Black paint S3 for restoration or parts

[Jan Van Laethem]

Just spotted this on the big auction site (no connection to the seller):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI...m=261056325629


There is a rather strange story to explain why these parts are missing :

"The front plate and back door with base plate were sent to a camera painter/restorer who never returned these two items to our consigner who was in the process of restoring this camera. So, he was left with the body as you see it here missing these pieces."


I don't have my Rotoloni book with me to check if the serial number 6302636 is genuine factory black. If it is, chances are that this camera may now get a donor front plate and back-with-base-plate from another S3, possibly from a chrome one, gets repainted and presented as a fully original factory black paint.


Also I see rather strange brassing patterns at the sides of the top plate. But somehow at the present price point it would still make an interesting project for a nice black user S3.

[Phil_F_NM]

It looks like the top plate was stripped of paint on the sides but not the top. The visible brass also looks like it may have been chemically darkened but that may just be the lighting.

Phil Forrest

[rbsinto]

If I could get it at a reasonable price, I'd grab it and repaint a chrome front plate so I could have another black body for my own use.

[enasniearth]

I was the first bidder at $99

It is too early a number to be original black paint .
Rotoloni book shows black later numbers .

Still if purchased low enough price ------- good user body

[jonmanjiro]

Hmmm interesting. I know where I can get a front plate and back for an S3, and with a bit of luck already painted black too.

[Stefcuoz]

Jan..John and other...6302636 is a fake one....
first black S3 knowed is 6307453.
i'm the owner of 34° black S3 6307487........
so my advice is don't offer more of 500 usd, probably is a good shooter but not an interesting or collector camera.

[Stefcuoz]

for the guy that will win the bid..... i will offer only 200 usd
i have a really good black S3 Back

[Jan Van Laethem]

Thank you all for your input. So it is a fake after all : probably the paint started to wear off and it was in the process of getting repainted.

8 bids and 219.50 USD so far, 13 hours to go. This will be interesting to watch.

There is nothing wrong in my book when it comes to painting a chrome camera black, as long as it doesn't get presented as original black.

Question : can current black repaint match the quality and durability of the factory black finish ? I hear there are several painters in Japan that do quite a good job.

[sp9107]

"can current black repaint match the quality and durability of the factory black finish"

only if you have paint that was made in the 1950's.

[Jan Van Laethem]

Originally Posted by sp9107

only if you have paint that was made in the 1950's.

Well, maybe I wasn't specific enough. What I meant to say was that if going through the whole process of stripping a chrome camera of its chrome layer and have it professionally painted, would we come close to what Nikon achieved at the factory back in the 1950's ?

Taking into account of course that the black batches were made from the start to be black and no dechroming was ever involved at the Nikon factory.

I don't think Nikon used 1950's paint on the S3 2002 and SP 2005.

[Phil_F_NM]

The seller is selling it as an original black paint S3.
Phil Forrest

[Jan Van Laethem]

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

The seller is selling it as an original black paint S3.
Phil Forrest

He describes it as a "rare black paint Nikon rangefinder S-3 body".
It is certainly an ambiguous way to describe it, "black repaint" would be closer to the truth. Describing it as rare is misleading indeed, and this one isn't even complete.

[Phil_F_NM]

His reply to my question was:
"Hello. Thank you for your question. It is absolutely unquestionably an original black paint Nikon S-3 body."

Phil Forrest

[Jan Van Laethem]

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

His reply to my question was:
"Hello. Thank you for your question. It is absolutely unquestionably an original black paint Nikon S-3 body."

Phil Forrest

Then he is not being ambiguous, this is outright deceit. Probably explains to a certain point the bids received so far. Just proves you can never be careful enough as a buyer.

[Phil_F_NM]

The seller said that he would put an addendum on the camera description to show that the paint and serial number don't add up to original.

Phil Forrest

[Jan Van Laethem]

Originally Posted by Phil_F_NM

The seller said that he would put an addendum on the camera description to show that the paint and serial number don't add up to original.

Phil Forrest

I don't see any addendum, the description still says " (...) is an authentic Nikon black paint S-3 and is worthy of a professional restoration."

But some people must have withdrawn their bids, it's now down to 3 bids and 125.50 USD.

Also the seller now does not accept the item to be returned.

[Phil_F_NM]

The seller sent me an email stating that this late in the auction ebay is not allowing him to remove the auction nor is he able to change the description. He consulted the Rotoloni book and said he's going to refund the winner then re-list it as a repaint for parts only.

Phil Forrest

[Range-rover]

That was the most strangest bidding I've seen on ebay, first it's $350.00
then it drop to $208.00 then zoomed back up to $380.00, I looked at the
bidding page and a lot of bidders removed their bids because they considered
it a fake, well someone wanted it.

Range