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55-692: Nippon Kogaku trace their underwater camera history back to 1956, when the company developed an underwater housing for the Nikon S2 rangefinder camera, which was marketed in May as the Nikon Marine . At approximately the same time, Jean de Wouters was building the first prototypes of the Calypso for La Spirotechnique, which went into serial production in 1961. However, La Spirotechnique was not experienced with camera design and manufacture, so they approached Nippon Kogaku to license

110-478: A 100 mm ƒ/2.8 short telephoto and a 75–150 mm ƒ/3.5 zoom , with the subsequent addition of a 70–210 mm ƒ/4 zoom, and a 135 mm ƒ/2.8 medium telephoto. These lenses were intended to enhance the EM's appeal to new users, as inexpensive but good quality alternatives to expensive Nikkor-branded lenses. The EM also had one very rare feature for an electronically controlled camera. Nippon Kogaku's philosophy that

165-427: A 50mm f / 2.8 macro, 28mm wide, 13mm fisheye, and the world's first underwater zoom lens, a 20-35mm. The body features considerable automation, with a built-in motor drive for film advance and rewinding, an autofocus system with multiple modes, DX film speed detection, and an aperture-priority autoexposure mode. It is equipped with a high-eyepoint "action" finder, with an eye relief of 60 mm (2.4 in), allowing

220-586: A bracket that held two small flashlights whose beams aligned at the focus plane. The Nikonos light meter accessory houses the selenium-celled Sekonic L-86 Auto-Lumi. An underwater light meter is necessary for the Nikonos I, II, and III, which do not have metering in the body. Because light becomes monochromatic as depth increases , a portable light source is required for underwater photography. The first Calypso-based Nikonos cameras (I and II) were equipped with two-pin sync ports for flashbulb units. The Nikonos III added

275-404: A camera must always work when called upon resulted in the EM's backup ability to operate without batteries, albeit in a limited fashion: mechanical control with one available fixed shutter speed (1/90 second, marked "M90") or fully-manual, operator-controlled open-shutter duration marked "B" for "Bulb", and without the light meter. A little-known feature of the EM is that when the battery is removed,

330-445: A complete rectangular frame, but most third-party extension tube kits 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

385-454: A negative at a small loss of speed while the grain will be slightly increased. Nikon EM The Nikon EM is a beginner's level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film , single lens reflex (SLR) camera . It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (today Nikon Corporation ) in Japan from 1979 to 1982 (available new from dealer stock until circa 1984). The camera was designed for and marketed to

440-465: A symmetric Double-Gauss lens behind an optical flat to make the assembly water-tight. This improves lens speed compared with the original lens fitted to the Calypso, the SOM Berthiot 35mm f / 3.5, which had a Tessar -type construction. The Nikonos lenses designated "UW-Nikkor" were specifically designed for underwater photography only. It is said that, even to this day, no underwater lens matches

495-634: A system of dedicated accessories; as much ease of use and automation as was possible in 1979; low cost by dint of a simplified manufacturing process, and the prestige of the Nikon name prominently displayed on the pentaprism housing. The Nikon EM and its later offshoots the FG and FG-20 were a sales and marketing failure for Nikon. Traditional Nikon owners shunned their cheap construction and lack of manual exposure control. The expected female beginner photographer market also failed to appear, as these photographers rejected

550-652: A third pin to support electronic flash units; although a prototype was exhibited (SB-11), the first electronic Nikonos flash unit, the SB-101, was introduced with the Nikonos IV-A; both the IV-A and III supported the SB-101, but the IV-A dropped support for the flashbulb units. The SB-102 and -103 were introduced with the Nikonos V, with the SB-103 a more compact version of the SB-102, which in turn

605-589: A voucher. Kodak Tri-X Tri-X is a black and white photographic film produced by the Eastman Kodak Company . Since 2013, it is distributed by Kodak Alaris which controls the Kodak Professional product line under which it is grouped. The combination of hand-held cameras and high-speed Tri-X film was transformative for photojournalism and for cinema. Introduced around 1940, in sheets rated at ASA daylight 200 and tungsten 160, it

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660-541: Is actually four feet away. Nikon assumed the user did not compensate for appearances underwater, so the distance markers on the lens are marked for apparent (not actual) distance. Thankfully the Nikonos wide-angle lenses have ample depth of field , so these discrepancies are often not a noticeable problem. The depth of field indicators on most Nikonos Nikkor lenses mechanically adjust with aperture. The numbered Nikonos models all had rugged construction, simple controls, and were waterproof to 50 m (160 ft). The camera

715-407: Is made waterproof by a simple system of o-rings at all the crucial joints. Each new model brought various improvements such as light metering , flash circuitry, and improved shutter and film advance design. The initial Nikonos line consisted of three models that were improved versions of Cousteau's Calypso of 1961: The Nikonos was introduced at Photokina 1963; in the beginning, each camera

770-556: Is no rangefinder. The viewfinder is used purely to compose the shot, and to display exposure information on bodies with internal metering (Nikonos IV-A and V). Focus distance 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. Refraction affects the estimated distance underwater by making objects appear 25% closer than they actually are; for example, an object that appears to be three feet away underwater (judged by size)

825-452: Is referred to as "stand" or "semi-stand" development , can allow the film to be pushed to speeds up to EI 3200 or 6400. Tri-X panchromatic film was once one of the most popular films used by photojournalists and many amateurs. It was manufactured by Eastman Kodak in the U.S., Kodak Canada, and Kodak Ltd in the UK. Kodak data-sheets once recommended different processing times depending on where

880-467: Is usually rated at ISO 400 when processed in standard developers and remains among the fastest black and white films today. Push processing Tri-X to a higher "exposure index" of EI 800 in a standard developer yields very good results, while further pushing to EI 1600 requires more sophisticated processing. A popular method for pushing Tri-X film is using highly diluted developers with little or no agitation and extended development times. This method which

935-548: The F2 of 1971 were highly regarded by professional photographers, the F2's bulk, expense, and intricacy made it a slow seller to most amateurs and beginners. Although Nikon's mid-level Nikkormat FT (1965) and EL (1972) camera series were made almost as well as the Nikon F and F2, their relatively high price turned amateurs toward less expensive models from other manufacturers. The Nikon EM formed

990-467: The "Auto" setting produces a shutter speed of approximately 1/1000 sec. This is documented in the factory repair manual. The EM and its E-system accessories were Nippon Kogaku's first attempt to reach the low end of the SLR market. Called internally “SLR Camera for Women”, the EM was designed to provide style, with its exterior contours designed Italian automobile stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro ); convenience with

1045-471: The "kit" lens. They made the Nikonos useful for aquatic activities such as kayaking , canoeing , or for foul weather situations. These two lenses, the W-35mm and W-80mm, were also fully waterproof, but because they utilized a flat port, they did not have the benefit of the specialized water-contact optics. The Nikonos RS mount is physically identical to the older Nikon F mount, but an additional external bayonet

1100-500: The 35mm lens is considered slightly wide on land, but is equivalent to a standard ~50mm lens under water. The nominal focal length can be multiplied by 1.33× to determine the equivalent angle of view underwater. These were also the first two lenses to be introduced with the Nikonos; the design of the W-Nikkor 35mm is based on the Nikkor 35mm f / 2.5 lens for M39 mount first sold in 1952; it is

1155-522: The AF Nikkor G type introduced in 2000, lack an aperture control ring, and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount but will not function properly. IX Nikkor lenses introduced in 1996 for Nikon's Advanced Photo System SLRs must not be mounted to an EM, as their rear elements will intrude far enough into the mirror box to cause damage. Beginning in 1977 with

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1210-565: The Commercial & Government Systems division of Kodak modified a small number of Nikonos RS cameras for the United States Navy to create a digital unit known as the "Nikon/Kodak DCS 425". The digital imaging portion was housed in an extended rear door and were largely identical to the options available for the contemporary Kodak DCS 420 cameras based on the Nikon F90 . Nikon celebrated

