Issue No. 52 The Periodical for the Nikon Devotee

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

It is well known that Nikon still making them as I write started life as an optical this. company. They began when three companies merged in So without further delay let 1917 and formed the Japanese me say that the new camera optical company, Nippon is based on the flagship Nikon Kogaku (Japan Optical). It F5. The F5 is already a super seems like moments ago that camera and the changes made we were celebrating seventy- are cosmetic in nature. The five years with the opening of word superficial seems our Nippon Kogaku Room. inappropriate due to the That was in 1992. As we have significance of the changes but previously mentioned, Nikon below the skin breathes a did not start life as a camera normal Nikon F5. maker. That said they are awfully good at it. No, Nikon In my mind’s eye I had been did not make cameras until they legendary high-speed cameras building up a picture of the produced the Nikon I in 1948. but little else. Notable recent camera. My imagination was ones are the F3 based F3 limited So fresh from the celebration of and the Year of the Dog FM2/T. eighty years of optical excellence What these two have in common Continued on page 2... Nikon are faced with the dilemma with the new camera is that they of how to mark fifty years of were designed with the Japanese camera production. It could be market in mind. Featured in this edition of the argued that they have left Grays of Westminster Gazette... sufficient impression, with fifty They considered restricting sales years of cameras out there, not of this camera to Japan only. The • Tony Munday - Happy Anniversary to mention the fact that forty original plan was produce two • Coolpix 900 Update years of them all carry the same thousand cameras and sell them • Nick Wynne - A beginners guide... mount. The obvious answer all in Japan. We have it on good • Acrobatics is to produce a special camera. authority that they had plans to • Tony Munday - New Compacts earmark some of these for a • Mark Jones - II Unlike a certain German certain Nikon-only shop. A last- • Gray Levett - Nikon Legend - Part manufacturer Nikon’s history is minute change of mind led them LI not littered with special editions. to produce a further thousand for Yes, they have produced the odd the rest of the World. In fact the titanium version and the tense is wrong there as they are 1 fired by various data. Some cover is still black; that said, it is protected in transit by an arrived by telephone. Most a less matt black. But that is not cardboard sleeve. The instruction fascinating were many short the only change. Gone is the booklet is let into a panel of card notes from anonymous fax familiar Nikon logo. It is replaced which sits between presentation machines bearing the telltale with the former Nikon logo. The case and the sleeve. signs of a Japanese hand writing script is styled to match that of English script. More recently I the first rangefinder. The change So we have a special edition of the eyed transparencies of what is subtle, yet the message is flagship F5 and a limited one at looked like an adapted F5, a powerful. that. We have been quietly mock-up if you like. All of these offering the camera to selected gave me a good idea of what to Moving on, the rear of the camera customers for a while now and the expect, as well as providing is relatively unchanged. The order list is significant. Due to something of a story behind the discreet Nippon Kogaku triangle the limited production of the camera’s production. shape logo graces the battery camera it is folly to make any firm pack, to the left of the LCD commitment regarding the Today (mid-August) I have been (Liquid Crystal Display). It has numbers but we are confident of fortunate enough to see the a small 50 below it. There was being able to fulfil the orders we camera. I can see that the some debate whether this was to have taken thus far. did not tell the full be an 80. Clearly Nikon decided story. The top covers that form they were marking fifty years of Having done so much to limit this the shoulders of the camera cameras rather eighty years in F5 one might think that Nikon looked silver in the shots; the data existence. Hopefully the would have applied an said they should be grey. They photographs with this article will outrageously high price tag. are certainly a metallic colour and show this in sufficient detail for However, the truth is far from it has a slight bronze tinge to it. those unfamiliar with the design. this and they have set the price Grey is the colour of the special at £2300.00. We are expecting BF-1A body cap. Nikon have also The camera arrives in a special to ship cameras some time in used grey instead of the bright presentation case. The outer September and due to the nature red flash fitted to the handgrip of surfaces of the case are a mottled of the item buyers should be the standard offering. So we have light grey. Opening the box prepared for a wait. a Guigiaro design, without the reveals a striking gold lining. The legendary red stripe! camera and a strap bearing a by Tony Munday special inscription nestle into the The familiar titanium viewfinder padded inner. The box itself is

Coolpix 900 Update

Nikon UK were very pleased capable of. crop from a shot up to A4 size. with the Coolpix 900 and had Whilst the result showed the high hopes for it. I think it is We have been using it to record printer was behind modern fair to say that it has exceeded equipment, particularly rare technology, the quality of the their expectations. Magazine collectables, and some of the Coolpix 900 still managed to after magazine have been shots will have appeared on our shine through. giving the camera rave website by the time you read reviews. Having started to use this. For this kind of on-screen We continue to recommend the it I can see why. The camera work the Coolpix is way over premium bundle with larger is easy to use and produces specified; it needs a good size memory card and mains supply results that are above the print to put it to the test. I tried as the only way to buy it. The level the bare specification a print on my aged colour inkjet price is currently £850.00 2 suggests it should be and unintentionally printed a including VAT. THE BEGINNERS GUIDE TO THE WHAT?

