Space walk Nikons

[Dfin]

I was just on the NASA site, looking at their archive and there was a photo of Ed White`s space walk. With what appears to be a Nikon Rangefinder, attached to the jet gun he used to manoeuver with. Can anyone confirm this? It was in the Gemini Program photo archive.

 

[George S.]

A link to the page would be helpful for us to have a looksee.

 

[bmattock]

http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2005/0907_nasa_01.htm

Nikon products have been mounted on every manned American spaceflight since Apollo 15, and this is a clear manifestation of the high reliability and quality of Nikon optics.

http://history.nasa.gov/apollo_photo.html

[public domain NASA photo]

I'm afraid I don't know what the camera is, but apparently not a Nikon rangefinder...dunno.

 

[bmattock]

ADDENDUM:

Google Books - Focal Encyclopedia of Photography

"Ed White used a 35mm (Zeiss) Contarex."

 

[BillBingham2]

That's a picture from the Gemini missions. Space walk, perhaps Ed White. Take a look at the reflection in his visor!

My gut says Nikon or Contax.

B2 (;->

 

[bmattock]

That's a picture from the Gemini missions. Space walk, perhaps Ed White. Take a look at the reflection in his visor!

My gut says Nikon or Contax.

B2 (;->

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/gemini_4_eva.html

According to what I could find out, that *is* a photo of Ed White, during his spacewalk, and yes, he was on a Gemini mission (June 3rd, 1965). The Focal Encyclopedia says flat-out that it was a Zeiss Contarex. If they're wrong, then I have no idea.

 

[furcafe]

True, & I can see the confusion, as the Nikon RFs "borrowed" the Zeiss Ikon Contax RF form-factor & the Contarex SLRs had removeable backs that resembled those of the Contax (in the same way that the 1st models of the Nikon F SLRs loaded in the same way as the RFs). Also, I don't know what model NASA used & how they modified it (this PDF article is silent on such camera-nerd issues), but if it was a Contarex Special, it may have had the waist-level finder installed, which would have eliminated the pentaprism hump.

ADDENDUM:

Google Books - Focal Encyclopedia of Photography

"Ed White used a 35mm (Zeiss) Contarex."

 

[rbiemer]

Here is a different view of the camera--small picture, though.

address of picture:http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/lores/S65-27331.jpg

Looks like a Contarex w/o prism to me.
Rob

 

[furcafe]

Yeah, looks like a Special w/the prism finder removed (& no waist-level finder, either).

Here is a different view of the camera--small picture, though.

address of picture:http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/lores/S65-27331.jpg

Looks like a Contarex w/o prism to me.
Rob

 

[kjoosten]

Here is a different view of the camera--small picture, though.


Looks like a Contarex w/o prism to me.
Rob

You are correct, it's Zeiss Contarex. See this link:

http://history.nasa.gov/apollo_photo.html

"...on the second Gemini mission, history was made when the first picture of a spacecraft in orbit was taken by astronaut Ed White as he floated outside his spacecraft. He used a Zeiss Contarex 35mm camera mounted atop his gas-powered maneuvering gun".

 

[NIKON KIU]

for those of you who are interested in this subject, should check these links:
http://www.nikonweb.com/nasaf4/
http://nikonhistoricalsociety.yuku.com/topic/446
http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/story_4401.html
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2008/0711_nasa_01.htm

Kiu

 

[Dfin]

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread, it never ceases to amaze me, the depth of knowlege of people who contribute to Rangefinder Forum. I am, unfortunately not that computer literate, so I apologize for not posting a link to the photo in question. The thing that strikes me about the space program, was that so much of it seemed to be suck it and see. We need a camera, oh just nip down to the local camera shop and buy one, and get the boffins in the back room to screw on a couple of extra large knobs. I realize that was far from the truth, but that`s what it seemed like to me. Thanks again everyone.

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I amazed that it works like that. I would have expected film to be pretty insensitive to light at the -270C temperature in outer space. I guess I'm missing something.

 

[George S.]

What you're missing is that the Gemini missions were in earth orbit and not deep space. The temperature in earth orbit in sunlight is approx. 121 deg.Celsius or 250 deg.Farenheit. (394K)

 

[Frank Petronio]

I wonder how he advanced the film and focused with those bulky gloves?

 

[dfoo]

He didn't take the gloves off?! 😉

 

[Sparrow]

What you're missing is that the Gemini missions were in earth orbit and not deep space. The temperature in earth orbit in sunlight is approx. 121 deg.Celsius or 250 deg.Farenheit. (394K)

I think I read somewhere that they ran their watches without any lubricant to better cope with the temperature extremes, presumably the cameras would be the same.

Its hard to believe now it predated digital watches

 

[Mr_Flibble]

Thanks George.

 

[Keith]

Wow ... imagine being the lab rat responsible for souping those rolls. You'd want to get it right! 😛

 

[Sparrow]

Wow ... imagine being the lab rat responsible for souping those rolls. You'd want to get it right! 😛

"Na’mate nothing wrong with the processing that cosmic ray that done that"