A pair of cameras from Nicca

August 22, 2022August 22, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Nicca 3-F (1957) and a Nicca 3-S (1955) in this studio image from 2017.

If you’re looking to get into 35mm photography and you don’t want to go the Leica route then a well-made camera from Nicca is the way to go. Often gems like these can be found at a fraction of the price of a Leica from the same period and in my opinion, a Nicca is as good or better than the camera that inspired them. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

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Friday Fotos! – Classic Rangefinders

May 1, 2020May 1, 2020Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Image courtesy of Paul Sokk www.yashicatlr.com

Recently my good friend Paul Sokk added this wonderful Leica IIIc to his collection of 35mm rangefinder cameras from the late 1940s and 1950s. The Leica is an original design made in Germany and the Nicca and Leotax are considered copies or clones made in Japan.

The Leica IIIc (front) is from 1946-47, the Nicca 3-F (middle) is from 1956, and the Leotax K is from 1955-58. These cameras use what is known as L39 (LTM) screw mount lenses of which literally thousands were made and thousands are still available today in a wide range of focal lengths.

If you’re looking to get into film photography with a totally manual camera then these should be on your list to take a closer look at.

On the left, the Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa and on the right the Nicca built Tower Type-3.

Pictured above are a couple of contenders from 1951. The Contax is an original design from the 1930s and was manufactured in Germany. The Tower branded camera was made by Nicca in Japan and features a Nippon Kogaku Nikkor f/ 2 5cm lens. The Contax sports a Carl Zeiss Sonnar f/ 1.5 50mm lens. The Contax also has an attached selenium cell exposure meter that can be useful for setting the correct aperture and shutter speed. A word of caution about these 70-year-old meters, if they are working (responding to light) then assume that it’s not accurate until you can check it against a modern meter. Most of these types of meters have long since failed.

Zeiss Ikon Contax IIIa with selenium meter (top center) flap opened.

Paul’s beautiful Leica IIIc

Paul’s gorgeous Leotax F with Topcor f/ 3.5 5cm lens.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope my post stirs some interest in these wonderful cameras. I do have a Tower (Nicca) set available in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com if you care to take a look at it, pop on over.

Take care and stay safe! – Chris

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

Nicca 3-F Brochure – 1957

November 22, 2019November 22, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here is a very nice brochure for the popular Nicca 3-F (lever) 35mm rangefinder camera – a sophisticated Leica inspired camera from Japan.

An inside view of the brochure. The serial number on the camera is No. 151144

Analysis of the serial numbers indicates that about 6,000 cameras were made. This assumes that there were no breaks in production and that the numbers were assigned consecutively.

The front and back cover of the brochure. Hinomaruya ひのまるや (upper left corner) was the sole distributor for Nicca in Japan – I’m not sure if they handled distribution outside of Japan.

Nice assortment of available accessories for the Nicca 3-F

This brochure has survived in near mint condition – it’s obvious collectors have handled it carefully over the years.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

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Category Nicca 3-F

A pair of cameras from Nicca

Friday Fotos! – Classic Rangefinders

Nicca 3-F Brochure – 1957