# a $30,000 Nikkorex?



## compur

That is what one seller is currently hoping to get for a low serial # Nikkorex F.

See item # 131795149408 on eBay USA

The seller says,
_"This camera is a 1961 Nikkorex F SLR  Serial Number 350003, *which makes it the third actual camera produced by Nippon Kogaku.*"_

Well, no.  It's not the 3rd camera produced by Nippon Kogaku but it may be the 3rd Nikkorex F produced.

And, Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) didn't actually manufacture these cameras. The early ones were made by Mamiya and _marketed_ by Nikon. Later ones were made by Ricoh and sold as the Ricoh Singlex or with Sears branding.

See:
Nikkorex F

Still, it's a cool camera ... but is it worth 30 Gs? I don't think so.


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## minicoop1985

I'll get you a dollar.


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## table1349

That's eBay for you.  It's not referred to as "Extortion-bay" for nothing.


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## compur

The price has now dropped to $25,000.


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## DarkShadow

Sounds like a new quit smoking product.


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## DarkShadow

gryphonslair99 said:


> That's eBay for you.  It's not referred to as "Extortion-bay" for nothing.


But i think you mis typed eBay.. I though is was fleeBay.


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## compur

Well, the seller has dropped the price down to $22K and still no takers per US eBay item # 131830240445

I think the seller is being a bit unrealistic. I could see asking, say, 200 bucks for it. Maybe a little more but tens of thousands of dollars? I don't think so. Even a comparably serial numbered Nikon F wouldn't fetch that kind of dough these days, IMO.

The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.


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## limr

compur said:


> The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.



Well, it depends. There is apparently a company in California called Cogniac. Is he identifying himself as an employee? Or does he not know how to spell cognac? I'm guessing, given his estimation of the worth of that camera, that it's the latter.


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## pixmedic

limr said:


> compur said:
> 
> 
> 
> The seller's screen name may provide a clue as to the source of his unreal optimism.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, it depends. There is apparently a company in California called Cogniac. Is he identifying himself as an employee? Or does he not know how to spell cognac? I'm guessing, given his estimation of the worth of that camera, that it's the latter.
Click to expand...


obviously at least a bottle worth before posting that ad.


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## fmw

The first Nikon was the Nikoflex, a twin lens medium format camera that was never released because of the expense of developing a shutter for it.  The first Nikon to hit the market was the Nikon I rangefinder model designed to take 135 size film.  It had a format of 24X32mm which allowed 40 exposures on a roll compared to the Leica format of 24X36 which only allowed 36 exposures.  Later on Nikon adopted the Leica format.  The Nikon I released in 1948.

The Nikkorex wasn't released until 1960.  It was a fairly terrible thing designed to take Nikon into the low end market.  It was a failure.  Nikon made other "affordable" cameras along the way but the meat of the business has always been in the high end SLR business.  At one point in my life I owned an example of nearly every Nikon model.  The Nikkorex was not one of them.


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## compur

The OP Nikkorex is now down to $15K obo according to eBay # 131867858470


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## robbins.photo

compur said:


> The OP Nikkorex is now down to $15K obo according to eBay # 131867858470



Tempted to make him an offer of $15.00, though honestly I think I'd be overpaying at that price.


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## fmw

A Nikkorex F with lens should bring between $50 and $75.


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## table1349

There is only one Nikon ever made that I am aware of that rates those kind of prices.  It was a unique camera and no more than 10 were ever made.  They were a custom order so the exact amount that were eventually delivered are no longer known for sure. 

 I have never seen a photo of one but have read a bit about them in a couple of collectors reference books.  The camera was an Nikon F but what made it unique was it had a Teak wood body.  They were made for very high humidity location use.  About 6 years ago if one was located it was estimated to be worth 1 million dollars.  Would love to run across one in a flea market but that will never happen.


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## compur

There is a Nikon SP detailed on this page  ...

WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 27 - June 2015

... that sold for € 28,800 last year.That's about $32,000

In 2010 a Nikon S2E sold for  € 168,000 ($185,000) ...
WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 18 - December 2010

and a Nikon F3 NASA also sold for  € 168,000 ...
WestLicht Photographica Auction Camera Auction 18 - December 2010

I've never heard of the wooden Nikon you mentioned. I won't say it doesn't exist but I would think it would be quite well known if it _did _exist.  I suspect it's in the same ballpark as the wooden nickles we've all heard about.


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## table1349

Some people will pay stupid prices for things.  Perfect example: 1943 Willys JEEP1-5 HP

As for the wooden body F, believe what you want.  I read of it at a brick and mortar photography shop in a couple of their professional resource books covering virtually every known film camera ever made.  A special order product that was never available on the general market will not have the notoriety of a consumer product.


