Introduction to the Nikon Nikkormat FTn (Video 1 of 2)
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- čas přidán 3. 08. 2024
- Nikon built the FTn as a complement to the professional-level F models. These durable camera introduced many Nikon users to the Nikon professional camera lineup and accompanied many professionals as backup bodies.
Made mostly of metal components, these mechanical cameras, through each of our senses, convey solidness. The weight and substance, feel, response, sound, and even smell tell the users that these are serious cameras for serious users.
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I bought one new in 1979 it's a I ton truck, it's never let me down long live the Nikkomat FTN my first new camera of quality, I learned nothing but good from that instrument of mechanical precision, taught me to be better, as a man too, humbling.
These are amazing cameras and the old all-manual cameras were such great devices, too. It's unfortunate that no one makes cameras of this quality any more and that people starting in photography today don't understand the fundamentals of how to achieve a quality result.
MY FIRST GOOD CAMERA, BOUGHT IT 1978, STILL USE IT,
These were absolute tanks!
I got an FTn for $50. I know you can get them cheaper but this one was used by a photographer of 61 years and was in mint condition aside from the rubbing near the tripod mount. Extremely well taken care of. I love it.
That's a great bargain!
Yes, it is correct: You have to set the all lenses to f5.6 when mounting it to achieve correct indexing. There is a scale on the mount ranging from 1.2 to 5.6 with a small red indicator that allows you to check the maximum aperture the camera is currently set to.
Sorry, I wrote this before watching your 2nd video where you tell all that.
Found one at thrift store 10$ what an amazing camera thanks for educating me this rare find.
+Dorcas Powell You're welcome and that is a great find!
Great video !!! Super easy to follow along, felt as if you were right beside me answering every question I had.
Thank you so so much for making these videos.
Thank you!
This was great to watch. Love the detail you always take on your vids, David. The FTn was my dad's first *true* camera with metering back in the day and he shot it before I was born, throughout my life, until he moved to a Minolta in the 80s and gave the Nikkormat to me (I'd been using it for a few years already and it was the camera I learned on from him as well as the one I took to my photography classes in highschool) finallly when I went to college in '93, along with a host of gorgeous Nikkor glass and the whole kit. Unfortunately the entire bag was stolen from my car on a sad day in 2000. It was many years before I had a kit that in any way compared to that one, being a broke college grad for many year after. Still miss this camera though I'm firmly in love with all my Pentax bodies that I gravitated to in the following years. Thanks for you vids!
Thank you!
And there's nothing wrong with having a different camera with a 50mm lens to shoot around with sometimes.
Having a camera stolen sucks more than most anything else. I mean, maybe if someone stole my dog I'd be more upset. But having had my car stolen before, I can say with certainty I'd rather have that happen again than ever have a camera stolen.
Tremendous video. I just bought a beautiful early (sn 362xxxx) FTn for $28 from a thrift shop. It is absolutely beautiful condition and came with a really nice Nikkor-q Auto 135mm f/2.8 lens. Quite a steal! However, I was convinced that either the battery was dead, or the light meter was just plain broken. Thank you for showing me how it works! Bingo it appears to be 100 percent functional. It still has a roll of film loaded with a dozen pictures already taken. For once I was smart enough not to open the camera before I checked if there was film inside. I am going to shoot he rest of the roll and take it in to get developed. Who knows how old those pictures might be? And you are correct...this is the heaviest 35mm camera I have ever held. Quite a chunk of metal.
GrandmasterBBC You're very welcome. The FTn is a stunning camera and a lot of fun to use. Your 135 2.8 is a great lens for portraits, too. I have a copy of that lens and it takes very nice pictures.
Thank you! You'll really like your FTn. These are such superb cameras and are more well laid out than most or all of their contemporaries.
AND EXCELLENT VIDEO WORTH WATCHING FROM START TO FINISH SOLID PHOTOGRAPHY AND EXCELLENT SOUND
Thank you!
Fantastic to hear! There's a reason that a lot of mirrorless camera users love old lenses -- they're better than many modern lenses in some regards.
thank you and you're welcome. I was in Tokyo in July and saw a TON of old Nikons in the camera stores. One of the used camera stores (I forget which) had some really great bargain-grade models. I wish I had bought one, actually. Even after it's recent CLA, my FTn is still giving me mechanical problems.
Great video! Thank you for this, it has helped clarify a bunch of things for me. I'm just getting into photography after I inherited my dad's cameras including two Nikkormat FTNs (an early one and a later one with the black plastic on the levers you mentioned) with loads of accessories. Even though I also got his modern DSLR, I'm particularly drawn to first learn about the basics using the film camera.
Thank you and very nice! The old Nikkormats are wonderful cameras.
I just took delivery of a near mint condition FTn. And it is definitely "Built like a Tank"!
All metal, heavy, and made to last a lifetime.
