That Nikkormat FTn.

Well, it has occurred to me that the Nikkormat FTN is an example of the perfect everyday and travel camera. Seriously.

While I have an M2 to use, and others, I can’t imagine myself going on vacation in the mountains or on the beach with a really nice high end camera and lens. Not only are the weather conditions and environmental concerns serious reasons to leave those at home, but risk of damage or loss is mitigated by the low cost of the Nikkormat and lens.

Unlike some, I take extreme care with my gear. That’s just me.

So, while I restock and review my fly fishing gear, I am including the Nikkormat FTN.😇 …of course, I have the stupid iPhone if I want to use it but I usually just grab the old Leica X1 if I have a need for digital images. I don’t text or share images while on vacation.

But then we haven’t been on a vacation since 2015. But we can always dream of a weekend trip to the mountains, right? Or maybe even the one last trip in my life to the beach. Yeah, good luck on that. $$$$…

Day trips have become impossible due to medical problems, so maybe we can get a weekend in the Smoky Mountains. But if I do, the Nikkormat FTNs bag and the FE2 + FM2n bag will be the only gear I take.


Yeah, I’m a lot more comfortable with those kits. No more charging batteries, and no worry of catastrophic losses of gear… they are not that expensive. Besides they are so cool!😇
 
Lighting… beautifully done! And that brings up another area I need to work on with the FTN…. Low light soft portraits.I presume you were shooting ISO 400…?

I haven’t done any portraits in forever!
 
dave lackey said:
Lighting… beautifully done! And that brings up another area I need to work on with the FTN…. Low light soft portraits.I presume you were shooting ISO 400…?

I haven’t done any portraits in forever!
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Thank you, Dave! The picture above was made in 1972. It was taken on TriX and doubtless developed in D76 @ 400 ASA. The subject was skin tones. It was an assignment I had been given as a student at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

Erik.
 
Erik van Straten said:
Thank you, Dave! The picture above was made in 1972. It was taken on TriX and doubtless developed in D76 @ 400 ASA. The subject was skin tones. It was an assignment I had been given as a student at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

Erik.
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Well, I can only say I wish I had been part of a lighting class because it is so hard to learn on your own over time. This is soft yet somehow perfectly done.

Love it!🙂
 
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nikkor 50|1,4
 
Today, I shall develop that single roll of film patiently awaiting my attention. 😇 The Chrome Nikkormat is loaded with TMax 100 again, so I will plan a walkabout downtown with it.

The black FTN… hmmm… not sure which film I will load it with yet. Maybe some Eastman 5222 expired film. Or, Legacy Pro 100 expired film… both of these will be excellent to use. I love having choices!😇
 
dave lackey said:
Love these, Erik!😃

These were shot in 1972/1974, and you still have the same camera and lens?

Dave
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My first Nikkormat FTn was a chrome one, I bought that one in late 1971 when I started my studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Until then I used only 120 format cameras, first a Hacoflex and then a Yashica Mat, both Japanese 6x6cm TLR's. Maybe a year later I got another Nikkormat FTn (in black) too, because I needed a second 35mm body for color work. The lenses I had were 50mm f2, 105mm f2.5 and 24mm f2.8. The 105mm and the 24mm were very good, but I developed an aversion to the pictures I've made with them (and to my color pictures) so I got rid of these lenses and the chrome body, keeping only my Nikkormat in black with the 50mm f2. In 1979 I bought a Leica M3 with a rigid Summicron. In the period 1975-1979 I did not make any photographs as I was concentrating on painting.
 
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