Nikkor-Q.C 5cm f3.5 in Leica screw mount. Rangefinder coupled. Waisted barrel design. International aperture scale with f3.5, 4, 5.6, and so on. Tessar-type optical design with 4 elements in 3 groups. Marked Nippon Kogaku Tokyo. Serial number 5710xx. Distance scale in feet.
The roots of the Nikkor 50mm f3.5 can be traced back to the lens fitted to the Hansa Canon in 1935. This example, however, is thought to have been produced after manufacturing resumed in 1945, shortly after the war, and supplied for Leica screw mount compatible cameras such as the Canon SII.
It was developed as Nippon Kogaku shifted its production toward civilian products after the war, making it a lens that symbolizes the postwar recovery and development of the Japanese optical industry.
This example is believed to date from 1945 and is likely a very early Nikkor 50mm f3.5. It has a standard Leica screw mount and screws fully into a Barnack Leica without interference.
A rare piece.
Previously sold by our shop, this lens has now returned to us in the same condition as when we last sold it.
It shows relatively little overall use, although there is some deterioration to the plating and scratches on the mount surface. Considering that it was manufactured in Japan immediately after the end of World War II, these imperfections are perhaps understandable. The mount surface is stamped 4C. If anyone knows what this marking means, we would be very interested to hear from you!
Full overhaul completed in 2026. The aperture and helicoid operate smoothly with a pleasantly moderate amount of torque. We also tested the lens on a rangefinder camera, with excellent results.
The glass is free from haze and is clear and bright. Only the front and rear surfaces of the first element have a light coating.
Sample images from our previous sale are available in our test-shot gallery. Perhaps due to the manufacturing precision available in the immediate postwar period, there is a very slight softness on one side of the image, but the center renders very well even wide open.
Comes with the original Bakelite front cap and a metal rear cap. Both caps are marked Made In Occupied Japan.
A rare lens that is also well suited to a collection.