Fantastic! And yes, taken care of, this camera can last a very long time.
this video is great! i was given a Nikkormat EL from my friend that got me into photography. I love the metering systems on these tanks. When I moved to Japan last year I left my EL in storage. This video makes me wish I would've brought it along...I may just buy another one since I'm in Japan now! Anyway, please keep posting good videos like these!
Thank you for this video! It helped a lot clarify and improve my understanding of my camera!
Thank you!
The one feature of the FtN, that no other Nikon has,is separate M&X triggers for flash! You can use a SpeedLight& flashbulbs together for some interesting lighting! 1/1000 sec. FP[flat peak]bulb& X or other speeds to vary shutter curtain position when the SpeedLight fires!!
That is a cool trick! I never realized the FTn was the only Nikon with that.
I have one in transit. Got it on amazon.. cant wait to get my hands on it.
Very useful video.
Thank you for excellent introduction to this camera...
+Stephen Rea You're welcome and thank you for the comment. Take great photos!
Thank you. You'll be happy with this camera. It's solid and very reliable. Also, the old NAI lenses yield amazing image quality on modern films.
Never saw this old one, David. Very nice! This is the first SLR I ever had - my dad bought it new and I used it for years until it was stolen unfortunately. 20 years later I just ebay'd a replacement. :)
Thank you and very nice! I just had a camera lens stolen this week. It sucks. :(
I have one of these cameras and I am very much enjoying it!
Nice! These are really fun to use.
I once fell on one of those. I stumbled on some rocks, let go of my camera, and then hit my chin on the camera. I'm pretty sure my chin got more damage than the actual camera.
Oh, ouch, yeah. These are tough. I knew a guy who set one on his truck's tire and forgot about then backed up, it fell on the ground, and he backed over it. It needed a new top plate.
I was gifted an FT-N and I am just now getting started with the way it works. I've reworked the light seals and I'm waiting for a roll to come back... to see if I have the light leaks fixed. I think I'm going to enjoy this camera... how can I not!!? The only lens I have is a 50mm f2. Still having fun with the film cameras and lucky for me... I have a good process/print shop locally.
I would think you'll like it. These are awesome.
Thanks for the very useful information about this camera. just bought one of this camera. I love it cos it's fully manual. Thanks again!! Happy Thanksgiving!! :)
You're welcome! I also love this camera for the same reason. Also, it has a simply stunning lens selection. Happy Thanksgiving to you, too.
Retired police gear is pretty great. I used to have a Vivitar lens that was a retired police for telephoto.
I agree about the tank part. I just had mine CLA'd and I'm looking forward to it working well for the balance of my life.
Thanks. Appreciate all the info and your knowledge.
+William Parkhill Thank you!
I have an all black Nikkormat ft2 and I absolutely love it.
Nice! That would be a lovely camera to use and to look at.
Yes. Lenses can be dismantled, cleaned, and reassembled. I've done that with a few Nikkor lenses with mixed results. There are some shops out there that do Nikon gear. I have this camera at a shop in Niles, Illinois, for a CLA right now. I forget the shop's name, but there are some other good ones out there.
I'm glad the video helped. If you select the FTn, you'll be very happy with it.
Thank you for this video, it was very helpful. Cheers!
Thank you!
Very nice overview. I just got one from KEH and it's on its way.
the sprocket is plastic. i partially dismantled mine last night to clean it and some of the internal parts were made of plastics
Very useful thanks, I am now looking at one of these online.
The top meter window needs no increments because after you centre,you manually change settings,point down for best.
Thank you!
I just got an FTn from my father! I am really liking this, and I love the shutter speed control on the side of the lens. It is super fast and easy to use. How come this is not a feature of more SLRs?
The Pentax K2, Olympus OM bodies, and a couple of others had it, but yeah, the shutter on the lens mount is really uncommon. I'm not sure why. I like it a lot.
Thanks for making this video. I found this camera at a garage sale for cheap and it's awesome. If only I could find a way to develop its film for cheap. Not many places develop 35mm film anymore.
+kickapowwww I Still Shoot Film has a fantastic list of all the specialty labs around. So does Ilford. If you're in the U.S., OldSchoolPhotoLab.com is the source I used for all my color work and they do fantastic work. If you're happy shooting black and white, developing at home is pretty cost-effective and very rewarding.
I have one on the way from an eBay seller. Should be here next week. Thanks for this helpful video. Helps to set expectations for when it arrives.
+Gregg Obst Thank you! It's a good camera and they can take really nice photos.
+David Hancock It should fill in some of the holes in my Nikon toolbox. I already have a F2, F4s and N90s so I was wanting something a little more all mechanical and I really couldn't go wrong for $19 shipped with a working meter. I'll probably pick up the FT2 next so I have one compatible with more readily available 1.5V batteries. Back when these first came out who would have thought all this great gear would be available so cheap ?
