Calypso (camera)
Encyclopedia
The self-contained amphibious underwater Calypso 35mm film camera
was conceived by the marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau
(1910—1997), designed by Jean de Wouters
and manufactured by Atoms in France. It was distributed by La Spirotechnique in Paris from 1960 to 1962. The camera operates down to 200 feet / 60meter below sea level. The Calypso was sometimes advertised as the “CALYPSO-PHOT”. Nikon took over production and sold it as the Nikonos
, which subsequently became a well-known series of underwater cameras.
The most unusual feature is the combined wind-on and shutter release lever. It swings out forward 65 degrees and is operated by the index finger. In the stowed-away position, the shutter is cocked and the film wound on ready for the next picture. A small rocking lever in front of the accessory shoe serves as a shutter-release lock at this stage. When the lock is disengaged by sliding it to the left, depressing the lever releases the shutter. Depressing the lever, a second time from its standoff position cocks the shutter and winds on the film. At the camera base is a special flash sync connector protected by coin-operated O-ring sealed aluminium plug, as well as an automatic resetting frame counter, visible behind a glass window. No tripod socket is provided. A small rewind knob at the left-hand top is extended for easy access and to engage the film transport mechanism. No rewind release facility is required; a function that was later added to the Nikonos and marked R on the shutter-speed dial.
Inside, the film cassette engages the rewind fork at the top, and it is held in place by a hinged retaining ring at the bottom. The film lead passes under the fixed black film-pressure plate on its way to the slotted large diameter take-up spool. The spool always rotates the same angular amount to advance the film without a sprocket wheel drive. Acceptable frame spacing is accomplished by using a large diameter take-up spool in order to reduce the effect of increasing spool diameter as more film is wound onto it.
of the original Calypso has speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000 second, but a year later that was changed to 1/15 to 1/500 second. The camera was very early on advertised, and possibly sold as, the Calypso Phot. In order to reach a larger market the design was sold to Nikon in Japan, and in 1963, it was reintroduced as the Calypso/Nikkor. It was soon renamed the Nikonos
, subsequently becoming a long-lived series of underwater cameras
, culminating with the introduction of the short-lived 35mm SLR
Nikonos RS in 1992.
The standard SOM BERTHIOT 1:3.5 f=35 (mm) lens
is used both under water and above due to the optical flat
protecting front glass, but the lens has no filter thread at the front. Two large aluminium knobs either side of the lens provides aperture
and focusing
controls. The special Calypso lens mount is of the bayonet variety with an O-ring sealing. The spring action of the O-ring locks the lens in place by two pins engaging in corresponding slots in the periphery of the lens mount. The lens release is accomplished by an outward pull and a quarter turn either way.
Camera
A camera is a device that records and stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies. The term camera comes from the camera obscura , an early mechanism for projecting images...
was conceived by the marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, ecologist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water...
(1910—1997), designed by Jean de Wouters
Jean de Wouters
Jean de Wouters is a Belgian inventor and aeronautical engineer. In 1957, he created the Calypso-Phot for Jacques-Yves Cousteau under their La Spirotechnique company name...
and manufactured by Atoms in France. It was distributed by La Spirotechnique in Paris from 1960 to 1962. The camera operates down to 200 feet / 60meter below sea level. The Calypso was sometimes advertised as the “CALYPSO-PHOT”. Nikon took over production and sold it as the Nikonos
Nikonos
Nikonos is the name of a series of 35 mm film cameras specifically designed for underwater photography launched by Nikon in 1963. The early Nikonos cameras were improvements of the Calypso camera, which was an original design by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Belgian engineer Jean de Wouters...
, which subsequently became a well-known series of underwater cameras.
