Teach me about Nikkormats...

I have never been tempted to get one but after reading this thread i might have to reconsider
How weird are they? I only have the F80 🙂
 
bgb said:
I have never been tempted to get one but after reading this thread i might have to reconsider
How weird are they? I only have the F80 🙂
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True, stirs up fond memories of an icon. Still a camera like that, with such a relatively low cost, I would be tempted to have fun with it, and change the Griptac, ala the way Warhol, Lichtenstien, Frank Stella did up those way cool art cars/BMW's from the 70's


nikk_GT.jpg

http://www.cameraleather.com/nikonslr/
 
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kshapero said:
I have 2 FTN's. One I got in 1973. Both have never failed.
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That I believe. They are built like tanks.

The weirdness for me is the focus, aperture, and shutter speed all being stacked rings, on the lens, all controlled by the left hand(and the shutter speed control is on the shooter's right of the lens): it's fumbly. Also the meter cuts out if you go outside its narrow range, e.g it won't give you a reading for a 1/4 sec with 400 speed film. The ISO adjustment will give you a hangnail.

I think if it was your regular camera you would get used to it, and at current prices it's a really good deal. The manufacturing quality far exceeds the design quirks.
 
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mrisney said:
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.
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That would be a killing blow. The FT2 weighs about 9 lbs without a lens mounted. I'd use an M6 if I just wanted to knock someone out 😉
 
filmfan said:
Hello, I am looking to pick up a Nikkormat body to shoot my old AI/S lenses on when I dont want to lug around the F5. Which one should I go after?
Thanks,

-Sam
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Sam,

If I were looking for a backup body which is smaller, lighter, and cheaper than an F5, but still built like a tank and able to take all Nikon lenses ever made (except AF-G lenses and the ones which require mirror lock-up) I would be looking at an FM or an FE. They are roughly 10 years newer than most Nikkormats so they are less worn and have newer technology in their metering etc, they have batteries which are cheap and easy to get, and they are plentiful and cheap. I bought another FM body in pristine condition last week on the big auction site for USD42.00, and I know some people are getting them cheaper than that. I do have a Nikkormat FTN but it is a glass cabinet queen because of the battery problem and also lack of a diopter for the viewfinder. Just my opinion - others will differ.

Cheers, Peter.
 
All I can tell you about a Nikkormat camera is that I firmly believe it is the most indestructible camera ever made and my first 'real' camera.

This one came to me nearly 30 years ago and second-hand for a whopping $125...

2379749596_847d612d0f.jpg


I have destroyed or rendered useless every camera I have owned except my Nikkormat FTn... that list includes Nikon F, F2, FM2, FM, Leica, Bessa, Pentax, and more... but the Nikkormat just will not quit. It has been subjected to extreme temperatures, dropped at high-speeds, completely filled with sand and salt-water twice... nothing some time spent in a bucket of freshwater could not fix.

I have had my Nikkormat FTn serviced several times and upgraded with a E2 focusing screen. The meter needle is getting a bit jumpy and I am running low on mercury batteries, so I have a perfectly good Nikkormat FT2 which will become a parts donor to upgrade the meter circuit to silver-oxide at some point.

I own/have owned most of the Nikkormat series and prefer the FTn because of the absence of the hotshoe.

The best film camera going in my book, unless you need interchangeable prisms, focusing screens and a motordrive... or light-weight!
 
P. Lynn Miller said:
All I can tell you about a Nikkormat camera is that I firmly believe it is the most indestructible camera ever made and my first 'real' camera.
I have destroyed or rendered useless every camera I have owned except my Nikkormat FTn... that list includes Nikon F, F2, FM2, FM, Leica, Bessa, Pentax, and more... but the Nikkormat just will not quit. It has been subjected to extreme temperatures, dropped at high-speeds, completely filled with sand and salt-water twice... nothing some time spent in a bucket of freshwater could not fix.
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I can confirm NOT indestructible. Mine fell down a flight of stairs years ago in France - step by step. Amazingly, lens fine, and body mostly fine, but a deep dent under the film wind lever rendered it non-functional. Don't have it handy to post a picture but still own it (not entirely certain what model but FTN I think). Probably fixable but not economical to do so (wasn't then either). Liked the camera but the FM that replaced it still works fine, twenty-odd years later. Granted, I haven't done the same stress test on the FM.
 
