[Leica] Re: Waterlogged camera

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

On Aug 20, 2006, at 8:25 PM, Douglas Herr wrote:

> I've been wary of taking my camera kayaking because of the typical
> proximity to large volumes of water, so I've been looking for a setup
> that would represent a much smaller financial loss if the kayak should
> transmogrify into a submarine, yet still deliver good results.
>


I spend most of my vacation time on the water, either sailing,  
canoing, or kayaking and have found the Nikonos the only foolproof  
and waterproof camera available at a reasonable price (used - of  
course). While there are a number of water resistant cameras on the  
market, few will withstand any forcible water impact such as being  
doused with a strong wave. Most of them are just rainproof or  
immersion proof to a few feet. About 15 years ago I took a Nikonos II  
on a raft trip down the Grand Canyon portion of the Colorado River.  
The camera, raft and I all spent half our time submerged in silty  
water and, since God protects fools, emerged undamaged. The guess  
focus of the Nikonos is not much of a handicap in outdoor marine  
photography since there is usually plenty of light. With relatively  
fast film I took most of my shots at f8 and 1/500 sec. Setting the  
camera at its hyperfocal distance of 15 ft at that aperture allowed  
sharp imaging of everything from the bow of the raft to infinity. The  
dimensions of the Nikonos and lens, 4.5" long, 4" high, and 3" deep  
are smaller than those of my Leica M3. Its weight is also several  
ounces less. Of course the longest lens you can fit is 80 mm so you  
would have to get very close to take your excellent bird shots.

I am a firm believer in Leica products on land but I would hesitate  
to take one on the water in any boat smaller than an excursion  
steamer. Horses for courses I say.

Larry Z