1265-521: The EM included a highly automated dedicated electronic flash unit, the Nikon SB-E (guide number 56/17 (feet/meters) at ASA 100) and a very small power winder, the Nikon MD-E (motorized film advance at 2 frames per second). There was also a new Nikon Series E range of lenses. The Series E lens line up in 1980 included a 28 mm ƒ/2.8 wide angle, a 35 mm ƒ/2.5 semi-wide angle, a 50 mm ƒ/1.8 normal,

1320-421: The Nikonos "UW" lenses for sharpness and color saturation underwater. A brief explanation from Nikon about the difference between underwater-only lens and standard/"amphibious" lens can be found at Nikon official site, under the section "2. Rendition characteristics and lens performance". Nikon also created two lenses for use both above and under water, and one of them, the 35mm f / 2.5, can be thought of as

1375-503: The Nikonos III to use the sprocket holes for positive framing; the original Calypso design did not count sprocket holes which sometimes resulted in overlapping frames. This resulted in a noticeably larger body. In addition, the flash sync port gained an extra pin to support electronic flash units. A second viewfinder line was Nikon's complete re-design and included a through-the-lens (TTL) light meter with automatic exposure: In contrast to

1430-528: The Nikonos legacy when the Nikon 1 AW1 was released, a waterproof interchangeable-lens digital camera. Reviewers compared the features of the AW1 to the Nikonos line. With the exception of the above-water only LW-Nikkor 28mm, all Nikonos Nikkor lenses use two knobs to facilitate focus and aperture operation with gloved hands. In later years, these knobs were colored differently to allow the photographer to more clearly distinguish between their functions; for these lenses,

1485-504: The Nikonos was an important tool for photographers working in the steaming jungles, flooded rice paddies, and rain-lashed battlefields of the Vietnam War. The wire services loaded their Nikonos cameras with Tri-X , Ektachrome -X or High-Speed Ektachrome . 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

1540-593: The SB-102 speedlight, which was introduced alongside the camera at the Photo Marketing Association Show in Las Vegas, held April 1984. The 1992 Nikonos RS introduced an entirely new concept. Unlike its predecessors, the RS was a complete amphibious single lens reflex camera, with auto-focus, waterproof to 100 m (330 ft) and its own set of unique lenses that also utilized water-contact optics. They are,

1595-479: The SB-105 as a replacement. Because the SB-103 housing was designed to be pressure-resistant, Nikon was unable to crush the recalled units and instead drilled a hole through the "103" marking on the side of the flash. Some of the recalled units were subsequently resold on the secondary market. The recall was still active as of October 2017; because the SB-105 is no longer being manufactured, SB-103 owners will instead receive

1650-493: The advanced amateur Nikon FM , there was a complete overhaul of the entire Nikon SLR line. The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition among major SLR brands Nikon, Canon , Minolta , Pentax and Olympus . Between 1975 and 1985 there was a shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with housings made of lighter materials and electronic automation controlled by integrated circuits . Because of rapid advances in electronics,

1705-529: The base of the new line. On introduction it was the smallest and cheapest Nikon SLR ever made. It was an electromechanically-controlled, manual-focus camera powered by button batteries. The EM featured a lightweight, compact copper-aluminum alloy body and fiberglass-reinforced polycarbonate plastic top and bottom covers, plus aperture priority semiautomatic exposure control governed by a built-in 60/40 percent centerweighted, silicon photodiode light meter . A left side viewfinder galvanometer needle pointer indicated

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1760-549: The body plus normal lens was only $ 231. The EM accepts nearly all lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount except lenses introduced in 1959, non-ai lenses will damage the lensmount, it does support the automatic indexing (AI) feature introduced in 1977. The contemporary Nikon-made AI lenses were the Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses are also AI types. Nikon's most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses,

1815-444: The brands continually leapfrogged each other with models having new or more automatic features. The industry was trying to expand out from the saturated high-end professional market and appeal to the large mass of amateur photographers who wanted to move up from compact automatic leaf-shutter rangefinder cameras to an SLR, but were intimidated by the need to learn the details of operating a traditional SLR. Although Nikon cameras like