Camera prices are just crazy low.
For the battery, I don't know how to do it but I know there's a simple circuitry mod (soldering in a resistor) that lets older cameras take the new batteries. Fix Old Cameras has a video showing how to do it on an OM-1, but I think the same process works on this one.
+David Hancock A prerequisite to me using any tools is usually my Wife standing by ready to dial 9-1-1. lol. I'll probably order a MR-9 battery adapter from CRIS Camera Repair. They work pretty well to adapt 1.5V down to 1.3V in some of my rangefinders so I may pick up a set for the FTN as well.
I love my FTn :) However, one thing I didn't like was the screw on metal eyepiece. I replaced mine with an rubber eyepiece for the Nikon F3 and it's far more comfortable and I feel it Shields more stray light from entering the finder.
Great videos by the way.
P.s. Mine is near mint. It was vastly undersold on eBay. The Seller was convinced the meter didn't work, the shutter was stiff and it was very dirty.
I figured it would be an interesting project to attempt to fix it and didn't hold out much hope, but.. a good clean, seals/buffer cleaned out and new ones fitted, worked the shutter lever as well as all speeds and fitted a new battery for the meter and it's shooting like new, shutter, sounds lovely and crisp with a meter just as accurate as a Nikon digital in centre weighted.
If you want an iconic, simple to use film camera and don't mint doing the above to get it working. Buy one, you won't regret it :)
+Spehmaster G. I love finds like that on eBay. I've been burned a few times, but often, I find, trusting the camera to work if the seller is honestly unsure is a good approach.
+David Hancock Me too. Luckily most sellers have integrity and admit their error. However, some are not so honest. Luckily Ebay has quite a good policy about getting your money back if the item is not as described and threats of negative feedback have done the trick. I've only had a problem once up till now.. Luckily :) Interestingly enough it was regarding my first purchase of a Nikkormat that was supposed to be in mint condition. I've since learned to be dubious of such claims :D
A well-made camera. But if I were to buy a used film camera today, with what they go for today, I would rather choose a Nikon F over the Nikkormat. Simply because the Nikon F offers more versatility, such as interchangeable prisms.
The F is a good choice still, for sure. I had one and really enjoyed it.
Very helpful video. Thank you! Thinking of buying a Nikomat FT body to use with my F mount AI lenses and was not sure if they'd play nicely together.
Thank you! As long as the lens has the silver nose on the aperture ring, it will work.
Thank you! I think you'll be happier using your FTn than a D3200. The 3200 is a VERY entry-level camera with few functions the FTn doesn't provide (and it lacks some features the FTn does provide.) Personally, I think any serious film SLR provides better use and reliability than entry-level DSLRs.
Great video, thank you.
Thank you!
Great video! Tons of usefull info!! Just got my FTn, now i'm wondering, can I use my DX lenses on this camera? Am I able to manually index the aperture, or something like that?? Thanks!
Just picked one of these up yesterday with a really nice MicroNikkor 55mm f3.5 for just $25. Man, this thing is SOLID.
That kit is a STEAL at $25. That's a great price for the camera alone and the Micro Nikkor, I have one and love it, is a fantastic lens.
The lens cleaned up in about 15 minutes. Glass is almost flawless. The camera, while seemingly in good working condition, is going to take much longer to clean.
An Li560, PX625A, and a gagillion other battery names are all interchangeable. You can definitely get them on Amazon or eBay. Battery stores would also have them.
I believe that the voltage is correct (it is on mine.) That said, FTns are old and their light meters may or may not be within spec. On a sunny day, set your ISO to 125, aperture to f16, and focus on a subject in full sun. If the camera reads 1/125th as the exposure, then you're in pretty good shape.
Found mine in a thrift store for $2.50 but the Japanese version Nikomat, and I love it! Thanks for the video!
Thank you and that's a FANTASTIC find!
These cameras are tanks. The one I own used to belong to the Philadelphia DEA in the 60s
thanks that was very informative ....am just starting out and i just got one just like yours to play with
Albert Mukape You're very welcome. The Nikkormat is a great camera and they're built to last for generations. I love using mine and don't get to nearly enough.
I had 2 of these 6$ for both back in 1987 from a thrift store..both with 50mm lens, both were 1967 cams..they were GREAT...
Nice finds! These are fantastic cameras.
Thank you for a very insightful video. I'm wondering if there's any big difference between the FT and FTn?
Thank you!
There are a couple of differences, the big one is that with the FTn the aperture clicking is not required to set the minimum aperture.
Bought a lot of old cameras, mainly for the nikkor 55mm macro lense, but also because it had a nikkormat ftn in it, and I've wanted one. Ftn is working great, I'm gonna need a new bottom plate though, there is a dent that looks like someone *did* hammer a nail into something with the bottom. Right underneath the self timer. I'm sure all it needs is a new base plate, lol.
