Nikkor-P.C 8.5cm f2, a renowned lens highly praised by D.D. Duncan during the Korean War. It played a major role in spreading the excellence of Japanese-made lenses worldwide.

This unit is an early version with Leica screw mount, manufactured around 1950. Serial number 903xxx. It belongs to the 903 dummy number series following the earliest 801 series, and is the 616th lens produced in that series, placing it around the middle. The construction is more refined, resembling the later versions of the 8.5cm Nikkor.

Manufactured in Japan under Allied occupation, it is engraved with Made in Occupied Japan (commonly known as MIOJ). The same marking is also found on the hood cap. The front ring is engraved with Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. The optical design is a 3-group, 5-element Sonnar type. Distance scale is in feet. Actual lens-only weight is 526g.

A rare item.

There are only minor scuff marks and the overall appearance is very good. Considering it has been 65 years since its manufacture, the condition is quite impressive.
Fully overhauled in June 2025. The aperture and helicoid operate smoothly.
There is a slight front focus tendency at around 5 to 10 meters when shooting wide open, but stopping down one stop generally brings the subject into the depth of field.
There are visible traces of fungus along the edge of the front element, but aside from this, the glass surfaces are clear with no haze.
A few extremely light, linear cleaning marks can be seen on the front and middle elements, but they should have no impact on image quality.
Test shots showed excellent results.
Comes with the early 1-piece genuine hood, Bakelite slip-on front and rear caps, and a leather case.