 1954, long before Linhof copied it and called it "Ideal Format".

 

Lynn