Rare "Nippon Kogaku"-Marked Lenses

Around 1971-1972, Nikkor lenses began transitioning from being labled "Nippon Kogaku Japan" (often abbreviated NPK in listings) to being marked Nikon.  Most lens designs from the period are easy to find marked either way.  I personally prefer the look of the Nippon Kogaku markings because they fill the indentity ring nicely, where as the Nikon-marked lenses often have blank space:

Besides the obvious branding reasons for the change, it is understable that reducing the amount of engraving on the identity rings would save time and money.  Note they also droped the "No." before the serial number.  The order of the information also changed slightly:
Nippon Kogaku Japan No. XXXXXX Nikkor-Q Auto 1:3.5 f=135mm
Nikon Nikkor-Q Auto 1:3.5 f=135mm XXXXXX
In the later "K" era they dropped the "Auto" markings as well as the letters indicating the number of elements in the design, further reducing the amount of engraving.  I assume this is also why they eventually switched from "Lens Made in Japan" to just "Made in Japan".

However for some designs Nippon Kogaku-marked copies are rare, and you are more likely to find Nikon-marked copies.  I am excluding lenses that were only available marked Nippon Kogaku or only available marked Nikon as well as exotic lenses for the time being.  As usual all this information and much more is available on Roland Vink's incredible Photosynthesis site.

28mm f/2 N:

Only about 3000 were marked Nippon Kogaku, about 11000 were marked Nikon and another 15000 were marked Nikon with the "·C", although all these versions were multicoated.

35mm f/1.4 N:

Only about 3000 were marked Nippon Kogaku, about 9000 were marked Nikon, and another 7000 were marked Nikon with the "·C", although all these versions were multicoated.

105mm f/2.5 P (newer black front design):

Only about 1000 were marked Nippon Kogaku, some 64000 are marked Nikon.  These are so rare KEH doesn't seem to know they exist, they seem to think all Nippon Kogaku-marked 105mm lenses are the older design with the silver front ring.

180mm f/2.8 P:

Only about 1400 were marked Nippon Kogaku, about 15000 were marked Nikon.  Only about 3000 were multicoated "Nikon P·C".

500mm f/8 reflex

Only about 3600 were marked Nippon Kogaku, about 13000 were marked Nikon.  These don't seem to be particularly hard to find despite their rarity.

80-200mm f/4.5

Only about 2200 were marked Nippon Kogaku, about 23000 were marked Nikon.  These seem to be undervalued: I don't think people realize they are so rare.

Conversely, there are all some lenses where the Nikon marked versions are rarer than the Nippon Kogaku lenses. The most notable example is the 45mm f/2.8 GN though.

45mm f/2.8 GN:

About 24000 were marked Nippon Kogaku, but only around 7000 were marked Nikon.  The multicoated "Nikon GN·C" verison is also uncommon with about 13000 made.

200mm f/5.6 Medical:
About 6700 were marked Nippon Kogaku, only around 1500 were marked Nikon. The multicoated "Nikon Medical·C" is the most common with some 10000 made.

50-300mm:

About 8500 were marked Nippon Kogaku, only about 5700 were marked Nikon.  The later K, AI, AI*ED, and AI-S*ED versions are all rare as well.

1000mm f/11 Reflex:


All the versions are rare, but there were about 1200 marked Nippon Kogaku, about 900 marked Nikon, and the multicoated "Nikon Reflex·C" version is also rare with about 1500 made.

Most of the focus unit lenses are more common marked Nippon Kogaku or multicoated than marked Nikon, although all the versions are rare.

400mm f/4.5 Q:
About 1300 marked Nippon Kogaku, 600 marked Nikon, 400 multicoated.

600mm f/5.6 P:


About 1200 marked Nippon Kogaku, 750 marked Nikon, 1000 multicoated.

800mm f/8 P:
About 450 marked Nippon Kogaku, 350 marked Nikon, 620 multicoated.

1200mm f/11 P:
About 240 marked Nippon Kogaku, 150 marked Nikon, 380 multicoated.

Nikon's Weird Years (circa 1962-1967)

Nikon's Weird Years (circa 1962-1967)
Starting around 1962, the new lenses that Nikon introduced were in millimeters instead of centimeters, but cm-marked lenses continued to be produced until about 1967.

This resulted in a hodgepodge of mm and cm marked lenses with many minor inconsistencies. There are quite a few rare or unusual variations of lenses from this period.  Because of this I refer to this period as Nikon's Weird Years.

