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Specification

From the Nikon Journal (Vol. 9 No. 4, July 25, 1992)

THE "FUKETA TAPES" PART III

ROTOLONI: Is it true the range finder Nikons were discontinued because of the huge early success of the Nikon F, but that an additional batch of SPs were made because of consumer demand, possibly as late as 1964?

FUKETA-SAN: After having started the sale of the Nikon F in 1959, we continued the production of the Nikon SP in parallel. But after launching the Nikon F demand for it increased drastically while the demand for the rangefinder cameras decreased proportionally. As a result it became difficult for us to continue the production of the Nikon SP from an economic point of view. Then we decided to stop production of the SP in April of 1963! However, once the public learned that the SP had been discontinued, a lot of requests came to us not to stop its production. Press photographers strongly requested that we make it because the Olympic Games would be held in Tokyo in 1964. In response to the reaction from the press people, we decided to produce a rangefinder body again, but in limited quantity of one lot.

ROTOLONI: Was this additional lot of rangefinder bodies Nikon SPs or Nikon S3s?

FUKETA-SAN: When we resumed the production, we changed specifications so that we could manufacture it somewhat easier, in order to reduce the cost overruns. We used the simpler range/viewfinder of the Nikon S3 with framelines for the 35, 50 & 105mm lenses, since the use of the 35mm lens had become more popular by that time. Also the removal of the 28mm optical finder reduced costs. Although black bodies were not that popular in those days, since it was the press photographers who mostly requested these cameras, we made them in black because they needed the more plain body.

ROTOLONI: What about the f1.4 Nikkor that is often found with these cameras that we usually call the "Olympic" lens?

FUKETA-SAN: The lens that you call the "Olympic Nikkor" was the standard lens being produced at that time. However, it was not planned simply for usage at the Olympic Games! We had already designed the prototype for this new lens, which consists of 7 elements in 5 groups instead of 7 elements in 3 groups, as the previous f1.4 lens. Since we were going to resume the production lot of the bodies, we needed a lens also. We decided to use this new lens which was of better quality than the older design (it produced a better out of focus image in the foreground and background).

From the Classic Camera magazine (No. 26, May 2003)

On the occasion of the Tokyo Olympic Games and in answer to photographer demands, Nippon Kogaku produced a number of Nikon SP bodies on an occasional basis. At the same time, a special series of around two thousand Nikon S3 cameras with black finish and serial numbers ranging from 6320001 up to 6322561 was put into production. The Nikon S3 Olympic did not have any special inscription, but it did use the titanium curtain shutter and had a number of the controls found on the Nikon F, such as the rapid winding lever, self timer lever and rewind crank.

The standard lens on the Nikon S3 Olympic was the 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor S with modified 6-element scheme with a special aluminum barrel that was longer than on older lenses. The 50mm Nikkor S Olympic had an improved anti-reflection coating and was in black finish, including the front ring.

From the Classic Camera magazine (No. 26, May 2003)

Production was halted on the Nikon S3 in March 1961 after just over fourteen thousand had been built in order to leave room on the production lines for the Nikon F, then in great demand. For the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, just over two thousand Nikon S3 cameras with black finish were made, utilizing some of the components of the Nikon F such as its titanium curtain shutter, winder lever, rewind crank and self timer lever. Serial numbers range from 6320001 to 6322561. The lens equipment of the Nikon S3 Olympic was a new version of the 50mm f1/4 Nikkor S with long barrel and black finish, of which only two thousand were produced.

From the Nikon Journal (Vol. 14 No. 4, September 31st, 1997)

Of all the black models of the later Nikon rangefinder cameras, SP, S3, S3M, the black S3 has been of particular interest to collectors, and not just because of its nice professional black finish. There are actually two versions of the black S3: the first type made during the original run of the S3 model starting in 1958 with controls identical to the chrome version as well as a cloth shutter; the second type made about the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (and affectionately known as the "Olympic S3") with slightly modified controls much like the concurrent Nikon F, and with a foil shutter. It was this second model that was shipped with the new modified 50mm/f1.4 Nikkor that has also acquired the moniker "Olympic", even though many were sold on late model SP bodies made in 1964 or so. The term "Olympic" has been associated with this "revised" black S3 that it is universally referred to as the "Black Olympic S3".

