pgk Posted February 13, 2010 Share #1 Posted February 13, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) I wonder if anyone on this forum can help me? Although I use Leica equipment I do not collect it. However as an underwater photographer I am interested in the history of underwater photography and as a result I have been fortunate enough to pick up an original French built Calypso camer from its original owner. It has a Som Berthiot Flor lens, a 35mm f/3.5, and I wonder if anyone knows anything about this lens? I suspect that it may well have existed in some form before being fitted into a Calypso casing, and wonder if it may even have originated as a rangefinder (ltm?) lens. Two other lenses were supposedly available for the camera - another Som Berthiot and an Angenieux - but I can find no information about either. The camera is in good condition but needs servicing (even today this is unlikely to be a problem) and has frame finder, flash and an underwater exposure meter too. Any useful information will be gladly received. Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted February 13, 2010 Posted February 13, 2010 Hi pgk, Take a look here Not Leica but ..... Calypsophot. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jc_braconi Posted February 13, 2010 Share #2 Posted February 13, 2010 Here you will find a lot of things .... in French : Appareils photo anciens : Spirotechnique Calypso Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share #3 Posted February 13, 2010 Thanks JC The problem that I have is that the page you directed me to is similar to many others - basically information is scarce. I'm also intrigued by the lenses as it seems odd that both Som Berthiot AND Angenieux both produced lenses for this camera (they were I believe significant competitors) especially when Nikon were approached shortly afterwards, apparently because more/new lenses were needed, and then ended up buying the right to manufacture. I wonder if the wide (28mm SB) and long (45mm Ang) ever went into serious production or whether just a few prototypes or samples were built. Also whether these were existing lenses modified to use in the Calypso lens mount system (I'd would think it unlikely that they would be unique designs). The Calypso is a very well built camera - with new seals and a service I expect that the one I have would operate fine. The material used is still in excellent condition too. Is just a pity that information is so scarce. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 14, 2010 Author Share #4 Posted February 14, 2010 OK, having done somemore research I've discovered that the original Nikonos lens was based on the 35mm f/2.5 Nikkor available in M39 (lsm) mount - and it appears that this may be simply be because it was a good physical fit! My guess is that Som Berthiot 28mm f/3.3 Angulor and 35mm f/3.5 Flor lenses for the Calypso were more than likely the same optics used for similar M39 (lsm) lenses. If anyone has any information on these Som Berthiot lenses (tessar designs?) I'd be interested because there is little available on the web that I can find. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted February 16, 2010 Share #5 Posted February 16, 2010 Have you used all the links that are on this page ? I used one and found a lot others including forum with pictures and tips. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share #6 Posted February 16, 2010 Hi JC I have indeed. I decided to try to research the development and sales of the Calypsophot because it was a really innovative design - it was actually built by French Camera maker Atoms - but there is a curious 'vagueness' about sales and it very quickly became adopted by Nikon. Its rather intriguing as is the potential story about both the Som Bertiot lens(es?) and the Nikkor - both of which were probably based on earlier rangefinder lenses for LSM. The odd thing is that there is some information on the web but equally there is a lot which is not and which I would have expected to be well documented by now. I'm starting to wonder if the Calypsophot was a good example of a manfacturer building a good product but being unable to translate its virtues into sales. On a side note I'm also interested in housings built for rangefinder cameras (such as the R G Lewis one - which I saw when I was a student and worked for R G Lewis. I must write down the story of this as far as I can remember it because its very entertaining!). Hugyfot also built an M3 housing but photos of this would indicate that it was a nightmare to actually use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert J Posted February 17, 2010 Share #7 Posted February 17, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Nikon's 35mm lens for the nikonos is optically identical to the 35mm lens offered for their rangefinder cameras,which was also produced in LTM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 17, 2010 Author Share #8 Posted February 17, 2010 Nikon's 35mm lens for the nikonos is optically identical to the 35mm lens offered for their rangefinder cameras,which was also produced in LTM. Thanks. Yes there is a lot of info available on the Nikon lens, but very little on the Som Berthiot. It seems reasonable to presume that the Som Berthiot lens was also originally one of their LTM mount lenses (a lens of identical focal length, aperture and name was produced) but I can find no confirmation of this as yet. I am hoping that a collector who looks at this forum may have one of the LTM lenses and know more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc_braconi Posted February 17, 2010 Share #9 Posted February 17, 2010 Now in Japanese (I suppose) FLOR 35 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/112541-not-leica-but-calypsophot/?do=findComment&comment=1228991'>More sharing options...
jaques Posted February 23, 2010 Share #10 Posted February 23, 2010 Som Berthiot seem to have made quite a few movie camera lenses- especially for small 8mm cams... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bernd Banken Posted February 23, 2010 Share #11 Posted February 23, 2010 Why not ask Big Brother? eBay: som berthiot, Foto Camcorder, Antiquitäten Kunst, angenieux Tons of lenses...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted February 23, 2010 Author Share #12 Posted February 23, 2010 Here's some intriguing reading: Nikon | Imaging Products | NIKKOR - The Thousand and One Nights, Tale 8 : W Nikkor 35 mm f/2.5 I'm not quite sure what the "was designed based on the optical system of" means exactly but at a guess it probably indicates that they simply put the existing lens inside the Nikonos Lens housing. That would mean that when the Nikonos 5 went out of production in 2001 it was still using a lens originally designed for 35mm rangefinder cameras, and available in LTM 49 years earlier. This must rank as being one of the longest production runs for any lens, albeit fitted in a different mount. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bernd Banken Posted February 23, 2010 Share #13 Posted February 23, 2010 Here a close up of another Berthiot lens, the 20mm: Ein exotischer Leichtling - SOM Berthiot 1.5/20mm - Four Thirds Forum Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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