世間少有的Nikon F相機: 25萬英鎊帶回家!

​Rare Nikon F, yours for £1/4m - WORLD EXCLUSIVE世間少有的Nikon F相機: 25萬英鎊帶回家!

• By Chris Cheesman Wednesday, 13 March 2013

一台據信是尼康最早試產期的黑色F單眼相機今天在倫敦求售  定價25英鎊A rare Nikon F camera, believed to be the earliest, black, pre-production version of the company’s first SLR, has gone on sale in London today for £250,000.

Picture credit: Tony Hurst
據尼康經銷商Grays of Westerminster的說法  這台序號6400077的黑色機身是Nikon F正式上市前製造的約100台相機之一  原本是專供攝影家和媒體試用的 The Black Nikon F carries the serial number 6400077 and was one of around 100 pre-production units offered to photographers and journalists for testing, before being released onto the general market in 1959, according to Nikon dealer Grays of Westminster.
在AP(業餘攝影家)的獨家專訪中  Grays of Westerminster 的店長Gray Levett說這台相機是日本相機專家Toni Kowal在(英)國外發現的
Gray說:”真不能相信還能找到這麼一台相機  就我們所知  這是國際二手市場見過最早期的黑F機身”
“不但如此  這台F還有少見的布簾快門 當F開始正式量產時都改成鈦快門了”
Speaking exclusively to Amateur Photographer (AP), the store's founder, Gray Levett explained that the camera was discovered overseas by Japanese camera expert Toni Kowal.
‘It is an almost unbelievable find and, to the best of our knowledge, the earliest black body to have ever surfaced on the international market,' said Levett.
‘Not only is it one of the first Nikon Fs, but it is also fitted with a rare cloth shutter, which [Nikon] changed to titanium as soon as commercial production began...'
尼康F於1959年三月首度問世  很快地就被認為是一台耐用的專業相機而譽滿全球
McKeown經典相機指南盛讚:”Nikon F在許多越南戰地記者手中揚名立萬， 擋住槍子兒救了人命的故事數見不鮮 讓這台耐用的相機成了傳奇”
其中的一位攝影記者是Don McCullin   1970年時  他的相機在柬埔寨被狙擊手的子彈打壞
The Nikon F was first unveiled to the world's press in March 1959, quickly winning a global reputation as a ‘professional workhorse' camera.
‘The Nikon F found fame in the hands of many a photojournalist in Vietnam, saved lives, stopped a bullet... the stories go on and on... and so does this legendary camera,' enthuses McKeown's classic camera guide.

Among the camera's celebrated users was war photographer Don McCullin whose Nikon F was damaged by a sniper's bullet in Cambodia in 1970.
AP的編輯Damien Demolder說:”Nikon F不僅是20世紀 甚至是整個攝影史上最有代表性的相機之一  所以能找到這麼一台早年份的機身是個大新聞 “
“這款F相機一共生產了幾乎14年 在今天是不可思議的  全球有成千的專業攝影家  他們畢生事業可能都是靠一台Nikon F堆砌出來的  看到這台相機 應該會勾起許多退休了的攝影者的回憶”
AP Editor Damien Demolder said: 'The Nikon F was one of the most significant cameras of last century, and in the history of photography as a whole, so the discovery of such an early version is quite something.
'There are thousands of professionals who would have used this camera model for most of their career as, amazingly, it was in production for almost 14 years – so this find will touch the hearts of retired photographers around the globe.'
雖然全球經濟景氣不佳  但是典藏級相機的市場似乎依舊蓬勃  “很快地變成一種投資品了”Gray Levett說
去年AP透露Grays of Westerminster賣出一個稀有的尼康魚眼鏡頭 要價十萬英鎊!
Nikon F的機身是由著名圖案設計家亀倉雄策設計的  Nikon的網站記載著:”當時許多單眼相機使用曲線的設計 但是Nikon F以直線為主的精緻外觀和細膩的造型逐漸受到歡迎”
Levett補充說:”在過去五年內 我們在全球蒐羅貨源  現在Westminster是稀有尼康典藏品收藏最富的單一賣點了”
為了安全起見  這台相機現在收在銀行金庫  沒有放在Gray的店裡
Gray 還說  25萬英鎊的價錢也包括了一個早期的 Tick Mark 50釐米 f/2 Nikkor-S鏡頭  市價九百英鎊
意者請電Gray’s of Westminster 020 78284925
Despite the challenging economic climate, it seems there is a thriving market for collectable cameras which, explained Levett, are ‘fast becoming investor items'.
Last year, AP revealed the sale of a Fisheye-Nikkor lens, also put up for sale by Grays of Westminster, for £100,000.
The Nikon F's exterior was designed by Yusaku Kamekura, a graphic designer.
Nikon's website states: ‘Many SLR cameras in those days were relatively round in design, though Nikon F gained increasing favour for the straight-line based sophisticated body profile and refined appearance...'
Levett added: ‘Over the past five years, we have scoured sources around the world to put together the finest collection of exotic Nikon collectibles ever offered by a single retail outlet.'
For security reasons, the camera is being held in a safe at a bank, and not at Grays of Westminster in Pimlico.
The £250,000 pricetag includes a rare 'Tick Mark' 50mm f/2 Nikkor-S lens, worth around £900, adds the store.
Would-be buyers should contact Grays of Westminster on 020 7828 4925.