Nice find! And yes, a new bottom plate is very possibly all it needs.
Hi David, great video. What is your last word on battery replacement? hearing aid zincs? I have heard 1.4v zinc air but see you mentioning others. Just wondered what your recommend is. thank you very much for all the expertise!
Thank you!
I would get either a voltage-adapting battery adapter (these run around $40 and I use and like them) or simply modify the circuit. If you have any soldering skill, the Fix Old Cameras channel has a video that sows how to do this )on a different camera model, maybe on OM-1) and the process is pretty straightforward and easy. That's the cheapest option as the needed resistor costs like $1.20.
Nice video, thank you. How do you set the ASA on the Nikkormat FT? It seems simple on the newer models but even with the manual I can't work it out!!
Thank you and I think that dial works as shown on this camera's second video. The interface is a b it fiddly (at best.)
Hi David! You helped me a great deal with my Pentax MX....I'm not reaching out to you about my FTn...It seems as if there is a smudge on my shutter curtain. Now, to try to describe.....When you initial open the back cover, the cover looks fine....no smudges and not damaged at all. When I "cock" the film advance lever (while looking at the shutter curtain), that's when I can see the smudge. Not sure what it is...I'm just now realizing it. I'm assuming it's oil or something from the camera itself, but I'm unsure. My thinking is, if it's oil from the camera, it would be on the curtain when the film advance lever is not "cocked".
I just purchased it from it's previous owner, who didn't mention having any issues with images due to the shutter curtain. The camera is great; it's in great condition (I can tell the camera was well taken care of). I'm wondering if you could help me....Will it affect my images? Is there a way to clean it? Any suggestions/advice? I've included a couple of shots of the curtain....the 1st image is the initial opening of the back (film advance lever not advanced); the curtain is clean. the 2nd image is the film advance lever advanced and the shutter is ready to be "snap"; the curtain looks like something is on it. Thx you in advance for your help!
drive.google.com/file/d/0B-9Qm0vuNrV0YTdJWV9JN09KczA/view?usp=sharing
+Kiana L. Hi, Kiana. How is your MX working for you now?
As for your FTn, the oil on the shutter curtains is probably from someone touching the shutter at some point or another. If they're working a-okay, they should continue to be fine. The FTn is particularly robust camera, so it won't be too susceptible to minor issues. Some cameras would have a bigger problem with a little oil on the shutter.
As for cleaning, the risk there is that the shutter curtains get pushed out of alignment or damaged. That would ruin your camera.
Hmmm....I don't really know if it's oil, but I'm not sure what else it could be....In your opinion, will it affect images? Or the film once I load it? I guess the answers to those questions remains to be seen, but you may ave some insight. Btw, the MX is awesome! Once I find out what happens with film in my Nikkormat, I'll be a happy camper - if all is well with the results.
Kiana L. I would not expect whatever is on the shutter to affect images. I've had a few cameras, from time to time, that have had dirt or oil on the shutters and they've been a-okay.
Hmmmm....Okie doke...Thanks again for your help...Btw, I tried the film development company you suggested...Had an awesome experience with them Swift service and the make it easy for you to get your film to them. (The Darkroom).
Hi David, should have known you’d have a breakdown on the FTN. Very thorough. One quick Q; what are the max exposure #s for on the right side of the lens mount. Was just given the FTN with a pristine 50 1.4 and am looking forward to using it. The lens also works on my F4 and D3300. Take care and thanks again.
Yup, those numbers are confusing at first. If I recall, those are just an indication of the maximum aperture of the lens that you have mounted. I don't think there's anything that you would need to do with them. I think they are there to confirm that the lens is mounted correctly and that the aperture indexing was performed correctly.
David Hancock thanks for getting back. Yes, struck me as a redundancy. Thanks again. Jp
Im a beginner when it comes to film cams and your video help a lot. My dad just recently gave me a Nikkormat FT 4302905 with Formula 5 MC F2.8 lense. i still not fully mastered adjusting the specs and zoom, can you help me with that?
Some, sure, but practice will help you a lot more than I can. Which Formula 5 lens do you have? What hurdles is the camera throwing at you?
this is my first time to get a film camera .. and now i have tow options, the NIKON F3 and the NIKKOMAT FTN .. which one you would pick !? i'm serious about about photography and will work hard on it ..which one i should pick ? thank you
Summer Hamdy The F3. It has more lens options and aperture priority mode.
thank you ! ..so, do you approve all the nikkormat series or the FTN is an exception? what about the FT , FT2, and the FT3 ? thank you
Summer Hamdy I've used the FTn and reviewed the FT2. Both are fantastic. I've never used an FT3.
Thank you. No, DX lenses won't work on this camera for a lot of reasons. Primarily, they won't mount safely without risk of damaging the camera and lens. The FTn has the aperture pin that could damage the lens and be damaged in the mounting process. Also, DX lenses only cover a crop sensor, so they'll vignette very heavily and most of your frames will be unusable. Even FX lenses won't work. You'll need Nikkor NAI (or pre-AI) lenses for this camera. Most of those lenses are amazing.
