The Hanimex Amphibian (1984, bright Orange colour) is a rebranded bright Yellow coloured Sea&Sea Motormarine 35 SE. It’s major sales advantage was being considerably cheaper than the Nikon Nikonos. Any camera being used underwater suffers the same from the disadvantages of shooting through water that may be less than crystal clear, so things like better optics or shutter speed range tend to get cancelled out.
The Amphibian has several quirks.
For example:
The camera has one shutter speed (100 sec). It doesn’t have automatic exposure adjustment—instead it has three diodes that indicate + and - in red and correct exposure in green. You are expected while the shutter release is slightly depressed to adjust the aperture adjuster (right of lens, camera viewed from the front) to different f/stops until the green diode lights.
The same adjuster has two “flash-on” positions (f/2.8 and f/5.6). If I read the instruction manual correctly with ASA 100 film you can shoot from 1—3 m and with ASA 400 film from 1—5 m. The problem with these rather simple instructions is no mention of which of the flash-on positions—f/2.8 and f/5.6 you set for either ISO. If it is as I suspect, you are being told the working aperture with the two extremes of the ISO settings and both positions turn the flash on.
NOTE: There is a table on the camera’s back that might clear up my confusion. It says at ISO 100 flash-far range is 1.5—3 m while flash-near the range is 1—1.5 m. So, since the only adjustment you have with flash-on is f/2.8 or f/5.6, those are the settings for those distances e.g. f/2.8 for subjects 1.5—3 m, f/5.6 for subjects 1-1.5 m at ISO 100. The camera has a three position switch marked ISO 100, 200 and 400. Now good luck setting the flash with ISO 200 film as that speed isn’t included with the distance table on the back.
The flash is recommended for use on land only, but you can use the flash underwater if it gets dark below ten-feet down. The standard problem with a built-in flash in underwater cameras is the light close to the lens catches all the floating-in-water dust and worse particles and makes them bright specks. An improved model of the original Sea&Sea camera had a connection point for accessory flash that could be located away from the camera. This Amphibian camera has a covered “port” on the back that was to be for a underwater flash connection. I have seen an online listing of a Hanimex Amphibian complete with spare underwater flash. That accessory flash may have been triggered as a slave to this camera’s flash going off.
You have to focus the camera with the control to the left of the lens. There are no focus aids—you are expected to estimate the distance. I could get into apparent distances changing above and underwater water, but it is covered in the Amphibian’s instructions by the fact you automatically correct for the difference as your eye is being fooled as well as the camera’s settings are being fooled. Anything past 5 m is considered at infinity in any case.
Another strange thing about the camera is it has two rewind controls. There is a metal switch (upper right) that has to moved from “W” to “R”. This lever disconnects the hub the film is wrapped around as it is being advanced so it can spin freely. Then a rewind button (grey marked "Rewind", center of opening) is depressed and the built-in motor will rewind the exposed film.
When loading the film you can also switch the metal lever to R so you can turn the hub to expose the slot the film leader feeds into. You have to remember to switch the metal lever back to W to have the film advance after the shutter has fired. The motor advances the film at one shot a second. Of course the flash can’t recharge that fast, so with flash you have to shoot single exposures and wait for the flash to recharge.
The camera's back has a sealed connection (lower left) for an accessory exterior flash connection. This camera did not have the connection installed, but the camera was sold with the exterior camera in some markets.
Underwater cameras break down into the depth they can work without springing a leak and “flooding”. Many so-called underwater cameras can work down to 3 m, fewer cameras can stay dry to 10 m and this camera and the Nikonos will work to 50 m. So cumbersome as the Amphibian’s operation seems, it can work at shooting pretty deep subjects.
There are camera housings that can work deeper, but now we are talking some real money.
On land the Amphibian is a heavy “brick”. It has a accessory shoe for underwater viewing frames that work better than trying getting your eye close enough to the viewfinder to see your framing. There is a tripod socket for attaching the aforementioned exterior flash units.
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