Something has entered our lives If you choose to get trained to Imagine if you had a computer at which is variously called “The have access to all the information home just for your own use, a Internet” or “The World Wide stored in this computer, you could personal computer, an electronic Web” or “The Information Super- yourself establish that flight 123 butler as it were. You notice Highway”. These terms attempt still has some seats available. If outside that it has started to rain, to describe something new by you were at Nikon, you could find re-trouser the money you were comparison to something out from a computer screen if AF going to spend at the newsagents familiar. This is a handy use of 20-35mm zoom were in on a magazine and stay indoors. language such as describing a stock. Alternatively you could Deftly, your fingers a blur at the parsnip as “like a carrot but phone up and ask them. controls, you call for the same whitish rather than orange” stock information from computer Or a lithium AA battery as “like The information is what you files that the dealers have made, a conventional AA battery but a require and you take steps to and along the phone line to your fraction of the weight and with acquire it. Classified adverts house comes the very information three times the life”. contain vast quantities of that you want. information. Look at the second- Well let’s start with the question, hand section of a photographic It’s as you suspected, only Grays “Do I really care anyway?” magazine. Thousands of lenses of Westminster have one! You Maybe you don’t have much to do and so on are listed out. Well now have the information you with computers but have noticed what I don’t know about wanted, quickly and simply. You them in places you have visited. computers would fill a very large, didn’t get wet in the rain and the You’ve seen people looking at well, computer, but if it holds coffee is now nicely brewed. It screens just like television information and is designed to might just be the coffee but you screens to establish whether a help me I’ll always be interested. begin to think you might be product/flight is in stock or warming to computers! discontinued, partly or fully For example, how long would it booked. You are seeking take to scan every advert in 2 or More next month and by the way information and this screen 3 photographic magazines to find you’ve just benefited from the displays it. So the travel agent out if a particular item is thing described in three ways in turns to you and says, “Thursday available? Quite a while I think the first sentence in this the 14th is fully booked but Friday and if you enjoy browsing that’s article….. the 15th is fine”. fine. What if you were in a hurry? by Nick Wynne

A very warm welcome to this as new condition and boxed! records your interest in month’s issue of the Gazette. From the Nikon F period, a brand secondhand Nikon equipment not new Nikon F camera in a black currently in stock. If you are For those of you interested in finish and… well, I could go on searching for some elusive item, early Nikon equipment, we have and on, but I won’t. If you would I urge you to register with us, as just acquired a number of rather like to know what we have in a lot of second hand never makes rare pieces of equipment. For stock secondhand please contact it onto our shelves or in our example from the era of the us. If you have access to the adverts as those on the wants list rangefinder, a model S eight digit internet you can view what we get first choice. Please telephone, version, complete with leather have, both early and modern, by write, fax or e-mail us with your ever ready case, warranty cards, looking up our website on: requirements. When the item inspection slips, instruction book www.graysofwestminster.co.uk becomes available we will contact and in it’s original dark blue and offer it to you. maker’s box. Also newly arrived There is just space to tell you is the very rare Nikon bellows in about our Wants List which Gray Levett 3 ACROBATICS

Visitors to our website an Acrobat file. A free program If you have no computer do not (www.graysofwestminster.co.uk) called Acrobat Reader… well feel too left out. As the file can will notice things are changing. you can guess what that does. be printed you can get a friend One of the changes is the to print it out or even have the inclusion of a second-hand If you do not have Acrobat job done at many libraries. equipment stock list. There are Reader do not worry. You do Computers are going through two ways of providing such a need it, but it is possible to get the same phases as the fax list. There is the option of it from the Internet, via our site. machine and the video recorder having the list appear on the An easy option is to wander out before it and hopefully most of site as simple text, which can be and pick up a copy of Personal you have access to one. read, saved or printed. The Computer World magazine. The other option is to provide the list CD that comes with it will have This is not meant to sound like as a file that can be retrieved Acrobat in the Utility section of some kind of apology, but do from our site and can be opened the Software Library. This is £3 bear in mind the fact that the and read using a readily well spent, as the installation is website is far from finished. We available program. as simple as clicking a button have plans that will make it a marked ‘install’. better place to visit but it takes A quick survey revealed the file time to get everything done. Do download option was favoured. Having got Acrobat Reader one come back regularly to check The next question is what kind can then browse our second- progress. We will also offer the of file. The possible problem is hand listing. But that is not all. option to register with us to be that there is no universal The Grays of Westminster notified of updates. Keep software. We came up with a Gazette is now available from watching. solution from a company called our website. It arrives a touch Adobe. The same company before the printed version at STOP PRESS - Nippon Kogaku makes the renowned PhotoShop times, too. We will also be Room stock now on our website. software. The program we use publishing various price lists, New version of site now up and creates a file that is known as technical articles and more. running.

