ShPhotosots taken with the Nikonos camera series

I have a Nikonos III. It was not easy to get a feeling about light under water. The Nikonos III has no metering system, it is a mechanical camera. But it is quite logical to use. I took this picture last time, when I was in Croatia with a 35 mm 1:2,5 Nikonos lens.
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What a wonderful thread!! Great photos, everyone!! Earlier this year, I picked up a Nikonos III from Japan, w/ the terrific 35mm lens, and then picked up the 85mm lens to go w/. I got the camera to take w/ me on kayak paddles and to use in inclement weather, but hope to use it snorkling if I get back to Hawaii at some point. In the meantime, I’m v. impressed w/ the optics and the handling of the camera. I’ve been shooting Rollei 35s for years so I’m sort of used to scale focus cameras. Some samples from this summer:

Morning paddle by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Speed boats by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr

Forms of attention by Steve Macfarlane, on Flickr
 
Are the waterproofing seals easily available and simple to replace?

Yes and yes, with the qualification that putting seals in place and making sure that they are watertight is relatively fiddly and requires attention to detail for all underwater cameras. The o-ring sizes vary between Nikonos models but they are all standard sizes and there is a lot of information on the web about them. YouTube has videos that show the uncomplicated replacement process.

Fantastic cameras, from the Nikonos I right up to the RS.

Marty
 
I carried my 1975 Nikonos III and an Olympus Stylus Epic along with my then normal ContaxG when my family spent two weeks in Costa Rica. Used the Stylus Epic for those times when I needed to shoot one handed like zip lining or horseback. The Nikonos was for the wet times. When I put together the family album for the trip, each camera represented about 1/3 of the photos.

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Yes and yes, with the qualification that putting seals in place and making sure that they are watertight is relatively fiddly and requires attention to detail for all underwater cameras. The o-ring sizes vary between Nikonos models but they are all standard sizes and there is a lot of information on the web about them. YouTube has videos that show the uncomplicated replacement process.

Fantastic cameras, from the Nikonos I right up to the RS.

Marty

I got a set of replacement o-rings and “grease” from KEH.
 
I got a set of replacement o-rings and “grease” from KEH.

KEH is a good place to buy Nikonos gear - their prices are still reasonable, the grading is very fair and they are very attuned to selling drowned cameras clearly marked as such. They are also good about labelling the lenses to remind you which lenses are good in the water and in air/on land as opposed to only in water. They have some o rings for the strobes in stock at the moment but not for any of the cameras. The o rings need replacing fairly frequently if you use the cameras underwater but they should remain splash proof for a long time. O ring sets for the Nikonos V are fairly easy to find but I've had to assemble my own sets from other sources for my other Nikonos cameras (I don't have a Nikonos IVa). The RS is a true masterstroke, such an amazingly perfect thing that I am really incredulous that Nikon or some other manufacturer didn't try to replicate it with a digital platform.

Marty
 
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