The Nikonos Story

The famous French deep-sea diver and film maker Jean-Yves Cousteau failed several times to construct a satisfying underwater camera. The Belgian - but born in France - aviation engineer Jean de Wouters d´Oplinter, however, succeeded in a camera construction that could stand the water pressure at a depth of at least 60 meter. He gave that camera the name of the research vessel of Cousteau: Calypso. The production of the camera was taken over by a French company named Spiro-technique in Levallois-Perret (France). Nikon Corporation takes over the production rights in 1963 and starts the production of a series of underwater cameras, better known as Nikonos. The original Calypso camera was fitted with lenses of the French lens maker Berthiot; it´s obvious that Nikon designed a nice range of Nikkors for the Nikonos series.

As one can see below most Nikonos bodies are identical outside, inside is a different story. Please read.

The Nikonos I (introduced in August 1963) is in fact an improved version of the Calypso with, of course, a Nikkor lens, the W-Nikkor 2.5/3.5mm. The camera is in fact a camera which is put in a separate aluminum body. It has a metal shutter with a limited number of exposure times (1/30, 1/125, 1/250 and 1/500 sec.), a range finder with parallax correction and a mechanical film advance system. No internal flash nor light meter. This version was build until 1968. The serial number is engraved on the flash shoe, starting at #900001.

The Nikonos II, which was introduced in May 1968, is technically identical but the whole finish is much better. It has a rewind crank and a DOF scale on the lens. This camera was in production until 1975. For the German market a Nikkor-version exists as the German Zeiss-Ikon company made objections against the use of the almost identical Nikon name on the German market. Serial numbering starts at 960001.

The Nikonos III is known as one of the best Nikonos of the whole series. Ergonomics, finish and range finder (with 35 and 80mm frames) are improved. This camera was build between June 1975 and July 1980. Serial numbering starts at 3100001.

Nikonos III

The Nikonos IVa - introduced in July 1980 - is a total new camera. It has a electronic shutter (1/30 - 1/1000 sec.) with aperture priority, thus having a built-in exposure meter. It also has a synchro-contact for electronic flashes at an increased synchro-time of 1/90 sec. (older cameras have 1/60 sec.). The most outstanding feature is the back of the camera which opens like all other modern Nikon SLR cameras. This camera was build until 1984. First #4100001.

The Nikonos V, being the last of the Nikonos rangefinder cameras was introduced in April 1984. The internal integrated circuit was improved (probably lent from the Nikon EM) with a electronic shutter with aperture priority and an automatic flash program (with external flashes like SB-102). It´s the first camera which was supplied in two colors: orange and green. The production of this very sturdy camera has been stopped just a few years ago.

Nikonos V

The Nikonos RS is probably the most beautiful underwater camera ever made. Not only its design but also its features are unique. Based on the ´organs´ of the Nikon F-601 it was and still is the first underwater single lens reflex camera with autofocus and 4 different programs in the world. It can be used at a depth of 100 meters! It was, however, not a bargain. The body was listed at a staggering 3400 Euro, a standard lens was more than 1000 Euro and for a simple flash (SB-104) one had to fork out another 1500 Euro. It´s actually almost a pain to jump into the sea with a set of nearly 6000 Euro! It may be that this high price finished the camera. The camera was introduced in June 1992, only 4 years later Nikon packed it in.

Nikonos RS

It is a pity that Nikon didn´t continue to produce a sturdy underwater camera for amateur and professional use. Although there are some underwater housings on the market for several Nikon SLR and Coolpix cameras, the Nikonos RS remains the absolute top!

Buying a second hand Nikonos is a tricky business, unless you know where to look (at). Always open a camera entirely to find water and/or dust & rust inside. A good photographer has to clean each camera and lens under a shower as soon as he comes out of any water (also freshwater rivers or lakes). After cleaning it all O-rings should be checked and renewed or greased. It´s redundant to say that lenses can´t be changed underwater. Nikon produced a nice range of interchangeable lenses for the Nikonos rangefinder series and for the Nikonos RS, among them even a fisheye and AF-Zoom-Nikkor!! Again, not a bargain, but all of them a masterpiece of optical engineering, hardly seen elsewhere.