NEW NIKON ZOOM COMPACTS

After a quiet period in the area, Nikon have kept a 35-105 type range model and that tradition the 35mm compacts are now model in the range. The smaller is back. What we have now is back up to strength. The ever Zoom 500 proved quite popular in fact two models above the popular Zoom 310, itself only a and was less expensive than the Zoom 310. In keeping with the tweak of the Zoom 300, remains TW105 that preceded it. current trend both are in the range. Whilst this kept Whilst the Zoom 500 fitted the presented in silver. The first of the 35-70 buyer happy, the bill as far as lens range was these has a 38-110 lens and is longer-range zoom model has concerned, it had no extra called the Zoom 600. The top of been absent from the line- features to distinguish it from the bill spot belongs to the Zoom up. Since the TW105 its lesser cousins. It is good to 800. 4 headed the compacts, see a little extra in the top of the So let us get the Zoom 600 out embarrassing fuzzy shots. The this mode in brighter conditions of the way first. It has the usual camera requires that we point it will switch to landscape mode array of features which means the centre of the viewfinder area for distant subjects and use auto focus, auto exposure, auto at the object we wish it to focus slow-sync mode if it finds wind-on and a built-in flash. on, half depress the shutter, anything within six metres. The flash is quite powerful for a recompose, and shoot. Using small camera and has a Other nice touches include guide number of 16(In the pre-wind feature that metres with 100 ISO film). ensures that exposed film is The automatic flash option wound back into the is fine for much of the time cassette after each shot is but the option to force the taken. Should the back be flash to fire, or to remain off opened this will limit the is useful. Slow shutter damage done. The camera speed and flash work well is well laid out and simple for low light, to bring out the to use. It took an outing to background and the red-eye our weekend with Heather reduction system is also Angel where it was used to present. the multi-AF system increases create a record of some of the the chances of success, events. Good though the Zoom 600 is, I particularly at the long end of find the Zoom 800 a touch more the zoom where it covers a large As you may have gathered I interesting. For a start it has a part of the viewfinder image. quite like the new Zoom 800. 38-130 zoom lens; three of the The AF system has over a Priced at £199.00 it represents six lens elements are aspherical. thousand steps to choose from good value. I think Nikon have It carries the same kind of basic to further improve the pitched the specification about functions as the Zoom 600 sharpness. right to make it stand out from regarding exposure and flash, the £149.00 Zoom 600. Neither but that is just the beginning. The special programs are quite of these will disappoint but I feel The guide number of the flash clever. The portrait option that long-term the Zoom 800 is is 21 at the long end of the zoom, heads for the telephoto end of worth the extra money. for example. the zoom, automatically, and uses flash regardless of the by Tony Munday To switch the Zoom 800 on you lighting conditions; naturally turn one of the two illuminated filling-in if the light is command wheels; yes, on a favourable. The action mode GAZETTE BACK compact. This one is a rotary switches to spot AF and changes ISSUES SERVICE switch that covers on/off duties, the motor drive to continuous plus self-timer, remote control shooting mode. Landscape option and continuous motor mode shifts the focus out to We receive a large number drive. The other wheel chooses infinity and switches off the of requests for back issues of between general program mode flash. the Gazette. We can supply and four special program all back issues at a cost of options: portrait, action, The final mode, night scene is £1.50 post free in the UK. landscape and night scene interesting. If it detects a modes respectively. The final subject within six metres it will Some early issues are out- option on this wheel is spot AF. focus on infinity and use an of-print but we can supply exposure time of up to two high quality photocopies. You might be wondering if spot seconds, then focus on the AF is an option, what is the subject and use flash for a We will be happy to provide normal AF system. Well, it has second exposure on the same a quote for postage & a multi-area system that covers frame; a multiple exposure. A packing costs to all parts seven zones within the normal tripod should be used, of course. of the world. focus brackets to avoid those Should you accidentally select 5 LARGE FORMAT LENSES PART II by Mark Jones

