Buying a secondhand Nikonos 111

Peter Rowlands · Issue 4, Jan 2002 · pp. 49–50

Products mentioned: Nikonos III

Buying a secondhand Nikonos 111 by Peter Rowlands The Nikonos 111 was manufactured from 1973 until 1980 and was the last totally mechanical amphibious camera built by Nikon. As such it has remained a firm favourite with those who still like the reassurance of mechanical reliability. New Nikonos 111’s are obviously no longer available so, if you want one, you will have to buy secondhand and this is where you need to know what to look for when choosing one. The external appearance is usually a good indication of how hard a Nikonos 111 has been used but, because the camera is robustly constructed, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the internal workings should be suspect. One area of the outer body to check is the silver chromed ring into which the lens fits. This is retained by three small Philips screws and there is a small O ring between it and the main casing of the outer body. If this O …