Nikonos

Nikonos
Nikonos V orange
Type:	35 mm underwater viewfinder camera
Lens mount:	interchangeable Nikonos mount
Focus:	manual preset
Exposure:	TTL automatic exposure & manual
Flash:	accessory shoe & contacts in base
Frame rate:	manual wind on
Dimensions:	146 x 99 x 75 mm (WxHxD)

Nikonos is the name of a series of 35 mm film cameras specifically designed for underwater photography launched by Nikon in 1963. The early Nikonos cameras were based on an original design by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Jean de Wouters in 1960, which was manufactured and sold as the Calypso. It was produced in France until the design was sold to Nikon, and thus became the Nikonos for all subsequent models. The Nikonos system was immensely popular with both amateur and professional underwater photographers. Its compact design, ease of use, and excellent optical quality set the standard for several decades of underwater imaging. Nikon ceased development and manufacture of new Nikonos cameras in 2001, although there is still a large and active used market.

Viewfinder cameras

The traditional Nikonos line consisted of five primary models:

• Nikonos I (1963)
• Nikonos II (1968)
• Nikonos III (1975)
• Nikonos IV-A (1980)
• Nikonos V (1984)

Each new generation brought in improvements in ambient light metering, flash circuitry, and shutter design. The various models all had rugged construction, simple controls, and were waterproof to 160ft/50m. The camera is made waterproof by a simple system of silicone o-rings at all the crucial joints. What truly set the Nikonos apart from other cameras were its dedicated underwater lenses; they were designed as "water-contact" optics, and are not usable in air. To this day, no underwater camera system can quite match the Nikonos lenses for sharpness and saturation.

The Nikonos underwater lenses included: (angle of view)

• U/W Nikkor 15mm f/2.8 (94 degrees)
• U/W Nikkor 20mm f/2.8 (78 degrees)
• U/W Nikkor 28mm f/3.5 (59 degrees)

Nikon also created two "normal" lenses for use above or below water, which made the Nikonos useful for outdoor activities such as kayaking, canoeing, or foul weather situations. These two lenses, the 35mm and 80mm, were also fully waterproof, but because they utilized a flat port, they did not have the benefit of the specialized water-contact optics.

Other common or notable lens accessories for the Nikonos included:

• third party compatible lenses made for the Nikonos (eg, Sea&Sea), which included both prime lenses as well as removable lens adaptors that were externally attached a Nikonos lens;
• extension tubes mounted with a Nikonos lens for macro photography, most commonly with the 35mm Nikonos lens to produce 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2 macro image ratios, with 1:3 occasionally seen as well;
• Nikon Close Up Kit, which was a removable lens adaptor that was externally attached to typically either the 28mm, 35mm, but also the 80mm Nikonos lens, to produce near-macro image ratios (approx range of 1:5 to 1:3);

The Nikonos is commonly referred to as a rangefinder camera, although it is actually a scale focus camera, as there is no rangefinder. The viewfinder is used purely to compose the shot, and to display exposure information. Focus is set with an outsized dial mounted on the left side of the lens barrel (as seen from the operator's point of view), and the aperture is set with a dial mounted on the right. For many beginners, this meant some confusion over estimating distances underwater, since refraction makes objects appear 25% closer than they actually are. Strangely, Nikon's approach was to assume that the user did not make the correction, so the distance markers on the lens are offset to compensate for it. Thankfully the Nikonos wide-angle lenses have ample depth of field, so these discrepancies are often not a noticeable problem.

Another implication of being a scale focus camera was evident in the extension tube and Close Up Kit systems, as the extremely shallow depth of field for macro photography pragmatically required a focusing aid. The solution used was a framer, which attached to the lens assembly and provided a direct physical index for the camera-to-subject distance, as well as its approximate width/height. These typically only indexed the bottom and two sides, not the top, and because of this shape, a slang term for Nikonos framers were Goal Posts. For various reasons (such as concern for potential damage to the reef), some alternative products were developed over time to minimize or replace the basic framer design. One example (Fred Dion; Underwater Photo Tech) consisted of a bracket that held two small flashlights whose beams alligned at the focus plane.

The Nikonos RS

In 1992, Nikon introduced an entirely new concept with the Nikonos RS. Unlike its predecessors, the RS was a complete amphibious single lens reflex camera, with its own set of unique lenses that also utilized water-contact optics.

The Nikonos RS underwater lenses included: (angle of view)

• R-UW AF Fisheye-Nikkor 13mm f/2.8 (180 degrees)
• R-UW AF Zoom-Nikkor 20-35mm f/2.8 (80-51 degrees)
• R-UW AF Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 (60 degrees)
• R-UW AF Micro-Nikkor 50mm f/2.8 (35 degrees)

The RS represented the pinnacle of Nikon's commitment to underwater imaging, and generated significant interest at the time. Although groundbreaking in many ways, it was also very expensive, putting it out of reach of all but the most dedicated underwater photographers. Unfortunately, early versions also had an annoying tendency to flood if not maintained perfectly. Nikon replaced all these fiasco floods at first, but in the end, it clearly became not worth the trouble. The RS was quietly discontinued about 5 years later, and no subsequent models were ever designed or manufactured.

Nikon continued to manufacture Nikonos V bodies until 2001, when it formally announced it was terminating the series. Without any new models in years and with digital imaging taking over the market, Nikon has said it has no plans for any future development of the Nikonos.

External links

• Evolution of the Nikonos, by Nikon
• The Nikonos System, Andew Dawson, Photo.net, 2003
• Underwater photography range, Nikon USA
• Nikonos underwater camera models, Photography In Malaysia