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## compur

gryphonslair99 said:


> A special order product that was never available on the general market will not have the notoriety of a consumer product.



Well, that's the thing. It's the special cameras that do gain the notoriety because of their rarity.

Like these:
Nikon  SLR Rare and Unusual 

and these:
Special and rare models of Nikon Cameras

I also question the existence of the wooden Nikon on engineering grounds. I'm familiar with the innards of 35mm SLRs having worked on many of them and I just don't see such a thing happening or even any valid reason for trying. I mean, if rust is the issue there are rust resistant metals such as stainless steel or aluminum that would be far easier to engineer than a wood body.

Perhaps someone has confused a Nikon in a teak presentation box or a Nikon SLR _replica _carved in wood or something along those lines. But an actual working Nikon SLR special edition made of wood would be quite famous indeed.


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## table1349

compur said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> 
> A special order product that was never available on the general market will not have the notoriety of a consumer product.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, that's the thing. It's the special cameras that do gain the notoriety because of their rarity.
> 
> Like these:
> Nikon  SLR Rare and Unusual
> 
> and these:
> Special and rare models of Nikon Cameras
> 
> I also question the existence of the wooden Nikon on engineering grounds. I'm familiar with the innards of 35mm SLRs having worked on many of them and I just don't see such a thing happening or even any valid reason for trying. I mean, if rust is the issue there are rust resistant metals such as stainless steel or aluminum that would be far easier to engineer than a wood body.
> 
> Perhaps someone has confused a Nikon in a teak presentation box or a Nikon SLR _replica _carved in wood or something along those lines. But an actual working Nikon SLR special edition made of wood would be quite famous indeed.
Click to expand...

Top of the page from you link:
*"This list is not represented as being complete...no one knows all of them except maybe Nikon, and they are not talking."*

Didn't see the US Navy Spy Camera listed on either of your links either.


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## compur

Well, I'd like to see this wooden Nikon some day ... 

... if it doesn't get eaten by termites.


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## table1349

I would to. I suspect that a titanium frame that sold at auction a while back was what was used for them as well as couple other speciality bodies as the titanium is rust resistant.

It wasn't a composit titanium/steel frame as was in their "Titanium" model, rather a full titanium frame.


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## compur

I thought you said it was wood. Now it's titanium?


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## table1349

It has a wooden outside shell instead of the standard thin sheet metal/fake leather shell that will rust in high humidity, wet environments.  Thus the full titanium inner frame that holds the working parts. '

This is the 24K gold Nikon FA.





Do you think the whole camera is made of 24K gold???  

Hate to tell you, it's not.  It is 24K gold plate on the exposed external surfaces.  

The Teak wood Nikon was teak wood body.  I would suspect but do not know for sure, since no picture of one is known to exist, that it probably accepted a titanium clad viewfinder assembly.


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## compur

First you said it had a "teak wood body."

Then you changed it to "wooden shell over a metal frame" and give me a face palm.

I think we're done here but I'll say one thing: Your avatar was an excellent choice.


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## table1349

compur said:


> First you said it had a "teak wood body."
> 
> Then you changed it to "wooden shell over a metal frame" and give me a face palm.
> 
> I think we're done here but I'll say one thing: Your avatar was an excellent choice.


You didn't answer the question, do you think the 24K gold Nikon FA is completely made of 24K gold???


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## compur

Show us the wooden Nikon and I'll answer your question.


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## table1349

well just remember, next time you need the timing belt changed in your car, take it to the body shop.


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## compur

Remember that when you make a silly claim it's best to provide some evidence to back it up.


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## compur

Groovy! Just the thing for those high humidity shoots.


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## table1349

Yep and some of them are even functional.

A Beautiful Wenge Wood Edition of the Iconic Polaroid SX-70 Alpha
Sigma Creates Special Wood Version of the SD1, Will Only Make 10 of Them
Walnut and Cherry Wood Coverings for the Fujifilm X100

Of course these are a bit more modern.


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## compur

The Nikkorex seller is still at it. Asking price is now down to  $13,490.

US eBay # 131927023463


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## pixmedic

compur said:


> The Nikkorex seller is still at it. Asking price is now down to  $13,490.
> 
> US eBay # 131927023463




just looked that up! i was wondering if it had sold....
guess not. 
GLWS guy....
Ultra Rare Early Single Digit S/N Nippon Kogaku Nikkorex F SLR Nikon Camera


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