Nikkor-S.C 5cm f1.4, Leica screw mount. This piece is a later model with a black-painted aperture ring featuring feet markings.
The Nikkor lens was supplied for Japanese-made Leica copies like the Leotax. It’s a Sonnar-type copy with the same optical configuration as the 50mm f1.4 lens for the Nikon S rangefinder. The rangefinder is coupled for close focusing down to approximately 3.5 feet (about 1 meter). Extending the helicoid further allows for close focusing from about 3.5 feet to a minimum of 1.5 feet (around 45cm), though this range is not coupled to the rangefinder. However, with live view on a digital body, this lens remains highly practical today. Wide open to f2, it has a rather soft rendering, but stopping down to f4 leads to a dramatic shift to sharpness, making it an enjoyable lens to use.
There are very fine bubbles and a small area of paint loss around the entire black band, but otherwise, the lens has minimal signs of use and is in quite good cosmetic condition. It has been fully overhauled in September 2024. Thanks to meticulous servicing, the aperture and helicoid operate very smoothly, and the rangefinder coupling is excellent. There are a few very thin hairline scratches on the front element, and a slight hint of yellowing balsam around the edges of the middle element, a common issue with the Nikkor 50/1.4, but this does not noticeably affect image quality. There are no signs of fungus or haze, and the glass is clear and clean. Test shots have yielded good results. Comes with the original front cap and case.
