Teach me about Nikkormats...

If you are looking for AI coupling the FT-3 is the way to go otherwise the FT-2 is in my opinion the best of the non-AI versions..
 
I had the ELW as a teenanger, it took a winder, the winder was very noisy, it looked awesome. All metal body, built like a tank, I know that term is overused, but seriously, ooof, incredibly dense in my hand. I think the metering was primitive, if I remember correctly, my brothers Canon AE-1 did much better in the dark shadows of the barns in Lancaster county Pennsylvania growing up. I dropped it more than once, and mounted it on the dash of VW beetles we would drive around farm fields (don't ask,lol) . Never had a problem with it, it got stolen at Penn State in the 90's and I never replaced it. :(
 
I prefer the FT2 because you can use AI, AIS and non-AI glass and retain full aperture metering. The FT2 is also the first Nikkormat to use #76 batteries instead of the old mercury type. The Nikkormat EL & ELW will also take AI and non-AI lenses and it gives you an electronic shutter with an AE mode. They're all great cameras!
Jim
 
Good thing about Nikkormats is that they are dirt cheap now. I saw a fairly nice FTN in an antique shop in New Mexico last week with a 50/2 lens and case for $45.
 
Thanks for the responses. Looks like the FT2 wins. The reason I am after Nikkormats and not Nikon is because of the price. I don't care too much about metering ability other than a basic ballpark reading.
Thanks again.
 
filmfan said:
So what exactly is AI coupling? Do I need it? (I am assuming I do since my lenses are AI and AIS)
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AI coupling is the method in which the meter is operated by the lens. In AI lens it is by way of the coupling ridge on the lens.
 
filmfan said:
So what exactly is AI coupling? Do I need it? (I am assuming I do since my lenses are AI and AIS)
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AI is automatic indexing. If your lenses have the rabbit ears they will work fine on the earlier non-AI bodies.

For every day use the differences are minor, the FT and FS are the earliest. The FS has no meter, the FT is non-AI. FTN was a slightly improved FT, then the FT2 with another improvement. The FT3 was identical to the FT2 except it was AI. AI lenses do not need the rabbit ears to couple to the meter and mounting a lens is a little quicker, no big advantage. AI lenses kept the rabbit ears until autofocus lenses started to crowd out the the older manual focus lenses. You can still buy new (from Nikon) manual focus lenses with the rabbit ears.

The Nikormat EL was the same as the FT2 but had AE, The ELW took a winder and the EL2 was the same as the FT3.

I have the EL and love it. Almost as nice and robust as my Leica SL2 and lenses are a lot cheaper.
 
filmfan said:
Thanks for the responses. Looks like the FT2 wins. I don't care too much about metering ability other than a basic ballpark reading.
Thanks again.
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The FT2 and later models have the same center weighted metering that made the Nikon F2 series famous. They are every bit as rugged as the F2, just lack the interchangeable finders and all the accessories.
 
good thing this thread came along.. I too, am looking for info about nikkormats.. I have a chance to buy a Nikkormat with a "Nikomat" label name which, based from the net, was for (Japan) domestic circulation??? I think this is an FT model?? It comes with a 50/1.4 Non-AI..
 
FTn is the classical Nikkormat to me. It's has no hot shoe though if that matters to you. I have a FT2 myself, the same but with a hot shoe and a plastic tip on the lever. Make sure it comes with the eyepiece, they screw off and sometimes aren't there. Also the FTn has microprism in the center, and FT2 has a split screen. I wouldn't mind having an FS!
 
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Oh yeah, if you get an FT2 you have to pull out the tip of the shutter speed lever to change the ASA, and push it back in to lock it again. Mystifying if you don't know about it.
 
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I think for like $50 more, you could get an F2, which is a pretty amazing camera, all metal as well,mechanical, will work without batteries, and you can get interchangeable
finders. I see users for $100-150, not bad.

Funny though thinking about those camera's, how chunky,masculine/macho and BIG, they were. I remember watching PBS shows on National Geographic photographers as a kid, back in the 80's they carried around F3HP's and F4 with winders, sometimes Canon F1's, and they looked like massive cameras, especially with the 300 f/2.8 lenses, when they were trying to photograph deer at the Serengeti in morning light for example - THAT was a camera ! No puny Leica M for that job, hah ;)

The Nikkormat's were no exception, those camera's had serious bulk ! I bet you could use it as a weapon if you were mugged and knock someone out, if you hit them on the head with it, too funny.
You sure you don't want a nice Olympus OM, or a Yashica rangefinder in that price range ? Your back will appreciate it ;)
 
The Nikkormat FT bodies are fairly massive, and if you're looking for something smaller than an F5, you might want to instead look at an FE or FM. The FM is entirely manual with the batteries powering just the meter. The FE offers an autoexposure mode with a battery-dependent shutter that has just two manual speeds (1/90 and B) if the batteries expire.
 
Ranchu said:
FTn is the classical Nikkormat to me. It's has no hot shoe though if that matters to you. I have a FT2 myself, the same but with a hot shoe and a plastic tip on the lever. Make sure it comes with the eyepiece, they screw off and sometimes aren't there. Also the FTn has microprism in the center, and FT2 has a split screen. I wouldn't mind having an FS!
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Years ago, a very knowledgeable, USA dealer told me the FTn and the F2 were the last true, hand-assembled Nikons ever made. That appealed to me, so I got an FTn. I'm happy w/ it. The only issue seems to be the thin chrome plating around the prism on the inside corners. I've seen several w/ this problem.
 
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I liked my FTn when I had it. It is not as solidly built as the F series, and mine did develop a problem of the shutter speed control slipping by one notch from where it belonged. I learned to compensate by setting it one speed lower than the one I wanted. Otherwise it was great. I especially liked the viewfinder and the analog exposure display.
 
Bill58 said:
Years ago, a very knowledgeable dealer told me the FTn and the F2 were the last true, hand-assembled Nikons ever made. That appealed to me, so I got an FTn. I'm happy w/ it.
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Yes, I used to have an FTn and sold it, they have a certain perfection about them. I wasn't even looking for a camera when I saw the FT2 at a shop, but it's black and I simply could not resist for what I paid. No regrets.

:)
 
Batteries are still avail. for the FT3, something to consider. I agree about goin for an F2. Definitely try a Nikkormat first. They're kind of weird.
 
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