Difference between revisions of "Calypso"

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[[Calypso]] is a self contained 35mm film camera designed for use under water manufactured in France by Spirotechnique 1960-1962. It was conceived by the famous marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910-1997) and named after the research vessel he had at his disposal from 1950.  
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The '''Calypso''' is the first self-contained 35mm film camera designed for underwater use, manufactured in France by [[Atoms]] to a design of Jean De Wouters. The camera operates at depths down to 200feet / 60m<REF> Photo-Plait Catalogue 1962 p.39 price 795,-NF </REF>. It was conceived by the famous marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910–1997), named after the research vessel he was using from 1950, and distributed 1961–1962 by Spirotechnique<REF> [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_appareil=11707 Calypso] by AS at www.collection-appareils.fr. </REF>, a small firm he had established dealing in underwater equipment, located in the suburb of Paris at Levallois-Perret.
  
The camera consists of two main parts being locked together by mounting the lens on the camera and sealed by O-rings. The shutter is of a vertical running metal plate focal plane variety providing at first speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000sec, but a year later from 1/15 to 1/500sec. The camera is operate by a combined wind-on and shutter release lever. The standard lens fitted was a Berthiot 1:3.5 f=35 with knobs either side for setting focusing distance and lens aperture, suitable for both under and above water photographing. The lens is removed by pulling and twisting it either way in the bayonet mount. For various reasons the design was sold to Nippon Kogaku KK (Nikon) who reintroduced it as the Nikonos in 1963.
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The camera body consists of two main parts being locked together by mounting the lens on the camera, and is sealed by Vaseline greased O-rings. The lens is removed by pulling and twisting it either way in the bayonet mount. The focal plane shutter has vertical running metal plates, initially manufactured with speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000sec, but from 1/15 to 1/500sec a year later. The camera is operated by a combined wind-on and shutter-release lever, and is provided with a [[flash sync]] connector and an automatic resetting frame counter, both situated at the camera base. The standard lens fitted was a [[Berthiot|SOM Berthiot]] 1:3.5 f=35 with knobs on either side for setting focusing distance and lens aperture, suitable for both under and above water photographing due to the optically flat front glass. The lens has no filter thread. In some ads, it was advertised as the “CALYPSO-PHOT”.  
  
==Links==
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For marketing reasons the design was sold to [[Nikon|Nippon Kōgaku]] (Nikon) who reintroduced it in 1963 as '''Calypso/Nikkor''' (in Europe) and elsewhere as '''[[Nikonos]]'''. This was the beginning of Nippon Kōgaku's long-lived [[Nikon#Underwater|Nikonos series]], including the [[Nikonos II]], [[Nikonos III | III]], [[Nikonos IV-A | IV-A]] and [[Nikonos V| V]], and culminating by introducing the 35mm SLR [[Nikonos RS]] (1992–1996).
*[http://www.collection-appareils.fr/Spirotechnique/html/calypso.php Calypso] at [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/general/html/francais.php Sylvain Halgand's  www.collection-appareils.fr]
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*[http://www.collection-appareils.fr/Spirotechnique/html/calypso_bis.php Calypso ] at [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/general/html/francais.php Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr]
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== Notes ==
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<references />
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== Links ==
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*[http://imaging.nikon.com/history/chronicle/history-nikonos/index.htm Evolution of Nikonos] from [http://www.nikon.com/index.htm Nikon.com]
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In French:
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* [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/x/html/page_standard.php?id_appareil=11707 Calypso] at [http://www.collection-appareils.fr/general/html/francais.php Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr]
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[[Category: 35mm viewfinder]]
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[[Category: Underwater]]
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[[Category: France]]
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[[Category: C]]

Revision as of 06:33, 15 February 2017

The Calypso is the first self-contained 35mm film camera designed for underwater use, manufactured in France by Atoms to a design of Jean De Wouters. The camera operates at depths down to 200feet / 60m[1]. It was conceived by the famous marine explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910–1997), named after the research vessel he was using from 1950, and distributed 1961–1962 by Spirotechnique[2], a small firm he had established dealing in underwater equipment, located in the suburb of Paris at Levallois-Perret.

The camera body consists of two main parts being locked together by mounting the lens on the camera, and is sealed by Vaseline greased O-rings. The lens is removed by pulling and twisting it either way in the bayonet mount. The focal plane shutter has vertical running metal plates, initially manufactured with speeds from 1/30 to 1/1000sec, but from 1/15 to 1/500sec a year later. The camera is operated by a combined wind-on and shutter-release lever, and is provided with a flash sync connector and an automatic resetting frame counter, both situated at the camera base. The standard lens fitted was a SOM Berthiot 1:3.5 f=35 with knobs on either side for setting focusing distance and lens aperture, suitable for both under and above water photographing due to the optically flat front glass. The lens has no filter thread. In some ads, it was advertised as the “CALYPSO-PHOT”.

For marketing reasons the design was sold to Nippon Kōgaku (Nikon) who reintroduced it in 1963 as Calypso/Nikkor (in Europe) and elsewhere as Nikonos. This was the beginning of Nippon Kōgaku's long-lived Nikonos series, including the Nikonos II, III, IV-A and V, and culminating by introducing the 35mm SLR Nikonos RS (1992–1996).

Notes

  1. Photo-Plait Catalogue 1962 p.39 price 795,-NF
  2. Calypso by AS at www.collection-appareils.fr.

Links

In French: