Nikonos 13mm Conversion for Sony Mirrorless

A whale shark filter feeding just under the floor off Isla Mujeres, Mexico (Sony a7R Mark II, Nauticam housing, Nikonos RS 13mm,  f/3.5, 1/800s, ISO 250)

 

The Nikonos RS 13mm lens is known. It was first launched all the way in which again in 1992 to pair with the Nikonos RS movie digital camera. The RS lenses had been among the many first water contact optics to have turn out to be well-known within the trendy underwater images world. When digital cameras turned the norm, the 13mm was relegated to dusty cabinets and extraneous gear containers.

Nevertheless, that wasn’t the tip of the 13mm’s story! It was given new life within the digital period when a number of people discovered a solution to convert the lens to Nikon DSLRs. I used it on the Nikon D810, D850, D4/D4s, D700 and D500. It carried out fantastically on all of these cameras and was my go-to wide-angle optic for a very long time.

 

The Nikonos RS 13mm Sony conversion inside a customized port on a Sony a9 inside a Seafrogs housing with twin Kraken Sports activities strobes

 

Portrait of a wolf eel at God’s Pocket Resort in British Columbia, Canada, photographed with a transformed Nikonos RS 13mm lens on a Nikon D4 in a Nauticam housing with twin Retra Flash strobes (f/10, 1/80s, ISO 250)

 

With the trade transferring largely in direction of mirrorless cameras, as soon as once more it appeared the 13mm can be again on these dusty, forgotten cabinets. Nevertheless, a very good pal Isaac Szabo got here to the rescue. Isaac took it upon himself to determine convert the lens for full performance together with autofocus and aperture management with Sony mirrorless cameras. It performs precisely as a local Sony lens does. Thus far, I’ve used the lens on the Sony a7R Mark II in a Nauticam housing, and a Sony a9 in a Seafrogs housing.

Isaac’s enhancements to the 13mm embody the flexibility to shoot at a lot wider apertures whereas retaining unbelievable sharpness, the flexibility to focus proper onto the glass, decreased flaring and ghosting, a bodily smaller footprint, a removeable shade, and arguably higher general picture high quality. He creates a customized port for the lens and optics, and at the moment has already tailored the lens to Nauticam and Seafrogs with Isotta, Sea&Sea, Marelux and doubtlessly different housing manufacturers, relying on demand, to come back.

Isaac’s conversion provides thrilling new life to one of the crucial legendary items of underwater imaging tools ever—one which I’m extremely excited to as soon as once more personal and use.

 

A goliath grouper and a lionfish buddy, Jupiter, Florida. The Nikonos RS 13mm lens is impressively sharp, even higher than it was on a DSLR. You may zoom in and rely each single particular person tooth within the grouper’s mouth! (Sony a9, Seafrogs housing, Nikonos RS 13mm, twin Retra Flash strobes)

 

Flare appears to be the bane of many water contact optics, however no flare points with this model of the Nikonos RS 13mm! I’ve but to come across a single occasion of flare to this point (Sony a9, Seafrogs housing, Nikonos RS 13mm, Kraken Sports activities strobe, f/8, 1/50s, ISO 100)

 

Isaac’s model of the Nikonos RS 13mm has a smaller bodily footprint than the unique, focuses proper onto the glass, and has a detachable shade. These mix to permit for unbelievable close-focus wide-angle photographs of critters corresponding to jap hellbenders. Care have to be taken to not bash the entrance ingredient into rocks! (Sony a9, Seafrogs housing, Nikonos RS 13mm, Kraken Sports activities strobe, f/7.1, 1/80s, ISO 800)

 

Having the ability to shoot the lens at large apertures whereas retaining phenomenal sharpness means shutter speeds might be sooner, and ISOs might be decrease. You may rely the person enamel on this whale shark in the event you zoom in. Taking pictures at large apertures with this lens creates a “dreamy” look that’s tough to quantify (Sony a7R Mark II, Nauticam housing, Nikonos RS 13mm, f/4, 1/500, ISO 320)

 

Look out for our full assessment of the mirrorless conversion of the Nikonos RS 13mm on DPG. We plan to apply it to a number of totally different cameras and several other totally different housings in quite a lot of capturing eventualities. Keep tuned! If you’re concerned with your personal Nikonos RS 13mm conversion, please contact Isaac at [email protected].