Nikkormat FTn, or something like that?!

Spavinaw said:
Another point for consideration that has not been brought up, the early FTN has an all micro prism screen, the later FTN has a combination screen with a central split image focusing aid surrounded by a micro prism donut. This is known as a "K" screen. I have always found it easier to focus, especially in low light, with a split image focus aid. This is strictly a personal choice and everyone else is free to choose as they please.
Click to expand...

Later FTns with a plastic tip on the wind lever (ala F2 vs original F) had a K screen. The FT2 and FT3 had K screens standard.

I learned on a micro prism screen, but I love the P screen, but that's me. K's pretty close.

B2 (;->
 
Another Nikon-noob question:
Do the cameras in question suffer from deteriorated *foam* mirror bumper and light seals?
— If yes, are these easily replaceable?
—— Is there anything else than foam that can be used as a replacement —— e.g. silk velvet like in the Leicaflexes and Rolleiflex SL35?
 
bmattock said:
Canon FX. Solid performer. Meter on top. FL lenses are inexpensive.
Click to expand...

Thank you, also an interesting idea —— I like built-in non-TTL meters very much, and I love my Minolta SR-7v, sibling of the SR-1s which is according to Huss (IIRC) one of the most elegant 35mm ever.

But, the problem is: all these Japanese cameras and lenses made before say 1965 are scarce in Europe —— and hence good specimens fetch almost collector prices here!
 
I snagged an original FT in mint condition at a camera sale.
I mean looking newr than new!
I offered it to a friend to use, but declined fearing he might damage it!
I feel same the same!
Guess time or Saki and a wild ride..
 
The Nikkormat FT3 is the last of the Nikkormats (late '70s), has auto lens indexing (no need for a 6 year old to learn/remember to "wap-wap" when changing lenses) and uses easily available batteries.

An excellent camera to learn and improve on.
 
iphoenix said:
The Nikkormat FT3 is the last of the Nikkormats (late '70s), has auto lens indexing (no need for a 6 year old to learn/remember to "wap-wap" when changing lenses) and uses easily available batteries.

An excellent camera to learn and improve on.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, like the FT2, the FT3 is pretty uncommon in Europe :(
 
Sumarongi said:
Thank you for your input! Unfortunately, like the FT2, the FT3 is pretty uncommon in Europe :(
Click to expand...

A quick search on ebay.de shows a few, both the FT2 and the FT3.

If a pseudo-MLU (selftimer locks the mirror in its up position), then perhaps an Nikon FM or FE - they go for about the same prices as the FT series if you look around a bit.
 
Jerevan said:
A quick search on ebay.de shows a few, both the FT2 and the FT3.
Click to expand...

Well, yes, the FT2 and FT3 models are some 10% of all the Nikkormat offers on ebay.de? And: I have to add the German postage which is no bargain ^^

Jerevan said:
If a pseudo-MLU (selftimer locks the mirror in its up position), then perhaps an Nikon FM or FE - they go for about the same prices as the FT series if you look around a bit.
Click to expand...

I don't think that pseudo-MLU works properly with my non-Retrofocus Voigtländer SL 15/4.5 Nikon F Mount lens... :(
 
Nah, the Voigtländer needs a real MLU. I guessed you had something like this in mind. :) BTW, the SL needs a hotshoe mounted viewfinder if I remember correctly, so in that case maybe biting the apple and get an F2?

Where are you located, then?
 
Jerevan said:
Nah, the Voigtländer needs a real MLU. I guessed you had something like this in mind. :) BTW, the SL needs a hotshoe mounted viewfinder if I remember correctly, so in that case maybe biting the apple and get an F2?
Click to expand...

See above, the F2's removability of the finder is a minus. (And I do even have a kaput F2 somewhere, bought years ago because I needed the working DP-something-finder, a present for my mother-in-law).

Jerevan said:
Where are you located, then?
Click to expand...

Carinthia —— next to the main chain of the Alps :)
 
Sumarongi-I once read that the mirror bumper foam could be replaced with the light seal from the lip of a 35mm film can. I have never tried it myself and have no idea if it works. Also, more than once as I recall, the exact name of a sewing thread replacement has been suggested in this forum. I haven't tried it either.
 
Spavinaw said:
Sumarongi-I once read that the mirror bumper foam could be replaced with the light seal from the lip of a 35mm film can. I have never tried it myself and have no idea if it works. Also, more than once as I recall, the exact name of a sewing thread replacement has been suggested in this forum. I haven't tried it either.
Click to expand...

Thank you :)

Exactly the same idea and quite a similar respectively I found here: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threa...-using-foam-strips-movie-camera-style.362863/

("peter_de_waal" sounds familiar, is he also a member here at RFF?)
 
Does this one look good?

268_-1842679791.jpg

268_-601493747.jpg

268_-1819561530.jpg

268_-301075423.jpg


Seller told me, I'll have to replace the mirror bumper and light seals... Not sure what I should pay...
 
It looks fine--and if the lens is clear--one of the best!
Replacing the seals is fairly easy--you just have to be careful. Maybe you can find a kit online--a fellow here in the US--Jon Goodman--sells ready made kits and really good instructions. Takes about 30 minutes for both mirror ans seals--good luck!
Paul
 
You can use the foam of the back of a computer mousepad to replace the foam strips of a Nikkormat. With good scissors and a bit a of patience it's easy to cut perfectly sized strips off the mousepad foam. The quality of this material is very good and very durable.

For the mirror bumper, the new strip has to be glued in place with some tiny dabs of neoprene glue.

For the camera back light seals, no glue is needed. The new strips will stay in place by themselves in their throats once the camera back has been closed a few times.

The old deteriorated foam bits have to be carefully and fully removed with wood dental picks, Q-tips and acetone. None of the darn black goo bits must land onto the shutter curtains or onto the mirror. You will have to use about five Q-tips to get a clean mirror bumper seat and about fifty Q-tips to get perfectly clean light seals throats. To get the Q-tips into the light seals throats you have to firmly flatten them with tweezers before soaking them in acetone.

On a Nikkormat you also have to replace the foam strip vertically glued at the right end of the camera back cover, near the hinge.

Fill the mirror chamber with a ball of very soft toilet paper and tape a piece of paper over the shutter gate before tackling the camera so that you don't end with black goo on the mirror nor on the shutter curtains, and regularly clean your workbench while working on the camera, because many black goo dabs will land on it over time.
 
Yesterday's mail brought the Nikkormat FTn —— in fact, two of them. The one shown above is made in 1967/68 supposedly (serial # FTN3547***), but the seller had a second body (made in 1974 I suppose, serial # FTN4753***) which he added :)

Now, before I hand it out my children, I have to figure out some points:

IMHO, both the cameras' aperture pins and the speed levers move very sluggishly.

OTOH, it's quite cold in my Man Cave; nevertheless:

Is it a sound idea to use some drops of naphta? —— I have a bottle of Zippo «essence à briquet» for my leaf shutter cameras at hand, and in this particular case I guess the Nikkormat's circumferential shutter speed «wheel» is quite similarly built?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom