They use the same lenses, but the FT2 improved on the FTN. 1- Uses an LR44 battery instead of the mercury battery. 2- A different focusing screen (Type K) 3- Flash hot shoe built into the camera's pentaprism 4- The two flash terminals were combined into one 5- The viewfinder light meter includes "+" and "-" symbols 6- The ISO adjustment can be locked and is more easily moved Also it had a few minor cosmetic changes. Nikon, I believe, made these changes based on customer feedback.
Hello, Just watched your two excellent videos. I inherited my late Dads FTN and was just trying to familiarize myself with it. It is so heavy and solid but still works perfectly since Dad bought in 1974. Your videos both informed and motivated me to continue use of this heirloom. Many thanks , Ted Hyder
Hey! I found mine with a couple of nice lenses like the Tamron 24mm F.2,4 and 70-220mm 3,5 and ofcourse the 50mm kit lens. And it seems like the owner before me hade it by order because it has the split focusing you where talking about. There was an external flash and an external rangefinder to coupled with the manuals and everything. I simply cannot believe this find, with a camerabag, lens boxes too! Simply amazing and I'm only 15 years old so I'm not the real veteran in film like you guys seem to be so this helps a lot, thanks David and everyone else!
+Edwin Lindeqvist You're very welcome and that is a good find. If you'd like to know what films to use, I have a series (so far only two installments) called All About Film. It looks at various in-production films in the same way these manuals look at cameras. That Tamron, by the way, that's a very good lens, I'm told.
David Hancock Well yes the focusring is really smooth and has a big throw and the F stops can go down in half stops, I was really impressed with it so I had to order an adapter to the MFT camera I already have
These were made back when "Quality" mattered. I've found them in a very well used state, and they still work perfectly! All of the "Big Five" made excellent gear. I've got a like new Canon AE-1P that was bought new in May of 1983. Still works great and yields fabulous pictures. The "Kids" under 30 are completely blown away when the see how sharp and vibrant a "Genuine" Photograph can be.
Thank you and yes, back in the day, cameras were amazing. And while digital cameras today are awesome, as are the lenses, I'm not sold they'll still hold up after 40-50 years like these will.
@@DavidHancock That's right! The digital electronics is usually done for in under 10 years. Some go dead after only 4 or 5 ! They are just NO made to last. So sad, really. Because they COULD BE made to last!!!
I recently acquired a Nikon Ftn Photomic camera. I was used to mounting AI/AIS mount lenses on my FM where you simply line up the dot on the lens with the dot on the camera body, insert it and twist the lens to lock in place. For the Ftn, had to get used to setting the lens aperture at f/5.6 first then doing the 'Nikon shuffle' to engage the meter coupling pin on the camera and index the lens to the meter. Part of the fun of a vintage camera.
Hi, Jean, For the ASA indicator, that can be fiddly. Mine start sliding with a little push from the sides. If the camera hasn't been used in years, the mechanisms may be a bit frozen. Use or a good, professional cleaning may help. There isn't any secret to moving the indicator, though.
You can add prongs to D series NIkkor lenses. They even have the pilot holes for the screws. Once you do that, they meter perfectly with pre-AI Nikons. Cool videos, by the way. Thanks!
Thank you! And I didn't know that about the prong addition and pilot holes. I always figured when I saw AI-S lenses with prongs that it was a factory retrofit.
Thank you again. I know the feeling. I have two Calumet 4X5 cameras because I bid the opening, very low bids on both, expecting to be sniped on one. But, no one sniped me on either so I won both.
Buying the camera with the 1.4 was way cheaper than a 50mm 1.4 alone. I have used film lenses on my Canon 5dM2 and they produce dreamy images. The more I use my FTN the more it is skyrocketing to the #1 favorite position!
The meter needle will only respond when the camera has a battery. With a battery in and a lens properly mounted and the camera indexed, adjusting the aperture and shutter speed will center the needle. The battery only powers the light meter.
Very informative, These gives me another meaning to the word "passion", had my nikon D3200 for a while now but nothing compares in having a pure manual-mechanical, planning to buy asap,,thanks and more power,,,
That 50mm 1:1.4 is totally worth it, though. That's a great lens for film. If you have a Nikon DSLR or mirrorless with Nikon adapter, it's very useful in a lot of situations. On digital, I gather that lens has a very nice character.