Some lenses are - optically - based on the existing SLR models, although field curvature and coating may differ. As light underwater has a different breaking index than on land, the picture angle of all lenses are (approx. 15%) smaller than the indicated focal length may suggest. The weight of all lenses underwater is less as well.

UW-Nikkor 2.8/15 mm.

A very unique underwater wide-angle lens with an optical construction of 9 elements in 5 groups was introduced in June 1972. A redesigned version (12 elements in 9 groups) appeared in June 1982. Both lenses have to be used with a separate viewfinder (DF-11). The second version is fitted with some electronic contacts for use on the Nikonos IV-A and Nikonos V. The viewing angle (underwater) of this lens equals that of a 20 mm.-lens on land.

UW-Nikkor 2.8/20 mm.

Introduced in July 1985 this very nice lens should be used with the DF-12 viewfinder. On both sides two knobs allow adjustments of aperture and distance.

UW-Nikkor 3.5/28 mm.

In July 1965 this wide-angle lens (underwater almost standard) was presented. It has 6 elements in 5 groups.

W-Nikkor 2.5/35 mm.

This lens, introduced together with the first Nikonos camera, is considered to be the standard lens for underwater photography, as it has - underwater - nearly the same picture angle as a standard (50 mm.) lens on land. It is a simple construction of 6 elements in 4 groups.

Nikkor 4/80 mm.

This telelens has a picture angle underwater with an equivalent on land of a Nikkor with a focal length of approx. 105 mm. As it focuses down to 1 meter it is an excellent lens for close-ups. With just 4 individual elements it is almost free from flare and other internal reflexes. It has a separate DF-10 viewfinder.

LW-Nikkor 2.8/28 mm.

LW stands for ´all-weather´, indicating that this lens cannot be used underwater! It is meant to be used on any Nikonos rangefinder camera in wet conditions, like rain, tropical jungle, cavern etc. Its optical construction (5 individual elements) equals that of the Series-E Nikkor 2.8/28 mm. This nice lens was introduced in September 1983.

Now we come to a group of very interesting and masterly examples of optical engineering! All lenses below weren´t cheap and light (on land), but they are unequalled until to date! All lenses have rubber coatings on the front rim and a ´bull-eye´ on the top side to read the distance.

R-UW AF-Nikkor 2.8/13 mm.

This wonderful underwater fish-eye-lens (what´s in a name!), consisting of 10 elements in 7 groups (of which the front lens is protection lens as well), has a picture angle of 170° (on land) and can be focused down to 15 cm.! It was the second most expensive UW-Nikkor (same price as the AF-Nikkor-D 1.4/28 mm. ASP) at its introduction in June 1994.

R-UW AF-Nikkor 2.8/28 mm.

This lens, introduced in June 1992 was the cheapest of all Nikonos RS-lenses. It has an optical construction of 6 individual lenses and focuses down to 26 cm. This lens is considered to be the standard lens (underwater) for the Nikonos RS.

R-UW AF-Micro-Nikkor 2.8/50 mm.

This lens, introduced in June 1992, was specially designed for close-ups underwater. It can focused down to 17 cm., which (again underwater) offers an image ratio of 1:1. Its optical construction consists of 10 elements in 9 groups.

R-UW AF-Zoom-Nikkor 2.8/20-35 mm.

This lens is the one (first) and only underwater zoom-lens in the world! This wonderful optical instrument (10 individual elements) delivers excellent images. It was introduced in June 1992 at a price higher than the Nikonos RS! It focuses down to 38 cm. and has a knob at its side to zoom. Due to its high price it is a very rare lens.