Eumig Nautica usage tips

[Cornelius68]

Hi everyone,

I am planning to shoot some dive footage /w the Nautica and would like to hear people's experiences, especially tips on its usage. For example, has anyone experimented with the +1 exposure compensation while underwater? Or how about using the +1 compensation on beaches (when the meter will want to underexpose)? I understand a filter is possible if not using the PMA lens, so with that in place, the +1 compensation becomes necessary, correct? And how usable is the camera underwater /w the 9 mm lens and colour correction filter? If anyone can post stills of their underwater footage, that would be really helpful. Thanks!

[Cornelius68]

No one has any ideas? Come on, some of you must have used it with filters underwater before!

[super8man]

some of my early experiences are on my website. Good luck!!!

[rick dangerous]

I am waiting for 6 reels of underwater/surf footage to return from Kodak. Once I have it and get the telecine done I could perphaps post some but I did not use a filter.
From the tests I shot in a swimming pool I was very impressed with the camera. I did try the +1 option above water once but I did not notice a major diference, maybe others have made better use of the function.

[digvid]

I have only shot two rolls of K40 underwater with the Nautica. However, here was my experience:

First of all, I was shocked at how well the K40 was exposed when fairly deep (approximately 30 feet) underwater. The film I shot was in Hawaii. I think it helped that it was a completely cloudless, sunny day and the water was very clear. If not under those conditions, I'm not sure how it would have turned out. In any case, the footage I shot was very well exposed. I did not engage the +1 adjustment. While underwater I did use the wide angle lens attachment at all times. It just seemed like underwater you had to get a really wide view to make an interesting shot.

The footage did look rather grainy even though it was K40. If I didn't know better I would have thought that I had shot 400 ASA film because that is what it resembled.

I did shoot some footage on the beach without the +1 adjustment, and it actually looked pretty good. My Nizo S56 really underexposes on beach shots, but that was less of a problem with the Eumig. In retrospect though, I think the beach shots would have been better with the +1.

Also, if you take this camera under salt water, make sure you clean it well afterwards. I would let mine soak for about 15 minutes in the bathtub in fresh water (with the film door still closed and sealed, of course!) before drying it off and putting it away. This is a fabulous little camera, both for below and above water filming, so you'll want to take perfect care of it.

If I have the time I will try to dig up this footage and extract some stills.

- digvid

[BalsaBill]

I have shot quite a bit of surfing footage with my Nautica. Also some underwater diving.
Mine has been reworked to shoot at 24 fps.
The quality is very good and the exposure is right on. I've never used the f stop compensator.
I have had trouble with fogging when using the add on wide angle. I tried Rain X in Hawaii recently and it didn't fog, but I'll know how it came out when I see the footage next week sometime.
The image is a good or better that any any Super 8 Camera I've ever used, including Beaulieu and a Bolex H-8 Super 8 conversion.

[Patrick]

If you use the standard 9mm focal length (without the PMA wide angle adapter) the lens becomes a macro lens. When filming underwater in this mode, use the hand strap to measure the distance from the subject for correct focus. You can fill the frame with a starfish or a slightly largish crab. Make sure that the lever on the side of the camera is in the 'down' position when underwater, regardless if you use the PMA or not. As for the colour correction filter, always have this engaged if you are using the sun as your main light source, whether you are underwater or on land.

[mathis]

Also, if you take this camera under salt water, make sure you clean it well afterwards. I would let mine soak for about 15 minutes in the bathtub in fresh water (with the film door still closed and sealed, of course!) before drying it off and putting it away. This is a fabulous little camera, both for below and above water filming, so you'll want to take perfect care of it.

This is very good advice! My Nautica was eaten by the salt.

[alan doyle]

austrian company eumig invested millions into retooling the factory to make
this little gem of a camera..
they saw video cameras,like the ferguson videostar,with seperate recorder as a major threat...
so they invested in a water,snow sand proof camera..
with a lovely contrasty lens..
down side was no 24 or slowmo and manual exposure adjustment...
they designed built and shipped...nobody wanted it..mass super 8 use was dead..
eumig not long afterwards went into liquidation.
i have used this camera,with old custom loads of provia 100,with +1 exp..
looked fab..
also with kodachrome,ektachrome and vision 200..
because it meters through a seperate window,i always find it yealds good solid exposures..for an auto iris cam.
i use +1 into the sun or if ithink meter might be fooled by harsh light.
below 15 feet i find boring...too much blue cast low light lack of ability to properly compensate filter wise..
you will get more usable nice shots in auto mode,with these babies,than more expensive sophisticated models...
expensive models..
keep o ring,clean of hairs and grit..
keep well siliconed up.
always rinse salt water off in a bucket of tap water,or shower off...when changing rolls..
i did a sophie ellis bextor video last year,and one of mine,filled up with water...i got lazy and did not clean the o ring properly....
dried the camera out in the sun for 2 weeks,and it started working again..
has something growing in the lens though...
this camera loves kodachrome....