Nikonos V Service

lensman_nh · Oct 1, 2012

Does anyone here in the braintrust know where I could get a nikonos V serviced? It seems that in the last couple of years everyone has stopped doing it. At some point in the last few moves my Nikonos-V body (I still have everything else - :confused seems to have vanished and before I replace it I'd like to know it I can get it serviced still.

Otherwise I'm probably going to have to look at something in a housing, possibly mirrorless. Bleh.

J.

EASmithV · Oct 1, 2012

I'm not sure, but they can't be too difficult to survive, i'm sure someone still does it. If you get one from KEH, and it doesn't work, send it back and get another one. I've done that very thing before.

Also, i'd be interested to know where they can be repaired as well.

johnielvis · Oct 1, 2012

I don't know for sure, but helix in chicago has a lot of underwater stuff AND a repair department, they can help I'm sure.....helixcamera.com

bdial · Oct 1, 2012

Or try Zacks in Providence RI.
BTW, they are an APUG sponsor.

M.A.Longmore · Oct 1, 2012

lensman_nh said:
Does anyone here in the braintrust know where I could get a nikonos V serviced? It seems that in the last couple of years everyone has stopped doing it. At some point in the last few moves my Nikonos-V body (I still have everything else - :confused seems to have vanished and before I replace it I'd like to know it I can get it serviced still.

Otherwise I'm probably going to have to look at something in a housing, possibly mirrorless. Bleh.

J.

.
Bleh, and Meh. Indeed !

Ron
.

EASmithV · Oct 1, 2012

Technically a Nikonos is mirrorless

narsuitus · Oct 2, 2012

When I first bought my Nikonos III, it needed service. I used Bob Warkentins Southern Nikon Service Center in Houston, Texas and was very pleased.

http://www.southern-nikonos.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11336821@N00/5216154998/

lensman_nh · Oct 2, 2012

narsuitus said:
When I first bought my Nikonos III, it needed service. I used Bob Warkentin’s Southern Nikon Service Center in Houston, Texas and was very pleased.

Bob retired a couple of years ago, partly because Nikon ran out of maintenance kits. All the places I knew of that used to service the camera stopped for the same reason. All the places I found through google and contacted have also have stopped. I guess I'lll just have to go down the list.

One of the issues is that the internal o-rings do wear out, leaving the camera vunerable to floods. Unlike your typical land camera you can't canabalize an old broken body for spares since the o-rings will be aged out. It's bit of an odd beast in that regard. Buying a body from KEH will still need an overhaul before I take it to 125' ft.

I'll try some of the suggestions, and keep googling.

lensman_nh · Oct 2, 2012

EASmithV said:
Technically a Nikonos is mirrorless

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 1, 2016

Anyone have any recent experience with Nikonos V service? My film advance isn't working properly.

I've read Southern Nikonos has retired. Hard to say who still does this work, since the web pages of these businesses aren't always up to date.

Henning Serger · Oct 1, 2016

lensman_nh said:
Does anyone here in the braintrust know where I could get a nikonos V serviced? It seems that in the last couple of years everyone has stopped doing it. At some point in the last few moves my Nikonos-V body (I still have everything else - :confused seems to have vanished and before I replace it I'd like to know it I can get it serviced still.

Otherwise I'm probably going to have to look at something in a housing, possibly mirrorless. Bleh.

J.

You get full service (and even rent options) here:
http://www.uw-fotoservice.de/index.php

Best regards,
Henning

GRHazelton · Oct 1, 2016

lensman_nh said:
Bob retired a couple of years ago, partly because Nikon ran out of maintenance kits. All the places I knew of that used to service the camera stopped for the same reason. All the places I found through google and contacted have also have stopped. I guess I'lll just have to go down the list.

One of the issues is that the internal o-rings do wear out, leaving the camera vunerable to floods. Unlike your typical land camera you can't canabalize an old broken body for spares since the o-rings will be aged out. It's bit of an odd beast in that regard. Buying a body from KEH will still need an overhaul before I take it to 125' ft.

I'll try some of the suggestions, and keep googling.

Bob did my Nikonos III just a few months ago. Check with him, the service was fast and reasonable. I'd guess that if the size and "squishiness" of the rings were equivalent to the original rings all would be well.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 3, 2016

Sounds like Bob's only "semi-retired." He got back to me after a day or so with a detailed e-mail. I'll send him my camera and report back when it returns and I get a chance to test it out.

I also wrote to Mike Mesgleski in Florida, and he said they're no longer working on these cameras.

GarageBoy · Oct 5, 2016

Surprised there are no aftermarket o ring kits

Steve Bellayr · Oct 6, 2016

Southern Nikonos still repairs Nikonos cameras. Had mine done last month 9/16. Took approx. 2 weeks.

