Nippon-Kogaku Nikkor-P. C 8.5cm f/2

Nippon-Kogaku Nikkor-P. C 8.5cm f/2

Few rangefinder lenses carry as much historical weight as this medium telephoto from Nippon Kogaku. Its reputation was effectively launched in 1950, when LIFE photojournalist David Douglas Duncan saw an enlargement made by photographer Jun Miki using a borrowed 8.5cm Nikkor and was struck by its sharpness, an encounter that drew Western photographers to the Ohi plant and helped spread the Nikkor name worldwide during the Korean War period [1]. The "P" in the name denotes a five-element design (from the Greek "pente"), and the "C" indicates that the glass is coated[2].

Optically the lens is a Tele-Sonnar design of five elements in three groups, with a single rear element replacing the cemented rear group used in the contemporaneous 5cm f/2; the front consists of a convex element and a three-element cemented group, a layout that reduces internal air-to-glass surfaces and helps suppress ghosting. The barrel is built largely of chrome-plated brass, which makes the lens compact but dense in the hand. It uses a preset-style ten-blade iris that stays nearly circular as it is stopped down, couples to the rangefinder, and in Leica thread mount serves as a practical alternative to native Leica telephotos. One handling quirk noted by users is that the focus ring tends to turn along with the aperture ring, so the focus setting must be held while changing aperture.

The lens existed in more than one finish and went through several minor mechanical changes across its long production life. The common version is chrome over brass; a rarer black version exists, with the earliest all-black examples being black paint over a brass body and later black examples using lighter aluminium-alloy parts and chrome lower barrels [3]. Some early examples have a click-less aperture ring and lack a front filter thread, so an early hood had to be held on by friction rather than screwed in. Across variants the optical formula remained the same, and the design is closely related to the Nikkor-P.C 10.5cm f/2.5, which the 8.5cm can resemble at a glance.

Optical qualities

Rendering The lens shows the character typical of a fast Sonnar-type telephoto of its era: good contrast and color from its early single coating, with a degree of glow from residual spherical aberration that suits portraiture. Wide open it can show slight chromatic aberration, mild coma flare, and noticeable corner light falloff, all of which diminish on stopping down.

Sharpness It is already usable at f/2 and improves clearly by f/2.8, with Nikon describing best overall performance around f/4 to f/5.6.

Bokeh and transitions Background blur is smooth in many scenes, though Nikon notes the out-of-focus rendering at full aperture is influenced by spherical aberration and can take on an elongated, rugby-ball shape toward the edges; the ten-blade rounded iris keeps highlights close to circular when stopped down.

Distortion and vignetting Despite the asymmetric Sonnar layout, distortion is well corrected, which suits architectural and other straight-line subjects. Wide-open vignetting is visible and clears up by about f/4.

History

Development and Launch The 8.5cm was one of several Nikkor lenses designed by Saburo Murakami in the years immediately after the Second World War, when Nippon Kogaku was establishing its photographic line and drawing on Zeiss Sonnar practice as a starting point. The program reportedly began as a slower, compact medium telephoto before being changed to a faster f/2 aperture, part of a wider push toward larger-aperture Nikkor lenses that also produced the 5cm f/1.4 and 8.5cm f/1.5.

Production Evolution Over its run the lens saw several detail changes rather than optical ones: the formula stayed at five elements in three groups while the barrel, aperture mechanism, and finish were revised, including the introduction of black versions and changes such as the addition of a filter thread on later barrels.

Special editions No major factory "special edition" beyond the standard chrome and the scarcer black finishes is widely documented; the black examples are the most sought after, with the earliest all-black barrels being the rarer and more costly type.

Collector Notes Buyers should distinguish the common chrome version from the rarer black ones, and check whether engravings have been repainted, since the fine lettering on chrome can be hard to read and is sometimes restored. As with any preset Sonnar-type lens of this age, oil migration from the iris onto internal glass can cause haze, so the elements and a dry, clean iris are worth verifying. The early-style clamp-on hood and cap are scarce and command a premium when present and original. Note a dating point: Nikon's own history places the original 8.5cm f/2 on sale in 1948, somewhat earlier than the production span recorded here, reflecting the lens's long life and multiple iterations rather than a single fixed run.