Nikon SP (1957–1965)

Name: Nikon SP
Brand: Nikon

The viewfinder is what set the SP apart. It was the first Nikon with bright-line frames in the finder, showing framings for 28mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, and 135mm lenses, with automatic parallax compensation and a 1:1 magnification. A selector switches between three frame pairs (28/35, 50, 85/105), and a small lever flips in the 135mm frame. The Leica M-mount wouldn't match that coverage from 28mm through 135mm until 1984. Professionals were drawn to the SP for this reason, plus the quality of its Nikkor lenses. Photographers covering the 1960 Rome Olympics used SPs, and David Douglas Duncan was a notable user.

The rest of the body is straightforward professional fare: a focal-plane shutter from 1 to 1/1000 second plus bulb, M and X synchronization, a single-stroke rapid advance lever, an auto-resetting frame counter, and a non-rotating shutter speed dial. There is no built-in meter. An optional Nikon exposure meter attached to the top plate, and an accessory shoe could be fitted to that meter. The Nikon F-motor could also be used with the SP. The standard lens was the Nikkor-S 5cm f/1.4. The camera was priced at $309.50 body-only in 1957, or $335 with the f/1.4 lens in 1958.

The SP was the end of the line for Nikon's rangefinder cameras. After the 1960s Nikon moved on to the F-mount SLRs. Rangefinder Nikons have a strong collector following today, and the SP commands premium prices. It is usually found with a 50mm lens, commonly the 5cm f/1.4. A "Nikon SP 2005" limited edition was also produced, which is a different camera from the original.