Hi David. I've got two FTNs coming my way now from eBay (it's a long story). One chrome, one black. Can't wait to try them out. Great FTN vids they helped me decide to get one. Or two.
I own this Nikkormat. It is simply excellent. Some users have an issuse with 1.5V battery for exposure meter. Do not be afraid. Just set film speed at he half. Instead of 100 set 50. Instead 200 set 100.
Yes, that can work, a more accurate method would be to use a 675 hearing aid battery and a brass adapter, however, as the 675 battery voltage is very close to vintage mercury batteries.
i am currently restoring my Ftn. I found that the meter is pretty accurate when compared to my digital cameras and lightmeters. it just overexposes by 1 stop because of the battery voltage difference.
Hello David. Just managed to find a FTn and was surprised that it mostly worked fine. The one small issue being that it does not fire with every push of the shutter release - Have you had any issue like this? I believe it is because it does not have the tension of the film, but this is a pure guess that has not yet been tested. This may be the case because it requires one crank, a misfire where nothing happens, then a second crank and it will fire normally. Alternatively it is the same grease issue that you have experienced, but with a different component, requiring more tension on whatever spring allows it to fire. Finally, it could be that the spring has slipped and requires the second crank after the misfire to build up sufficient tension. What would your guess be or do you know this problem? Sorry for the long message and thank you for your video, very much enjoyed it. I would be happy to create a video showing the issue if you are interested in my problem.
+localhazard THe FTn is a pretty great camera, but a lot seem to have this weakness. I've had two that have had a similar issue (I've only had two of these.) So one of them I had overhauled by Garry Airapetov, and that did a lot of good. Insofar as I can tell, something internal to the FTn wears down over time and causes it to have trouble advancing the film. I believe that the only remedy is an overhaul to see if a new part can be had (probably not) or to clean out the old grease and gunk.
Thanks for the thorough walk through of the FTn. Nice shots you took also. Sorry you have to smack your camera before every shot. I hope you got that fixed.
GrandmasterBBC Last time I used it it worked fine, so it seems that the type of film has a roll in that with different films putting different amounts of tension on the mechanism.
Nive video David! I have a question though: How do you adjust the film speed...? My FT has an ASA-scale on the front of the aperture-ring, but I don’t seem to be able to move it 😩 Can you help me out? 🙂
Thank you! The ASA scales on these are really hard to move. You may have to grab it with your fingernail just right (and lift very slightly, I think) to move it. Alternately, you may be able to push it with something like a jeweler's screwdriver. The ASA scale on these is a weak design.
So you use a "Nikkormart FTn" and I use(d) a "Nikomat FTn". Strangely all other features look completely alike. (joking) This is my first SLR camera that I bought in 1972 with the money I earned by myself and a few days later I flew to Munic from Japan with that camera in my bag. They had the Olympuc games there. I still keep this camera in good shape together with non-Ai lenses. Later my main cameras changed from Nikon to Olympus OM series for MF cameras and to Canon EOS series as far as AF cameras are concerned. But I used this camera as my only SLR comera for more than a decade. Since I like this model so much, I bought a second hand one at Yahoo auction (yes, like e-bay in your country) just yesterday and it will be delivered to me most likely tommorow. I'm happy. Because I have to stay at home under the coronavirus pandemic, I think I 'll take some flower pictures in my garden. I always keep some films (both positive and negative) in my fridge. Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed it. It's good to know that there's somebody else who likes this robust camera, though heavy.
Thank you! These are really great cameras. I suspect these will all be able to take photos long after many cameras that came after them, including any digital camera out there today, is just a door stop. Enjoy shooting around your home, too. I had a photo professor who used to say 'if you can't take a good photo in your backyard, you can't take a good photo anywhere.'
One of those cool videos made by You! Can you see what shutter speed are you using in the viewfinder because I saw photos of FT's viewfinder on Internet (and there you can see shutter speed)?
+David Hancock Nice. Thank you. This year I was thinking about nice Christmas gift, for myself, of course... I like how FTn looks, nice metal film advance lever, no hot shoe, and pre-AI lenses sounds awesome, but I'm not sure will getting the batteries be expensive and hard so do You think I should choose FT2?
