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Nikon brought out two consumer SLRs in 1962, just three years after their first SLR, the Nikon F: The fixed-lens, leaf-shutter Nikkorex 35, which was a lousy camera, and the focal-plane-shutter Nikkorex F which, as the "F" implies, took the same lenses as the Nikon F. The logic was obvious: Sell Nikkor lenses to people who wanted to spend just half of the $200-plus it cost for a Nikon F body. (See ad below.)

The two Nikkorexes are completely different in design and appearance; they share only the Nikkorex name.

The Nikkorex F was built by Mamiya, which, along with Pentax and Konica, had exclusive rights to the new Copal Square metal shutter (see below). Ironically, the shutter first appeared on a Nikon camera. (More about Copal Square here.) My first SLR, a Konica FP, was the second to use the Copal Square shutter.

The Nikkorex F has its accessory shoe on the front, where it can't be used to hold a flash (at least not without some sort of custom bracket). Its real purpose is to hold a meter.

The Nikkorex F stayed in production until 1965 when the Nikon-manufactured Nikkormat was introduced. The Nikkormat continued to use a Copal shutter, but, looking at my FTN, the design is different and it doesn't say Copal Square (or anything else) on it.

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This review appeared in the March 1963 issue of Popular Photography:

There's more information on the CameraQuest site on the Nikkorex F.

Here's an ad from the August 1962 issue of Popular Photography:

This ad appeared in the October 1962 issue of Popular Photography:

Here's an ad from the March 1965 issue of Popular Photography:

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