Teach me about Nikkormats...

Melvin said:
......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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I cut my SLR teeth on an FTn way back and you are right, you do get use to beauty of the design very quickly.

B2 (;->
 
filmfan said:
So if I want a really crisp and clear viewfinder experience, which screen should I get for it? If it's brighter (my goal), do I need to compensate with the meter?
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The Nikkormat screens are not interchangeable. If you can't do with the original (rather dim) screen, you'll have to leave the camera at a repair shop so that the original screen is replaced with a customized Nikon FM2 of FM3A screen by the repairman, and the meter adjusted accordingly to the screen brightness (good opportunity to have the viewfinder cleaned off its dust, all the foams replaced, and the meter circuitry adjusted for 1.5V batteries if it's an FTn).
 
filmfan said:
I am just going to buy some old Mercury 1.35v batteries on ebay to use.
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Where do you get them? I never saw any.
I would take the FT2 for that reason. Price is similar and the weight/feel also 🙂

My FTn is retired now for lack of batteries. I have one or two 1.35 batteries left that I expect to use in my Lunasix before I give that one up :bang:
 
Just finished reading this entire thread. Maybe someone made this point, but I did not catch it. There are two distinct versions of the FTN model. The first version had an all metal wind lever, a metal self timer lever, and an all microprism focusing aid. The second version had a plastic tip on the wind lever, a plastic self timer lever, and a split/microprism focusing aid (K screen).
When new, it also had a round sticker on the wind lever pivot point with the letter K on it to show it had the K screen. So if you are lusting after an FTN, know you have a choice of focusing screens.
By the way, I own both types of FTN's as well as two FT3's--chrome and black. My first 35mm camera was an FTN. Love them all.
 
Does anybody know how many Nikkormats were made? In their time I've spotted them ten times more often than Nikon F's. About one million Nikon F's were made, so are there 10 million Nikkormats out there?

Erik.
 
filmfan said:
I like the first version with the metal lever. So the viewfinder is dim? Is it dimmer than the F2 viewfinder?
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Yes. That is, YMMV - given that the Nikkormat finder is not field serviceable, the state of mine might be partially due to dirt. And I mostly have the super-bright all-prism Gx or Hx screens in my F and F2 cameras, which are a somewhat unfair comparison...
 
jschrader said:
My FTn is retired now for lack of batteries. I have one or two 1.35 batteries left that I expect to use in my Lunasix before I give that one up :bang:
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Come on...

http://www.smallbattery.company.org.uk/sbc_mr9_adapter.htm

filmfan said:
So the viewfinder is dim? Is it dimmer than the F2 viewfinder?
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It is, but still very usable. Nothing which would detract any honest photographer to take excellent pictures with this camera.

I have a chrome first version FTn in mint condition (got it by chance while buying the Nikkor-O 35/2 the camera body was the rear lens cap of) ; I replaced all the foams (mirror bumper, back door hinge and throats) after carefully removing all the old foams debris and I now use it from time to time when I don't want to take the F2. Very nice photographic tool, simple, efficient and robust.

The meter coupling range isn't very wide so don't expect it to be able to meter in either very low or very bright lighting conditions.
 
One thing to keep in mind is these cameras are OLD. 40 years is hard on a built in light meter and, even though they seem to work, they often give erroneous readings. My advice is to get an all mechanical Nikon/Nikomat. It is easy to have the shutters calibrated and most work just fine without. Download one of the excellent light meter apps for your smart phone or buy an inexpensive light meter. Now you are good to go! Oh, and do check the light seals and replace. Kits are available on eBay cheap and this is an easy do it yourself.

Best of luck.

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner
 
filmfan said:
Might be worth it, given the inexpensiveness of these cameras, to attempt a DIY screen replacement...
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You can't - unless you remove the whole top cover. Then you will be in the focusing screens shims and meter calibration mess. Not worth it.

filmfan said:
So I am looking for some inexpensive lenses for this camera. Should I be looking at AI or non-AI lenses to work with the meter ?
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Non-Ai lenses will work perfect : the FTn does use the lenses "rabbit ears" coupler.

Don't forget to set the lens at 5.6 before mounting the lens and to turn the aperture ring forth and back twice onwards, to index the meter on the lens max. aperture.
 
Guess I'm easily lead. I can see my Nikomatt bag from the couch. Yup. .. the one I've been passing by as I use my assortment of rangefinders. In all I have four an F but the prisum won't stay on and a EM that kinda feels cheap.(broken rewind lever) Then my FTn and the FT2, both of these heavyweights are "in da bag" . Both work reliably day after day. Don't do digital much but do have a major rangefinder addition, otherwise I'd use em everyday.
 
Highway 61 said:
The Nikkormat screens are not interchangeable. If you can't do with the original (rather dim) screen, you'll have to leave the camera at a repair shop so that the original screen is replaced with a customized Nikon FM2 of FM3A screen by the repairman, and the meter adjusted accordingly to the screen brightness (good opportunity to have the viewfinder cleaned off its dust, all the foams replaced, and the meter circuitry adjusted for 1.5V batteries if it's an FTn).
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will the FM2 screen fit or does it have to be modified? Also, how is the meter adjustable? Is there a trim pot or does a resistor have to be changed out or what?
 
68degrees said:
will the FM2 screen fit or does it have to be modified? Also, how is the meter adjustable? Is there a trim pot or does a resistor have to be changed out or what?
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The FM2 screen will have to be modified.

In the FTn there aren't low light/bright light trim pots to adjust the meter but fixed resistors instead so you'll have to calculate which resistors to fit in place of the original ones so that the meter works with a 1.5V battery instead of a 1.35V one - not unfeasible but very tricky. Adjustment has to do with replacement of the fixed resistors. The repair manual recommends making temporary wiring including test resistors for the adjustment tests, to be done under controlled lighting of a brightness of EV9 and EV15.

The MR-9 adapter route will be way easier...
 
There is also the schottky diode method to limit a silver cell to the lower output of a mercury cell. Lots of info on the Internet. I've done this to a handheld light meter.
 
A black FTN was my only good camera for many years, and I enjoyed it greatly. It eventually developed a fatal shutter jam. Actually, I really liked the shutter speed control around the lens, I thought it was far more easily found and adjusted than a little dial on the top plate that required taking one hand away from your natural camera shooting grip. I'd get another Nikkormat, except that my GAS is trending more toward medium format these days. I agree that they had a particularly crisp shutter sound, very different than the sharp bark of an F2 horizontal shutter.
 
jagarch said:
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
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Excellent point of view in your portrait of Judith Berkson!
 
Spavinaw said:
Just finished reading this entire thread. Maybe someone made this point, but I did not catch it. There are two distinct versions of the FTN model. The first version had an all metal wind lever, a metal self timer lever, and an all microprism focusing aid. The second version had a plastic tip on the wind lever, a plastic self timer lever, and a split/microprism focusing aid (K screen).
When new, it also had a round sticker on the wind lever pivot point with the letter K on it to show it had the K screen. So if you are lusting after an FTN, know you have a choice of focusing screens.
By the way, I own both types of FTN's as well as two FT3's--chrome and black. My first 35mm camera was an FTN. Love them all.
Click to expand...

Not all the plastic tipped wind lever Nikkormat FTns have split image screens. My black FTn has the plastic tip but only a microprism spot in the middle of the screen.

Ronnie
 
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