Re: Leicaflex vs Nikon F

[Stephen <cameras@jetlink.net>]

Marc James Small wrote:

> Well, we're probably quibbling over "technical innovations" as few of
> what
> Mr Gandy lists are what I was speaking of.  By "technical
> innovations", I
> was speaking of things like "the first pentaprism SLR" (snip)

OK, now I'm getting a better idea of what you were referring to.

> Rudy Lea, in his REGISTER OF 35mm SINGLE LENS REFLEX CAMERAS only
> credits
> the Nikon F with the innovations of the battery-powered motor drive
> and the
> PC lens.
>

I'm fairly sure the Nikon F was the first 35 SLR with a 100%
viewfinder.  If it wasn't, I would like to know who beat them to it.I'm
also fairly sure they introed fisheye lenses in 35.

Although they did not invent the mirror lens, I think Nikon's  1000/6.3
in 1960 was a camera manufacturer's first production mirror lens.

Nikon's big achievement, however, was to produce the first professional
quality, integrated, modular SLR system that could do virtually
everything via its motor, interchangeable screens and finders, bulk film
holder, and its very wide range of lenses.  Praktina gave it a try a few
years earlier, but in practice their design simply did not work too
well.

> By the way, the first 35 mm multi-focus production lens was the
> Zoomar,
> built by Heinz Kilfitt under license from Frank Back in a variety of
> mounts, most notably Voigtlander Bessamatic (1959), Exakta, and M42.

You're right about the Zoomar, strange I forgot about it since I own one
in Exakta mount.  Its a very strange lens, with a monstrously large
rubber lens shade.  In Exakta mount its even stranger than the
Bessamatic mount, since it has an external linkage to co-ordinate the
aperture stop down with the shutter release.

I should have said that the 85-250 Nikkor was Japan's first production
zoom, an accurate statement.

Still though Marc, I don't understand how you consider the 1964
Leicaflex, with a very small lens lineup and lack of pro features,
competitive with the F's long list of pro accessories and lenses, at
that point in time.

Regards,

Stephen