5 Frames With a Nikon S3 — a Camera That Will Make Your Heart Flutter

“Collectors are happy people.” — Johann Wolfang von Goethe

Old Nikon rangefinders are a like catnip for camera collectors. Even insufferable Leica snobs, like myself, can get off on a well-brassed, overpriced, black-paint Nikon SP. Nikon rangefinders might not have that sharp, iconic, mid-century modern vibe that oozes from Leica M bodies. But they do have a je ne sais quoi quality that makes my mouth water. They just look like a camera should look. Some might say, “Dave, don’t disregard the infallible Nikon F. Does it not deserve your love?” Well, I don’t want to hear about F’ing F2s, F3s, or the grotesque F6. My heart is for the rangefinders and them alone.

Like all camera addicts worth their salt, I have a folder on my laptop devoted to screenshots of vintage Nikon rangefinders that I stumble across on Instagram. Whenever I’m feeling blue, I find a private spot and scroll through the pics. There’s one of a Nikon S3 “Olympic” that always makes my eyes water. Almost all the black enamel has rubbed away, making it look like it’s been to the end of the Earth and discovered the meaning of life.

Of course, my pathology eventually progressed to the point where I needed to own and handle one these cameras in the flesh. After a few months of patiently waiting, I found a local gentleman selling a black Nikon S3 millennium edition with the matching Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4 lens. As the story goes, when Nikon first planned the development and release of this special edition commemorative camera (for the year 2000), they sent someone to the camera markets of Tokyo to buy an old S3 and 50mm f/1.4 “Olympic”. Their goal was to reverse engineer the antique S3 and Nikkor-S 50mm to make an identical limited reedition for the modern market. The task proved to be so daunting that Nikon eventually had to bring out of retirement old geriatric employees who remembered how to assemble these cameras by hand.

When I eventually got the camera in my own hands, it was not a letdown. A lot has been written about this camera online. I’ll spare you the details. There are essentially two types of camera people in this world: those who fall in love with the Nikon S3 and those who lie and say that they don’t love it. I belong to the former. I’ll admit, there are some things that take getting used to, like the faint rangefinder patch, the long focus throw, the awkward placement of buttons, the squeaking of the focus wheel… If I want a camera and lens that I can use efficiently and effectively, I’ll grab my Leica M6 with a Summicron 50mm. But if I want a camera that makes my heart flutter when I squeeze the shutter, it’s the S3 every time. Below are five recent photos I’ve taken with the S3 and Nikkor-S 50mm.

You can find more of my photos at Leica Fotografie International and my Instagram feed.

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