1870-413: The camera also offered two mechanical shutter speeds ([B]ulb and 1 ⁄ 90 , marked as M90) in case of battery failure. In addition, the shutter speed dial can be set to "R"ewind. The viewfinder is equipped with a LED indicator, which glows steadily when the shutter speed is in the operating range ( 1 ⁄ 30 – 1 ⁄ 1000 ), and blinks when the range is exceeded. The Nikonos V retained

1925-429: The exposure on a shutter speed scale. The viewfinder also had Nikon's standard 3 mm split image rangefinder and 1 mm microprism collar focusing aids, but the focus screen was fixed. The viewfinder is dimmer than those in the semi-professional Nikons since the expensive prisms of the latter were not used. The camera is also fitted with a low-light exposure warning in the form of an audible 'beep'. Accessories for

1980-485: The film was manufactured. Its sales declined in the 1970s and 1980s due to the falling price and increasing popularity of color film. Since the advent of digital photography, Tri-X has all but fallen out of use in newspaper journalism, though it remains popular in documentary journalism. Tri-X has undergone a number of minor engineering changes during its long history. An early change in ASA (ISO) speed from 200 to 400, around 1960,

2035-456: The front of a Nikonos lens. Because the numbered Nikonos cameras did not offer through-the-lens viewing, the extremely shallow depth of field for macro photography pragmatically required a focusing aid. The extension tube and Close Up Kit systems used 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. The Nikon Close Up Kit provided

2090-475: The growing market of new photographers then entering the SLR buyer's market. The EM uses a Seiko MFC-E focal plane shutter with a speed range of 1 to 1/1000 second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/90 second. It is 86 mm (3.4 in) high, 135 mm (5.3 in) wide, 54 mm (2.1 in) deep and weighed 460 grams (16 oz). Unlike most Nikons of the time, it was available only in black. The EM has no full manual exposure mode capability, but instead

2145-409: The implicit condescension of an aperture-priority-only EM, and instead bought either higher-priced Nikons or other-brand cameras. The less-expensive Series E lenses marketed with the camera also came in for heavy criticism, and Nikon soon dropped the entire line. Despite its cheaper construction quality, the EM has proved to be as reliable over the years as more expensive Nikons of the era. Although

2200-423: The market, Nikon saw no reason to continue the series. However, in a 2010 interview with French magazine Focus-Numérique , Tetsuro Goto, Director of Laboratory Research and Development at Nikon Japan, said on the future of Nikonos, "Personally, I think the Nikonos will be reborn in the future." The numbered Nikonos cameras are often called rangefinder cameras , but in truth they are scale focus cameras as there

2255-490: The most dedicated (or best funded) underwater photographers. According to Brian Long, the RS was a development of Japan's bubble economy of the late 80s, which saw a number of cost-no-object consumer products and automobiles produced. Unfortunately, early versions also had a tendency to flood if not maintained perfectly. Flooding was attributed to many factors, one of which was the change to orange-colored silicone o-rings that could swell and fail if third-party silicone grease

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2310-426: The new features of the IV-A and added manual control to set discrete shutter speeds. The V was released to address specific criticisms of the IV-A, namely that the flat gasket design was prone to failure, and that the new flash sync shutter speed of 1 ⁄ 90 was too fast, especially since slower speeds could not be set manually to use fill-flash. The Nikonos V was capable of off-the-film-plane flash metering with

2365-458: The original Nikonos, but the shutter speed dial has an additional rewind setting, and the rewind knob is equipped with a lever to facilitate operation. Internally, all parts of the Nikonos II were coated to avoid corrosion; in case of leakage, the internal parts could be rinsed in fresh water and dried, leading some to call the Nikonos II indestructible. The film transport mechanism was redesigned for

2420-475: The prior Nikonos line, the Nikonos IV-A introduced a one-piece body using a hinged back for film loading; sealing was accomplished through numerous o-rings, including a large gasket for the back. The film transport mechanism for the IV-A was adapted from the contemporary Nikon EM . Like the EM, the Nikonos IV-A primarily operated in aperture-priority autoexposure mode using stepless quartz-controlled shutter speeds between 1 ⁄ 30 and 1 ⁄ 1000 , but