+Ivan Pelčić I've found that the standard and cheap PX626 type battery works great. I just compensate the ASA/ISO 1 stop ie 400 ISO film in the camera you'll just set the meter to 200 ISO to compensate. Works a treat :)
Hey David. I recently bought myself one of these Nikkormat cameras (not sure which one because it was used and it doesn't seem to have any markings that tell me which type it is) The guy at the camera store put on a lens, and was telling me about the metering system, he stopped and said, this isn't right, I know cameras and the metering seems to be off. Basically, he told me to simply put the ISO or ASA two stops under what the roll of film is. I've had the camera for about 4 days now and I think I'm having a hard time with the metering because of this, any suggestions or ideas? Also, In the first video you mentioned the "depth of field preview button, I've pressed it and I don't see any difference in what I'm seeing in the viewfinder. Am I doing something wrong?
You're not doing anything wrong at all. These use old mercury cell 1.35-volt batteries. So you need to set the ISO two stops slower to meter correctly due to modern batteries' 1.5 volt power. The added two volts throws the meter of by two stops. You can also buy voltage-adapting S76 adapters or have the camera modified to take modern batteries or, if you're comfortable, do the modification yourself. Fix Old Cameras has a video showing how, but for a different camera (I forget which one.) The process is the same. Fix Old Cameras has modified five of my cameras for modern batteries and it works great.
I now have a third FTN on its way to me. I bought it because it comes with a 50mm f1.4 lens. Haven't decided yet if I will keep all three or send two on their way. Can you spell addicted?
Hi @David! Quick question about my FTn....It seems as if my light meter is not working OR I could possibly be doing something wrong. I used a months back and shot a few exposures, at that point it seemed to work OK. Meaning, as I changed the aperture/shutter it would move/adjust. That was back in the late summer, then I shelved it. I recently picked it up to get a few snow shots, and I discovered that the light meter was not moving at all as I was making adjustments. I pointed the lens at a dark wall in a low-lit room and it didn't move, then I went outside and pointed the lens to the sky, then to the snow and the meter did not move at all....I checked my lens to see if it was attached correctly (I used the "red dot" trick you mentioned in the video) and it was. The only thing I did not check was the battery, but I'm assuming the battery is OK. It has only been a few months (under a year) since I've had the camera and placed the battery in. I also noticed that when I pushed the shutter button, no matter if it was cocked or flush to the camera (red dot covered), the shutter would fire. Lastly, I noticed that when I pushed the DOF button, nothing seemed to happen. I thought that when the DOF button was pushed, the viewfinder becomes slightly "dark-ish". Any thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks in advance!
+Kiana L. Hmm. There seems to be a lot going on there. Let's go through one item at a time. The battery is probably dead. The light meter on these can be turned off by having the film advance lever cover the red dot, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some level of battery drain. So my guess is that you need a new A76 battery. I assume you're using an A76 and adapter, correct? It would be unexpected for the light meter not to return a reading in sun unless you're wide-open with fast film. In that case, there may be too much light for the camera to return a meter reading. The shutter should always fire if the camera is cocked, regardless of where the film advance lever is placed, If I recall correctly (I just sold my FTN in favor of an FT2, so I can't check on that to be certain.) So it sounds like your shutter is working correctly. For the DoF button, the amount of viewfinder darkening varies by aperture, so it might not be noticeable until f/4 or f/5.6. To check it, unmount the lens and push the DoF button. There's a little arm somewhere inside the mount that should move when the DoF button is pushed. If it does, then you're a-okay. If you have an f/1.4 lens, let's say, and stop it down to as small as f/2.8, the difference in illumination may not be noticeable with the DoF preview button. But your description of the viewfinder becoming dark-ish sounds like it's working correctly.
Thanks, David, for getting back to me! I checked my DOF, and you were correct. It's working properly. As for the battery, I have in there a wein cell 1.35v zinc/air. I don't have anymore at the moment to check to see if it's the battery, but I'm hoping it is just the battery. Should I be using a different type of battery? And, I have no adapter. As for the shutter, perhaps I got confused due to acquiring a handful of different cameras over the last 6 or so months. They all work in different ways. Also, I do have a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 b&w film in the camera...Not sure if that makes a difference, in regards to a dead or working battery and/or the light meter.
Kiana L. The Wein Cell explains it. They're only good for ~90 days after the plastic cover is removed. With my old cameras that need the mercury batteries, I use an A76 in one of these: www.ebay.com/itm/A76-LR44-AG13-357-Battery-Adapter-to-PX625-for-Vintage-Cameras-Free-Shipping-/151898589762?hash=item235ddc8a42:g:5pEAAOSwnH1WWk6R That houses an A76 battery and provides a close-enough voltage that the meter readings are within the film's exposure latitude tolerance. Those are what I use for the old Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and so forth, bodies that require the mercury batteries.
