NikonWeb.com

Now you stirred up memories.

I do not know where this converted Nikon F4 is now, I suspect in a NASA or Smithsonian Museum. Some of the Engineers in the Naval Research Lab's Space Systems Division worked on the system. I got to hold it (way back when). It was close to the size of the DCS200, which also impressed them. Their camera was sturdier...it went into space. Mine just went onto (the outside of) an airplane.

http://www.totse.com/en/technology/spac ... ts-48.html

How hard could it be to convert a DCS460 to your F4?
Copied from the article, sorry no pictures.


"The basic photographic platform is a Nikon F4 35mm film camera
converted to a digital image storing device by placement of a 1 million
picture element (pixel) charge coupled device (CCD) at the film plane.
The battery-operated ESC retains all the available features of the F4
and will accept any lense or optics with a Nikon mount. Lenses used on
STS-48 will include the 20mm AF Nikkor, 35-70mm zoom AF Nikkor, 50mm
f/1.2 AF Nikkor and 180mm AF Nikkor.

Images obtained during the STS-48 mission will be monochrome with
8 bits of digital information per pixel (256 gray levels) and stored on
a removable computer hard disk. The images may be viewed and enhanced
on board using a modified lap-top computer before being transmitted to
the ground via the orbiter digital downlinks.

During STS-48, the ESC will be used to image areas of interest to
commercial remote sensing users. Scenes of Earth, such as major cities
and geological formations will be used to compare the ESC to other
Earth-looking sensors. Images of Shuttle crew member tasks in the
middeck and payload bay will be taken to test the camera's use for
documentation and support to missions. Attempts will be made to
collect stereo pairs at close and far ranges to test the camera's
photogrammetric capabilities."

Wow! Cameras and manned spaceflight! My favourite subjects!

I didn't know this. I guess there's hope after all

Don't know how hard it would be to convert a DCS 460 to fit (and work) with my F4, but I know for sure I couldn't do it!

Later Shuttle flights have flown Kodak DCS 760's into space. Several such cameras will also be flown on the next mission, STS-114 (which, depending on launch date, I'll cover from the KSC press site). Here's some cool info from the NASA Press Kit:

Kodak #1:

"For STS-114, a 35mm still camera previously located in the right umbilical well on the underside of the Orbiter on previous Shuttle flights has been replaced with a Kodak DCS760 digital still camera."

Kodak #2:

"The crew's procedures in photographing the External Tank after it has separated from the Orbiter have been modified to use a digital still camera Kodak DCS760. The handheld digital camera has been flown on many past missions, but never before has been used for imagery of the tank after launch."

Kodak #3:

"A new handheld digital camera for use by spacewalkers outside of the vehicle will be flown on STS-114 and subsequent flights. Previously, all handheld cameras used by spacewalkers outside the vehicle had been film cameras. The new Extravehicular Activity (EVA) camera is a Kodak DCS760 camera, the same camera used for digital imagery inside the Shuttle cabin, with some modifications made to equip it for use in the vacuum and extreme temperatures of space. The modifications included a change of lubricants for the camera and a thermal protective covering."

Finally, the Space Shuttle Discovery will be photographed from the International Space Station:

"The photography will be performed out of windows 6 and 7 in the Zvezda Service Module with Kodak DCS 760 digital cameras and 400mm and 800mm lenses delivered on a Russian Progress cargo ship to the Station in March."

Jarle

There's a photo of a digital F4 on the Photography in Malaysia website ('F4 NASA model', near bottom of page):

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ha ... lnikon.htm

Another source:

http://apphotnum.free.fr/N2BE3n.html

I assume this is it? I've contacted NASA and asked for some photos of this particular camera. I'll post them here if I get any.

Searching the JSC Digital Image Collection, you'll find several photos taken with this camera. From two of the image descriptions:

STS-48:

"Crewmembers were testing the ESC as part of Development Test Objective (DTO) 648, Electronic Still Photography. The digital image was stored on a removable hard disk or small optical disk, and could be converted to a format suitable for downlink transmission. The ESC is making its initial appearance on this Space Shuttle mission."

STS-49:

"STS-49 Mission Specialist (MS) Kathryn C. Thornton poses on the middeck of Endeavour, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 105, as part of Development Test Objective (DTO) 648, Electronic Still Photography Test (With Downlink). Thornton, holding onto the airlock hatch opening mechanism, was recorded by the Electronic Still Camera (ESC). Electronic still photography is a new technology which provides the means for a handheld camera to electronically capture and digitize an image with resolution approaching film quality. DTO 648 will determine camera response to the photographic conditions encountered onorbit using a variety of lenses and camera settings. "

There's also some brief info on other 'Cameras Used on the ISS and Shuttle Missions by NASA astronauts to photograph Earth' at http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/sseop/metadata/camera.htm

Jarle

I think I could eventually pull off sticking some Kodak DCS bits onto an F4 body. This is the sort of thing I've done for many years. It wouldn't be a pretty as a production units. Prototypes are usually rather rough looking.

I wonder if the interface signals on the F4 are the same as on the F90? If so, then the project would be mostly a mechanical one.

The real question is why one would want to at this point in time.....

Stan

_________________
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer

Hi Stan,

You make one of these and I'd probably want to buy it

Jarle

That is the one.

So Jarle, they made your camera and obviously it was out of this world...

I believe that!

I wish I had some hard technical references for the Kodak stuff. I have this idea that one might have the best luck trying to mate the back half (and the bottom part as well, since the Kodak stuff is pretty large) of a DCS 560 onto an F4.

I'd need to know a little bit more about the interconnections between the back and the body. As far as I can tell, the back sends ISO information to the body and the body sends a 'fire' signal to the back. I think that's all that is involved.

I don't know squat about the F4, though, as I never owned one. I had an F2as, F2H, F3, FE and several FA's over the years, but never an F4.

I suppose that one could manually set the ISO on the body to match the back. Heck, the 560/660 models were best used at ISO 80 anyway, so that wouldn't be so bad.

I think a 560 would be best, because Kodak split the boards up differently in that one to make for a nicer package than they did on the Nikon variants. I wouldn't know for sure until I took one apart and tried to mount it onto an F4, though.

I think the hardest part would be aligning the imager up. I have a feeling that getting the thing located just so will be a mechanical nightmare.

So, I don't think you need to stay up at night waiting for this to happen....

Stan

_________________
Amateur Photographer
Professional Electronics Development Engineer

I'd send you mine, but I'm too attached to it (like most of my old gear) - and I actually use it from time to time. If all goes according to plan, I hope to set up at least one remote camera near the launch pad for the next Shuttle launch at Kennedy Space Center. The F4 is my first choice.

Unfortunately, 560's are still a bit expensive, selling for around $600 - $1000 on eBay. Perhaps you should wait a couple of years?

I won't hold my breath

Jarle

The actual camera was developed by the Man-Systems Division at Johnson Space Center. The Naval Research Lab made the "HERCULES Attitude Processor (HAP)" for later DOD flights.

For more info, see my ESC article at http://www.nikonweb.com/nasaf4/

Jarle