Nippon Kogaku

Nippon Kogaku K.K. (now Nikon Corporation) is the giant of the Japanese camera industry, but for the Leica M-mount community, its legacy is defined by a specific "Golden Age" between 1948 and the early 1960s. Before the Nikon F SLR dominated the world, Nippon Kogaku was the primary challenger to Leica and Zeiss in the rangefinder market.

For modern users, Nikkor LTM (Leica Thread Mount) lenses are legendary for combining the "Sonnar" optical formula (which Leitz largely ignored) with bulletproof Japanese industrial engineering. These lenses are historically significant as the optics that "proved" Japanese quality to the West, famously discovered by LIFE magazine photographers during the Korean War.

History

Nippon Kogaku's entry into the LTM market was a direct result of post-war industrial restructuring.

The "Leica Copy" Era (1948 to 1960)

Founded in 1917 as a military optical supplier, Nippon Kogaku pivoted to consumer goods after WWII. While they developed their own camera (the Nikon S, which used a Contax-style mount), they shrewdly decided to manufacture their lenses in LTM / M39 mount as well. This allowed them to sell optics to the massive install base of Leica and Canon rangefinder users.

• The "Tokyo" vs. "Japan" Markings: Collectors distinguish between early lenses marked "Tokyo" (produced during the Occupation era or shortly after) and later lenses marked "Japan". The "Tokyo" lenses are rarer and often feature slightly different coating formulas [[2]].

The Korean War Discovery

In 1950, photographer David Douglas Duncan of LIFE magazine famously tested Nikkor lenses in Tokyo and was stunned to find they were sharper than his German Zeiss equivalents. He and Horace Bristol used these lenses on their Leica bodies to document the Korean War, catapulting the brand to global fame. This was the moment the phrase "Japanese junk" was replaced by "Japanese precision" in the photographic world [[1]].

Product Lines (LTM Compatible)

Nikon's LTM lenses are renowned for improving upon classic Zeiss designs.

The "Sonnar" Standard Primes

Unlike Leitz, which moved to the Planar/Double-Gauss design (Summicron), Nikon stuck with the Sonnar design for its high-speed standard lenses.

• Nikkor-S.C 5cm f/1.4: The lens that made Nikon famous.
  • Character: A classic Sonnar design (7 elements in 3 groups) that offers high center sharpness but significant "glow" and coma in the corners wide open. It renders a "classic" look that is distinct from the clinical Summilux.
  • Close Focus Trick: The LTM version of this lens famously focuses down to 1.5 feet (0.45m). However, the rangefinder coupling stops at 1m (3.3ft). You can feel a "click" on the focus ring, allowing you to uncouple the lens for close-up work (using scale focus or Live View) [[4]].
• Nikkor-H.C 5cm f/2: A rigid body lens that is often compared to the Summitar but with hard-coated glass.

The W-Nikkor (Wide Angle)

• W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8: A legendary lens.
  • Status: At the time of its release, it was the fastest 35mm lens in the world.
  • Optics: A complex Xenotar-derivative design. It is prized today for its unique transition from sharp subjects to "busy" but character-rich bokeh. It is significantly smaller than the modern Voigtländer equivalents.
• W-Nikkor 2.8cm f/3.5: A tiny, sharp tessar-style wide angle that is extremely high contrast and flare-resistant.

The Telephoto Legend

• Nikkor-P.C 8.5cm f/2: Based on the Zeiss Sonnar 85mm.
  • Reputation: This lens (and its 10.5cm f/2.5 sibling) is arguably the finest portrait lens of the 1950s. It is incredibly heavy (solid brass) and produces a "liquid" bokeh that makes it a favorite for headshots even on modern digital Leica bodies [[2]].

The Millennium Reissues (The Holy Grail)

• Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4 (Year 2000): In 2000, Nikon released a limited "Millennium" edition of the S3 camera. They also produced a very small batch of the 50mm f/1.4 lens in LTM. These are modern multi-coated lenses housed in the vintage barrel design—rare, expensive, and optically superb.

Technical Specifications

Feature	Specification Details
Native Mount	Leica Thread Mount (LTM / M39)
Focus Coupling	Coupled (Standard 1m to Infinity). Note: Many 5cm f/1.4 lenses uncouple for close focus (0.45m).
Filter Thread	43mm (W-Nikkor 3.5cm f/1.8), 40.5mm (5cm f/1.4), 48mm (8.5cm f/2). Note: Nikon used non-standard pitches on some early filters; check carefully.
Build Materials	Heavy Brass with Chrome plating (early) or Black Paint (rare later models).
Coatings	Single Coated (marked "C" on the ring). Note: Nikon's "Hard Coating" was superior to soft European coatings of the era.
Markings	Look for "Nippon Kogaku Japan" or "Nippon Kogaku Tokyo" (older/rarer).

Why Photographers Choose Nippon Kogaku

• The "Sonnar" Look: For photographers who find the Leica Summilux too expensive or too "modern," the Nikkor 5cm f/1.4 provides that classic, glowing high-speed rendering for a fraction of the price.
• Indestructible Build: These lenses are often described as "dense." The heavy brass construction feels significantly more substantial than the aluminum Canon LTM lenses of the same period.
• Close Focus Capability: The ability to focus the 50mm f/1.4 down to 0.45m is a unique superpower in the LTM world. While uncoupled, it is incredibly useful for mirrorless adapters or digital Leicas with Live View (Visoflex).

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Sources

• [1] Nikon Heritage (The "Thousand and One Nights" - Tale 34): https://imaging.nikon.com/imaging/information/story/0034/
• [2] Dante Stella (Nikkor LTM Analysis): https://www.dantestella.com/technical/nikoleic.html
• [3] CameraQuest (Nikon Rangefinder Lenses): https://cameraquest.com/nrfVlens.htm
• [4] Richard Haw (Nikkor 5cm f/1.4 Repair & History): https://richardhaw.com/2019/09/13/repair-nikkor-sc-5cm-f-1-4-ltm/