Further, without that approval, Hinomaruya would not have agreed to distribute the camera and risk jeopardizing a major business alliance to support a minor camera maker, whose sales were much lower than those of the Nicca. In view of that, it seems unimaginable that Meguro copied the Nikon S2 without at least the tacit approval of Nippon Kōgaku.
#Nikon s2 rangefinder black dial full#
Before the Melcon, Meguro's distributor Hinomaruya was already selling the full range of Nikkor lenses in Leica screw mount for the Nicca, an agreement which dated back to the early 1950s. The latter provided technical help for the development of the first Melcon, controlled the body's quality, and supplied its Nikkor lenses (see Melcon). The maker Meguro Kōgaku was linked to Nippon Kōgaku from early on. However, various clues make this hard to believe, and one might imagine that the development of the Melcon II was approved or even encouraged by the maker of the Nikon. Some authors suggest that the camera was a mere copy, causing a complaint by Nippon Kōgaku. The main external differences are the rounded body ends, the absence of focusing wheel, the hinged back and the different lens mount. The Melcon II was much inspired by the Nikon S2, in terms of both design and features. Relation with the Nikon: an approved copy? 1 Relation with the Nikon: an approved copy?.It was the successor of the Melcon, a copy of the Leica with a hinged back. It is sometimes described as a copy of the Nikon S2.
![nikon s2 rangefinder black dial nikon s2 rangefinder black dial](https://www.nikonweb.com/s2/s2rf_2.jpg)
The Melcon II (メルコンII) is a Japanese 35mm rangefinder camera with interchangeable lenses in Leica screw mount, made by Meguro Kōgaku Kōgyō and distributed by Hinomaruya for a brief period in late 1957. Japanese 35mm focal plane VF and RF ( edit)Īlta | Bessa L/T/R | Canon II/III/IV | Canon VT | Canon VIT | Canon P | Canon 7 | Canon 7s | Chiyoca | Chiyotax | Honor S1 | Honor SL | Ichicon-35 | Jeicy | Konica FR | Leotax | Leotax G | Melcon | Melcon II | Minolta 35 | Muley | Nicca | Nicca III-L | Nippon | Tanack 35/IIIS/IV-S | Tanack SD | Tanack VP | Teica | Yasuhara T981īessa R2/R3/R4 | Konica Hexar RF | Minolta CLE | Rollei 35 RF