2475-713: The production and sales rights in June 1961; the two companies signed a contract in February 1962 granting the worldwide sales and distribution rights to Nikon outside France and the European Economic Community. Nippon Kogaku acquired the patent to the Calypso in 1963 and began manufacturing the Nikonos (later designated the Nikonos I) equipped with Nikkor optics instead of the original SOM Berthiot and Angenieux lenses. Because of its waterproof housing, lens options, and toughness,

2530-414: The same basic structure where the complete camera consists of three modules: lens, housing, and shutter/film transport assemblies. Film is loaded in the shutter/film assembly, which is inserted into the housing, and the mounting of the lens locks the three pieces together. The strap lugs are used to pry the shutter/film assembly out of the housing. The Nikonos II was cosmetically and dimensionally similar to

2585-447: The silver or chrome knob sets the focus distance, and the black knob controls the aperture. The LW-Nikkor uses conventional concentric focus and aperture rings. The two most common Nikonos lenses are the UW 28mm (for underwater use only) and the W 35mm (which is amphibious) with the UW 28mm being considered the better lens. Because water and air have significantly different indices of refraction,

2640-488: The user to wear a typical underwater mask. Previous Nikonos models used lens-mounted knobs for aperture and focus; these controls were moved to the top deck and front grip of the Nikonos RS, respectively. 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

2695-496: Was added for sealing, and the claws are slightly offset compared to the venerable still camera mount. The electronic signaling is also different from regular AF Nikon bodies. The sharpness of a remounted R-UW AF Fisheye-Nikkor 13mm was tested and found to be superior to an equivalent AF Fisheye-Nikkor 16mm using a dome port. Lenses were made for the original Nikonos mount (for example, by Sea&Sea), which included both prime lenses as well as focal length converters which attached to

2750-452: Was an updated version of the SB-101. The SB-104 and -105 were introduced with the Nikonos RS; all four of these units (SB-102 through -105) supported TTL flash operation. The SB-103 was recalled in September 1998; hydrogen gas could potentially build up and be ignited by the flash tube, which would eject the front lens and flash tube assembly from the unit. Owners of recalled units were offered

2805-474: Was applied instead of the Nikonos grease that was petroleum-based. Non-Nikon (third party) silicone grease was commonly used without problems on black Nikonos o-rings by underwater photographers for several decades. Nikon replaced all these 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. No Digital Nikonos has ever been made, but

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2860-466: Was due to a change in the ASA standard rather than the film. In 2007 , Tri-X was extensively re-engineered, receiving the new designation 400TX in place of TX or TX400, and became finer-grained. The amount of silver in the film stock was reduced. Tri-X also exists as a reversal film for the 16 mm and Super-8 cine film formats. The speed for tungsten lighting (3200 K) is ISO 160 and for daylight ISO 200 when processed as reversal. It can also be processed as

2915-635: Was individually tested for water-tightness. In Europe, under the terms of the licensing agreement, the Nikonos was known as the Calypso/Nikkor. In July 1966, Nikon began marketing the Nikonos as an all-weather camera and sold a limited number of cameras with a white finish, which consisted of Nikonos cameras with white leather body panels. It is estimated that less than 150 examples of the white-finished Nikonos were made. In total, approximately 200,000 Nikonos I, II, and III cameras were manufactured between 1963 and 1983. The three Calypso-based Nikonos models share

2970-458: Was intended to be used by inexperienced photographers who could not easily master the intricacies of shutter speeds and f-stops . There were also significant changes to the EM's mechanical and electrical components to reduce its production cost relative to previous Nikon cameras: dimensional tolerances weren't as tight, there were no ball bearings in the film advance mechanism, and no high-quality titanium shutter. The introductory US list price for

3025-440: Was one of Kodak's first high-speed (for the time) black and white films. Tri-X was released in 35 mm and 120 formats in 1954. Currently it is available in two speeds, ISO 320/26° (320TXP) and 400/27° (400TX). Tri-X 400 is the more common of the two, available in 24- and 36-exposure rolls of 35 mm and rolls of 120 as well as 50 and 100 ft bulk rolls of 35 mm. Tri-X 320 is available in 4×5", 5×7", and 8×10" sheets . Tri-X 400

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