David Hancock You're the best! I just ordered some A76 batteries and the adapter. I'm hopefully that's the trick to get me back up and running. If you ever make it to the DC area, we have to meet up and break bread. I've learned so much from you and I'm very grateful! Thanks again for your help!
Kiana L. You're welcome and I'll get your adapter shipped out tomorrow. I lived in DC for three years. One on the 500 block of E. Capitol St. and two more in Hyattsville, across the street from UMD.
Thanks for all the information! Really helpfull! Im 16 and have never shot with film before. I just bought one of these. My mother had one when she was younger but it broke. Im wondering if you know what some good lenses for this camera are. I wan't a 50mm but It's kinda tricky to understand if it will work or not.
You're very welcome. There are lots of great lenses for this camera. You will need an NAI or Pre-AI lens, the terms are interchangeable. These lenses have a silver nose on the aperture ring. Lenses without that silver nose will not connect with the camera's metering mechanism. For 50mm, the NAI 50mm f/1.4 is a good lens and generally affordable. There is a 50mm 1.8 that tends to be a bit cheaper. The older Nikon zooms are mediocre, so in addition to the 50mm, the 28mm 2.8, 35mm 2.8 (as an alternative to the 28), and 135 either 2.8 or 3.5 are all great lenses. I have a video on building a basic camera kit. th-cam.com/video/PYhW0h1_TVQ/w-d-xo.html That will give you some good pointers on starting out with a good lens and some basics to grow into.
David Hancock Thanks nice again! Im currently whatching your all about film series to learn more. I just have one more question. Can i use any modern batteries?
No, these cannot use the modern batteries. You'll have to get a voltage-adapting battery adapter, have it altered by a camera repairman, or manually adjust the ISO to compensate. To do that, set your shutter speed to the speed closest to your film speed and your aperture to f/16. Take a meter reading off an object in full sun (not the sun itself) and adjust the ISO dial until the readout shows a proper exposure. Then you'll know how much to compensate.
hi i recently got hold of the Nikkormat FTn f which belonged to my grandfather..but i can't seem to move the ASA indicator..i've tried using my nails, stylus to push it but it still won't budge. any advice?I'm a pure amateur so you have to bear with my silly questions, The meter in the viewfinder how do i centralise it? with batt or without? what functions require the usage of batt for this camera?
I recently picked up a FT2 w/ 50mm f1.4 AI lens at a garage sale. I am somewhat familiar with this camera. But, w/o thinking, I took the lens off and put it back on w/o casually w/o checking to make sure it was indexed correctly. Now the lens seems to be stuck-I can't remove. I seem to remember some trick to removing. Is this true?
mary beck If it's mounted and the the lens' nose is around the camera's coupling, it can be removed. Try setting the aperture all the way to 16 (I think, the number on the furthest right when you hold the camera as though you were going to shoot it and look down at the top of the lens.) Try to unmount it again. What's most likely going on is that when you unmount it you're holding the aperture ring and the lens body, preventing the aperture ring from turning freely and far enough to let the lens finish unmounting. Let me know if that works or not.
Hello, I just watched both of your videos because I found my Grandparents FT and I got really excited, however, the film advance lever is stuck and doesn't go all the way back as it should, I have tried to give it little hits like you do in the video but it doesn't work. I would love if you could help me solve this problem, thank you very much.
I can try. First thing is to see if it has film. Don't open the camera and try rewinding the film knob. If there's resistance after up to six winds, push the film rewind release on the bottom and rewind the film. If there's film in it, it might be fun to get it developed. The next thing to try is actuating the shutter. When you press the shutter release, what happens?
I just got my FTN today, and I just thought that would that be possible is I use G lens on it and use preview function to control the apature to stop down, it might not accurate but at least it can make G lens to stop down on it, did you ever tried that?
+yuxuan qi The G lenses lack a physical aperture linkage. Everything with a G lens is controlled by electronic contacts which the FTn lacks. So G lenses will only work wide-open.
+yuxuan qi That lens, I believe, is based on the old Nikkor 105mm f/2.5, which is usually a pretty inexpensive lens. And it's a great pairing with the FTn.
