Nikonos 13mm Conversion for Sony Mirrorless

Matthew Sullivan · Issue 139, Jul/Aug 2024 · pp. 36–40

Products mentioned: Nikonos RS 13mm f/1.8 fisheye, Sony a9, Sony a7RII, Sony 50mm lens, Seafrogs housing, Nauticam NA-A7II housing, Kraken Sports KS160 strobes, Retra Flash, Isotta

I imagine many of those reading this are familiar with the preview I did for the Nikonos RS 13mm conversion for Sony mirrorless cameras. If you haven’t, fear not! Everything covered there will be covered in this full review—and much more. Originally released for the Nikonos RS film camera in the 1990s, the Nikonos RS 13mm has a cult following in the underwater photography realm—and with good reason. The lens was one of the very first water-contact optics and is legendary for its phenomenal image quality. However, with the rise of mirrorless cameras, it seemed the 13mm might have reached the end of its life for underwater photography with the exception of some DSLR stalwarts. Fortunately, my friend Isaac Szabo came to the rescue. Isaac took it upon himself to give the Nikonos RS 13mm new life in the mirrorless realm. He figured out how to take the optics of the 13mm fisheye, install them …