Nikon S3

{{short description|35 mm rangefinder camera}}

{{Infobox camera

| model = Nikon S3

| image = 200px

| caption =

| kind = 35 mm rangefinder camera

| filmformat = 35mm

| filmsize = 36mm x 24mm

| lens = interchangeable lens, Nikon 'S' bayonet mount

| shutter = mechanically timed

| shutterRange = 1s to 1/1000s with Bulb and 1/60s flash-sync

| metering = no integrated meter

| emode = Manual (M), and Bulb (B)

| mmode =

| fmode = Split and superposed-image rangefinder

| farea =

| cont = 1 FPS manual wind, 3 FPS S-36 motordrive [http://www.nikonownermagazine.com/findout/magazine/issue_019/history.php] Nikon Owner Issue 19 History of Nikon Part XVI by Gray Levett

| viewfinder = Etched frameline viewfinder

| magnification= 1x

| coverage =

| speedRange =

| DXcoding =

| flash = PC Sync

| flashcomp =

| flbkt =

| fsynch = 1/60s

| fadvance = manual

| frewind = manual

| obp =

| odb =

| ovf =

| omd = S-36 motordrive

| oacc =

| complens =

| compflash =

| battery =

| dimensions = 136mm width×81mm height×43mm depth

| weight = 590 g [http://www.nikonhs.org/article_archive/translation/S3.html] Nikon S3 2000 Commemoration model

| price =

| date =

| madeIn = Japan

}}

Image:S3-2000.jpg

The Nikon S3 is a professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, rangefinder camera introduced in 1958. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988).{{Cite web | url=http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/discontinue/filmcamera.htm#rangefinder. |title = Nikon | Imaging Products | Product Archive}}

The S3 is mechanically similar to the Nikon SP except for a simplified viewfinder system. The viewfinder does not compensate for parallax error and the framelines are fixed (etched).

In 2000, Nikon introduced an updated, hand-assembled S3 model to celebrate the new millennium. It was quite a production to produce S3s again, as all the original dies were long gone. The new Nikkor 50mm {{f/}}1.4 lens for the new S3 is noticeably larger than original 50mm {{f/}}1.4 lenses.