"If there's a just and loving God, I will never own one of those G lenses." LOLOL. How does the evolution of pre-AI, AI and so forth correspond (if at all) to Takumar/K mount lens technology? At least the NIkkor G lenses go wide open on earlier film cameras - better than stopping all the way down as default!
+Hooray for Pentax! So there's some differences between Nikon and Pentax. Firstly, Nikon used, ostensibly, the same mount from the F through today (and into the foreseeable future.) That same mount had variations and not all lenses can work with all cameras with that mount and not all F lenses can mount safely on all F mounts -- for instance NAI lenses can break the metering tabs off camera like the N90. Pentax had the M42 which evolved a bit but was always backward compatible. The last Pentax M42 lens ever made would work, in some capacity on the first Pentax Asahi Pentax ever made (though it would need to be stopped down with the manual-auto switch before taking the shot.) The K mount has advanced some but every K mount lens will work is some capacity on every Pentax DSLR. The green button can be used for metering with older, pre-A K mount lenses. The new digital (D-FA and DA) lenses are only backward compatible to a point and will not meter properly on older K and M bodies, for example, because they lack an aperture ring. So in that regard, the DA and D-FA lenses are sort of like the G lenses (but the Pentax lenses have a significantly better build quality than the Nikon G lenses.) The Pentax lenses can mount safely on all the Pentax cameras, but just may have limited functionality on some. That said, I don't own G lenses (but have used them) and I don't own DA and D-FA lenses (but have used them) for the same reason that I'm not a fan of G lenses. I have seven or eight systems that I shoot with regularly. I don't need multiple types of lenses within each system. If I'm going to buy a lens, it will work on every camera that I have in that mount or I won't buy the lens. The only non-aperture-ringed lenses I could see myself using in the foreseeable future are Sony Alpha lenses because my Alpha 9, like all the Maxxum bodies, controls the aperture on the camera. That's just a built-in function on the Alpha series.
+David Hancock This is why I like the FA series so much - they will ALL work on EVERY K-mount body to the limits the camera allows, even if manual focus is sometimes not the best (MF with the 28-90 kit zoom is nothing short of awful; the 28, 50, 135 primes are infinitely better by comparison). I went for a bunch of DA lenses for Christmas instead of one FA Limited because the K-1 hadn't been formally announced yet and for all we knew it was going to be a wallet-killer and I would be with my K-5 for years to come, so three birds in the hand was worth one in the bush. Then the K-1 turned into what it is at the price we know, and all of a sudden it's closer. OTOH the decision on my last overseas trip NOT to offer my SMC-M 40/2.8 and SMC-DA 40/2.8 pancakes as partial trade-in towards the FA 43 Limited is my regret and mine alone. ;)
***** I hear you. I had the chance, in Japan three years ago, to pick an NIB 43mm 1.9 for $320 and I still regret not pulling the trigger. I had just bought the 77mm two days earlier (for $600-ish, NIB), and was a bit strapped. I should have dug deep, though. Oh well. The FA lineup is simply spectacular.
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Just bought an FTN from Japan and this video really helps me a lot. Thank you！
Thank you!
They use the same lenses, but the FT2 improved on the FTN.
1- Uses an LR44 battery instead of the mercury battery.
2- A different focusing screen (Type K)
3- Flash hot shoe built into the camera's pentaprism
4- The two flash terminals were combined into one
5- The viewfinder light meter includes "+" and "-" symbols
6- The ISO adjustment can be locked and is more easily moved
Also it had a few minor cosmetic changes. Nikon, I believe, made these changes based on customer feedback.
Hello, Just watched your two excellent videos. I inherited my late Dads FTN and was just trying to familiarize myself with it. It is so heavy and solid but still works perfectly since Dad bought in 1974. Your videos both informed and motivated me to continue use of this heirloom. Many thanks ,
Ted Hyder
Thank you!
Watching this in 2020. Kudos for running the show no matter what and with little to no editing. Extremely informative. Many thanks!
Thank you!
I thought I knew this camera well but I learned a few new things, very well done. Thanks.
Thank you! :D
Thank you, especially about the images. This is a really great camera and you'll be pleased with its solid build and reliability.