The maximum flash sync speed it denoted by the numbers on the shutter speed ring, in black, the higher speeds are in red- meaning no flash sync at those speeds
The colors on the speed dial correspond to whether the flash sync at that speed would be with an electronic flash or a flash bulb.
Li 560 mAh battery? Where do I find that? Is the voltage correct for the FTn?
maybe i missed it, but i was in particular looking for how to change the asa settings on the front, it share the dial as the shutter speed.
That's in video 2, which covers how to operate the camera. In a nutshell, it's a slide and it's a pain. You've gotta lift it with your fingernail a bit and rotate it at the same time.
Hi David, many thanks! Purchased an FT2 recently. What lacked the predecessor FT of this camera? Best wishes, Ralf
Here's the Wikipedia article on the series and it has good details on how each are different. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkormat
Great help as I just bought a FTn on eBay for $31.00, am I lucky? Have yet to use it to see if all is working. Anything that I should look for to see if there is any defects? Came with a 43-86mm f3.5 lens.
That's a fair to good price. I got both my FTn bodies for $20-ish and both my 43-86mms for about $20. The 43-86 i one of only a very few zooms in my collection because it's a darn fine lens. I use it as much as I do my 50mm 1:1.4.
Nikkormats are pretty intuitive after using Olympus OM cameras which have the shutter speed controller in the same spot, although their ASA is on top which is a little nicer. What really confuses me is the meter on the Nikkormat and Chinons of the same era look exactly alike, except the + and - are reversed. Chinon has the plus on top which is more standard where Nikon put it on the bottom.
I definitely agree that the Nikkormat meter readout is a bit weird. I can't think of another camera that has the same layout.
viewfinder is a mere 92% to answer your question
Thank you!
Nikon introduced them in 1972, but I'm not sure when production ceased.
Hi David. The battery in my FTn is a PX625A Is the original battery or would you recommend this battery today? I notice you recommend the Li 560. Are either O.K and either available?
They will fit but the voltages are not correct. So if use use them what you'll want to do is go outside on a sunny day with the sun to your back. Set the aperture to f/16 and the shutter speed to the number nearest your film speed. Then adjust the ISO until you have an accurate meter reading. In general, modern battery voltages underexpose images around two stops. You do not need to do that with WeinCell batteries. Also, there's a way to insert a diode into the system, if you're comfortable with a soldering iron, such that modern batteries work fine. The FixOldCameras channel has a video on that (for a different model of camera, the OM-1, I think.) The process is the same but the placement would be different for this one.
Just got a ft2 with a 52 mm hoya, and 230 soligor, every time I put the lenses on its black in the view finder, can you tell me what I'm doing wrong please?
I might be able to. With the lenses removed, if the viewfinder black or can you see through it?
I cleaned the mirror in my Nikkormat with one of those fancy cloths for glass. Will that cause it to de-silver? How can I tell if it's starting to de-silver and are replacement mirrors available?
+Will Conway Cleaning it once in a long while safely with a clean lens tissue is generally okay. A rocket blaster is better, but I've had to use dry Q-Tips on mirrors before for tough dirt.
Where you'll run into issues is if your clean it all the time or use solvents. Rubbing alcohol can be okay on some mirrors; that said, I had a mirror lose all the silver on it due to rubbing alcohol one time.
The really damaging thing is a fingerprint or similar oil that is both hard to remove and a tarnishing agent over time. I've seen a few mirrors with dark spots in the corners the shape of partial fingerprints.
The other thing is that the surface silver is very soft. So wiping a cleaning swab or cloth on the silver can easily leave scratches.
So, in general, clean it with air if you can and if it has tough dirt it's okay to tap a swab onto it to lift dirt off. A few scratches won't kill your focus or dim your image, but wear and cleaning over time or with chemicals can damage a mirror.
+David Hancock I realized that it's just the padding leaving an mark on the camera. I guess the pads don't hold up after 43 years.
Another question I have: When I use the largest aperture (open all the way) the light meter registers it as being too dark. It is only until I start stopping down that it reaches the middle of the two brackets. This is also after I've properly indexed a lens. What's up with that?
Hi! I need help! The ring where the "bunny ears" or prong is located on my Nikkormat seems to be stuck. When looking at the camera from the front (timer being on the left & mirror lock switch being on the right.. just for reference) you can see that the ring with the "bunny ears" is only capable of moving on the left side and won't move over to the right which makes it impossible for my lens to align with the prong. It just seems to be stuck on the left hand side and moves on slightly... this might sound confusing, i just don't know how to explain it. Do you have any suggestions for this? I can tell that theres some sort of metal piece sticking out and blocking the ring from moving under the "Nikkormat" name plate.
