The Seven Sections Are:

• The Nikon SP Reissue Model that Made the Impossible Possible
• The Birth of The SP Reissue Project
• Recreating the Universal Finder
• Applying the S3 Experience to Procure Components
• From Assembly to Completion
• Main Specifications
• Differences Between the Original SP and the Reissue Model

The "Nikon SP Reissue Model" (hereinafter referred to as the SP reissue) is a reissue of the highest achievement of rangefinder cameras, the Nikon SP that went on sale in 1957 (Showa 33). This was to be the second challenge at a Nikon S series camera after the Nikon S3 2000 Limited Edition "Millennium" model that went on sale in 2000. The Nikon SP became a legend, loved by many photojournalists and photographers for its high precision, smooth operation, and exceptional durability. After the "S3 Reissue Model" went on sale, we received requests from many Nikon fans to reissue the SP.

The main feature of the SP, a camera that was designed to compete directly with the Leica M3, is the universal finder that allows the user to select the correct frame to match the focus length of the attached lens. At the time, with its six frames for 2.8cm, 3.5cm, 5cm, 8.5cm, 10.5cm, and 13.5cm focal lengths the SP offered the greatest range of in-built finders, and was also the only S series camera to offer automatic parallax correction. Also, because the SP had the eyepiece for normal and telephoto lenses right next to the eyepiece for wide angle lenses, the finder was called the "husband and wife (fuufu)" finder. This extremely complicated and elaborate finder consisting of 28 lens components was said to be impossible to remanufacture using current technology, however by bringing together the strength of all our mechanical camera manufacturing skills, we managed to do it. The SP reissue is as faithful a duplication of the original SP as was possible.

The fact that we were able to reissue the SP has great significance in terms of passing on mechanical camera manufacturing skills to the next generation. Production was limited to 2,500 cameras for sale in the domestic market only. Orders were accepted from 14th January 2005 to 30th June 2005, and cameras were available for pickup from stores from 18th March 2005. The attached lens is a reissue of the W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8. The lens has the same multicoating as the current Nikkor lenses, and has outstanding optical performance. Also, camera bodies and lenses are numbered from 0001 to 2500 in continuous order, and each body is fitted and sold with a lens with a matching number. A Certificate of Authenticity is also included. Camera/lens no. 0001 was donated to the Japan Camera Museum (Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo) and is on display there.

Nikon SP Reissue Model

• Product name: "Nikon SP Reissue Model"
• Includes W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.8, Certificate of Authenticity, lens cap, lens hood, camera case
• List price: 690,000 yen (724,500 yen including consumption tax)
• Order acceptance period: 14th January 2005 to 30th June 2005
• Sale period: available at stores from 18th March 2005
• Number manufactured: 2,500 cameras

Photo captions:

Nikon SP Reissue Model


Certificate of Authenticity

We Don't Know How the Finder is Assembled
After getting the "green light" from Nikon, Mito Nikon began trial production on the SP body in February 2003. However, in actual fact, the project had been moving under the surface for approximately the previous two years. The main challenge was the biggest of difficulties, the universal finder.

The difference in the number of components between the SP and S3 was very clear. The SP consisted of 895 components compared to the S3's 816 components. Just looking at the lenses and prisms of the finders alone, the S3 consisted of 13 parts compared to the SP's 28 parts and extremely complicated construction.

It was thought that the SP finder couldn't be manufactured using modern techniques.

However, by disassembling the SPs purchased at the used camera store, and by actually carefully examining each component, Mito Nikon worked out the finder's construction and determined that it could be manufactured using modern techniques. With the techniques required to manufacture the S3 reissue already sorted, motivation to manufacture the SP reissue grew even more. However, Mito Nikon didn't know how such a complex finder was assembled back in the days of the original SP.

The main feature of the SP's finder is the "husband and wife" dual eyepieces. The eyepiece on the left was for 2.8cm and 3.5cm wide angle lenses. The eyepiece on the right had switchable frames for 5cm, 8.5cm, 10.5cm, and 13.5cm lenses, that could be switched using the finder selector fitted under the rewind crank.

In addition to overcoming the difficulty in assembling the finder, it also proved very difficult to improve the degree of accuracy of the finder. However, the accuracy of the SP's finder IS the SP's main feature. Each day was spent looking at the finder to try and figure this out .... for about half a year.

The assembly procedure of the finder was basically the process of following the diagrams included in the technical drawings, but there was no notes at all concerning the actual assembly process. Just by looking at the diagrams, it was impossible to even imagine what part of the finder should be used as the reference point. And to make matters worse, after disassembling them, the two original SPs purchased at a used camera store turned out to be slightly different from each other and were no help at all in determining the reference point.

Technicians Made Adjustments Their Own Way Back Then
So, back in the days of the original SP without modern lasers and other equipment for inspection and adjustment, just how did they assemble the finder and then achieve the required accuracy?