Hey! I found mine with a couple of nice lenses like the Tamron 24mm F.2,4 and 70-220mm 3,5 and ofcourse the 50mm kit lens. And it seems like the owner before me hade it by order because it has the split focusing you where talking about. There was an external flash and an external rangefinder to coupled with the manuals and everything. I simply cannot believe this find, with a camerabag, lens boxes too! Simply amazing and I'm only 15 years old so I'm not the real veteran in film like you guys seem to be so this helps a lot, thanks David and everyone else!
+Edwin Lindeqvist You're very welcome and that is a good find. If you'd like to know what films to use, I have a series (so far only two installments) called All About Film. It looks at various in-production films in the same way these manuals look at cameras.
That Tamron, by the way, that's a very good lens, I'm told.
David Hancock Well yes the focusring is really smooth and has a big throw and the F stops can go down in half stops, I was really impressed with it so I had to order an adapter to the MFT camera I already have
These were made back when "Quality" mattered. I've found them in a very well used state, and they still work perfectly! All of the "Big Five" made excellent gear. I've got a like new Canon AE-1P that was bought new in May of 1983. Still works great and yields fabulous pictures.
The "Kids" under 30 are completely blown away when the see how sharp and vibrant a "Genuine" Photograph can be.
Thank you and yes, back in the day, cameras were amazing. And while digital cameras today are awesome, as are the lenses, I'm not sold they'll still hold up after 40-50 years like these will.
@@DavidHancock
That's right!
The digital electronics is usually done for in under 10 years. Some go dead after only 4 or 5 !
They are just NO made to last. So sad, really. Because they COULD BE made to last!!!
I’ve just acquired two of these. Both older models but one is different. Anyway, you’ve helped me make sense of one of them
Thank you!
Picked up a beautiful Ftn today and this was very helpful, thank you
Thank you!
I recently acquired a Nikon Ftn Photomic camera. I was used to mounting AI/AIS mount lenses on my FM where you simply line up the dot on the lens with the dot on the camera body, insert it and twist the lens to lock in place. For the Ftn, had to get used to setting the lens aperture at f/5.6 first then doing the 'Nikon shuffle' to engage the meter coupling pin on the camera and index the lens to the meter. Part of the fun of a vintage camera.
I do love that clicking when they mount!
Hi, Jean,
For the ASA indicator, that can be fiddly. Mine start sliding with a little push from the sides. If the camera hasn't been used in years, the mechanisms may be a bit frozen. Use or a good, professional cleaning may help. There isn't any secret to moving the indicator, though.
These videos are such a great resource and help. Thank you!
Thank you!
You can add prongs to D series NIkkor lenses. They even have the pilot holes for the screws. Once you do that, they meter perfectly with pre-AI Nikons. Cool videos, by the way. Thanks!
Thank you! And I didn't know that about the prong addition and pilot holes. I always figured when I saw AI-S lenses with prongs that it was a factory retrofit.
Thank you again. I know the feeling. I have two Calumet 4X5 cameras because I bid the opening, very low bids on both, expecting to be sniped on one. But, no one sniped me on either so I won both.
Buying the camera with the 1.4 was way cheaper than a 50mm 1.4 alone. I have used film lenses on my Canon 5dM2 and they produce dreamy images. The more I use my FTN the more it is skyrocketing to the #1 favorite position!
The meter needle will only respond when the camera has a battery. With a battery in and a lens properly mounted and the camera indexed, adjusting the aperture and shutter speed will center the needle. The battery only powers the light meter.
Very informative, These gives me another meaning to the word "passion", had my nikon D3200 for a while now but nothing compares in having a pure manual-mechanical, planning to buy asap,,thanks and more power,,,
Thank-you for great overview and I am looking forward to using an old nikormat
Thank you!
Thanks for the video I learned a lot about the FTN. Now I am on the hunt for one. Great images too!
That 50mm 1:1.4 is totally worth it, though. That's a great lens for film. If you have a Nikon DSLR or mirrorless with Nikon adapter, it's very useful in a lot of situations. On digital, I gather that lens has a very nice character.
Hi David. I've got two FTNs coming my way now from eBay (it's a long story). One chrome, one black. Can't wait to try them out. Great FTN vids they helped me decide to get one. Or two.
I own this Nikkormat. It is simply excellent. Some users have an issuse with 1.5V battery for exposure meter. Do not be afraid. Just set film speed at he half. Instead of 100 set 50. Instead 200 set 100.