Oh boy. Yeah, I'm familiar with that. It happened on one of my FTns a few years back. Under the logo plate is a mechanism that ratchets to let the camera know what aperture your lens is set at. With mine, one of the ratchet arms had gotten jarred out of alignment during shipping. So I fixed it by taking the plate of and literally just tinkering with things until it all popped back into place ... somehow.
To that end, I would not suggest doing it unless you're really comfortable with mechanical things. I would recommend a professional repair on this. In addition to fixing the metering connection, a service shop can also put a circuit into the camera so that it can use modern batteries without the meter reading being incorrect.
The guy who runs the FixOldCameras channel can probably recommend a repair shop. Let them know that I sent you over for a recommendation (it won't get you anything, but it would be good for them to know.)
I've found that a small jewelers screwdriver will often pop the lever back into place without having to remove anything. Same with the Photomic FTN heads, but if you do need to go into the thing, make sure that you have a clean workspace and lay things out in the order that you remove them.. Anybody need a box of Photomic FTN head parts? LOL!!
where can you get a standard lenses? and do you NEED one just to take pictures?
Lenses for these are available at lots of places -- KEH, B&H, Adorama, Amazon, eBay, and others. You do need to have a lens on the front of the camera to take photos.
I've read on a forum that hearing aid batteries work with this camera. Is this true? I cannot find the batteries which you mentioned in the video.
They work but your metering will be incorrect. Modern batteries have a different voltage and that will cause you to have exposures that are two stops underexposed because of the difference. So you can get a voltage-altering battery adapter for LR44 batteries (these run about $40 and are easily lost) or you can install a voltage adapter yourself (which is pretty easy and the Fix Old Cameras channel shows how to do it with a different model of camera), or you can change your camera settings to compensate for the voltage difference. For the latter, you can use the Sunny 16 rule as a guide. That rule is that if you're in full sun with the sun to your back, a mid-tone object like a tree or sidewalk will be the shutter speed closest to your film's ISO when your camera is at f/16. So set your camera to f/16 and your shutter speed to the speed nearest your film speed. Point the camera at a tree or sidewalk in full sun with the sub behind you. Then adjust the ASA dial until you have your meter needle in the middle. That will give you proper exposure for films of that speed. Any time you change film speed, just do that process again.
@@DavidHancock Thank you for the advice.
I recently just purchased the volbon nikkormat without lens n im not too familiar with it can u pls inform me where I can purchase lens for the camera
KEH is a great source for old lenses. Make sure that you buy the right one, a Pre-AI or NAI lens, it will be called. You need one with a metal tab on the aperture ring.
Hi my Nikkormat just like yours his lightmeting is doing crazy stuff. It goes up and down, or just stays in the middle even when I'm changing apertures or shutter speeds.
I did everything like you did in this tutorial (including the lens attachment and indexing). Any help? Thanks! :)
Hmm. That's always curious and frustrating. I'm assuming that you have the film advance lever out a bit to reveal the red dot when you test the meter. Are you testing the light meter inside or outside? Inside, there may not be enough light for the light meter to power on each time. If it's behaving like that outside, then there may be an issue with either the light meter cells (less likely) or the internal light meter controls may be gummy. If the latter is the case, the camera will need an internal cleaning from a professional service person.
David Hancock Thanks for the quick response! I'm aiming the camera at a window outside in the sky and I'm using my DSLR next to it to verify if the light meting is correct but the Nikkormat fails to give accurate lightmeting (or just stays at the same spot). I'll let a professional look into it, for now I'll use my DSLR or an external lightmeter for lightmeting :)
That's a good workaround and will be pretty accurate. You can also use the Sunny 16 rule for your Nikkormat. Also, check that the battery housing contacts aren't corroded. It may be helpful to clean the contact and the housing threads with some steel wool and blow the dust out with a rocket blower or the like. There may just be some dirt or something blocking the electrical connection.
hi david, there is a chance now to by a nikkormat ftn with 50mm lens in mint condition and reasonable price ( in my country egypt ).. what do you think ? i have nikon d3300 already .. but nikkormat will be my first film camera .. i'm a beginner but really serious about it , and to get the right advice from you i have to clear that i find my way in social documantry photography that is what i care for and can give alot ..thanks david you are (actually) the only (only) tutor who cares about his students and their questions .. thanks
Summer Hamdy That's a good option. It has another benefit, too. The 50mm lens will mount on your D3300 (but won't meter -- you'll have to guess at the settings, which actually isn't too hard.) If you're already on the Nikon system, I'd say stay with it. Fun fact about the FTn, I knew a guy who drove over his FTn with his jeep, on accident. The top of the prism was dinged and bent, but it worked fine. So these are really tough cameras.
