Nikkorex
Encyclopedia
The Nikon Nikkorex series were low-cost, fixed-lens
, 35 mm film
, single-lens reflex
cameras produced by the Japanese optical manufacturer Nippon Kogaku K.K. (now Nikon Corporation
). They were designed and marketed as low-cost, feature-reduced versions of Nikon's flagship F
SLR. Whereas the F was aimed at professionals and serious amateurs, the Nikkorex series were designed to bring the advantages of through-the-lens
viewing to consumers who were not interested in the flexibility (and cost) of the F system.
found in the Nikon F and similar higher-end SLRs. The Citizen MVL shutter had speeds from 1 second to 1/500th second that were set by a ring on the lens, rather than by the more conventional method of a dial on the top of the body of the camera. The ISO
(film speed) was also set by a nontraditional lens ring. The lens itself was a fixed four-element Nikkor
-Q 50mm 2.5, the limited nature of which was somewhat supplemented by two screw-on accessory lenses, a 35mm wide-angle and a 90mm telephoto, both 5.6.
although its body was completely different from any other Nikkorex.
Photographic lens
A camera lens is an optical lens or assembly of lenses used in conjunction with a camera body and mechanism to make images of objects either on photographic film or on other media capable of storing an image chemically or electronically.While in principle a simple convex lens will suffice, in...
, 35 mm film
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
, single-lens reflex
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
cameras produced by the Japanese optical manufacturer Nippon Kogaku K.K. (now Nikon Corporation
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
). They were designed and marketed as low-cost, feature-reduced versions of Nikon's flagship F
Nikon F
The Nikon F camera, introduced in 1959, was Nikon's first SLR camera. It was one of the most advanced cameras of its day. Although most of its concepts had already been introduced elsewhere, it was the first camera to combine them all in one camera. It was produced until October 1973 and was...
SLR. Whereas the F was aimed at professionals and serious amateurs, the Nikkorex series were designed to bring the advantages of through-the-lens
Through-the-lens
Through-the-lens metering is a photographic term describing a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their taking lenses, as opposed to a separate metering window...
viewing to consumers who were not interested in the flexibility (and cost) of the F system.
Nikkorex 35
The Nikkorex 35 was the first model of the Nikkorex series, first produced in 1960. Several key differences between the F and the Nikkorex helped to keep the price low: the Nikkorex incorporated a selenium-cell meter mounted behind a honeycomb lens on the front of the camera rather than through-the-lens metering (as in the Nikon Photomic prism) and used a leaf shutter rather than the more expensive focal-plane shutterFocal-plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.-Two-curtain shutters:...
found in the Nikon F and similar higher-end SLRs. The Citizen MVL shutter had speeds from 1 second to 1/500th second that were set by a ring on the lens, rather than by the more conventional method of a dial on the top of the body of the camera. The ISO
Film speed
Film speed is the measure of a photographic film's sensitivity to light, determined by sensitometry and measured on various numerical scales, the most recent being the ISO system....
(film speed) was also set by a nontraditional lens ring. The lens itself was a fixed four-element Nikkor
Nikkor
Nikkor is the brand of lenses produced by Nikon Corporation, including camera lenses for the Nikon F-mount.thumb|right|Nikko parent company brand, from which the Nikkor brand evolved....
-Q 50mm 2.5, the limited nature of which was somewhat supplemented by two screw-on accessory lenses, a 35mm wide-angle and a 90mm telephoto, both 5.6.
Nikkorex 35 II
The Nikkorex 35 II was a 1962 revision to the Nikkorex which addressed the unreliability of certain elements of the original design. The Citizen shutter was replaced with a more reliable Seikosha SLV shutter assembly, and the corners of the body were rounded to give a more comfortable grip. The name "NIKKOREX" was also printed on the front of the meter lens.Nikkorex F
Was an F-mount, removable lens Nikkorex,although its body was completely different from any other Nikkorex.