I especialy like the early mm lens that carry over features typically associated with cm marked lenses such as patent pending markings, being marked only in feet or meters, silver front rings, ribbed aperture rings.

The 10.5cm / 105mm f/2.5 P (silver front) is interesting because it swapped between cm and mm and between being marked only in feet or meters and having both feet and meters multiple times.  I think a screenshot of Roland Vink's amazing Photosynthesis site does the best job of conveying the inconsistancies of this time period.


The 50mm f/1.4 S is interesting because it swapped between ribbed and scalloped aperture rings and being marked only in feet or meters multiple times.


8mm f/8 (circa '62-'65)
A rare fixed-focus circular fisheye that requires mirror-lock-up.  Approximately 1400 made.  About the first 100 have "PAT PEND" markings.  One is believed to have been used as Hal 9000's eye in 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Replaced by the 7.5mm f/5.6.

2.1cm f/4 O (circa '59-'67)

A rare lens requiring mirror lock-up and an external finder.  Approximately 6000 made. Replaced by the 20mm f/3.5 UD.

2.8cm f/3.5 H (circa '60-'67), 28mm f/3.5 H (circa '67-'73)



Approximately 56000 cm-marked and 197000 mm-marked. Aboout 3000 of the late cm-marked lenses have scalloped aperture rings. About 6000 of the early mm-marked lenses have a silver front like the earlier cm marked lenses before changing to a black front ring around '68.  Also available in multicoated, and K versions.  The K version has 7 aperture blades instead of 5.  Eventually replaced by the 28mm f/3.5 AI and 28mm f/2.8 K.

35mm f/2.8 S (circa '62-'74)


Approximately 184000 made.  Approximately the first 3000 have PAT PEND markings, approximately the first 17000 were marked only in feet or meters, and the first 35000 had ribbed aperture rings. They switched to scalloped aperture rings around '66-'67.  Replaced with the 35mm f/2.8 K.

35mm f/2 O (circa '65-'73)

Approximately 122000 made.  Also available in multicoated, K, AI, and AI-S versions.

35mm f/3.5 PC (circa '62-'68)


Nikon's first perspective control lens. Approximately 9600 made. Approximately the first 800 have PAT PEND markings and approximately the first 5000 are in feet or meters only. Nippon Kogaku only. Replaced by the 35mm f/2.8 PC chrome knob. Brochure.

50mm f/2 H (circa '64-'72)

Approximately 535000 made.  Approximately the first 10000 are marked only in feet or meters. Approximately the first 100000 have ribbed aperture rings before switching to scalloped aperture rings around '67.  Also available in multicoated, K, and AI versions. The K and AI versions focus closer.  Replaced by the 50mm f/1.8 AI.

50mm f/1.4 S (circa '62-'73)

Approximately 691000 made.  Approximately the first 17000 are marked PAT PEND.  Early samples tend to have ribbed aperture rings and only be marked in feet or meters, although they switched back and forth a few times.  After '66 they all have scalloped aperture rings and 7 aperture blades.  Also available in multicoated, and K versions.  The K version focuses closer.  Replaced by a newer 50mm f/1.4 K.

55mm f/3.5 micro compensating (circa '63-'68)


Approximately 118000 made.  Approxmiately the first 22000 of the compensating version have silver filter rings and ribbed aperture rings, later ones have black filter rings and scalloped aperture rings.  Around '69 they were replaced by the non-compensating version with the rubber focusing ring.  Also available in cm-marked, multicoated, K, and AI versions.  Replaced by the 55mm f/2.8 AI-S.

55mm f/1.2 S (circa '65-'72)

Approximately 67000 made.  Also available in multicoated, K, and AI versions. The K and AI versions focus closer.  Replaced by the 50mm f/1.2 AI.

85mm f/1.8 H (circa '64-'72)

Approximately 75000 made.  Approximately the first 1000 are marked only in feet or meters and the first 7100 have the identity info on the inside of the filter ring, later ones have it on the outside of the barrel.  Also available in multicoated, and K versions.  The K version focuses slightly closer.  Replaced by the 85mm f/2 AI and 85mm f/1.4 AI-S.

10.5cm f/2.5 P (circa '59-mid 60s), 105mm f/2.5 P silver front (circa '66-'71)


Approximately 33000 cm-marked and 80000 mm-marked. Nippon Kogaku only.   Early versions have ribbed aperture rings, around '67 they switched to scalloped aperture rings.  Oddly, they were cm marked, briefly mm marked, briefly cm marked again, and finally mm marked.  Replaced by the 105mm f/2.5 P black front with a different optical design.