Yes, that can work, a more accurate method would be to use a 675 hearing aid battery and a brass adapter, however, as the 675 battery voltage is very close to vintage mercury batteries.
You are correct and I mis-typed the battery designation. The correct battery is the LI560, which is the same as a PX625.
i am currently restoring my Ftn. I found that the meter is pretty accurate when compared to my digital cameras and lightmeters. it just overexposes by 1 stop because of the battery voltage difference.
That's a good option. You can also adjust the ASA setting to compensate.
yes, thats what i did. thanks.
Hello David. Just managed to find a FTn and was surprised that it mostly worked fine. The one small issue being that it does not fire with every push of the shutter release - Have you had any issue like this?
I believe it is because it does not have the tension of the film, but this is a pure guess that has not yet been tested. This may be the case because it requires one crank, a misfire where nothing happens, then a second crank and it will fire normally.
Alternatively it is the same grease issue that you have experienced, but with a different component, requiring more tension on whatever spring allows it to fire. Finally, it could be that the spring has slipped and requires the second crank after the misfire to build up sufficient tension. What would your guess be or do you know this problem?
Sorry for the long message and thank you for your video, very much enjoyed it. I would be happy to create a video showing the issue if you are interested in my problem.
+localhazard THe FTn is a pretty great camera, but a lot seem to have this weakness. I've had two that have had a similar issue (I've only had two of these.) So one of them I had overhauled by Garry Airapetov, and that did a lot of good. Insofar as I can tell, something internal to the FTn wears down over time and causes it to have trouble advancing the film. I believe that the only remedy is an overhaul to see if a new part can be had (probably not) or to clean out the old grease and gunk.
David Hancock Thanks for the advice David. I will attempt to do the later and clean it myself. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks for the thorough walk through of the FTn. Nice shots you took also. Sorry you have to smack your camera before every shot. I hope you got that fixed.
GrandmasterBBC Last time I used it it worked fine, so it seems that the type of film has a roll in that with different films putting different amounts of tension on the mechanism.
Hi David,
Thanks for answering my questions! What kind of batteries do you use for the camera as mercury batteries are no longer in production?
Nive video David!
I have a question though: How do you adjust the film speed...? My FT has an ASA-scale on the front of the aperture-ring, but I don’t seem to be able to move it 😩 Can you help me out? 🙂
Thank you!
The ASA scales on these are really hard to move. You may have to grab it with your fingernail just right (and lift very slightly, I think) to move it. Alternately, you may be able to push it with something like a jeweler's screwdriver. The ASA scale on these is a weak design.
So you use a "Nikkormart FTn" and I use(d) a "Nikomat FTn". Strangely all other features look completely alike. (joking) This is my first SLR camera that I bought in 1972 with the money I earned by myself and a few days later I flew to Munic from Japan with that camera in my bag. They had the Olympuc games there. I still keep this camera in good shape together with non-Ai lenses.
Later my main cameras changed from Nikon to Olympus OM series for MF cameras and to Canon EOS series as far as AF cameras are concerned. But I used this camera as my only SLR comera for more than a decade. Since I like this model so much, I bought a second hand one at Yahoo auction (yes, like e-bay in your country) just yesterday and it will be delivered to me most likely tommorow. I'm happy.
Because I have to stay at home under the coronavirus pandemic, I think I 'll take some flower pictures in my garden. I always keep some films (both positive and negative) in my fridge. Thanks for this video. I really enjoyed it. It's good to know that there's somebody else who likes this robust camera, though heavy.
Thank you! These are really great cameras. I suspect these will all be able to take photos long after many cameras that came after them, including any digital camera out there today, is just a door stop. Enjoy shooting around your home, too. I had a photo professor who used to say 'if you can't take a good photo in your backyard, you can't take a good photo anywhere.'
One of those cool videos made by You! Can you see what shutter speed are you using in the viewfinder because I saw photos of FT's viewfinder on Internet (and there you can see shutter speed)?
I believe it's displayed along the bottom.
+David Hancock Nice. Thank you. This year I was thinking about nice Christmas gift, for myself, of course... I like how FTn looks, nice metal film advance lever, no hot shoe, and pre-AI lenses sounds awesome, but I'm not sure will getting the batteries be expensive and hard so do You think I should choose FT2?