This month, we explore the usually measured and normal and slightly long focus range of Nikon large format specified). for photography), the AM lenses (Apo lenses. aperture, there is less apparent Macros computed specifically for depth of field in a scene on a close-up photography), the T There are currently twenty-six large format camera than on a lenses (of telephoto construction) lenses in the range. They extend 35mm camera. Most of the and the M lenses (slightly simpler from extreme wide-angle to long time you will find yourself using four element designs for general telephoto and include two Apo f22 or f32 as your taking (but purpose photography). All of the Macro lenses. The macro and not viewing!) aperture. AM and T lenses boast ED glass. telephoto lenses all incorporate Nikon’s ED glass. All of the The focal lengths available in the So what distinguishes the large lenses have the benefit of Nikon Nikon large format range, with format Nikkors from other ranges Integrated Coating (NIC), of large format lenses? Several familiar to Nikon 35mm users, things: and yield an image quality and colour temperature similar to First - and this is very much a that of the 35mm range of personal and subjective matter Nikkor lenses. - the quality of finish of the metalwork of the large format Before looking at the range in Nikkors is distinctive. One detail, 35mm users must adapt hesitates to say that it is their understanding of focal superior to the competition, but lengths and . As it is certainly unsurpassed! previously indicated, the 5” by 4” negative is fifteen times Second, just as Nikon developed larger than the 35mm negative. a “standard” filter size of 52mm The film diagonal of 35mm is for their manual focus Nikkors 43mm. In the case of 5” by 4” between 24mm and 200mm in film it is 152mm. The focal length, so they have done commonly accepted “standard” for the large format Nikkors. focal length for 35mm film is the No less than eleven lenses in the 50mm lens. The equivalent for range, namely the 65mm f4, 5” by 4” film is the 150mm or their equivalent focal length in 75mm f4.5, 90mm f8, 180mm 180mm lens. As to aperture, a 35mm terms, are shown in the f5.6, 210mm f5.6, 210mm f5.6 “fast” maximum aperture in table opposite. AM, 270mm f6.3, 360mm f8, large format is f4; f5.6 or f8 is 450mm f9, 500mm f11 and standard. At the other end, Nikon UK Limited supplies a 720mm f16 all share a 67mm virtually all large format lenses brochure, entitled “Nikkor Lenses filter mount in common. In stop down to at least f64 and for Large-Format Cameras”, 35mm terms, that takes the user many to f128. Forget f1.4 to f16 which gives the full specifications from 20mm to 216mm with one as your range!! The common for all of these lenses, including filter size. It is therefore possible practice of “stopping down two or their image circle, flange focal to build a wonderful large format three stops”, which in 35mm distance and shutter size. outfit with but one filter size. typically yields f5.6 or f8, gets With the price of filters these you to f22 in large format (and The lens range is grouped into the days, that is a significant indeed, f22 is the aperture SW lenses (broadly speaking advantage. Indeed, for those at which the image circle designed for wide-angle who are existing 35mm Nikon 6 of a large format lens is photography), the W lenses (for users and are contemplating Large format Nikkor lens 65 75 90 105 120 135 150 180 200 2100 35mm equivalent focal length 20 23 27 31 36 40 45 54 60 63 Large format Nikkor lens 240 270 300 360 450 500 600 720 800 1200 35mm equivalent focal length 71 81 89 107 134 149 179 216 240 360 buying in to large format on a are all the more valuable. budget, Nikon have gone one better: six lenses share the Fourth, the Nikkor SW lenses 52mm filter common to many offer either wider apertures or 35mm Nikkors. The six are the keener prices (or sometimes even 105mm f5.6, 120mm f5.6 AM, both!) when compared to their 135mm f5.6, 150mm f5.6, competition. The 65mm f4, 200mm f8 and 300mm f9. 75mm f4.5 and 90mm f4.5 Again, in 35mm terms that compare typically to f5.6 takes the user from 31mm to from other manufacturers. 89mm with one filter size; a When focusing and composing on useful, albeit more limited, a ground glass screen , the range. difference of two thirds of a stop to a stop in maximum aperture Third, for their T range of is noticeable in terms of screen telephoto lenses Nikon has brightness. developed a very valuable feature: interchangeable rear lens groups. On any large format lens, in order to mount the lens on the lens board, the “front half” of the lens (which includes the shutter) is unscrewed from the “rear half”, the lens board is fitted between the two halves and they are HOW TO ORDER then screwed back together again. Nikon, ever innovative, Telephone us on 0171-828 4925 for immediate service. You may have taken this one step use any of the credit, debit or charge cards shown on this page. Please further. The front lens group have your card number and expiry date to hand. for the 360mm f8, the 500mm International Telephone: +44 171 828 4925 f11 and the 720mm f16 is the same. Buy the 360mm f8 and Post your order to: Grays of Westminster, FREEPOST LON235, the rear lens group (only) for the London SW1V 2BR (UK residents only). If you are ordering from 500mm f11 and 720mm f16 and outside the United Kingdom the mailing address is: Grays of one therefore has three Westminster, 40 Churton Street, London SW1V 2LP, England. telephoto lenses at a very substantial cost saving and a Fax your order at any time on: 0171-976 5783 International Fax: +44 171 976 5783 significant weight saving. Likewise, the front lens group Alternatively, email your order to [email protected] for the 600mm f9, 800mm f12 and 1200mm f18 is the same. The same opportunity for Methods of payment flexibility, cost and weight Orders may be paid by card, postal order or cheque. Please make saving therefore applies. When cheques payable to Grays of Westminster. one takes into account the fact that the Nikkor T telephotos are particularly highly regarded for their image quality and performance, the benefits 7 The Nikon Legend - Part LI by Gray Levett