The only downside over the AE-1 you were looking at (IIRC) is that the FTn is basically 100% metal and the AE-1 is basicallt 95% plastic. So the FTn will get heavy around your neck fast. If you get the FTn (it's such a better camera than the AE-1, seriously: I kept my FTn and sole my AE-1) get a two-inch-wide extra-long camera strap. That way ou can carry it around your neck and spread the weight to your shoulders and when that gets old, or you need to stow it safely, you can flip it around over your shoulder and tuck it behind your arm to change the weight and protect it in crowds and so forth. (As an added benefit, the two-inch strap option have all kinds of fantastic print and design choices.)
Yo use your FTn's lens on your D3300, you'd have to shoot the D3300 in full manual mode (after about six or eight rolls of film in the FTn, that'll be a piece of cake) and estimate the settings, correcting based on the results of your previous image.
And yes, I do absolutely carer about answering people's questions. I want to be the guy who people say 'you have a photography question? check out David's CZcams channel.' Helping people improve their photography is one of the most rewarding things that I do.
David Hancock thanks david over and over again .. this is true ..i always talk and discuss photography issues with my daughter ( 17 years old ) .. and she said more than once : " ......and what david would think ?! "
by the way i use a 35mm lens with my d3300 not 50mm.. you know it has a crop sensor , so 35mm is almost a 50mm lens in full frame sensor ..but any way it is a very good idea to get rid of auto metering by using old lenses . now, do you think that light meters like sekonic or gossen can teach something or they only help? thank you
Summer Hamdy You can tell your daughter that David would think it's fantastic that she asks what I would think. :D
Actually, for learning exposure, you can use a light meter to learn the relationship between various exposure settings (1/125th at f/5.6 at ISO 100 is the same as 1/250th at f/5.6 with ISO 200, and so forth.) But to be able to look at a scene and gauge how the light in it will create an image, your best bet is to use the Sunny 16 rule and no light meter.
So in full sun, a flat gray (18% gray) will be gray on film (or on a digital image) at f/16 and the same shutter speed as your ISO. Shade is f/8; indoors is about f/4 or faster, and so forth, as general guides. You can actually do that really easily with digital in full manual mode. Take a guess at the scene's lighting, ignore the camera's light meter, take a photo and see the result. That may sound arcane, but it will teach you how to compensate in high-contrast settings.
Let's say you're at a cafe in the shade and want to take a photo of your daughter but behind her is bright sun. That bright sun could (probably will) alter the meter reading. So if you know from practice that you should use f/8 or f/5.6 instead of the f/11 your camera says to use, you'll get proper illumination on your subject even though the background will be over-exposed. Bu that creates an image where the lightness of the background sort of envelops the subject (like this: lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tSjiMlzbN70/VX-7osvGa1I/AAAAAAABtmA/AeYxVQ7r4HI/s912/24.jpg) whereas trusting the image meter can result in images like this: lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MgAPRWkBe98/VX0mLqE3jFI/AAAAAAABtDk/n8s3uQwcS4M/s912/10.jpg.
David Hancock okay fine i'll read more about the sunny 16 rule .. and the most important thing is " practice "
thank you very much david .. and about ( what david would think ) ... we hope he will think to visit egypt one day , i know it is not euorpe,or amerca .. but still has its own charm !
Summer Hamdy My brother loved Egypt. He was there for two weeks of his honeymoon right before the Arab Spring started. He loved the people he met and the sights. One of my closest friends is Iraqi and one day I'd like to take a Mid-east tour to see Iraq, Eqypt, and Palestine. The Middle East has a number of countries that are at the top my list of countries to visit.
Just got one for 28$ on ebay, and I have a 43-86 lens that should able to use on it, can you tell me what film should I buy for best result? thanks!
+yuxuan qi Any 35mm film will work in your camera. If this is your first time shooting film, get Foma, Arista, Kentmere, or Ultrafine for black and white (they're the cheapest) and any grocery store color film for color. Black and white tends to be cheaper to buy and develop.
+David Hancock I got the kodak gold 200 ISO, so is that possible that I use my digital SLR to meter at the same iso setting and apature, and use the shutter speed on the film to get same exposure? I shoot film a little bit when I was a kid...
yuxuan qi You can use your DSLR to meter, yes. 200 ISO film records light in the same way as a DSLR set to 200.
5:13 All of this indexing suggests that the Nikon F mount, unlike the Pentax K, explicitly reports the actual aperture that the lens is set at, as opposed to reporting the aperture relative to the wide-open situation from which the camera is metering. I used to wonder what the "bunny ears" were on all those Nikon lenses but all is clear now. And as a bonus, they can potentially save the lens from rolling off a table.
I think it works more like the Pentax system than not. The Pentax mount, and M42 Spotmatic F mount, have an indexing pin that tells the camera the maximum aperture. That's basically a refined version of what the user has to do with the Nikkormat interface. I don't know enough about the mechanics to know if the meter linkage conveys the actual aperture, which would make sense, or a relationship based on the maximum indexed aperture.