Description
The Calypso is equally suitable for water and air environment photography. It consists of two black enamelled cast ally body parts; the one with all the internal parts is lowered into the outer shell. They are locked together when the interchangeable lens is mounted on the camera, and sealed by a Vaseline greased O-ring to form a watertight unit. At the top, the Calypso has a built-in optical viewfinder for the 35mm standard lens, and an accessory shoe on the top for different viewfinders to suit various purposes. The body is covered in a grey sealskin imitation. Two carrying strap attachments doubles as opening levers to be hooked under the top protrusions either side and forced downwards to lift the top out when no lens is mounted on the camera.The most unusual feature is the combined wind-on and shutter release lever. It swings out forward 65 degrees and is operated by the index finger. In the stowed-away position, the shutter is cocked and the film wound on ready for the next picture. A small rocking lever in front of the accessory shoe serves as a shutter-release lock at this stage. When the lock is disengaged by sliding it to the left, depressing the lever releases the shutter. Depressing the lever, a second time from its standoff position cocks the shutter and winds on the film. At the camera base is a special flash sync connector protected by coin-operated O-ring sealed aluminium plug, as well as an automatic resetting frame counter, visible behind a glass window. No tripod socket is provided. A small rewind knob at the left-hand top is extended for easy access and to engage the film transport mechanism. No rewind release facility is required; a function that was later added to the Nikonos and marked R on the shutter-speed dial.
Inside, the film cassette engages the rewind fork at the top, and it is held in place by a hinged retaining ring at the bottom. The film lead passes under the fixed black film-pressure plate on its way to the slotted large diameter take-up spool. The spool always rotates the same angular amount to advance the film without a sprocket wheel drive. Acceptable frame spacing is accomplished by using a large diameter take-up spool in order to reduce the effect of increasing spool diameter as more film is wound onto it.
Variants
The vertical running metal-plate focal-plane shutterFocal-plane shutter
In camera design, a focal-plane shutter is a type of photographic shutter that is positioned immediately in front of the focal plane of the camera, that is, right in front of the photographic film or image sensor.-Two-curtain shutters:...
of the original Calypso has speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000 second, but a year later that was changed to 1/15 to 1/500 second. The camera was very early on advertised, and possibly sold as, the Calypso Phot. In order to reach a larger market the design was sold to Nikon in Japan, and in 1963, it was reintroduced as the Calypso/Nikkor. It was soon renamed the Nikonos
Nikonos
Nikonos is the name of a series of 35 mm film cameras specifically designed for underwater photography launched by Nikon in 1963. The early Nikonos cameras were improvements of the Calypso camera, which was an original design by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Belgian engineer Jean de Wouters...
, subsequently becoming a long-lived series of underwater cameras
Underwater photography
Underwater photography is the process of taking photographs while under water. It is usually done while scuba diving, but can be done while snorkeling or swimming.-Overview:...
, culminating with the introduction of the short-lived 35mm SLR
SLR
The initialism SLR can refer to:* Satellite laser ranging* Scalable Linear Recording Tape Drive Backup* Self-Loading Rifle, see semi-automatic rifle.** The UK version of the Belgian FN FAL select fire battle rifle, the L1A1 SLR.* Semi-linear resolution...
Nikonos RS in 1992.
The lenses
The original lenses are listed below; however all later Nikonos UW-Nikkor lenses are compatible.- SOM Berthiot 1:3.3 f=28mm
- SOM Berthiot 1:3.5 f=35mm
- Angénieux 1:2.8 f=45mm
The standard SOM BERTHIOT 1:3.5 f=35 (mm) lens
Lens (optics)
A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
is used both under water and above due to the optical flat
Optical flat
Optical flats are optical-grade pieces of glass lapped and polished to be extremely flat on one or both sides, usually within a few millionths of an inch . They are used with a monochromatic light to determine the flatness of other optical surfaces by interference...
protecting front glass, but the lens has no filter thread at the front. Two large aluminium knobs either side of the lens provides aperture
Aperture
In optics, an aperture is a hole or an opening through which light travels. More specifically, the aperture of an optical system is the opening that determines the cone angle of a bundle of rays that come to a focus in the image plane. The aperture determines how collimated the admitted rays are,...
and focusing
Focus (optics)
In geometrical optics, a focus, also called an image point, is the point where light rays originating from a point on the object converge. Although the focus is conceptually a point, physically the focus has a spatial extent, called the blur circle. This non-ideal focusing may be caused by...
controls. The special Calypso lens mount is of the bayonet variety with an O-ring sealing. The spring action of the O-ring locks the lens in place by two pins engaging in corresponding slots in the periphery of the lens mount. The lens release is accomplished by an outward pull and a quarter turn either way.