Thanks for the group.

My work has three Nizos. Which one should I get?

I am leaning toward the three-lens model.

All have cases and some accessories.

Why not all 3! Don't know much about those but I'd do with the one with 3 lenses. Does it have 3 different film gates? Or do you unscrew and re-arrange the lenses?

Hello, "ic".

The "Trifo" has one film gate, and all three lenses (and the light meter) are mounted on a sliding bar. Same with the two S2Rs, but they only have two lenses.

I decided against the Trifo because the viewfinder turret was a bit out of alignment, and the light meter seemed to have jumped a tooth at some point. All fixable, but I wanted a camera I could just take home and shoot.

I ended up getting the S2R in the middle, with the wide accessory lens pictured. This particular example is in ungodly clean condition, and includes a very nice case with a bunch of paperwork, the cable release, "trick" crank (still in the original packaging: a disintegrating plastic bag). I have never owned any sort of camera that is this clean.

The standard lens is fixed focus, and the long lens has a focusing barrel (due to less D of F). The pictured Schneider Curtar is a 0.5x accessory lens.

The thing runs like a freshly crafted clock. The light meter even seems to work (though it can only be set up to EI 80), and all the caps are there.

The only things I really want to get for it are some filters and lens hoods. I feel that some ND filters would help a lot, given that with a '40 shutter speed, I will need to stop down to f/16 in the sun...and that is with Kodachrome 40, which is now gone. Most films now available are faster. F/16 is not the best way to squeeze as much sharpness as I can out of these tiny lenses. With Plus-X, ND will be a necessity on a bright and clear day.

The instructions are full of great comedy. Interesting translation, not to mention the, shall we say "seriousness" of some of the directions. For example, from the "Hints for the actual shooting" section:

"Don't be a photographer

Filming one's family and relations is without doubt a praiseworthy beginning, but when you approach your victim in the manner of a photographer about to take one of those nauseating 'family groups', you do not understand the meaning of filming."

Nice camera...I love the instuctions for the older cameras! They are always quite comical