ianmarsh

Interceptor 121's point was that no one reads the comments... seems to me that the most valuable information is exchanged when people interact with one another. Thanks for the article, by the way👊

I guess people do read the comments....

Looking for one of these older units. Let me know. (Not the #11075) Thanks Ian

Perhaps you should.... When you think about it, the inner elements simply look out the front glass, which if water corrected, would "see" the same thing as it was seeing through the air corrected front element. Maybe that is simplistic thinking. Both the AF-D and Manual focus 16mm's are selling for under $300 usd... boy, that would make a difference. Although if it worked, we would probably soon be paying $2000 for a used 16mm...

Another thought I have had is how different is the optical formula between the Nikonos 13 RS and the Nikon 16mm AF-D lens or even the 16mm manual focus ai-s lens ? The schematics look very similar and maybe(?) only the front element is different? Air vs water contact? These lenses all use the same rear element filter holder, so dimensionally may be close. All three lenses were manufactured at the same time, and I wonder if there were any common glass parts.

Yes, It was Andrej that offered that service, come to think of it. It still blows my mind that you are able to do this with just the glass... how on earth you honed in on the Sony 50mm is beyond me. How fortunate that one of their cheapest lenses happened to be the one. We usually don't get those kind of breaks in this business. Well done, Isaac. ian

Alex, I assume the Nauticam mechanical version uses "new" elements rather than recycled RS 13 elements? If so then someone is already making them, and could Isaac put them into Sony 50mm lens bodies?

I have had the same thoughts about a modern re-creation. If it only comes down to the glass, and the optical formula is known, that should be doable. I believe Seacam has contracted someone to make the front port glass for those lenses that are scratched. I would also note that at this point, the external part of the RS lens is immaterial. The only part that matters is the glass. When I bought mine from Japan in 2015, it was described as having some "balsam separation" and "haziness of the rear element", which did not affect the image. The "haziness" was a crack in the inner of the two elements, probably from being dropped. Fortunately for me I was able to source the very last rear element assembly from Rene Aumann, and install it myself. Best 100 euros I ever spent.... Bottom line; if the glass isn't perfect, Do Not Buy.

I saw that lens... it was in nice shape. I put in an offer on it and within 5 minutes of it being posted with offer pending, it got snapped up on the Buy It Now. I'm sure someone on WaterPixels is the new proud owner.

Indeed. Agree. I recall going to Sipadan in 1992 with 36 rolls of Fuji Velvia 100, spending 10 days there and not having a clue if I had a single keeper. Also, the learning curve was completely flat. You could continue to make the same mistake over and over, with no feedback. Three weeks later, when the film returned from processing, you could toss 90% of the slides into the bin. Digital photography is the single most important advance in UW imaging. The reference to Howard Hall was more of a shout-out to one of the greatest UW image makers, who is still active, all these years later... Ian

Hey Will... welcome aboard. Good to see you here! I spotted this on the BBC website... interesting stuff https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240123-the-race-to-build-climate-resilient-coral-reefs

Hey Pavel! Great to see you here. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Ian

Right on! It's good to know one is not alone.... group hug!

Like Tim, I strap my ancient Suunto Vyper to the float on my strobe arm. It is always in my field of view, and is about the size of the speedometer in my truck. I wear a second Suunto D6 on my forearm. I wear this throughout the day of diving so I can track surface intervals etc. Agreement between the two instruments is remarkably comparable, although I use the D6 as the "Official" recording, since it is much newer. Both computers are linked to the same Suunto Transmitter on my regs first stage. The last piece of paranoia is a SPG on a short hose which is bungeed to my backplate. I can retrieve this if needed, and is just long enough. While I have never had a computer fail, I have had a number of dives aborted due to a glitchy transmitter. The SPG is good insurance at no real cost.

I will throw in one from the film era. This one kicked off the madness for me: Howard Hall's guide to Successful Underwater Photography, First printing 1982. Somewhat dated, but the basics are all there. Hard to argue with Howard.

Barmaglot, you are absolutely correct... I am currently sitting on a camera system that is completely serviceable, and until recently would be considered state of the art. The drive towards new technology, in this case mirrorless, always makes the grass look greener. But really, in my hands, will probably make no difference, at least none that I can perceive underwater. It is a different argument for Alex, and other shooters at his level. With the amount of time I spend underwater, that will never be me. To stay with my current gear will cost me nothing... As Sheryl Crow once said, "It's not having what you want, It's wanting what you've got"

I asked a mountain biking buddy if he thought it was an expensive hobby. He said yes, with state of the art mountain bikes reaching upwards of 10K cdn. A new chain can cost $100. I just laughed.... He has no idea.

