August 21, 2002 - Fred Krughoff

A new Nikon S3

At the beginning of the week a brand new black S3 arrived from Japan. I put off buying a "reproduction" thinking that they were for those too lazy to look for original collectibles. But I wanted a camera to use, and the black model was impossible to resist. I got it for around 4000 USD so the price put it in line with a new Leica and lens (see my comparison article). I had already purchased a set of the new Voigtlander lenses from Robert Rotoloni, so I felt they deserved a new body. (If you like using Nikon RF you MUST own the multicoated Voigtlander lenses)

Opening it (you only get to do this once)

Taking it out of the box was fun. I have never owned a new Nikon Rangefinder, and this one still had the little seal on the paper wrapper, as well as the shutter protector. I have owned a couple of boxed S3s over the years, but this was the first really new one. One thing that stuck me as I was unpacking it was that the bottom protector packed with every Nikon S3 from the '60s was missing, as was the little piece of paper inside the back, placed there to keep the paint on the bottom from sticking to the back. I suppose modern paint dries faster.

The S3 box is new, and looks like a cross between an original S3 and a black S4 box. It seems true to the original Kami graphic design, but it is odd inside. Nikon chose to go with velvet over foam inside, like Leica and others have done, rather than putting the leather case in the box. Like the previous chrome S3 the leather case is packed in its own gold box. The S3 box is not designed to hold the case in the box, even if the velvet is removed.

Like later Fs the camera and case are packed in an outer box (illustrated left). This outer box was not supplied with the original S3 2k.

Finish

The black paint looks very similar to that found on late Nikon F cameras, it is even and semi-gloss, with the emphasis on "semi." White lettering is neatly done, and the colors on the shutter speed dial, look authentic. The finish on the lens is also very well done. The camera comes with an F style counter cover and the numbers are anodized not engraved. Clearly the intention of Nikon was not an exact duplicate of the original, and their choices have resulted in a beautiful camera!

Nikon chose to number the cameras like the "M" with serial numbers that include "S3." The black bodies seem to be numbered as S3 30xxxx, sequentially.

Using the camera

The first thing I did was see how bright the rangefinder was. Frankly I expected it to be much brighter than it turned out to be. Yes it is the best I have experienced from a Nikon rangefinder, but not even close to the image produced by a new M6. I have S2s that rival this finder in brightness and contrast, it actually made me feel better about them. The image still has that softness that makes you think the finder may just need a little cleaning. I had just purchased a new Bessa T the week before so I admit I am comparing the S3 with a VERY bright magnified viewfinder in my head. But still, I was a bit let down.

The next day I took another look through the finder in bright sunlight, and frankly it is not bad at all. It will do very well in most situations, but still at its heart this is a 50 year old camera design, with inherited limitations based on the age of the design.

to be continued see www.rangefinderforum.com.