Does any Mfg make a digital underwater camera

[LCromwell]

Does any Mfg make a digital underwater camera like the Nikonos? Why Nikon has not stepped up to the plate I really do not understand. It would seem so easy with their underwater cameras to change the guts to digital would be easy?

 

[Robert Brauser]

Try putting a housing together for either a top digital or a basic digital you are familiar with topside. There are a variety of housings available.
I use a Nikon D200 in a Sea&Sea housing with dual Inon strobes. It's great to be able to review, adjust or delete right there. It's a far cry from the days of shooting 36 and hoping to get one or two good ones. Now I can shoot 60 to 160 + and then there's the image adjustment software. You are almost guaranteed the shot that you will remember the dive by.
As a Nikonos fan from way back I wait for the Nikonos digital camera and hopefully it is on the horizon.

 

[pickens_46929]

Considering I got my Olympus FE-280 and housing by Olympus for under $300, or $425 with my new wide angle lens, I think Olympus along with some Canon's are about it for ones that come from the manufacturer.

Olympus and Canon offer several different options including a couple DSLR options (eg. Olympus Volt).

 

[JohnQPS122]

Digital Cameras that don't require a housing:

Sea Life SeaLife Cameras - Underwater Cameras and Accessories

I haven't tried them, but plenty of people here have.

 

[Nemrod]

Does any Mfg make a digital underwater camera like the Nikonos? Why Nikon has not stepped up to the plate I really do not understand. It would seem so easy with their underwater cameras to change the guts to digital would be easy?

No, they don't and why I cannot imagine. My two Nikonos III cameras were light, small, compact, durable with superior optics. Now all we get is cheap P&S and dSLRs. I hate dSLRs. My Nikonos III rigs were smaller and lighter than my Canon 570 rigs today and of course were far more capable but I could only shoot 36 exposures and could not check my work until I got home, oh well. We live in an age of a one year obsolescence cycle and plastic dSLRs that get one drop of saltwater on them and the magic smoke comes out. Try putting that back in, good luck.

The SeaLife stuff is a joke comparing it to a Nikonos, the Nikonos had underwater corrected optics which are not available on or for anything today--but used for a Nikonos.

I give up on Nikon, I am hopefull the new Oly micro 4:3 stuff will evolve into a small rangefinder than can drop into a small (second party) aluminum housing not much larger than a Nikonos III/IV.

N

 

[LCromwell]

No, they don't and why I cannot imagine. My two Nikonos III cameras were light, small, compact, durable with superior optics. Now all we get is cheap P&S and dSLRs. I hate dSLRs. My Nikonos III rigs were smaller and lighter than my Canon 570 rigs today and of course were far more capable but I could only shoot 36 exposures and could not check my work until I got home, oh well. We live in an age of a one year obsolescence cycle and plastic dSLRs that get one drop of saltwater on them and the magic smoke comes out. Try putting that back in, good luck.

The SeaLife stuff is a joke comparing it to a Nikonos, the Nikonos had underwater corrected optics which are not available on or for anything today--but used for a Nikonos.

I give up on Nikon, I am hopefull the new Oly micro 4:3 stuff will evolve into a small rangefinder than can drop into a small (second party) aluminum housing not much larger than a Nikonos III/IV.

N

I feel the same way, however I had better results than you report on usable pics from my Nikonos cameras. I have to say at this point, my observation in Israel's Red Sea was, every and I mean every, camera that used a housing back in 1976 flooded because the sand or salt was so fine. Now I have to say, I always removed my "O" rings and wiped them off and re coated them between dives as I had been instructed to do and I have to assume those with regular SLR's that used a housing didn't, or they just could not seal out the pressure. I am getting ready to go dive again in Bermuda and am getting my Nikonos ready but I'll be dammed if I can remember anything this many years later about my camera settings? Anyone care to offer any assistance. I remember using some kind of Kodachrome seems like it was blue or had a blue stripe on the box and it was best for underwater slides. Do you have to use "slide film?" or is there any film can be done into slides? What speed 100 or 200? I am at a total blank plus I have to find a strobe to use as my Vivitar 292 in and Ike light housings are long gone now? I have the housing still, but no 292 and besides the battery which was rechargeable had long since died when I tried them in the mid 90's.