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[The original Nikon S3 was] first sold in March of 1958. Simplified by taking away the complicated universal finder system of the SP and reducing its price to 86000 Yen. The new finder has 3.5cm, 5cm and 10.5cm frames and they are always visible. The color of the 3.5cm frame is green and the others are white. Parallax correction is not automatic. A small triangle serves as the parallax correction mark. The outside appearance is very different from the SP, without the finder selector dial. The finder eyepiece is different but easy to use.

The production number block was 63xxxxx and was first put on sale in 1958 and production ceased after 12,310 units were made. In 1965 they began to make it again and produced about 2,000 cameras. So 14,310 S3s were made in total. The first production is numbered 6300001 to 6312310, but some numbers are missing, so they go over 6318300. The revised version number block was 632xxxx and it is said that 2,000 were made. So the last number should be 6322000, but there are also missing numbers. Revised models are said to be all black painted, but there are exceptions.

This revised model of the S3 is called "Olympic model", but the Tokyo Olympics were held in 1964 and this S3 was sold in 1965, so it was too late! Some parts on the revised model are considerably different from the first type: the film advance lever is solid metal; the knob on the rewind crank rotates; the selftimer lever is like the F-type made at that time; the film counter cover is changed to have 7 concentric circles instead of 3. As for the first production run, there was some noise heard from the slow speed shutter below 1/30 but the revised model made almost no such noise. So this revised version can be thought to be almost a new model.

From the Nikon Rangefinder Compendium by R. Rotoloni

...There is another version of the S3 that was never really promoted in the West. Although never given any special model name by the factory, including that which collectors have assigned to it these last 30 years, it is a significant enough variation to warrant its own section. It was made as one batch of 2,000 cameras in 1964, nearly three years after the original S3 was discontinued. Although remors remain that it was specifically requested by Japanese press photographers to cover a certain event, this may just be a myth that can never be proved. However, it arrived on the scene in time for that major event whose name has been inextricably linked to it ever since. It is what we call the black "Olympic S3"!

History records show that the last regular issue Nikon S3 was produced in October 1960 as final batch number 7 consisting of 2,010 pieces. Then two additional batches of 2,000 each, numbers 8 and 9, are shown as "cancelled" and were never produced. Suddenly, in April 1964, a 10th batch, which arrived just before the start of the summer Olympics in Japan, is that which makes up the camera.

The serial numbers for the "Olympics" do not pick up exactly where the standard S3 ends. Instead, N-K left a gap of about 1,700 numbers and started the black "Olympics" at 6320001. They have been verified from 6320016 to a high of 6322579, but may go slightly higher. This is a bit over 2,000 numbers so some gaps must exist. Although a single chrome body is seen within this number range, it is safe to assume that all genuine "Olympic S3s" are black. They also share other features. The vast majority, approaching 95%, are calibrated in meters, not feet, which makes sense. This camera was never meant to be sold in the West and was not offered to Ehrenreich (he probably would not have wanted it anyway), since the RF system was nearly extinct by this time. The world had embraced the Nikon F and wasn't interested in rangefinders at the moment. Being so late it shared parts with the Nikon F such as the rapid wind lever and the self timer, all right off the F. Finally, it had something else the standard S3 lacked; a Titanium foil shutter.

The "Olympic S3" is an interesting variation much sought after by collectors today. Since 2,000 were made it is the most "common" black Nikon RF, if that word can be used. But it is also unique in that it was a special run yet it was updated to the latest hardware and not just assembled from leftover parts. Every Nikon collection should have one and, unlike other black models in the line, it is not overly difficult to obtain today.

From the editor

The production of Nikon rangefinder cameras was discontinued in April 1963, but in 1965, the year after the Tokyo Olympics, all-black Nikon S3 was produced in a limited number of 2,000 units. Most camera bodies were accompanied by the new NIKKOR-S 50mm F/1.4 lens.

Other Nikon S3 special editions (2)

• Nikon S3 Black Limited Edition (2000 units) - June 2002
• Nikon S3 Year 2000 Limited Edition (8000 units) - April 2000