November 2024, Nikon Kenkyukai 2

November 2024, Nikon Kenkyukai 2

Nikon Kenkyukai Tokyo Meeting

The Earliest Nikon F and Anytar

Now the fun "Grand Camera Discussion" began. Vintage and rare masterpieces were lined up on the collection table. Free and open discussion about cameras began here and there.

Nikon F Collection

The chrome-bodied Nikon F cameras are on display. All three are the very early model Nikon F cameras. These are very rare cloth-curtain shutter Nikon F cameras. It's rare to find three genuine cloth-curtain shutter Nikon F cameras together.

Nikon F Collection

It is said that about 100 of the earliest Nikon F cameras had a cloth curtain shutter. None of these were available to the general public, and most were only available to a limited number of people, including well-known photographers, members of the press, and a very small number of people within Nikon. It was more of a field test machine than a new product.

6400027

6400086

President HAMASHIMA F 6400095

6400027, 6400086 and 6400095

6400027

6400086

President HAMASHIMA F 6400095

Nikkor 2.1cm F4

Nikkor 2.1cm F4 and Nikkor 25mm F3.5

Nikkor 25mm F3.5

Anytar Lens

The Anytar lens is well known to Nikon historians as the ancestor of Nikkor lenses. It is a lens of Important Cultural Property class. Now let's take a look at the exhibits at the Nikon Museum in Nishi-oi, Tokyo.

Nikon Museum, November 2024

Anytar 12cm F4.5 (1930)

Nikon's History and the Anytar Lens

To understand the historical background of Anytar lenses, let's take a look at the company timeline on Nikon Corporation's website. The 1921 explanation is quoted below in its entirety.

1921
Inviting German engineers

With advances in optical technologies, eight engineers were invited by the company from Germany in 1921. These specialists included Professor Max Lange, who was a world authority on lens design, Heinrich Acht, who had rich experience in microscope design, Ernst Bernick, a leader in precision instrument technology, and Hermann Dillmann, a specialist in lens design and computation. The guidance of these engineers had a dramatic effect on improving the company's technologies.

They also initiated design for development of Nikon's photographic lenses. To catch up with the level of optical technologies of developed countries, the company started out by imitating, and named its series of lenses "Anytar," which were designed following the example of the Tessar lens that was the main lens type at the time. Heinrich Acht, who was the director of the mathematics section of the design department was placed in charge of the Anytar lens designs. It is said that Acht had a hand in almost all of the Anytar lens designs.

The Japanese designers made improvements after Acht returned to Germany. The Anytar 12cm F4.5 prototype was initially completed in 1929. It was then further modified, and by 1931 reached a level where it was no longer standing in the shadow of the original Tessar. It is recognized that there have been seven types of the Anytar lens, with focal lengths of 7.5cm, 10.5cm, 10.7cm, 12cm, 15cm, 18cm and 36cm.

Nikon Kenkyukai's Anytar Lens

Two Vintage Bellows Cameras

The bellows camera in the center of the table is a Lily camera made by Rokuoh-Sha, Japan's oldest camera manufacturer. Lily Camera was released in Meiji 42 (1909). It seems to have been manufactured and sold from the Taisho period until around Showa 11 (1936).

Lily Camera (Rokuoh-Sha) and Anytar 12cm F4.5

The Rokusakura Lily Camera was mounted with the world's best lenses at the time. For example, Goerz, Zeiss, Wollensak, Voigtlander, Rokuoh-Sha, etc. However, Nippon Kogaku lenses cannot be found in the brochure or price lists of the time.

Lily Camera (Rokuoh-Sha) and Anytar 12cm F4.5

According to Nippon Kogaku records, the Anytar 12cm F4.5 lens was sold exclusively to employees around 1935. Due to this background, there are very few Anytar 12cm F4.5 lenses remaining.

Anytar 12cm F4.5

I have heard that there are a few individuals around the world who own the Anytar 12cm F4.5 lens. I was surprised to see two such rare lenses put on the table.

Anytar 12cm F4.5

Lily Camera (Rokuoh-Sha) and Anytar 12cm F4.5

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Shortcuts

Chapter 0      Top Page
Chapter 1      Presentation Session
Chapter 2      The Earliest Nikon F and Anytar
Chapter 3      Nikon F2 Titan Festival
Chapter 4      Nikon High Speed Motor Drive Cameras
Chapter 5      Dinner Party

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