Have you tried performing multiple exposures, and--if so--how do you advance the film when done with the frame you have exposed repeatedly?
Multiple exposures area bit fiddly. The mechanical side is holding down the film release button and film rewind while advancing the film. After you finish the second exposure and advance the film, the registration will be off so you need to cap the lens and set the shutter to 1/1,000 and aperture to the smallest size.Than take a photo and advance again. That will ensure that your frame after the double exposure doesn't overlap the double exposure.
My film release button does not pop back out, even when advancing the film lever. I even tried going into a dark room and opening the film compartment, but no success. Any thoughts?
Hmm. If the gears inside are turning as the film passes through, then the button should pop out. So my gut reaction if you try advancing, say, three frames is that either the film is not advancing or there's no film in the camera. I assume there's film. Has this camera worked for you in the past with standard exposures or is this a new camera?
David Hancock thank you for the assistance! There is film currently, and the rewind wheel was moving prior to trying the multiple exposure. I used this camera to film the solar eclipse last year. Somehow, in between my last reply and yours, the button popped out and the film is indeed advancing again! Thank you for the guidance!
Excellent videos!
Fantastic!
Hi. how do i adjust the needle in the meter window?
+Maryam Abasbarzy The ISO adjustment (bottom of the lens mount), shutter speed adjustment, and aperture adjustment all work together to give you a proper exposure. Set the ISO to you film speed (this doesn't change until you change film) and then use the shutter and aperture dials to bring the needle to the middle.
Can you provide a link to battery you use please?
Not directly, but you can use a basic brass adapter from eBay and a 675-type hearing aid battery (any grocery store or pharmacy will have this.
can you only put pre Ai lenses on This camera body
Yes and no. You need a Nikon lens with the rabbit ears on the aperture ring. There are some AI lenses with that and those will work on this camera. Most lenses with the rabbit ears are NAI, however.
@@DavidHancock Thanks David. Is it true that pre AI lenses have rabbit ears without holes in them and Ai lenses have rabbit holes with holes in them?
I have a Nikomat what is the difference? From where it was purchased?
+72Disco1998 Nikomat is the Japanese name for it, Nikkormat is the export name for the rest of the world. So yours was bought in Japan, presumably.
+Fangsus Maximus thank you so much for the help.
+72Disco1998 Yeah, it was bought in Japan in the late 1960's.
+Fangsus Maximus Thank you.
+72Disco1998 I'm not sure why I never got a notification. Sorry for not responding. I think other markets had the Nikomat badge, such as Europe and Africa, but most Nikomats came from Japan.
+David Hancock No problem.
Um, what kind of battery does it take again? You're sure?
1.35-volt PX13 mercury cell battery. These aren't made any more and the camera does not have a voltage adapter in the circuitry that allows it to use 1.5-volt PX625 batteries that are the same size.
@@DavidHancock Wein makes a 1.35 zinc/air replacement, sold on eBay, marked as "Replacement battery for Nikkormat," just wonder if that's functional. Went to Hunt's Photo and they sold me a #357 1.5v that of course didn't fit in the space and didn't do anything. Grrr.
Hey Dave how much should I pay for an excellent body
+Peter Coates Depends on a lot of factors. Mine were about $20 each, but that was a few years ago when prices had bottomed out. I suspect they're about $40-60 now, maybe more for a pristine one that works properly.
Picked one up for $102 Au, with extra's. pristine, came with flash, bracket for flash, case plus more, very happy. was advertised as an FT but on closer inspection it was a FTn
In pristine shape with extras, that sounds like a pretty good price.
I have a NIKOMAT FT2
Nice! I like the FT2 a lot. They're great cameras.
11 minutes of seeing the same camera, same position. 🙈
Makes the editing a whole lot easier.
There you are, out in the wilderness, photographing birds, click! But suddenly, a giant grizzly bear rears up behind you, ROAR! You swing your trusty Nikkormat by the strap and knock the bear out. Whereupon you calmly switch lenses, take a picture of the bear in repose, and traipse out of the woods. Can't be (you will excuse the expression) beat.
That's about right. I forget if I related the story in the video of the guy I knew who drove over his with his jeep on a paved driveway. It needed a new prism, but was otherwise fine.
Just got one but with an AI lens on it and it's a pain in the ass to meter. Google it if you plan on using an AI lens
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+Michael Murray Yeah, these don't work so well with AI lenses.
you can get an approx exposure bt pressing DOF preview and twisting the aperture ring while looking in the viewfinder!!
That would make sense. Basically, you're metering on AI lenses in the way that the F3 meters using NAI lenses. Great idea! I wouldn't have thought of that.
googled it, wish i was that smart
you just spoke and spoke and spoke and said absolutely NOTHING.
Sounds like you're looking for Video 2, which has the details about how to use all the stuff on the camera.