To commemorate the year 2000 Nikon will release the limited edition 35 rangefinder camera "Nikon S3 2000 memorial edition"
The background for this product
2000 limited memorial editions are being produced by many other industries. Nikon has decided to produce a product worthy of the millennium. Nikon is known for its cameras and lenses and is among the the most highly regarded, and used by many people, was the 35 mm rangefinder camera. So Nikon has decided to make this camera as a 2000 memorial edition.
Also released at the same time is the Mikron 2000 binoculars, 7 X 15 in gold finish."
Links to images:
S3
Mikron
Thanks to NHS member, and friend, Steven Gandy, who located the large S3 image on the NIkon Japan web site, and my friend Obi Futami who read the text for me.
Webmaster's notes:
The screen capture is from the Nikon Japan web site, using a Macintosh with the font "Osaka Mono" loaded in Netscape.
There has been a great deal of speculation about the future of Nikon rangefinder cameras, especially in the last three weeks since nothing was shown a PMA. This reproduction S3 clearly is not meant to be a production camera, but will be available in very limited quantities only in Japan. Like the special F5 the small Japanese market will most likely have great dificulty absorbing even a run of 2000 so they will certainly be available in the US. No price has been fixed at this time.
The S3 2000 is expected to be packed in a wood presentation box.
As shown in the large photo, Nikon has a special serial number range for the 50 1.4 lens, which is included. No serial numbers have been announced for the camera itself, but 2000 is the expected number to be produced, like the F5.
Addendum 2/24,
Stephen Gandy has posted more info here.
