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2026-03-15 - Nikon Nikonos II Camera

 

Using 35mm film, the Calypso camera for use underwater was an original design by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Belgian engineer Jean de Wouters. Starting in 1961, the Calypso was produced in France by La Spirotechnique, until the design was acquired by Nikon in 1963. Nikon began manufacturing the now re-named Nikonos cameras, later designated the Nikonos I, equipped with Nikkor optics instead of the original SOM Berthiot and Angenieux lenses.

Made from 1968-1975, the Nikonos II is the successor to the Nikonos I. A version branded as Calypso/Nikkor II was sold in Europe. The early Nikonos cameras were immensely popular with both amateur and professional underwater photographers. Late in 1975, the Nikonos II was succeeded by the Nikonos III. Later models include the IV-A, V, and RS. Nikon ceased development and manufacture of Nikonos cameras in 2001, but the camera remains popular, and there is a large and active secondary market.

 

The Nikonos II can be used at depths up to 50m (160 feet, 26.67 fathoms). It uses 35mm film for a 24x36mm image size, has a focal-plane shutter with vertical travel and X & FP flash sync options (highest X-sync is at 1/60), and offers shutter speeds of 1/30,1/60, 1/125,1/250,1/500 and Bulb. The viewfinder has 35mm coverage and parallax correction marks for close-ups. The body is die-cast aluminum alloy sealed with O-ring gaskets.



 

Being an underwater camera, loading the film is not as simple as you might think. Instead of simply opening a film compartment door, you must remove the interior body from the outer camera housing. 

 


 

 

But before you can slide out the body, you must remove the lens. Then you use the strap-attachment levers to pry the interior body away from the outer housing. Once you clear the rubber seals, then you can lift the body away from the housing by hand. 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                     

The standard lens is a W-Nikkor f/2.5 35mm with zone focusing and a useful depth of field scale. Unlike the original Nikonos, the Nikonos II has a dual feet/meters distance scale and re-introduces the white lines from the Calypso lens to indicate which knob controls which function. The protective planar glass front of the lens permits its use both above and below water. (When submerged, the stronger refraction of water yields a field of view equivalent to a ~47mm lens on land.) My kit also included a U•W-Nikkor f/3.5 28mm lens.


 

 

As you can imagine, your visibility underwater is restricted by wearing a facemask or goggles. To aid with shot composition, some kits included an Ikelite Optical Viewfinder. The viewfinder mounts to the camera using either a bar mount or shoe mount. This one is equipped to use the camera hot shoe. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Included were several clear plastic masks to attach to the front of viewfinder, depending upon which lens you used. Your choices were 28mm, 35mm, standard, and 126 film. 

 

 

 

 


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                          



                                                                                 



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