Calypso Phot + 3,5/35mm Cousteau - prédécesseur de Nikon Nikonos | Underwater camera
04
days
03
hours
55
minutes
03
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Thorsten Pöllath
Has 40 years of experience in photography and 25 years of collecting expertise, specialising in M42 lens mounts.
Estimate € 400 - € 450
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 142734 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Calypso Phot, + 3,5/35mm Cousteau - predecessor of Nikon Nikonos, is a waterproof 35 mm camera from the 1960s, not tested and in discrete physical condition.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Calypso was the first waterproof camera. Born from patents by Jean Cousteau and a Belgian engineer, it was brought to market in 1961. The name was that of the famous research vessel used by Cousteau for oceanographic exploration. It was manufactured by Atoms and marketed by Spirotechnique.
The camera was a failure, due to the extremely high price and because amateur divers were very few. A buyer was sought and in 1963 Nikon acquired it, starting the Nikonos series, which still today uses Cousteau's patents.
There are no production data, but certainly the numbers were very low (note: the serial numbers appearing on the body are numbers of parts already existing at Atoms).
Today the camera is on display at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and in the Museum of Historical Cameras in Paris. While researching, I tracked down a few European and American specimens, totaling less than twenty. Certainly more exist, but I do not know how many.
This specimen is in good cosmetic condition; in particular the coating that recalls seal skin is quite delicate but intact and clean.
Mechanically it does not work because inside, on the back, the shutter speed selector is missing (see the last photo); the cap for the flash synchronizer is also missing, which is easy to find because it is the same as the Nikonos (except the 4 and 5) but I did not want to fit a non-original part.
Calypso was the first waterproof camera. Born from patents by Jean Cousteau and a Belgian engineer, it was brought to market in 1961. The name was that of the famous research vessel used by Cousteau for oceanographic exploration. It was manufactured by Atoms and marketed by Spirotechnique.
The camera was a failure, due to the extremely high price and because amateur divers were very few. A buyer was sought and in 1963 Nikon acquired it, starting the Nikonos series, which still today uses Cousteau's patents.
There are no production data, but certainly the numbers were very low (note: the serial numbers appearing on the body are numbers of parts already existing at Atoms).
Today the camera is on display at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco and in the Museum of Historical Cameras in Paris. While researching, I tracked down a few European and American specimens, totaling less than twenty. Certainly more exist, but I do not know how many.
This specimen is in good cosmetic condition; in particular the coating that recalls seal skin is quite delicate but intact and clean.
Mechanically it does not work because inside, on the back, the shutter speed selector is missing (see the last photo); the cap for the flash synchronizer is also missing, which is easy to find because it is the same as the Nikonos (except the 4 and 5) but I did not want to fit a non-original part.
Details
Era
1900-2000
Brand
Calypso Phot
Model/type nr
+ 3,5/35mm Cousteau - prédécesseur de Nikon Nikonos |
Physical condition
Fair
Functional condition
Not tested
Film type
35mm
Estimated period
1960-1970
Sold by