13.5cm f/3.5 Q (circa '59-mid 60s), 135mm f/3.5 Q older (circa '65-'69)




Approximately 32000 cm marked and 40000 mm marked. The older 135mm f/3.5 Q design has a 6 bladed aperture, f/22 minimum aperture, and a long ribbed aperture ring. Replaced by the newer 135mm f/3.5 Q design with a 7 bladed aperture, f/32 minimum aperture, and a short, scalloped aperture ring.

135mm f/2.8 Q (circa '65-'73)

Approximately 203000 made. Approximately the first 10000 had no screws in the bayonet mount and approximately the first 250000 had pointed metering prongs. Also available in multicoated and K versions.  Replaced by a newer 135mm f/2.8 K.

13.5cm f/4 Q (circa '59-'69)

Rare bellows lens.  Approximately 3400 made.  The short mount has a female bayonet mount to be used with a reversing BR1 tube, as well as a M39 screwmount.  Also available marked in mm, in both short and long mount.

20cm f/4 Q (circa '61-mid 60s), 200mm f/4 Q (circa '67-'73)


Approximately 49000 cm marked.  Approximately 39000 of the early mm-marked versions were cosmetically similar to the cm-marked lenses, but with a chamfered silver identity ring.  Around '69 they were updated to the black version with the longer focusing ring, closer focusing, and 7 aperture blades instead of 6.  Also available multicoated.  Replaced by the 200mm f/4 K.

300mm f/4.5 P (circa '64-'69)

Approximately 15000 made.  About the first 600 are marked in feet or meters only.  Replaced by the identical-looking 300mm f/4.5 H.

50cm f/5 reflex (circa '61-'66), (circa '66-'68)


A rare, fast reflex lens.  Approximatedly 2500 cm-marked: about 700 have the lens data on a conical ring, the rest on a flat ring.   Approxmately 550 mm-marked.  Replaced by the 500mm f/8 reflex.



Zooms:



43-86mm f/3.5 (circa '63-'74)

Approximately 106000 made.  There are several inconsistencies in the engraving: "f=43~86mm", "f=43–f=86mm", "f=43~f=86mm", some have meters below feet on the focusing scale, sometimes the serial numbers had an extra 1 added.  Also available multicoated.  Replaced by the 43-86mm f/3.5 K and AI.

50-300mm f/4.5 (circa '67-'75)

Approximately 14000 made, 5700 marked Nikon.   Approximately the first 2000 have silver front rings.  Also available in K and AI versions.

8.5-25cm f/4-4.5 (circa '59-late 60s), 85-250mm f/4-4.5 (circa '69)


A rare early zoom.  Approximately 1300 cm-marked two-touch zooms, 4900 cm-marked one-touch zooms, and 450 mm-marked.

20-60cm f/9.5-10.5 (circa '61-late 60s), 200-600mm f/9.5-10.5 (circa '69)

Very rare, very slow early zoom. Approximately 1300 cm-marked and 300 mm-marked. Nippon Kogaku only. Replaced by the 200-600mm f/9.5.



Focus unit lenses (More info):



400mm f/4.5 Q (circa '64-'76)
Approximately 1840 made, 1300 Nippon Kogaku, 540 Nikon.  Also available multicoated. Nikon Thousand and One Nights.

600mm f/5.6 P (circa '64-'75)

Approximately 1900 made, 1150 Nippon Kogaku, 750 Nikon.  Also available multicoated. Note: the sample above has the newer AU-1 focusing unit from the K era.

800mm f/8 P (circa '64-'77)
Approximately 780 made, 440 Nippon Kogaku, 340 Nikon.  Also available multicoated.

1200mm f/11 P (circa '64-'77)
Approximately 380 made, 130 Nippon Kogaku, 150 Nikon.  Also available multicoated.



Rare or Exotic Lenses:



200mm f/5.6 Medical (circa '62-'72)
A fixed-focus macro lens based on the 200mm f/4 Q.  Has a built in ring flash.  Should come in a bag with close-up lenses, power supply, and cords.  Approximately 7200 made.   Also available multicoated.  Replaced by the 120mm f/4 Medical.  Not especially usable: fixed focus (modified with the close-up lenses) and no direct aperture control.

1000mm f/6.3 Reflex (circa '59-'65)
Very rare, very big, very expensive. Around 60 made.  For some reason it was always marked in mm. Replaced by the 1000mm f/11 Reflex.