Nikon F (eyelevel, chrome, first 100, cloth shutter)
The Nikon F is a 35mm film SLR introduced in 1959 as Nippon Kogaku's first single-lens reflex system camera. This particular configuration — eyelevel finder, chrome finish, cloth focal-plane shutter, and serial numbers within the first 100 produced — represents the earliest production examples and is treated as a separate collector category from later F bodies.
Sales data for the first-100 chrome eyelevel cloth-shutter Nikon F is extremely thin, with only one verified UK auction hammer result of £7,500 from December 2010. With no further comparable saleroom evidence in the dataset, today's worth is hard to pin down precisely, and recent value will hinge heavily on documented provenance, originality and serial-number verification at auction.
Sales History
Prices shown are UK auction hammer results — the wholesale level achieved in the saleroom. Neither buyer’s nor seller’s commission is included. Dealer and retail asking prices are typically higher.
Prices updated: December 2010
| Date | Price | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2010 | EUR 7,500 | Leitz Auction | |
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Auction: Leitz Auction 18 (Lot AI_18_11853) Title: Nikon F Eyelevel Chrom
Description:
extremely rare camera with cloth shutter and all early features (only approx. the first 100 Nikon F cameras were delivered with the cloth shutter, very few are known to exist, according to Uli Koch, Nikon F Camera page 65, this is the latest camera known) in perfect technical order with early Nikkor-S Auto 2/5cm no.526806 Estimate: EUR 7,000 - EUR 8,000 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is a first-100 Nikon F (chrome, eyelevel, cloth shutter) worth today?
The single recorded UK auction hammer price in our data is £7,500 from 2010; in 2026 a verified, complete example would be expected to trade in that order of magnitude, but condition and provenance dominate the price.
How much does an early Nikon F sell for compared with a standard F?
A documented first-100 example sells for a substantial multiple of an ordinary chrome eyelevel F, because the value is driven by serial-number rarity rather than usability.
Why is the cloth-shutter detail important to the price?
The earliest Nikon F bodies used cloth focal-plane curtains before the later titanium-foil shutter, so the cloth shutter is part of what identifies a genuine first-batch camera and supports the premium.