The $100 camera...

[Pixeldawg1]

Sorry I am getting to this late. Yes, a one hundred dollar bill. Here in China, Mao is on all the bills- except the 1/2 RMB note and 1/10th of an RMB note (Both of which are quite beautiful, but fairly rare, too...), so we say "50 Mao's" or "100 Mao's". Anyway, a bargain at $100, I think.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

What's a Benjamin?

I'm guessing it's American slang for a $100 bill. I think I've heard it before & it ties in with the thread title.

Nice camera, you don't often see Nikon Rangefinders.

Funny you should say that. I have been looking for one for 15 years, and a few weeks ago, a friend had a "moving sale" for his collection and had a Nikon S2 rangefinder for sale at a good price and I purchased it. Now, this S model (which is the model previous to the S2) plopped into my lap, so hunted 15 years and suddenly have two. How lucky is that? My goal is to eventually own one of every camera produced by Nikon. Most likely won't get a "1" because they are such rare beasts- only 400 ever produced and I envision some wealthy person with a big walk in safe hoarding all of the available ones... So far, I have 9 Nikons, Including an F, F2, F3, F4 both Nikkormat and Nikomat, D300 and N1AW1. A ways to go yet.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

I believe that Stephan Gandys site www.cameraquest.com has an informational article or two about the Nikon s series rangefinder cameras

I'll have to check that out. Thanks!

 

[Derrel]

There were some nice new Voigtlander-branded lenses made for this camera beginning in 2005. These were the only multi-coated lenses ever made in the Nikon S-mount.

The cameraquest.com website was just about the only source to purchase these lenses from.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

There were some nice new Voigtlander-branded lenses made for this camera beginning in 2005. These were the only multi-coated lenses ever made in the Nikon S-mount.

The cameraquest.com website was just about the only source to purchase these lenses from.

I was actually reading about them on the page you supplied. They are being discontinued though, so I will have to buy one before they are gone. I am particularly interested in the wide(er) angle lenses. A great page to read and again, thanks Derrel!

 

[Derrel]

The 21mm looks intriguing....I " think" they made a 25 mm lens, which I think might be quite useful . I used to like the 24 mm length quite a bit, as well as 28 mm. My last rangefinder was a Bessa R which used Leica thread Mount lenses. I had a 35, a 50, and a 75, which was a nice setup.

 

[Derrel]

Bessa R with 35 f/ 1.7 aspherical, 50 mm f/1.5 aspherical, and 75 mm f/2.5.

 

[Derrel]

A 135 mm lens is about as long as is practical on a rangefinder, unless you are using a reflex housing, and I am not sure that Nikon ever made one for the S series cameras. For several decades Leica made the Visoflex line of reflex housings.

An accessory bright line finder might be very nice to have when you are using the 135 mm lens. otherwise the viewfinder lines system would give you a very small area to work with.

Once you have this puppy repaired, you are in for some good times.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

The 21mm looks intriguing....I " think" they made a 25 mm lens, which I think might be quite useful . I used to like the 24 mm length quite a bit, as well as 28 mm. My last rangefinder was a Bessa R which used Leica thread Mount lenses. I had a 35, a 50, and a 75, which was a nice setup.

The 21mm is the one I would consider. I also have a Bessa-T that is a limited anniversary edition (only 500 made), so it would be cool to take it out shooting. I tend to gravitate to the 20mm and find the 28 too much like a 35mm lens, so like the "wider" look of a 20mm.

 

[The Barbarian]

I'm so envious. I'd really like one of those.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

I'm so envious. I'd really like one of those.

Thanks! The irony is that I have looked for one for 15 years now and they have been in trashy condition, too expensive or not for sale. Then, suddenly I have two of them and paid a grand total of less than $500 for BOTH, with a 135mm and a 50mm lens on each. So, this all happened for me in the last month. Don't give up if you want one, they are out there! The one shown is an S and here is the S2...