Nikon's first full-frame rangefinder — the S, Contax-derived S mount, cloth shutter, 1951.
The Nikon S is a 35mm rangefinder from 1951, the body that established Nikon's rangefinder system on the world stage and adopted the full 24x36mm frame. It followed the earlier Nikon I and M and used the Contax-derived S bayonet mount, forming the basis of the S-series that ran through the 1950s.
It is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera using the Nikon S mount, a Contax-derived internal bayonet. The combined rangefinder-viewfinder is used for focusing and framing. The shutter is a mechanical cloth focal-plane unit that fires without a battery, and there is no built-in meter; exposure is set manually.
The Nikon S gained a strong reputation among photojournalists in the early 1950s and remains a usable, well-built manual rangefinder. It suits documentary and reportage-minded photographers who want a Contax-derived body with access to Nikkor S-mount lenses, and rewards a deliberate, hand-metered shooting approach.
Check the rangefinder patch for contrast and accurate vertical and horizontal alignment, and inspect the finder for haze. Test the cloth focal-plane shutter across all speeds, looking for pinholes and capping and checking slow-speed accuracy. Confirm the Contax-type mount engages correctly and the film advance and rewind feel smooth; there is no meter or battery to assess.