Expert: David Silver - 2/25/2010

Question
Hi David
I have a Nikon rangefinder camera circa about 1948-1951, Serial number 6094464. The original case is stamped "Made in occupied Japan and Nippon Kogaku Tokyo, I have 4 lenses 5cm 1:2 Nikkor, 8.5cm 1:2, 13.5cm Nikkor and 3.5 1:35 Nikkor. Leica-Meter in leather case, made in Germany. Attachment (purpose) "Made in occupied Japan" engraved on the bottom, 364056 engraved on top. And a few other assorted things. I inherited this from my father many years ago and am curious to its value.

Thank you

Debra

Answer



Hello Debra,

The serial number indicates you have a Nikon S, a traditional 35mm coupled rangefinder camera, a model produced by Nippon Kogaku of Japan from 1951 to 1954, and your example came off the assembly line around December of 1951.  This is actually a pretty common model, since they sold thousands of them over that four year span, but a nice clean working example of the Nikon S2 with its proper matching Nikkor 5cm normal lens will still sell today in the $600-$800 range depending on the amount of overall wear.  The other lenses are all common models in general in terms of focal length and aperture, but there is a wide range of values for each because there were many variations.  So the three extra lenses could have an accumulated value of at least $750, but incredibly, if you have the right rarer versions, might add up to nearly $2000.  Obviously, this is something we need to research further, and to that end I'd simply need to see some pictures of the outfit and know the serial numbers on each item, plus whether any of them also have the MIOJ markings.  Finally the unknown attachment is probably a multi-focal viewfinder that was used when shooting the extra lenses, and it may seem like a trivial little piece, but if it's in excellent original shape and since it's the MIOJ version, it might be worth several hundred dollars by itself.  The Leica-Meter is a very common variation of the Metraphot exposure meter and carries nil value today.

Okay, so what have we got?  You have a very nice early Nikon S camera outfit with a total value somewhere between $1600 and $3200.  More importantly, as a nicely matched early outfit, it has even more historical value, and is worthy of preservation in the hands of a qualified collector or historian.  If you're wondering if it's still usable, yes, technically it is, but it's not terribly practical.  The camera produces an image 24 x 32 mm in size, while the industry standard on 35mm film is 24 x 36 mm.  The result is that although you might take very nice photos with the camera, no film processor would be able to handle the negatives very well!  No, this is an old warhorse that earned its retirement long ago, and now its value is almost completely historical and collectible.

Where do we go from here?  Please contact me directly at <silver@photographyhistory.com> and provide some small pictures of the camera outfit, don't forget to tell me the serial numbers on the lenses and note whether they have any MIOJ markings, and I'll get back to you with a more precise evaluation.  After that, the question is whether you intend to sell at this time.  In terms of the collectible camera market, it's as good a time as any, I *do* recommend selling, but you'll need help locating an appropriate respectful collector or historian to properly preserve the outfit.  Not to worry, I can help with that, and I'll provide a couple of different strategies you can pursue.

Thank you for contacting me about your father's splendid old Nikon outfit!  I look forward to hearing from you again!

Best wishes,

David Silver - President
International Photographic Historical Organization