Wester, Auto West. NKK Camera Co.

[Lloydy]

I gave in and bought it, and it's a nice looking rangefinder. As far as I can tell the NKK Camera Co made very few cameras, they mainly made shutters. I've found record of a couple of folders on the internet but only one mention of this rangefinder that NKK made briefly before they went bust in 1958.









It's a well made camera, the construction is better than many of the cameras of this era which have poorly pressed, thin steel, top plates, This is a heavy and strong camera.
The shutter is smooth and quiet, with speeds from B, 1 to 500 sec. Apertures on the 45mm Wescon lens go from f16 to f2.8. The closest focus on the ( very stiff ) control is 2 feet. There's an ISO dial from 800 to 10, is ISO 10 still available ? This is just a reminder dial, there's no light meter or battery.
Under the ISO dial is the film wind on lever, and this is a joy. I have never felt such a smooth mechanism on any camera. There's a tiny but clear frame counter on the back of the top plate.
The viewfinder is excellent, very clear with a good yellow patch, out of the few rangefinders I have this is by far the best.
Other than that it's as you would expect from a camera of this period, tripod mount, strap lugs, cold shoe and one nice touch, a shutter lock with a nice knurled twist button on the front.

As yet I haven't run a film through it, so the quality of the lens is unknown. But.....if the lens is any good this will be a great little rangefinder. I will post pictures, but it might take a couple of weeks.

[mmelvis]

Very nice looking

[luisalegria]

Shares design elements from several others of the period -
Aires, Ricoh, Beauty (Canter), Pax, the first Yashica, etc. They all wanted to look like Leicas.

[Minolfan]

Looks like a sturdy real tool! I like these designs.
The lens is probably a kind of a tessar type?