Far before Nikon introduced its rangefinder camera in 1948 Nikon produced photographic lenses for fellow camera manufacturers. Since the early 1930´s Nikon produced a limited range of photographic lenses; limited in comparison with the enormous range of focal lengths of modern Nikon lenses. Since 1932 Nikon has given its lenses - for nearly all photographic lenses it produced and produces - the name ´Nikkor´. Some lenses have a prefix indicating the special purpose or performance.
The most important customer for photographic lenses in Nikon´s early years was Seiki Kogaku (nowadays known as Canon Camera Co). After Nikon intended to produced its own camera in 1946/1947 Canon started to produce its own lenses. The lenses Nikon made for Canon and some others have a thread mount, based on the 39mm thread mount Leitz is using for its pre-W.W.II Leica cameras. After 1948 Nikon was still producing lenses with Leica thread and - in addition to that - a special mount for Exacta cameras and for the Contax rangefinder cameras. Many lenses were also converted to a thread and/or bayonet mount for movie cameras (Aaton, Pathé, Arriflex and others). It seems that Nikon has considered to use the Leica thread mount for its rangefinder cameras as well, given the few test models of the Nikon I, also known as Nikon L. Only 4 cameras with a Leica thread mount are known. See for an example in the rangefinder camera section in this web site.
Above: Nikon S2 (black dial) + Nikkor-P.C 2.5/10.5 cm and Nikon S2 (chrome dial) + Nikkor-H.C 2/5 cm.
Nikon finally decided to give its cameras a variant of the Contax bayonet mount. Contax and Nikon lenses are interchangeable on both rangefinder cameras, but focusing will be different as the pitch of focusing wheels in the Contax and Nikon rangefinder cameras are not identical. This may result in a wrong - thus not sharp - image. Nikon lenses, produced for Contax cameras, have a C engraved in the lens barrel; not to be confused with the C in the name ring of a lens. That letter stands for ´coating´. The focal length of most lenses is indicated in centimeters (cm) with a notation as in the English language: 2.5 in stead of 2,5. The distance is in feet.
Special attention should be given to the interchangeable lenses for the Nikonos rangefinder cameras. These lenses are of a total different nature and are described in the Nikonos underwater camera section in this web site.
As mentioned before Nikon gave its lenses the name ´Nikkor´, in most cases with a prefix or suffix. The prefix can be a ´W´ (for a wide angle lens), ´stereo´(for a stereo lens), ´micro´ (for micro lenses) or ´reflex´ (for a reflex- or mirror lens). Apart from the ´C´ for ´coating´ Nikkor lenses have a suffix indicating the number of elements in the lens. Based on the Latin or Greek word for it the list is:
T (Tres) = 3 elements - Q (Quattuor) = 4 elements - P (Penta) = 5 elements - H (Hex) = 6 elements - S (Septem) = 7 elements - O (Octo) = 8 elements - N (Novem) = 9 elements.
Some lenses, like the Nikkor-N 1.1/5 cm. (see below), do exist with an internal and an external bayonet. The standard lenses and the Stereo-Nikkor exist in an internal bayonet only.
Technical specifications can be found in this matrix.