Nikkorex

Just after the introduction of the professional Nikon F camera in 1959 Nikon wanted to become friends with the amateur photographers as well. It introduced in March 1960 the Nikkorex-35 camera; a single lens reflex camera, claimed to be (partly) made by Mamiya, with fixed Porro* mirror finder (no prism) and fixed standard lens (Nikkor-Q 2.5/50 mm.). It has a built-in Citizen MVL-central shutter (1 - 1/500 sec.) and a built-in selenium exposure meter. This camera - however - could not compete with many other Japanese cameras. A second model, the Nikkorex 35-2 introduced in April 1962, received a Seiko-shutter, but kept the same fixed standard lens. Just two months later the Nikkorex F (see below) came on the market. Again two years later, in September 1964, the Nikkorex Auto-35 (aka Nikon Auto-35), fitted with a non-exchangeable Nikkor-H 2/48 mm. wasn´t received with great enthusiasm, either; although this camera had a pentaprism instead of a porro-mirror finder and a quick-return mirror. Nikon also produced extra lens converters (wide-angle and tele) to mount on front of the standard lenses. Interesting feature of the latter camera are the separate (and unequal) serial numbers for both the body and the lens!

Nikon tried it again with the production of the Nikkorex Zoom-35, fitted with the well-known Zoom-Nikkor 3.5/43-86 mm. (without serial number!), available from February 1963. In that same period this zoomlens was introduced as the first interchangeable zoomlens for the Nikon F SLR.

* Porro: named after its inventor Ignatio Porro, an Italian optical engineer. Roof prism or Penta(gon) (= 5 fields) prism is used in most single lens reflex cameras.

Nikkorex F with clip-on exposure meter and Nikon F lens mount.

Nikkorex F was also available in black finish

In June 1962 Nikon introduced a more durable Nikkorex F (see picture above) with a horizontally traveling cloth shutter and the possibility to exchange Nikkor lenses. Serial numbers of the Nikkorex F started at 350001 and went up as high as 41xxxx. Unfortunately these series of cameras didn´t became a great success worldwide. Its successor, the Nikomat/Nikkormat series, made this series forgiven and forgotten.

Nowadays it is difficult to find cameras that are still fully operational. Shutters and meters may be dead and the (partly) plastic bodies may have been broken. Nevertheless these cameras are nice for low budget collecting.