There was no documentation remaining at all on the types of tools that might have been used to assemble the finder. It was speculated that most likely the production line staff made the tools they needed themselves. However, without a doubt, the adjustment process would have varied from engineer to engineer. Besides these difficulties, a total of 23,000 to be "highly thought of" SP cameras were shipped, so the factory's technical prowess and ability to meet the demand was very high. By understanding this we can catch a glimpse of the technical prowess of that time.

In the end, Mito Nikon developed their own machines to use collimators and lasers and used these machines to increase the accuracy of optical axis adjustments and decrease production time. However, because so much finicky hands-on work was necessary, there was still no change in the fact that it took considerable time to assemble and adjust the finder.

Optical Performance is so Good it Causes Ghosting
If you look through an SP reissue finder, you'll see that it is brighter and clearer than an original SP finder. Finders on original SPs may have also deteriorated with age, but the lenses and prisms in the SP reissue's finder perform dramatically better than those in the original SP's finder, thus the clarity and visibility of the new finder is greatly improved over the original.

However, this improvement in optical performance created a problem. Light now traveled so smoothly that it created unexpected ghosting in the visible part of the finder. Ghosting was caused by even the slightest of misalignments between the prisms embedded in the finder.

To prevent this ghosting, after trial and error, some of the prisms that comprised the finder were shaved by extremely small amounts by hand. This was extremely difficult work involving minute adjustments of only 0.2mm or less. If a prism was shaved too much, the overall optical performance was adversely affected.

Furthermore, to prevent light from reflecting in and having an adverse affect, the corners of the prisms were painted by brush with ink. This was a highly skilled manual task that only experts can perform. It also took time to determine the correct colors for the frames used in the finder. On the right side of the reissue "husband and wife" finder the 5cm and 8.5cm frames are white, the 10.5cm frame is yellow, and the 13.5cm frame is red, but because the colors in original SP finders have faded with age, we don't know what the real original colors were. We do know that they weren't prime colors, so by trial and error many colors were mixed and tried. This is the extent that the Mito Nikon engineers went to in trying to manufacture as faithful a duplication of the original SP as was possible.

Photo captions:


SP reissue model production line


Internal universal finder. The displayed frame in the normal to telephoto side finder on the right can be manually switched between 5cm, 8.5cm, 10.5cm, and 13.5cm optical brightframes. The full view of the finder on the left approximates the 2.8cm focal length, and the 3.5cm focal length is indicated by the albada-type frames.


SP reissue finder

Assembling and Adjusting the finder

A prism used in the finder


Finder FOV frame board

From 0001 to 2500 Without Skipping Numbers
Thanks to the experience gained with the S3, the procurement of non finder related parts proceeded smoothly. All the partner companies that helped with the S3, again helped with the SP. The SP reissue's internal code was M400, but the veteran technicians at the subcontractor companies could pretty much guess what it meant.

The times dictated a relentless push towards digital. Nikon also put its main efforts into developing digital SLRs. Most likely, this would be the last time this kind of camera from times gone by would be reissued. This thought was not only prevalent at Mito Nikon, but also at factories that had supported Mito Nikon for many years.

Despite the difficulty experienced in marking the serial number on the top plate of the S3, when the SP was shipped, they were numbered in continuous order from 0001 to 2500. Naturally, with the S3 reissue experience behind them there was no doubt that the proficiency level of each technician was very high, but even still, to ship 2500 cameras and lenses all numbered consequtively was very difficult. And even at Tochigi Nikon who was in charge of manufacturing the lens, you can imagine the nerve-wracking time they must have had.

Especially camera no. 0001 that was scheduled to be donated to the Japan Camera Museum, that to be on the safe side five different 0001 cameras were manufactured, and from the five only one was chosen and shipped. By the way, of the five cameras apparently only two were fully assembled. There was no change in the fact that mass production was very difficult.

We Have to Assembly the Self Timer by Ourselves
A major problem occured. The subcontractor company that manufactured the self timer for the S3 reissue model said "sorry, we can no longer manufacture it". The only factory in Japan capable of manufacturing a mechanical self timer had closed down. The SP and S3 are fitted with the same self timer, and the complicated construction of the self timer consists of 58 parts. But no one was ready to accept a self timer than would be different from the original. Mito Nikon had no choice but to make the self timer by themselves.

Mito Nikon asked the subcontractor company for the self timer diagrams, and to their surprise the subcontractor company gave them the self timer diagrams plus the special tools required all for free. The subcontractor company also introduced all its subcontractors. It is an extremely unusual case for a maker to offer all their know-how about a particular product without any compensation.

This only occurred because the engineers at the subcontractor company could relate with their counterparts at Mito Nikon, and fully understood the significance of the project and the importance of passing on their skills.

All the staff at Mito Nikon in charge of the negotiations could do was to merely give their deepest thanks. When they picked up the self timer drawings, they were told that "It will be very expensive to make!", however by making the most of their ingenuity they were able to manufacture a self timer as close as possible to the original while keeping costs down. They even went to extra lengths and made extremely small adjustments to make the "jiiiiiii" sound of the mechanical self timer in operation as close as possible to the original.

