I am absolutely sure about that. If you do not trust my judgment, simply enter [ame="http://www.google.com/search?num=100&q=%22michel+loup%22+nikonos"]"michel loup" nikonos[/ame] into Google and you'll see I was right.It's hard to see clearly, but I hope you’re right.
Well, the camera is certainly quite important, but the person behind it is always principal. You get the best results when both elements are excellent.So, what is your opinion: his pictures are so good because of camera?
That told, the wide lenses, excellent Nikon optics, and the reflex Nikonos body surely make a big difference. The fact that he uses film is also important, but you can get excellent results with digital technology too. However, you should not expect getting the same quality of photos with a cheap compact model as with a special UW reflex camera with expensive optics. Also the optical properties of a wide angle lenses build specially for UW photography without additional housing like the Nikkor can be barely matched by any lenses in a UW housing - the additional layers of glass (or plastic) and water/air necessarily change the optical proprieties of the lenses.
Still, it does not of course mean you cannot make excellent photos with a small digital camera in a UW housing.