eBay Watch: All-Black 1950s Nikon S2 Camera Was For Pro Photographers Only
You don't have to buy this vintage nikon, but you do need $16,000
One of the interesting things about photography is that any amateur or enthusiast can get the same gear as the top-end pros if they’re willing to spend the money. That wasn’t always the case, though. This all-black Nikon S2 rangefinder camera had to be special ordered and could only be obtained by credentialed professional photographers.
The S2 is a fairly iconic camera in terms of Nikon’s history, and (if I recall correctly) is actually the first Nikon camera to use the standard 35mm image format, rather than the slightly smaller image size they used before that.
The S2 itself is a pretty sweet little rangefinder camera with a 50mm F/1.4 lens and no built-in meter. When looking from a collector’s standpoint, however, you have to take note of the color of the dial, with the black dial being much harder to come by than the chrome dials.
This auction currently sits at $16,000 or so, making it the most expensive S2 on the site currently, with the black and chrome version hovering around $1,000 for a complete or less depending on condition. So, if you’re a collector of very spendy old rangefinders and you’re sick of Leicas, this could be a nice change of pace.
