If you have not been exposed to an old version of the underwater Nikonos camera, it certainly looks like an ET camera But for the underwater enthusiasts worldwide, the Nikonos has changed the course for this specific area of interest - working under the water... (Bigger view is available here.). Below is a short article how this breed of Nikon's camera called Nikonos started:-

Because today the name Nikonos is virtually synonymous with underwater photography, it's difficult to imagine that Nikon in fact was not the world's first maker of underwater cameras. Before the early 1960's, there were some cameras around that enabled underwater photography, but the choice was limited, to say the least. Perhaps the most restricting factor was the awkward housing needed to protect the equipment from the briny deep. Adding insult to injury, the price of such outfits was astronomical, way out of reach of the average photo-loving diver. A company from Japan, Nippon Kokagu, changed that. | Message Board | Questions, issues & Answer(s) <<<--- Credit: Images of the two Calypso models shown here courtesy of Mr. Al Kulhawik <debnoznal_nospam@hotmail.com> . Image copyright © 2005 All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the contributing photographer.

<<<--pictures shown with the original manual from US Divers co. "... The story I got was the Calypso was first produced in 1968 and made in Japan. The French people did not buy it because of it being made in Japan so Cousteau made to have it manufactured in France hence some say made in France on them and some say Japan on them. Later he sold it to Nikon and they up dated it with the Nikonos 1, 11 111 and so on..." Al Kulhawik

Jacques Costeau, the famous French oceanographer, had long dreamed of the perfect underwater camera. His company, La Spiro technique*, had been engaged for several years researching the means to create one. Somehow, however, the right optics kept eluding them. Nikon got involved. Working together in a joint venture, Nikon and Spiro technique announced success in 1961. Sold at first in France under the name of Calypso, this revolutionary camera-the world's first full-fledged underwater camera-went on sale in Japan in 1963 as Nikonos 1 (discontinued in Oct. 1968). And what waves it created. Not only was Nikonos I the most compact underwater camera yet on the market (with no bulky housing), it also could dive as deep as 50m (165ft)) and withstand temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F) all the way.

* Update:- Mr. Jorge Yantorno wrote to me and he thinks it should be spelled as "La Spirotechnique" .

<<<--- Credit: Images of the Nikonos III model shown below courtesy of Mr. Mike (blacks2) who happens to the a member of the Nikon Historical Society| Ebay Contact|) . All Images copyright © 2005 All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the respective contributing photographers.


The Nikonos 1 is a 24 x 36 film format, all-weather viewfinder camera. It is meter-less camera as it has no light meter within. The shutter employed a vertically travel metal focal plane type of design with shutter speed range working quite narrow from 1/30 to 1/500 sec (with settings from 30, 60, 125, 250 & 500*). plus an additional Bulb setting (flash connection for FP and X). Basic features includes a bright line finder with parallax marks, auto film reset counter and the accessory shoe for attaching other finders. Flash synchronization requires cable connection (via adapter) and sync at 1/60 sec. for electronic flash. Despite its relative compact size, but the cast aluminum body actually weighs quite heavily at approx. 700 g. The film advance lever actually doubles as shutter lock. The trade name of Nikonos I was actually marketed after Nikon (Nippon Kogaku) acquired the Calypso patent from the French firm. It actually works not just underwater, but both on underwater as well as for general photography out of water. The standard lense, UW-35mm f/2.5 actually deprived from an optical formula like the RF-Nikkor 35mm f/2.5 lens for the Nikon rangefinder * Note: Strangely, the Calypso has a top shutter speed of 1/1000 instead of 1/500.

Some early versions sold in European market may bear a "Calypso/Nikkor" trade name. Production serial number for this models may have been started from 900001.

<<<--- Credit: Images of the Nikonos1 models shown here courtesy of Natasha <treasureisland_nospam@comcast.net> . Image copyright © 2005 All rights reserved. Please respect the visual property of the contributing photographer.

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The Rangefinder || The Nikonos || Compact Cameras
SLRs -1959/1979 | 1980/1990 | 1991/1999 | y2k/2003 | 2004 ~

The Eyes of Nikon:-
Rangefinder RF-Nikkor lenses:- Main Index Page | Nikon Auto Focus Nikkor lenses:- Main Index Page

Nikon Manual Focus Nikkor lenses:-
Fisheye-Nikkor Lenses - Circular | Full Frame | Ultrawides Lenses - 13mm15mm18mm20mm | Wideangle Lenses - 24mm28mm35mm |
Standard Lenses - 45mm 50mm 58mm | Telephoto Lenses - 85mm105mm135mm180mm & 200mm |
Super-Telephoto Lenses - 300mm 400mm 500mm 600mm 800mm 1200mm |

Special Application lenses:
Micro-Nikkor Lenses - 50mm~55mm -60mm 85mm -105mm 200mm Micro-Zoom 70-180mm
Perspective Control (PC) - 28mm 35mm PC-Micro 85mm
Dedicated Lenses for Nikon F3AF: AF 80mm f/2.8 | AF 200mm f/3.5 EDIF
Depth of Field Control (DC): 105mm 135mm
Medical Nikkor: 120mm 200mm
Reflex-Nikkor Lenses - 500mm 1000mm 2000mm
Others: Noct Nikkor | OP-Nikkor | UV Nikkor 55mm 105mm | Focusing Units | Bellows-Nikkor 105mm 135mm
Nikon Series E Lenses: 28mm35mm50mm100mm135mm | E-Series Zoom lenses: 36~72mm75~150mm70~210mm

MF Zoom-Nikkor Lenses: 25~50mm | 28~45mm | 28~50mm | 28~85mm | 35~70mm | 36~72mm E | 35~85mm | 35~105mm | 35~135mm |
35~200mm | 43~86mm | 50~135mm | 50~300mm | 70~210mm E | 75~150mm E | 80~200mm | 85~250mm |
100~300mm | 180~600mm | 200~400mm | 200~600mm | 360~1200mm | 1200~1700mm

Tele-Converters: TC-1 | TC-2 | TC-200 | TC-201 | TC-300 | TC-301 | TC-14 | TC-14A | TC-14B | TC-14C | TC-14E | TC-16 | TC-16A | TC-20E

Nikon F | Nikon F2 | Nikon F3 | Nikon F4 | Nikon F5 | Nikon F6 | Nikkormat / Nikomat |
Nikon FM | Nikon FE/ FA | Nikon EM/FG/FG20 | Nikon Digital SLRs | Nikon - Other models

MIR Supports for Photographic Community: Various Message Boards/Community Forums
Nikon F-series| Nikon F2-series| Nikon F3-series| Nikon F4-series| Nikon F5-series|Nikkormat/Nikomat-series
Nikon FM-series|Nikon FE-series|Nikon FA|Nikon Digital SLR series|Various Nikon Models|Nikkor Optic -shared

Others:- Free Trade Zone - Photography| Free Trade Zone - Business Community |Free To Zouk - Photographic Community
Apple's Mac Public Community Message Board | Windows based PC & Apple/Mac Public Community Trade Exchange Centre

Recommended links to understand more technical details related to the Nikkor F-mount and production Serial Number:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-153.html by: my friend, Rick Oleson
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/fmount.htm by: Hansen, Lars Holst
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/lens2.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html

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