I am occasionally asked just is perhaps the correct how many items of unusual description as it was designed early Nikon equipment have for this purpose, to been produced. Well, the sky. The original purpose chances are that if you have of this camera was to record, followed these articles since for the Japanese power I first started (issue no. 1) you company, lightning striking will know that there have their electrical conductors. been quite a number of them. I do not know exactly how The Nikon Sky camera is a many, as records are not splendid piece of equipment. easily accessible. Simply stated it consists of a 16.3mm f/8 Fisheye (or Fish- This month we will examine eye-Nikkor 1:8 f=16.3mm as is an unusual Nikon camera. As engraved around the outside far as I can ascertain it has rim of the lens) which is not been covered in any UK mounted onto the camera body. destruction. The shots and photographic magazine. It The camera accepts 120 records were held for five is often referred to as the (medium format) roll film. The years, thus avoiding a Nikon Cloud Camera while Fish-eye-Nikkor is a fixed focus penalty. others call it the Nikon Sky lens with five elements in four Camera. Indeed Sky Camera groups mounted in a Seiko SLV Apparently a majority of the #0 shutter. It offers speeds 18 cameras were sold in the from 1 second to 1/500 second US but at least one remains Grays of Westminster plus M & X flash contacts. The in Japan, resting in the JCII Exclusively...Nikon lens gives a depth of field of 8 museum. 40 Churton Street inches to Infinity at f/8. The Pimlico aperture range is 3 stops: f/8, Due to the efforts of Nikon’s London SW1V 2LP f/11 & f/16. The circular image US distributor, the Nikon England projected onto the film is Sky camera was loaned out 22.5mm in diameter. Tel: 0171-828 4925 to large press agencies, and Fax: 0171-976 5783 magazines such as National International: From production records at Geographic and LIFE. Tel: +44 171 828 4925 Nikon in Japan it has been Fisheye photographs started Fax: +44 171 976 5783 established that 30 Sky to appear in publications. email: cameras were manufactured, Nikon, were as usual, quick [email protected] but only 18 were sold, which to spot the potential of fisheye website: included a prototype. What photography. The 16.3mm www.graysofwestminster.co.uk happened to the remaining was the basis for the 8mm f/ Hours of Business: unsold cameras? To answer 8 Fish-eye-Nikkor. This was Monday - Friday 9:30 - 5:30 this we must look to the the world’s first 35mm Saturday 9:30 - 2:00 Japanese tax laws. Back then, fisheye lens. It appeared in Japanese companies faced 1962 for the Nikon F. Other Editor: Gray Levett 9809 severe financial penalties on camera manufacturers Contributors: Tony Munday, Nick any unsold equipment followed Nikon’s pioneering Wynne, Mark Jones, Gray Levett remaining in their inventory. example and fisheye lenses Photography: Tony Munday, Nikon The solution Nippon Kogaku were soon to be seen on Corp. came up with was to destroy Canon, Pentax, Olympus and Typography: Jacqueline Munday the remaining stock and Printed by: APP Print Services Ltd. Zeiss cameras. photograph the evidence of its ã Grays of Westminster 1998 8