NHS Special Edition Voigtlander Bessa R2S Heliar S 50/3.5 Set

Limited Time Special: Deluxe Brown Bessa Case only $1 with purchase of Bessa R2A / R3A / R2S / R2C. This NOS (New Old Stock) Case will take these three cameras with the smaller lenses AND an accessory viewfinder! Top can be detached for use with larger lenses. MUCH MUCH nicer than standard black case! The deluxe case will fit all of the Voigtlander SC wide angles WITH the viewfinder mounted on the camera.


Saving the Best For Last. NHS R2S Heliar Limited Edition The standard production R2S is sold out. SPECIAL 50/3.5 Heliar lens
The last of the Bessa R2S series is the NHS R2S 50/3.5 Heliar S Limited Edition. What's so special? Only that the 50/3.5 Heliar is probably the sharpest lens ever made in Nikon Rangefinder Mount and this is the first Special Edition camera for the Nikon Historical Society!
In 2001 Voigtlander introduced the Limited Edition Bessa T 101 Heliar Sets in Leica mount. The fabulous 50/3.5 Heliar turned out to be the best performing lens ever tested by Popular Photography! In 2005 Cosina re-introduced the 50/3.5 Heliar in Nikon Rangefinder mount with a special R2S as the last of Cosina's Nikon Rangefinder mount cameras and lenses.

The 50/3.5 Heliar S in Nikon Rangefinder Mount internal mount is rigid, compared to the collapsible Leica mount version. Both Leica and Nikon mount 50/3.5 Heliars have the same optics with the same startling performance. Unlike the standard production R2S, the Heliar R2S has a handsome black paint front plate instead of the standard splattered black paint.


The internal mount rigid 50/3.5 Heliar S has the same optical formula, lens cap, lens hood, and 27mm filter size as its Leica mount predecessor. Unlike the earlier lens, the Heliar S does not have aperture click stops.
The black piano paint front plate is unique to the NHS R2S. The R2S has a higher top speed of 1/2000th and a higher flash sync of 1/125 than any Nikon Rangefinder, not to mention a MUCH brighter view finder, rangefinder focusing spot, and parallax projected brightlines and TTL metering. Real world, these features make the Voigtlander Bessa R2S is a much more convenient shooter than any Nikon Rangefinder.
On the left is the R2S Black Paint with 50/3.5 Heliar, on the right the standard R2S with 50/1.5 Nokton
Voigtlander Bessa R2S Bodies and Lenses Left to Right: Black Paint Heliar R2S Body, Regular Production R2S, Middle Row 50/3.5 Heliar, 50/2.5, 50/1.5, 85/3.5, Front Row 21/4, 25/4, 28/3.5, 35/2.5. Take note these are the ONLY production Nikon Rangefinder mount cameras ever made with TTL metering, and the only modern set of multi-coated Nikon rangefinder mount lenses ever made.


Alas, the Voigtlander Nikon Rangefinder mount cameras and lenses are now discontinued as Cosina concentrates on Leica mount rangefinders. With their unique features these treasures from Cosina will likely become highly sought after by shooters and collectors alike.
The Voigtlander R2S Heliar set was introduced in 2005 shortly after Nikon announced its new Black Nikon 2005 was a very good year indeed for Nikon Rangefinder mount enthusiasts!

Revised: March 16, 2008 . Copyright © 2007 Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved. This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.

Nikon Rangefinder 1000/6.3 Black

with Reflex Housing and Black Nikon S2
The RAREST production Nikon Rangefinder Lens



100cm/6.3 Nikkor serial numbers are believed to have started at 100631, making 100634 an extremely early example of the Type 1 100cm lens. The lens shade is reversible for storage and has no machined slot for it on the lens barrel. The large front lens cap which fits on the lens barrel, not the lens shade, is made of leather. Imagine the difficulty of replacing this lens cap if you lose it! Collectors usually refer to this lens as the "1000/6.3" even though its filter ring says "100cm.

The case is unusually large as it allows lens transport with a reflex housing and camera attached. Unlike the later F mount lenses, there is no rear reversible "salad bowl" rear cap.



The right rear of the lens has a rotating selection of neutral density filters for equivalent exposures of f/6.3 to f/22. The left side has a similar rotating selection of UV L39, yellow Y52, orange O56, or red R60 filters. Notice the straight plunger towards the front of the reflex housing, and the double cable release going from the reflex housing to the camera. The photog pushed down the front cable release, which raised the mirror, activating the 2nd cable release which released the camera's shutter.


the long lever locks the reflex housing onto the lens



Focusing is accomplished with the bellows, by moving the reflex housing in and out.



The white spot inward of the J in Japan shows the apparent de-silvering on the back of the front mirror. It measures about 3mm across, and is invisible when looking on the ground glass.



1000/6.3's are not complete without the carrying case, lens hood, and huge leather front lens cap.

The Two Rarest Production Nikon Rangefinder Lenses
According to Bob Rotoloni's four decades old research of reported Nikon rangefinder lens numbers, the rarest production Nikon rangefinder lens is a bit of a surprise, the all black 50/2 made for the black Nikon S2 (mounted here on the reflex housing with the 1000/6.3). So far, Bob's research shows the rarest lenses as:
1.the 50/2 All Black with only "5 or 6 verified"
2.the 1000/6.3 Black with "10 possibly" produced
3.the 1000/6.3 Grey "38 possibly, factory says 48 total 1000/6.3 production" in Nikon RF mount. The grey 1000/6.3 was also produced in Nikon F mount.


However I owned two of the reported "5 or 6 verified" all black 50/2's without even seeking them out. Both arrived on black Nikon S2's. I strongly suspect many all black 50/2's were not reported because 1) collectors did not realize their rarity and 2) many were separated from the bodies and resold as "nothing special." As more of the all black 50/2's are recognized and reported to Bob, the black 1000/6.3 almost certainly will take over the number one spot as the rarest production Nikon Rangefinder lens. My definition of production is a lens that could be ordered by the public to be sold to the public, not some prototype sitting in the Nikon museum.

Trivia: Do you recall the 2006 film ? The ten story Ventura California beachside hotel in the top shot is where Little Miss Sunshine's beauty pageant was held.

Revised: March 31, 2008 . Copyright © 2008 Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved. This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.