W-Nikkor·C 2.5cm f/4
Nippon Kogaku · Nikon S + LTM · 25mm · f/4 · 1953 · Topogon
Also known as: W-Nikkor 2.5cm f/4 · W-Nikkor·C 2.5cm f/4 · Nikkor 25mm f/4 · 2.5cm f4
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nikon S | Nikon S | 1953 | 402500–~403500 (chrome) ~403500– (black) | 1,924 (Old Lens Junkies, single source, likely Rotoloni-derived) vs Pacific Rim ~2,500 |
| Leica screw mount | LTM | 1953 | — | 950 (Old Lens Junkies, single source) |
How to tell them apart
Nikon S:
- No focusing ring at all — body-wheel focusing only
- Series VII filters sandwich into the bayonet hood; no filter thread
Leica screw mount:
- Own helicoid (focusing ring present), heavier than the S version
- 34.5mm screw-in filter thread
Serial-range notes
- ~403500 onward
- Chrome→black transition; light-alloy barrel from July 1956 — black S version 88.85 g vs 125 g chrome.
Specifications
- Formula
- Topogon
- Construction
- 4 elements / 4 groups
- Aperture range
- f/4
- Weight
- 125 g
- Years manufactured
- 1953
- Country
- Japan
What reviewers say
- Agata Urbaniak (35mmc) (blog) — The quirkiest of Nikon's tiny LTM gems: very soft wide open and about a stop behind its 2.8cm/3.5cm siblings stopped down, but sharp enough at working apertures with superbly corrected distortion — "not just a collectors' piece."
- Richard Haw (blog) — A historically fascinating "Japanese Topogon" and a must-have for hardcore Nikon/Contax rangefinder users, but its famously dark corners never fully clear up — casual shooters should buy a modern Voigtländer instead.
- Bryan Garris (Valdosta in Film) (blog) — Despite harsh corner vignetting and a slightly low-contrast look, superb stopped-down resolution and virtually nonexistent flare make it "definitely a stellar lens" he is happy to own.
- Haruo Sato (佐藤治夫 · Nikon's own 1001-Nights essay) (blog) — Soft and halo-laden wide open from residual spherical aberration and under-corrected coma, best at f/11 — yet the symmetrical Topogon design renders with no "wide-angle character" at all. via machine translation — corrections welcome
History
Example photos
Sample photo wanted — shot with a W-Nikkor·C 2.5cm f/4? We'd love to feature it (with credit).
Live listings
Listings updated 2026-08-24. Links go to the marketplace.