The most important difference in the models is that the FT and FTn require a 1.35v battery, while the FT2 and FT3 run on common 76s batteries to power the meter. If you are using a hand held meter, then no problem. I have a chrome FTn and a black FT3. The black FT3 is a real beauty.

I really like the top deck meter readout on the Nikkormats, like the Rollei 35, 35T, and 35S cameras. One can set exposure without having to look through the viewfinder.
 
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Armoured said:
I can confirm NOT indestructible. Mine fell down a flight of stairs years ago in France - step by step. Amazingly, lens fine, and body mostly fine, but a deep dent under the film wind lever rendered it non-functional.
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Nothing is indestructible, I suppose. On a particular project at the beach, I went through a pair of Nikon F's in two days, I had to use my back-up which was my old Nikkormat FTn to finish my shooting. In the process the FTn survived and thrived through worse incidents than the ones that took out the F's.

FrankS said:
The most important difference in the models is that the FT and FTn require a 1.35v battery, while the FT2 and FT3 run on common 76s batteries to power the meter.

I really like the top deck meter readout on the Nikkormats...
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Frank,

Yes, very important information. I bought a couple dozen 1.35v mercury cells just before they became unobtainable and tossed them in the deep freeze. I think I have about 5 left. But the resistor strip in the metering system has been subjected too much salt-water and is making the meter skip. So I am planning to transplant the complete meter circuit out of a FT2 into the FTn which solve the mercury cell problem.

I also really like the top-deck read-out, you just need to be aware that lots of light back through the view-finder can bias the meter.

Someone mentioned the limitations of the FTn meter... not sure what they are referring to... as I used the FTn in plenty of low-light with films ranging from Kodachrome 25 to TMax 3200 with no problems.
 
Nikkormat vs FM

Nikkormat vs FM

Both the FM and the Nikkormat can use AI and Non-AI lenses. The FM requires stopdown mode for NAI’s and the Nikkormat requires stopdown mode for AIs that have no prong, like Series E and AF lenses.

Non-AI lenses are much cheaper than AI’s since they can’t be used on most DSLRs.

If you want to use lenses on a DSLR also, get an FM. If you don’t care about the digital option and want lots of cheap, high quality lenses, get a Nikkormat.

I got my FT2 (modern battery) on ebay with a great NAI 50mm F1.4 for $50. An AI 50mm f1.4 costs many times that because of the demand from digital users.

I used it recently for this portrait of Judith Berkson, which was printed in the New York Times last week:


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/arts/music/30playlist.html?scp=1&sq=judith berkson&st=cse
 
Regarding your AI question.
If your lenses have the "saddle" mounted on the aperture ring you can use most any version of the Nikkormats, F2, or F.

I agree with the EL comments. I LOVE my old EL. What a camera!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikkormat-EL-35...ilm_Cameras&hash=item1e5c4474a4#ht_500wt_1154

The FT2 / FT3 are also knockout picks. If you can pickup and F2 A or F2AS go for it, but check the meter. Few better cameras have ever been made.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Vintage-N...ilm_Cameras&hash=item19bcd7342b#ht_500wt_1154
http://cgi.ebay.com/Nikon-Nikkormat...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c03776872

Whichever you buy you'll likely need to replace the mirror foam and batter (if it has a meter). You can probably get batteries on eBay or out of europe.
 
sprokitt said:
The FT2 / FT3 are also knockout picks. If you can pickup and F2 A or F2AS go for it, but check the meter. Few better cameras have ever been made.
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That black FTN is sweet, I wanted to add that the black FTN's came with a chrome wind lever from the factory, on the black FT2's it is black. So on an FTN, it doesn't mean that the lever has been replaced.
 
I'm surprised that no one's mentioned the unmistakeable sounds that Nikkormats make. Kind of a hollow "kwallup."

And I would add to the FM vs Nikkormat analysis that FMs seem to have delicate light meter boards that go south all too easily and can't be replaced (except by transplanting the board from a donor camera).

I didn't know about the FT2 using modern batteries. That advantage would speak loudly to me if I were shopping.
 
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