Nicca IIIA |
Shown here wearing a Russian 2.8/55 Industar-61 lens, the Nicca IIIA is an excellent example of Nicca craftsmanship. Shutter speeds range from 1/30 to 1/500 in the upper range and T-1/20 in the lower range.
The controls on top of the camera are arranged in the same order as those on other Leica copies. The Nicca features separate viewfinder and rangefinder windows with neither parallax correction nor frame lines. A diopter adjustment lever is mounted on the rear of the rangefinder window. The camera loads from the bottom.
At this writing, an Internet auction site lists the Nicca IIIC (body only) at $139, $230, and $240. I paid just under $200 for the one I bought not long ago.
Tower Type 3 |
I've seen the Tower (body only) listed at $299-$469 on the Internet. I paid $125 for the one shown here.
During the Occupation of Japan--which ended in 1952-- Japanese camera makers were required to mark their cameras with an <EP> marking or a "Made in Occupied Japan" statement. Interestingly, the Nicca IIIA and the Tower Type-3 bore a third legend. On the inside of their locking rings at the bottom of both cameras the words "Made in Japan" appear. This indicates that the Nicca IIIA and the Tower Type-3 were manufactured later than 1952. Because I've never seen a similar marking on the locking rings of other cameras, I have to wonder about the reason for this.
Tower Type-3, top photo |
Which of these two cameras would I prefer? Truth to tell, either one suits me just fine. Of course it would be a plus if both cameras had combined viewfinder/rangefinder windows and swing backs for easy loading.
Which camera would I recommend for you? If you're a beginner who wants to get started creating photos with film, I would say, "Neither one." But if you're a more experienced shooter, "I would say, "Take your choice. Either camera will serve you well."
By the way, if cost is a major consideration, I would advise you to buy whichever camera costs less. And keep in mind that you can always save money by using an inexpensive Russian Industar-61 lens, which you can buy for very little cash on the Internet. See What about Those Russian Lenses?" 11/14/18.
COMING SOON:The Zorki 4 and the Zorki 4K
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