 

[Nemrod]

I feel the same way, however I had better results than you report on usable pics from my Nikonos cameras. I have to say at this point, my observation in Israel's Red Sea was, every and I mean every, camera that used a housing back in 1976 flooded because the sand or salt was so fine. Now I have to say, I always removed my "O" rings and wiped them off and re coated them between dives as I had been instructed to do and I have to assume those with regular SLR's that used a housing didn't, or they just could not seal out the pressure. I am getting ready to go dive again in Bermuda and am getting my Nikonos ready but I'll be dammed if I can remember anything this many years later about my camera settings? Anyone care to offer any assistance. I remember using some kind of Kodachrome seems like it was blue or had a blue stripe on the box and it was best for underwater slides. Do you have to use "slide film?" or is there any film can be done into slides? What speed 100 or 200? I am at a total blank plus I have to find a strobe to use as my Vivitar 292 in and Ike light housings are long gone now? I have the housing still, but no 292 and besides the battery which was rechargeable had long since died when I tried them in the mid 90's.

I don't follow you, I didn't report not having good results, I did state that roll film was available in 36 exposure rolls (20/24/36 etc) and that usually I could not review my results until home and having sent my film through a pro lab.

I did not have nor do I believe in generic "settings" and at that times I used the sunny 16 rule or my Sekonic Marine Meter for exposure info.

I had, as well, an Ikelite housed Nikon FM and never had problems with O rings on either it or my two Nikonos IIIs.

I used Ecktachrome 64/160 which latter became Ecktachrome 100/200/400 etc and often I used Kodachrome 64 or I used Tri-X B&W and developed it my self on my own Bessler Enlarger which I still have--anyone want it?

Do you have to use slide film--no--but I always had poor results with prints and especially hated those matte finish photos so common during the disco era. Print film, color negative film, the film processing has the extra step of printing to paper, the color positive process, slide film, you got what you shot!

N

 

[LCromwell]

I don't follow you, I didn't report not having good results, I did state that roll film was available in 36 exposure rolls (20/24/36 etc) and that usually I could not review my results until home and having sent my film through a pro lab.

I did not have nor do I believe in generic "settings" and at that times I used the sunny 16 rule or my Sekonic Marine Meter for exposure info.

I had, as well, an Ikelite housed Nikon FM and never had problems with O rings on either it or my two Nikonos IIIs.

I used Ecktachrome 64/160 which latter became Ecktachrome 100/200/400 etc and often I used Kodachrome 64 or I used Tri-X B&W and developed it my self on my own Bessler Enlarger which I still have--anyone want it?

Do you have to use slide film--no--but I always had poor results with prints and especially hated those matte finish photos so common during the disco era. Print film, color negative film, the film processing has the extra step of printing to paper, the color positive process, slide film, you got what you shot!

N

I am sorry I had read another poster who said he only got 1 or 2 pics out of a 36 roll and thought it was your post, my mistake. Yes Ecktachrome was the film I used, do you think today if it is still available it is better than Fuji or not. I still have my Seconic meter and am looking at new batteries for it as well as my Nikonis V. I will see tomorrow what is in town as far as film, I hope it is not going the way that CDs are now going.

 

[friscuba]

Digital Cameras that don't require a housing:

Sea Life SeaLife Cameras - Underwater Cameras and Accessories

I haven't tried them, but plenty of people here have.

Those are housed cameras. I think they're a relatively inexpensive digital that have been branded by Sealife. For the money I think most people would be ahead of the game just picking their favorite Olympus or Canon and housing it.

 

[Nemrod]

I am sorry I had read another poster who said he only got 1 or 2 pics out of a 36 roll and thought it was your post, my mistake. Yes Ektachrome was the film I used, do you think today if it is still available it is better than Fuji or not. I still have my Seconic meter and am looking at new batteries for it as well as my Nikonis V. I will see tomorrow what is in town as far as film, I hope it is not going the way that CDs are now going.

Kodachrome is gone. I am not currently familiar with Fuji Film products, I was always a Kodak guy. It is hard enough to learn a film without jumping to a different company and chemistry. I liked Ektachromes so that is what I shot

KODAK 35mm Slide Film

The above films shoot similar to Ektachrome I am told, since I have sold all of my film cameras I cannot compare for you.

N