What the Hell Is the "S" Version of a Nikkor-M?

[Old-N-Feeble]

Someone on another forum is asking to buy a 200mm Nikkor-M "S" version and I can't anything referring to that.

[karl french]

Never heard of such a thing. Usual it's an M or a Q.

[Old-N-Feeble]

Thanks, Karl. I'm thinking I need to avoid selling my 200-M to that buyer.

[Gem Singer]

The "s" refers to the version of the Copal 0 shutter, not the lens.

When Copal added more aperture blade to their Copal 0 shutters, they identified the new shutters with a lower case "s", surrounded by a circle, printed on the shutter.

(Mike, you sold your Nikon/Nikkor 200M to me a few years ago. Remember?
It now belongs to Ken Lee).

[Old-N-Feeble]

Yes, I vaguely remember selling a 200M years ago... (I think other lenses and/or maybe a Canham camera too)... but my memory is gone. I'll have to take your word for it.

[Steve Goldstein]

Actually I think they added two blades, for a total of 7, as compared to 5 on the older Copals.

[Old-N-Feeble]

This one has 7 blades so I now understand the desire...

[Corran]

Yep, I have a 90mm "S" but a 120mm non-S. I'm not a fan of pentagonal iris openings...but it doesn't matter unless you shoot with lots of OOF areas or have specular highlights.

Now that I think about it I don't know what my 300mm-M is, I'll have to check.

[Gem Singer]

Mike,

Does your Copal 0 shutter have an encircled lower case "s" printed on the aperture ring?

If so, it's the latest model Copal 0 shutter with the seven blade aperture.

I'm much older than you, and I not only remember purchasing your Nikon/Nikkor 200M and a 300M,

but I even remember the price I paid for those two lenses.

It was only a few years ago.

[Steve Goldstein]

Corran, I believe all Copal 1 have 7 blades, it was only the Copal 0 that changed from 5 to 7 along the way. The 300M is in a Copal 1.