WAJDA PHOTO - Gear Talk: Nikonos IV-A 

Hi! I had a Nikonos IV-A about 28 years ago when I was diving a lot. It was a great camera in and also out of the water. And yes, I really enjoyed using it in bad weather without worrying about water. The only drawback was the weight of the thing LOL

Outstanding review of one of the icons of photography, albeit, submarine photography! But at US$ 35 you are one lucky (prepared) chap! I've always thought highly of the Nikonos and those who could afford one and use it! A friend of mine had one on a shelf but I refrained to even ask him why was the camera retired. This was a time in my life when I was learning the American culture and I had my Yashica Electro 35 GSN to record the turning leaves of Fall in my own Spring! Perhaps he used it as an amulet to prevent him from working too much and yearning to hit the road to the coast, most likely the waters in Massachusetts are too cold for skin diving so the Nikonos was on storage and remember we are from the Jaws generation and it was filmed in Nantucket! I'm going to send Steve a letter, perhaps he will send me his Nikkonos on the mail and beat you at that amazing steal! I dare to say that the new Nikonos is the GoPro camera. However, without a viewfinder, it's hard to frame pictures correctly, but sometimes you get lucky enough: flic.kr/p/R3H8n9 Thanks for reviving these memories of low angled warm light and cool wind in my face! And enjoy your Nikonos, perhaps in Manuel Antonio National Park in Costa Rica. Well have a beer!

I shot with the Nikonos 3 for years while diving. The 3 was full manual ( for the purist, ha ). In the 80's the 4 was around $us600 and around $1400 Australian. I could never afford the 4 or 5 back then . With experience the 3 was great , but the 4 with aperture P would have made exposure a tad quicker. Remember , just the slightest smear of silicone grease on the Oring is all you need. I enjoy your talks .Cheers.

Great Video. I have a few of these IV-A cameras and I love them. They were one of the trickier of the Nikonos cameras to use because of how the back seals. Other versions use O-Rings to seal the back but the IV-A uses a gasket that was a little more maintenance and would often leak due to user error. When paired with the Nikonos SB-101 strobe they were one of the more user friendly underwater outfits ever produced. I would urge you to pick up an SB-101 and do some underwater work even if it's only in a pool. Just make sure the strobe is both complete and working. Not unlike the camera these strobes were sealed in a way that was prone to user errors and once they leak they're done for. The good news is you can pick up a like new unit from Ebay for under $100 frequently.

my wife, son and I used IVAIs and a Nikonos II with strobes, wide angles, fish eyes , macro gear, etc.. What I loved was the versatility and available gear without breaking the bank. Felt comfortable underwater and took great pictures. I still have the gear from the 80s.

Looks like a fun camera when it rains. Its been a raining couple of days here and I would've loved to be outside taking pictures but none of my cameras are weather sealed.

I own Nikonos III IV-A and V, they are great cameras. indestructible build quality, totally waterproof dusk proof and very reliable.I personally very care about the cleanness of camera, after using a beautiful classic film camera for whole day shooting, the finger print, water drops, dust are easy to get into the body, especially the optics. But it is not a problem at all after using the Nikonos cameras. They are perfect gears for streets photography and daily use. Very sharp lens and beautiful image outcomes. Don't limited them for only diving for surfing.

Hey Ken 100% agree with all your comments... I just picked one up used and seems to be in perfect shape and likely never under water, but the rewind knob is locked in the up position? I don't want to force it, any recommendations? Thanks!

Nice trick with the aquarium. If you have a lump of lead at hand.

Where can I find a Nikonos 4 camera review video ? Is it pretty similar to the 5 ?

I thought the F3 was whether sealed?