Questions about my Nikonos V

[RayJayJr]

Made the jump last month and finally got myself my first underwater camera. Picked up a Nikonos V with a 35 2.8. Opened up the box, everything looked great, but it was missing O-rings. So I bought 2 boxes of o-rings, and installing them looks pretty straightforward.

I noticed that on the front of the 35mm lens, that it's threaded, like any standard lens. I threaded one of my rodenstock UV filters onto the front of the lens. Is this the intendid purpose of the threading? Should I dive with or without a filter threaded in?

[-]
Second question. Forgive me for asking, but how do I actually remove the lens? I get the feeling I'm missing something totally obvious.[/-] I used my telekinetic powers and got the lens off. Twist and turn - the oring was just really sticky.

And finally, for shooting in daylight, at 60 feet or less, without a strobe (A strobe would be a bit overwhelming), I picked up some Ilford Delta 400, which seems to push fairly well. Is this a good choice? I'm diving the Canadian west coast.


Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.

 

[blatter]

Hi - To answer: if you use a filter underwater you may have to put it on when submerged to avoid trapped air bubbles - and don't leave a wet metal filter on after the dive as it may corrode and seize up.

The flat glass of the 35 mm lens is pretty tough and I can't remember seeing anyone using a uv filter just for protection uw (I never had a problem over the 15 or so years I used Nikonos cameras regularly - I moved to housings and stopped using them regularly a while ago) but of course you may want to use other filters for color/contrast etc.

If you got a secondhand Nikonos with some missing o-rings, In my opinion it would be a very good idea to get it serviced and pressure checked before taking it diving. O-rings can age and fail even in a new looking Nikonos. A drop or two of salt water in the wrong place will kill the camera.

Some of the Nikonos o-rings are unusual sizes and are softer than normal 70 dura nitrile o-rings - which may be an issue - I am not sure. I have used off the shelf o-rings to service Nikonos 4 and 5s - it's been a while so I can't remember the details - but remember some of the sizes were not easy to find. You didn't say, but maybe the boxes of o-rings are Nikon replacements in which case they should be fine.

Removing the lens - if you look closely at the base of the lens you will see a small pin on the top and bottom of the lens that fits into a groove on the camera body lens mount. To remove, gently lift the lens away from the body until the pins just lift out of the grooves and then rotate the lens anticlockwise about a quarter turn (I think) until you can gently pull the lens out of the body. The o-ring adds some friction that can make removing the lens a little stiff, but take it slow and don't be tempted to just use brute force as the mount on the lens is mounted on springs and is not as robust as the rest of the camera looks and feels.

Film is a personal thing and depends on the end result you want. At least you will be diving in a great place. West coast Canada is fantastic.

Nikonos is an excellent tool for some applications if you still want to use film - the 15 mm wide angle is really sharp - but still expensive. Consider getting a small flash and extension tubes and shoot color for a great compact macro system.

Hope that helps.

 

[RayJayJr]

Hi - To answer: if you use a filter underwater you may have to put it on when submerged to avoid trapped air bubbles - and don't leave a wet metal filter on after the dive as it may corrode and seize up.

The flat glass of the 35 mm lens is pretty tough and I can't remember seeing anyone using a uv filter just for protection uw (I never had a problem over the 15 or so years I used Nikonos cameras regularly - I moved to housings and stopped using them regularly a while ago) but of course you may want to use other filters for color/contrast etc.

This is what I thought. I'm so used to shooting on land - so I'm very careful with my lenses and always have a filter on the front.

If you got a secondhand Nikonos with some missing o-rings, In my opinion it would be a very good idea to get it serviced and pressure checked before taking it diving. O-rings can age and fail even in a new looking Nikonos. A drop or two of salt water in the wrong place will kill the camera.

...

You didn't say, but maybe the boxes of o-rings are Nikon replacements in which case they should be fine.

These o-rings are Nikon replacements - New in box, as I understand it. I had them shipped from chicago, via ebay as I was unable to find a source in western Canada.

Film is a personal thing and depends on the end result you want. At least you will be diving in a great place. West coast Canada is fantastic.

Nikonos is an excellent tool for some applications if you still want to use film - the 15 mm wide angle is really sharp - but still expensive. Consider getting a small flash and extension tubes and shoot color for a great compact macro system.

I think I'd like to start out just working under ambient conditions - I shoot macro with a Rebel XT and a MP-E 60mm with dual ring flash, and I find that to be rather tedious. My buoyancy is good, but I think I'd like to start off small and learn without the strobes first.

Some of the photographers I enjoy a great deal are:

oceanicdreams.com
Johnny Christensen - uw photography: Welcome
Underwater Photography - Fotografia Submarina - Marcelo Mammana

And especially Doubilet Doubilet - Underwater Photography Portfolio

Hope that helps.

Absolutely!

I'd like to pick up the 15mm. They seem to be fairly hard to come by, not to mention the cost, nearly an arm and a leg. Someday, I will have one.

 

[Footslogger]

Congratulation and good luck with underwater photo. Careful though ...it ID addictive.

Shot with a Nikonos for over 20 years. I had mixed emotions when it came to making the jump to digital.

That said ...in addition to the above suggestions, I would tell you to (A) Get a strobe and (B) Get some slower film -- at least ISO 100.