Thanks for the reply... I have to admit, it's a first world problem. I have the A7 and housing, as well as a D850/Nauticam, with a Nikonos 13mm. The recent talk about converting the 13mm to mirrorless got me thinking. At the end of the day, I think a major upgrade to modern Sony, and new housing, along with lens conversion really starts to add up. I guess if I was making a living at it, it would be a no brainer. ...And then there is the Auditor General standing behind me when I'm cruising the Classified Forum.

Hey guys, thanks for the input. Fantastic replies! I once asked a similar question of Alex Mustard, "Should I move from the D2X to the D800". I am pretty sure I already knew the answer. Same thing here. Time and technology marches on.... Since I retired, equipment changes cast a much bigger shadow. This game is not for the faint of wallet. Ian

Hello all.... Looking for practical advice from people using this camera system. I am an original Sony A7 and A7R user in a Nauticam Housing. Given the premise that I would ONLY use this camera underwater for STILLS ONLY,are there any COMPELLING arguments to upgrade the camera to A7ii, A7ii or A7iv, and if so, where is the sweet spot. Strobes are Retra Pro. Please weigh in and thanks for the advice. Ian

Thanks Alex... very interesting! Does the Nauticam lens use a modified Nikonos 13mm or is it a totally new construct? Are there plans to release it into the wild? Ian

Awesome! Thanks Alex. I have emailed Isaac with the question of whether previously modded lenses can be re-modded to work with the mirrorless set up. Maybe Isaac could comment on this? Alex: are you free to discuss the Nauticam mechanical product, or would they sent Seal Team 6 after you? ian

Another thought. Perhaps this would be a good place for original authors to transplant their own threads/content from that "other website" on this topic (Nikonos RS 13mm) to form an archive on WaterPixels. There has certainly been lots of discussion over the years and it would be a shame to lose it. Or... maybe start a new thread for Archive material and keep this one fresh for discussion on adaptation to mirrorless? ian

Excellent work, Alex and Matt! I was gobsmacked (as the English say) regarding the developments around the Nikonos 13mm, and have started a discussion page on the Photography Gear and Technique thread. I can't wait to sit down and work through the rest of your new content. Ian

One thing is close to my heart: Nikon Water contact optics. The two most important of these are: Nikonos 15mm mechanical - can still be used with Sony Mirrorless and a Nauticam port adapter Nikonos RS 13mm autofocus As many old timers know, the Nikonos RS 13mm lens died a slow death at the end of the film era, but due to work by dedicated individuals (Andrej Belic, Borut Furlan/Seacam), was brought back to life in the 2010's. The lens was state of the art at the time, and in many ways, still is. Conversion was carried out to adapt the lens to work with Nikon DSLRs, as well as (independently) Red Cinema cameras in Gates housings. This required both electronic conversion for the autofocus and mechanical conversion to mate the lens to the camera/housing system. Andrej and Borut came up with different ways of accomplishing this magic, but both systems work very well. The only hitch is with the aperture linkage, which is mechanical. This does not convert 1:1 with Nikon DSLRs and requires a fudge-factor to set and read aperture values. As Nauticam introduced its line of water contact optics, the status of this lens came into question, and went from being the only water contact game in town, to a player in an expanding field. It's key feature remains it's very small footprint, which the Nauticam products do not possess. With the advent of mirrorless cameras, the lens is again threatened with extinction, as the autofocus is based on the Nikon D lenses, which use mechanical autofocus. I currently own a Nikonos RS 13mm which was modified by Seacam in 2015. I used it with a Seacam housing originally, but never really liked the housing ergonomics. I switched back to Nauticam with a D800, and then a D850 housing and Seacam/Nauticam port adapter (no longer available) which has worked brilliantly. I have been thinking about a switch to mirrorless, but to be honest, the reason I haven’t is this lens. At this point, I would like to invite discussion on this lens, and specifically the recent development by Isaac Szabo (www.isaacszabo.com) of converting this lens to work with Sony Mirrorless. This was recently highlighted by Alex Mustard and Matt Sullivan on their new Youtube platform, the Underwater Photography Show. I am soooo excited about this development!!! Alex? Matt? Isaac? Care to get this party started?