Nikonos IV-A or Nikonos V??? Which one to sell?

[topflowerrubberforever]

I have been given an old Nikonos IV-A last week to add to my camera collection. The camera hasn't been used in over 20 years but still has the QC sticker on it. I know it need s refurbishing etc etc etc. So I sent it along with my Nikonos V for servicing. The IV-A can't be repaired with Nikon because they don't have the parts (discontinued model) and the Nik V will cost me around $200 to repair even though I've been taking good care of it.

It wouldn't make sense to leave them both lying there. So I'm faced with selling one of them and fixing the other, or selling both and get a housing for my Canon EOS 350D digital SLR camera. Looking on ikelite's site.. thats a $2000 investment.. eek.

What do you suggest I do? Does anyone know how much I would get for a Nik IV?

All the best,

Jalal

 

[DA Aquamaster]

You may have some other options for the Nikonos IV. I used to send my III to a guy in Texas every couple of years. I suspect there are other people who do similar work on discontinued cameras.

That said I have not used a film camera in a few years as the digital format is just too convenient and at this point offers way to many advantages. I like being able to take 150 shots on a dive that I can preview and would never go back to just 36 shots that I have to wait to develop to see. No more passing on one shot out or deciding not to bracket the exposure out of fear a better opportunity will come along when I am out of film.

So the value of either camera is probably limited to whatever collector value it has and that is probably at a low point as while more or less obsolete, they are not yet rare or vintage.

 

[vladimir]

I used to send my III to a guy in Texas every couple of years.

This is probably the guy:

Underwater camera repair by Southern Nikonos

 

[Gilldiver]

Both can be repaired/serviced by Southern Nikonos. I'd keep the Nik V and get rid of the Nike IV. The Nik V has better eletronics. But the most important thing is the glass, what len's do you have?

The 35m is great with a set of extention tubes and the 20 or 15mm are perhaps the best underwater len's ever made. The 80mm tends to be a collectors piece.

Learning on a NIKONS system will make you a better underwater photagrapher, but it is slow and the costs associated with film and film development may make more sense to get a good modern Point and Shoot in a good housing like one from Ikelite.

 

[mudhole]

Your Nikonos IV-A is worth what you paid for it. . . When it was introduced, I think in the mid 1970's, I bought one and it was an slight improvement over the III, it had electronics, but a very unusual O-ring. The Nikonos V improved the sealing with a better design and simpler O-ring. The O-ring for the IV was discontinued shortly after the V came out. I have two spare O-rings and both are hard as rocks and can't make the camera waterproof. Personally I wouldn't think of selling and underwater camera that can't seal.

A lot of people are fighting the $$$ of switching to digital. Unless you're going to earn money with your pictures. Many of us are using the point and shoot cameras like the Olympus 350 combination. . . good results for not too much money. Everyone switching to digital is faced with another problem. . . every camera is obsolete by the time you buy it and the next model camera won't fit in the old housing. So, read the underwater photo section of the board and share the pain.