Photo captions:


The serial numbers of the body and lens were matched


Self timer

Assembly Took 10 Times Longer Than the FM3A
With the part and assembly method finally sorted mass production finally began at Mito Nikon in July 2003, approximately one year after the project officially kicked off.

The SP reissue model production line was located next to the line where the FM3A was manufactured. Just like with the S3 reissue model, there was no belt conveyer line, rather when one technician finished their task they handed the camera to the next technician so they could perform their assigned task.

At the start, 20 people worked to produce 13 units per day. Of course, with the S3 experience behind them the skill level of the technicians was very high, but compared to the S3, including the finder there was 30% more tasks required in assembly. And to make matters worse, assembly of the finder was very difficult and took 50% longer than the S3 finder. Compared to the FM3A being assembled right next door, assembly took 10 times longer.

One major problem during finder assembly was dust and particles. Once dust or a particle finds its way inside, it appears much larger in the finder. Considerable effort was given to rethinking each process to prevent particles from entering the inside the camera body, even to the extent of adding steps to the assembly process just to clean off any particles. For example, technicians took actions such as placing partly assembled components in containers with lids before passing them down the line, and once the component was assembled it was placed back in its sealed container.

The Pleasure of Handling Nikon's Camera Roots
In March 2005 Mito Nikon started shipping the SP. Because the market was now dominated by digital cameras, the final production number was fixed at 2,500 cameras. Orders were accepted from January 2005. Shipments to customers started in March 2005, right at the time sales of the two Nikon flagship cameras, the film F6 (December 2004) and the digital D2X (February 2005), began. With the start of shipments of the SP reissue model in March 2005, the curtains were finally closed on the S series reissue project that pushed Mito Nikon's technical ability to the limit.

The SP reissue model represents great thoroughness and devotion to the art of making something by hand. Mito Nikon felt great pride in the fact that they were able to create something even better than the original. We can certainly say that this camera is chock full of the feeling of something made by hand.

After the project finished we asked the staff at Mito Nikon who were the central core of the manufacturing line they replied with comments like "I was very happy to be directly involved with this camera that represents the origins of Nikon. Taking on the challenge of something meant to be impossible. This is the kind of project that touches the soul of an engineer", and casually made comments that say it all, such as "If you hold one, I think you'll understand its worth".

Photo captions:


SP Reissue Model Assembly Process


Completed Cameras Ready for Inspection

Nikon SP Reissue Model

• Type: 35mm rangefinder type focal plane shutter camera
• Film type: 35mm film
• Frame size: 24mm x 36mm
• Lens mount: Nikon S-mount (bayonet type)
• Shutter: horizontal cloth focal plane shutter
• Shutter speeds: T, B, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000
• Focus scale: Marked in meters (from 0.9m to infinity)
• Self timer: Adjustable time type (indicators for 3, 6, and 10 sec)
• Synchro: Timelag type, synchro socket incl., synchro speed of 1/60 or less
• Finder: (framelines) 1:1 brightframe finder, 5cm, 8.5cm, 10.5cm, 13.5cm optical framelines, 2.8cm and 3.5cm albater framelines
• Film speed: ISO display
• Film advance: One action lever type, 136 degree movement, can advance in small increments, lever standby angle 15 degrees
• Film rewind: With rewind crank
• Frame counter: Automatic reset type
• Back type: Removable (not suitable for use with a motordrive
• Dimensions: 136mm (width) x 81mm (height) x 43mm (depth) (body only)
• Weight: 590g (body only), 750g (with W-Nikkor 3.5cm F1.
• Price: (incl. tax) 724,500 yen (incl. W-Nikkor3.5cmF1.8, Certificate of Authenticity, lens cap, lens hood, camera case)

• Lens construction: 7 elements in 5 groups
• Focal length: 3.5cm
• maximum aperture: F1.8
• Aperture range: F1.8 to F22
• Focus range: 0.9m to infinity
• Field of view: 62 degrees diagonally
• Minimum focus: 0.9m
• Attachement size: Filter thread - 43m (P = 0.75mm), Hood/cap thread - 48mm (P = 0.5mm)
• Hood: 48mm spring type
• Cap: 48mm (P = 0.5mm) spring type
• Dimensions: 59.0mm (diameter) x 22.5mm (length to bayonet plane)
• Weight: 160g (not including attachments)

• Distance scale: Changed from m and ft to only m
• Frame indicator: Change from 20 to 24
• Film sensitivity indicator: Changed from ASA to ISO
• Strap lugs: Brass changed to stainless steel, nickel chrome coating changed to chrome coating
• Film advance lever: Appearance and shape changed slightly
• Film rewind knob: Appearance and shape changed slightly
• Camera back pressure plate: Appearance changed slightly
• Accessory shoe: Appearance changed slightly
• Shutter dial synchro speed color: Changed slightly
• Body number: Marked SP before the body number
• Lens: Engraved "Nikon" and "Made in Japan", multicoated
• Lens cap: Changed from plastic to aluminium (marked "Nikon" on reverse side)
• Lens hood: Marked "Nikon"