On the back burner in my mind is always a short list of cameras I’m interested in. A Nikon rangefinder camera had been on that list for a long time but the prices always kept me away. A good condition Nikon S3 or SP can demand ¥200,000+ ($2,000) in shops and on auctions, so I sat back and waited patiently.
Pictured here to the left is the Nikon S2, which was released in 1955. Before the S2 was the S, the M and the highly sought-after Nikon I , Nikon’s first camera (good luck finding one.) After the S2 was the SP, released in 1957.
The S2 is considered by many photographers to be a good general shooting camera. The viewfinder is 1:1 (meaning you can use it with both eyes open if you want), film advance is done by a lever (not a knob) and film reloading is faster and easier than previous models.
At first it took me a little while to get used to the camera. Focusing can be done two ways: by twisting the lens itself, or using a wheel seen in front of the shutter button. The viewfinder is quite bright and easy to see through. The shutter speed dial and settings remind me of my Leica IIIf (you can even rotate the shutter speed dial after taking a photo to cock the shutter and make a dual-exposure.) The shutter is louder than on a Leica, but it has a satisfying click to it that I’ve found on many other Nikons.
In addition, while perhaps not as pretty as the Leica M3, I’m compelled to think that if I were going into battle or on a long hike or anywhere that required a rugged camera, I’d reach for the S2 and leave the M3 at home. The S2 seems to me to be very solidly built (like a Nikomat?) and very high quality.
I had a roll of Ilford Pan F+ 50 sitting in the fridge I was waiting to use and today was the perfect weather for it: sunny with a high of 27˚c. Coming from 100 & 400, shooting ISO 50 film was interesting: it worked well in bright sunlight (obviously) but as soon as I moved into the shade, shutter speeds dropped, and shooting inside was just about impossible. The main benefit was that I was able to really open up the lens and get some wonderful background blur.
I am really excited with the results of today’s shoot with this camera and am very happy to finally add a Nikon rangefinder to my collection. I had originally looked at getting a Nikon S, but a viewfinder comparison between the S and the S2 made me go for the S2 instead.
Here are some sample photographs from today:
Gate - Nikon S2 - Ilford Pan F+ 50 - ID-11
Playground - Nikon S2 - Ilford Pan F+ 50 - ID-11
Small stream in Central Park - Nikon S2 - Ilford Pan F+ 50 - ID-11
Wall (shot at f2) - Nikon S2 - Ilford Pan F+ 50 - ID-11
May 15th, 2008 by 
Nick
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