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HI Wes and Jim,

Appreciate the pics of the lenses.

I had an article printed in the NHS-80 June 30, 2003 on the subject, a “Second Viewpoint” which was a reply to a query that Bob Rotoloni put in an earlier issue NHS-79 on the variations of the Nikkor 5cm f/3.5 lenses and its close cousin the SK Serenar 5cm f/3.5 lenses.

Since that article I have managed to acquire a NIKKOR-QC 5cm f/3.5 lens #570857 for the princely sum of $2.00 aus.

This now gives me a four 5cm f/3.5 screw mount NIKKOR lenses, these are #502235 (1939-44), #570857 (1945), #610230 (1946) and #7051067 (1947) from the last of the 600 units supplied to SK Canon in 1948. The only 5cm f/3.5 LTM NIKKOR lens missing is a #46xxx (June-1944) lens and that would complete my set of early NIKKOR screw mount lenses that were supplied to SK Canon between 1939-1948. So along with my SK Serenar lenses #8011 (12/1945 -3/1946), #8346 (10/1946-9/1947), #9273 which is also a (10/1946-9/1947) lens but the script on the front ID ring is in capital letters, this changed between lenses #8860 and lens #8947.

I have done a thorough comparison using my digital Vernier calipers between the SK lens #8011 and NK lens #570857, as they are closer to production date than the lens I used in my article NK #502235. The most striking difference between the 1945 NK 5cm lens and the 1945-46 SK lens is in the superb quality of the chrome finish of the NK lens even though the order for the NK lens was made in July 1945 (from Peter Dechert’s article in Shutterbug 1980?). The SK lens at first I thought was made of nickel but I think it is more to do with the quality of chrome available after the cessation of WWII in Japan in August 1945. This dull chrome feature also shows in the post war NK lenses #610230 and #7051067.

The SK lens #8011 is very similar in all respects to the 1939-44 NK lens #502235 except the information on the front ID ring but I am now sure that SK Canon produced this lens because at the time they were still being supplied with lenses from Nippon Kogaku which were mounted on SK Canon J-II’s as Nikkor lenses. Besides SK Canon would have been proud to place there name on a new lens which they had produced. Of the 506 SK J-II cameras produced between 12/1945-11/1946 (Peter Dechert’s Canon RF book 1933-6 he mentioned that there may have been only 164 J-II may have been produced but in fact this number 164 is the number of J-II’s that had SK Serenar 5cm f/3.5 lenses attached. To date I have only recorded 18 J-II with SK Serenar lenses attached but far more J-II with NK lenses.

The NK lens #570857 actually closely resembles SK lens #8346 but again there are subtle variations to indicate that it is a SK Canon produced lens. The main difference is in the rangefinder cam contact area on the back of the SK lens as it is thicker than the NK lens contact area. There are other subtle differences.

When you compare SK lens #9273 alongside NK lens #610230 (Jim pictured SK #9899 of S-II #17758 along with NK lens #610321) there are some differences. The major one is the mounting flange on the NIKKOR lens, is now made from a separate piece of milled brass and held within the barrel/tube by three screws. Two are small grub screws while the third is larger and penetrates both barrel and mounting flange. The SK lens # 9273 is still made from a single piece of brass and chromed. One other obvious difference is the lack of directional arrows on the body of the collapsible barrel/tube on the NK lens. The NK flange is certainly now stronger. NK lens #7051067 flange is now held in place in the barrel/tube by a single large screw similar to the screw in NK lens #610230.

By 1948 Canon Camera Co (CCCo) took delivery of the final 600 NK lenses which were used intermit ally on Canon S-II cameras.

BUT there is a series of CCCo Serenar 5cm f/3.5 lenses with a strange serial # beginning with #83xxx which were issued between 8/1947-3/1949 just before CCCo changed all measurements to the “mm” sign. I have a gut feeling that these were leftover NIKKOR’s BUT I CANNOT prove it so it is hypothetical, that CCCo re-badged them as Serenars and disposed them in Oceania and EU where most have been recorded on various canon cameras. To date I have only recorded 10 lenses and all begin with the #83xxx number. Just maybe the #83 stands for 1948, 3rd month because if it does then it is a first for CCCo to do that.
Peter K.