GRHazelton · Oct 6, 2016

GarageBoy said:
Surprised there are no aftermarket o ring kits

I think that the major problem would be testing the new O rings for efficacy at test depth and pressure. This, if done with air, would require I think an air-tight vessel big enough to hold the camera, hold some 88 psi, and mount a gauge able to detect very small pressure drops, which would indicate leakage of the seals. It seems that the pros are able to pressure test the camera in water, and then clean up any leakage.

And replacing internal O rings would be lots of "fun," with the same problems in testing.

stefano giovannini · Oct 8, 2016

I bought a Nik II, a III and a V.
I tested them in a water bucket overnight and no leaks. I used the III is the ocean swimming and was ok. I had a V whose film advance lever got stuck days later. Took to Nippon photo clinic. They do not service them anymore and said probably water seeped under the film advance lever (non user replaceable o ring there). I could get a refund and i found another Nik V in good condition for a low price. I do not want to go scuba diving with theses but swimming / snorkeling up to 15 ft / 5 m deep or so or a little more.

How much does a service cost? Anyway I am more prone to use the III that seems the one with the best built and very simple so probably less leak entry points. The II is nice because it is smaller but I wonder if it is too old. The O rings do not look flat. Nik II and III seem really nice solid old style cameras. all mechanic.

GRHazelton · Oct 9, 2016

stefano giovannini said:
I bought a Nik II, a III and a V.
(deleted)
How much does a service cost? Anyway I am more prone to use the III that seems the one with the best built and very simple so probably less leak entry points. The II is nice because it is smaller but I wonder if it is too old. The O rings do not look flat. Nik II and III seem really nice solid old style cameras. all mechanic.

Southern Nikonos serviced/tested my III for about $100, plus a few dollars for the 35mm lens, both sent together. This included pressure testing to design depth. Bob recommends storage gaskets, which are red, to avoid compression "wear" of the o-rings. His web site has an excellent user's guide to the Nikonos, far more comprehensive that the owner's manual, which is available on Mike Butkus' excellent site.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 9, 2016

Bob quoted me $135 for the basic annual maintenance on my Nik V, plus a modest parts and labor charge for other repairs (like 80-110 for my film advance and related issues). I think it would be a good idea to send any used Nikonos for the "annual maintenance" before taking it out in the water, just because the internal O-rings are probably fairly old and in need of replacement, even if the camera seems otherwise to be in working condition at this point, unless you are positive that the camera has been maintained regularly and recently.

ic-racer · Oct 9, 2016

GarageBoy said:
Surprised there are no aftermarket o ring kits

You should be able to size the camera's existing o-rings to commercially available o-rings for the ones that are not in the commonly available #10713 O-ring set. I suspect that is what the folks that still repair these have done. Too bad the Nikonos service manual does not cover o-ring replacement. It shows where they are, but does not give a step-by-step on how to replace them all. I don't worry too much about the internal o-rings in my "V" as I'm no diver; I use it mostly in wet environments. Like around a swimming pool or in the rain.

GRHazelton · Oct 9, 2016

ic-racer said:
You should be able to size the camera's existing o-rings to commercially available o-rings. I suspect that is what the folks that still repair these have done. I don't worry too much about the internal o-rings in my "V" as I'm no diver; I use it mostly in wet environments. Like around a swimming pool or in the rain.

I think the only real concern would be getting o-rings with the proper "hardness," or durometer. This vendor http://www.theoringstore.com/ gives a good discussion of durometer. The DIYer would still have to wonder about water tightness at 50 meters, or about 88 psi water pressure, unless bad weather or beach shooting is the only use intended. BTW, only the 35 and 80 mm lenses are optically suited for out of water us. But ya'll probably knew that.

ic-racer · Oct 9, 2016

I think size way more important than durometer rating. Look at the space shuttle. The o-rings worked even when cold and hard and blown out of their channel every time except once.

Water seal test in manual specifies 71psi only.

Alan Klein · Oct 9, 2016

How do you know if the o rings are no good?

EdColorado · Oct 10, 2016

Alan Klein said:
How do you know if the o rings are no good?

They leak and flood the camera. Really, there is no test to see if they are good or not which is why Nikon always recommended regular servicing and the use of storage o-rings.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 10, 2016

Bob just sent a detailed report with clear photos of the damage. His tone is a bit cranky, but this is really better service than any other camera technician out there offers via e-mail in my experience. Looks like it will be another $100 beyond what I planned to replace the case with a used one in good condition, since the old one has some pitting from older seepage. Still, that's worth it to me, since I live in Hawai'i and I spend a fair amount of time around the water, and I want a good film camera that I can use under those circumstances. Better to have something that I know will work than to buy another one that is likely to have problems of its own.

Nikonos V Service

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