Nikon rangefinder S3 2000 ("Y2K")
model
Amidst taking off in the digital imaging sector in SLR and P&S market as well
as an upgrade of LEICA M6 TTL which has brought TTL flash to their evergreen line
of M6 series, not many people would had the slightest imagination to relate the Japanese
camera which had found its recognition in the photographic equipment market via their
S-mount rangefinder series cameras back in the '50 would reintroduce a remake of
the old time classic. Yes. indeed it had stunned many observers and sprung surprises
to Nikon enthusiasts worldwide when it was released in February, 2000 with the original
intention of 2000 limited edition units for Year 2000. The "idea" was so
well received that before it was officially shipped that back order was already piling
up domestically as well as international request that eventually it had exceeded
the original target production unit of 2000 units.
I
guess the last two generation of Nikon users probably had no idea what and how the
Nikon rangefinder era was. You may just browse around in a simplest way to get an
idea in the sequential events via the pages of the pictorial history. Basically, the Nikon
S3 (1958~1967) was a simplified version based on the professional grade Nikon SP,
where some selected features in the Nikon SP had been removed. The bright line frames
in the S3 was not switchable but there were three fixed frame lines for popular focal
length such as 35mm, 50mm and 105mm (the SP offers extended range of 28~135mm*). The S3 can / will accept
/ share the many accessories designed for the SP such as S36, S250 Motor Drives etc. Two
known versions of the Nikon S3 exist, one with cloth shutter and another with a Titanium
shutter curtain. Besides, there was a special edition which was being produced to
commemorate the XVIII Tokyo Summer Olympic Games in 1964 - a few years after its
discontinuation. Approx. 14,000 of the Nikon S3 were being produced throughout its
entire product cycle. In the market place, the S3 was Nikon direct answer to the
highly successful continuation of the Leica M3 single stroke models as well as Contax
II/III.
* Technically, you can say the Nikon S3 does not incorporate
a viewfinder for wideangle lenses, but the 3.5cm frame comes outside the full-size
standard viewfinder's 10.5 / 5cm frame. As mentioned earlier, users cannot see the
3.5cm frame without rolling their eyes about. And, unlike the SP, with the S3 the
three (3) frames are always indicated. There is no automatic parallax compensation.
Along with the release. Nikon had also
tailored produced a matching Nikkor-S 1:1.4 f=50mm standard lens for the camera.
Naturally, older original RF-Nikkor lenses can still be used on this new S3. As one
can recall, the last RF 50/1.4 was the Olympic black in 1964 where it makes a great
companion along with the original Nikon S3 black paint. The new Y2K RF-50mm f/1.4
Nikkor-S here has some similarity but internally, it has been redesigned with a new
composition bearing 7 elements in 5 groups optical construction and weighs overall
just only 175g. The lens has a starting S/N that begin with 20xxxxx, since the last
of the Black 50/1.4 Olympic used 14xxxxx, it shouldn't be easily mixed with the reissued
Nikkor-S 1.4/50mm.
