Who's used a Nikonos?

[micromontenegro]

I have a IV-A that I never intend to get beyond seven feet deep. I rather use it as a go-anywhere cam. I've found the only practical dual purpose lens in the 35. The 80mm is really intended to be a macro lens, to be used with extension tubes. The land 28mm belongs in a Holga (IMHO, please no one take ofense).

That said, the Nikonos is just perfect for the beach. Guess focussing is a learned behaviour, and you will get good at it in 5-6 rolls, maximum. And at the beach, the small apertures used mean you don't even have to guess.

As said above, I limit myself to the 35... but it is a fantastic lens! And the camera is indestructible. If you are not going to use it as a scuba camera, I think you can forfeit the yearly o-ring (the non-user-serviceable ones) replacement. I've done so, and everything seems to be fine. Lens, battery and film door o-rings (the latter a gasket in the IV-A) are easy enough to replace oneself. The IV and the V even have AE! About the only cavaet for the Nikonos is that it weights a ton.

In fact, if there was an accepatble land 20-25mm lens, I'd spend the 300 bucks that still can get you a new-old-stock Nikonos V body. But as for now, I am more than satisfied with my IV-A (probably the cheapest body)

 

[whitecat]

I've shot with Nikonos for years. Excellent optics and it shines with the 15mm U/W lens. The 35mm topside and rare 28mm topside lenses are excellent. They are so cheap on the bay nowadays...........

 

[ChrisN]

Does anyone have a source for seals for the IV-A? I have one sitting unused, which I've offered to Andrew as a loaner, but it needs new seals.

 

[micromontenegro]

The O-rings can be found here: http://www.uwdigitalvideo.com/store/Default.aspx?P=13938

The gasket is a different story... I don't know if they are available in the net. Try local.

 

[spyder2000]

Some years ago, I bought a Nikonos in a garage sale for $25usdand found a repair guy in Houston, Texas, who told me - without seeing it --that it would be expensive to repair because the o-rings dry up and that water would go inside without replacing the rings...He offered to buy it for $50 usd, which I stupidly accepted and spent about $8 to send it to him... From all the comments here, no one has mentioned anything about o-rings...I still wonder if I made a mistake in unloading it...

Replacement O-Rings are very reasonable. Preserve them with the O-ring lubricant which, if unavailable, can he petroleum jelly. I think you were taken unless the camera itself was non functional.

 

[spyder2000]

The Nikonos problem with the half-in half-out scenario is that the "defining line" between the two isn't going to fall within the depth of field and it will consume a great deal of the frame when it is totally out of focus.

You'd get great results putting the Nikonos in a fish tank or other container with a glass front so you can move the camera away from the desired composition thus giving you the opportunity to get that line closer to focus.

Note to all. When reloading never put the fully removable bottom on the deck of a sailboat while out in the ocean.

 

[bobkonos]

Seals for the IV-A

Seals for the IV-A

Chris,

Here you go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikonos-IV-A-Un...oryZ4703QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

bobkonos

Does anyone have a source for seals for the IV-A? I have one sitting unused, which I've offered to Andrew as a loaner, but it needs new seals.

 

[Tom A]

The first one I had was a Cyclops (i think that is what it was called) with a Berthiot 35f3.5 (this is a long time ago and the designations can be wrong on the lens). Tough and a hassle to load and the lens was OK only. Later I got the Nikonos I and II. They are bullet proof and the 35 is very good. I have the same lens in Nikon RF mount and it rivals a Summicron.
I mainly used these cameras in corrosive environments (pulp mills, refinaries, power plants) as they are next to impervious to stuff like that. Carry two because reloading is tricky if you are wearing a protective suit or gloves.
Once I did beach shoot with it - helping a friend with a swimsuit job. I had an old Ford wagon (55-56) and as I was loading up after the shoot I put one body on the rear bumper, pulled down the tailgate, loaded up and closed the back. It was on a sandy/gravelly road and my friend was behind me. He kept honking and flashing the lights until I stopped after about 1/2 mile. "You have a camera bumping behind you". The Nikonos had gotten the strap around one of the "bumper horn" and had happily bumped along in the sand and gravel. The front filter {protective) was cracked, the lever for release and advance was bent and most of the covering had come off on one side. It still worked though!!!
Nikon replaced the filter, glued back the covering and straightened out the lever as much as possible and tried to fix the lug/opening latch on one side (never worked well, I always carried a pair of pliers for it).
A couple of weeks later I was walking down the firestairs of a high rise building, camera slips off my shoulder and happily bounces down about 5 flights of stairs, banging into walls and handrails in doing so.
Back to Nikon, the protective filter is cracked again, the lever broke off at the thumbgrip and the second latch got crunched (really needed the pliers to open/close). It still worked though and the lens survived all of this. I remembering trading it in for some F2 gear and I was allowed $10 in trade! Condition was less than pristine according to the sales guy.
If you keep the seals well lubed and check the locking lugs - they are unbreakable.
Roger. nothing worse than sliding on cameras is there. A friend did it with a M4 P and a 21/2,8. Surprisingly enough, both the lens and camera survived, though the hood on the 21 had to be replaced. He still complains about back pain and blames the lens for it!

 

[BillBingham2]

Sold my last one a few months back to a guy in NYC. It was a Nikonos III with a 35/2.5. Great lens and as Tom has pointed out STONG body. There are internal O-rings that do need to be replaced from time to time, the external ones are easy. It is a great camera to use in the rain, in a pool or on a canoeing trip. I've used them from time to time from about 1974, they are wonderful cameras and a two lens system (35/80) has you covered for just about any out door sort of trip.

Make sure you remove the lens before trying to change the film on IIIs or below. The best place to have them CLAed is here:

http://www.southern-nikonos.com/

Bob is a great guy to deal with and his site has a TON of wonderful information about Nikonoses (or is it naturally plural?).

B2 (;->