+Ivan Pelčić I've found that the standard and cheap PX626 type battery works great. I just compensate the ASA/ISO 1 stop ie 400 ISO film in the camera you'll just set the meter to 200 ISO to compensate. Works a treat :)
Spehmaster G. Thanks for recommending that!
Hey David. I recently bought myself one of these Nikkormat cameras (not sure which one because it was used and it doesn't seem to have any markings that tell me which type it is) The guy at the camera store put on a lens, and was telling me about the metering system, he stopped and said, this isn't right, I know cameras and the metering seems to be off. Basically, he told me to simply put the ISO or ASA two stops under what the roll of film is. I've had the camera for about 4 days now and I think I'm having a hard time with the metering because of this, any suggestions or ideas? Also, In the first video you mentioned the "depth of field preview button, I've pressed it and I don't see any difference in what I'm seeing in the viewfinder. Am I doing something wrong?
You're not doing anything wrong at all. These use old mercury cell 1.35-volt batteries. So you need to set the ISO two stops slower to meter correctly due to modern batteries' 1.5 volt power. The added two volts throws the meter of by two stops. You can also buy voltage-adapting S76 adapters or have the camera modified to take modern batteries or, if you're comfortable, do the modification yourself. Fix Old Cameras has a video showing how, but for a different camera (I forget which one.) The process is the same. Fix Old Cameras has modified five of my cameras for modern batteries and it works great.
I now have a third FTN on its way to me. I bought it because it comes with a 50mm f1.4 lens. Haven't decided yet if I will keep all three or send two on their way. Can you spell addicted?
Great video !!! Thanks a lot 😊🙏🖤
Thank you!
Hi @David! Quick question about my FTn....It seems as if my light meter is not working OR I could possibly be doing something wrong. I used a months back and shot a few exposures, at that point it seemed to work OK. Meaning, as I changed the aperture/shutter it would move/adjust. That was back in the late summer, then I shelved it. I recently picked it up to get a few snow shots, and I discovered that the light meter was not moving at all as I was making adjustments.
I pointed the lens at a dark wall in a low-lit room and it didn't move, then I went outside and pointed the lens to the sky, then to the snow and the meter did not move at all....I checked my lens to see if it was attached correctly (I used the "red dot" trick you mentioned in the video) and it was. The only thing I did not check was the battery, but I'm assuming the battery is OK. It has only been a few months (under a year) since I've had the camera and placed the battery in. I also noticed that when I pushed the shutter button, no matter if it was cocked or flush to the camera (red dot covered), the shutter would fire. Lastly, I noticed that when I pushed the DOF button, nothing seemed to happen. I thought that when the DOF button was pushed, the viewfinder becomes slightly "dark-ish".
Any thoughts? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks in advance!
+Kiana L. Hmm. There seems to be a lot going on there. Let's go through one item at a time.
The battery is probably dead. The light meter on these can be turned off by having the film advance lever cover the red dot, but that doesn't mean that there isn't some level of battery drain. So my guess is that you need a new A76 battery. I assume you're using an A76 and adapter, correct? It would be unexpected for the light meter not to return a reading in sun unless you're wide-open with fast film. In that case, there may be too much light for the camera to return a meter reading.
The shutter should always fire if the camera is cocked, regardless of where the film advance lever is placed, If I recall correctly (I just sold my FTN in favor of an FT2, so I can't check on that to be certain.) So it sounds like your shutter is working correctly.
For the DoF button, the amount of viewfinder darkening varies by aperture, so it might not be noticeable until f/4 or f/5.6. To check it, unmount the lens and push the DoF button. There's a little arm somewhere inside the mount that should move when the DoF button is pushed. If it does, then you're a-okay. If you have an f/1.4 lens, let's say, and stop it down to as small as f/2.8, the difference in illumination may not be noticeable with the DoF preview button. But your description of the viewfinder becoming dark-ish sounds like it's working correctly.
Thanks, David, for getting back to me! I checked my DOF, and you were correct. It's working properly.
As for the battery, I have in there a wein cell 1.35v zinc/air. I don't have anymore at the moment to check to see if it's the battery, but I'm hoping it is just the battery. Should I be using a different type of battery? And, I have no adapter.
As for the shutter, perhaps I got confused due to acquiring a handful of different cameras over the last 6 or so months. They all work in different ways.
Also, I do have a roll of Ilford HP5 Plus 400 b&w film in the camera...Not sure if that makes a difference, in regards to a dead or working battery and/or the light meter.
Kiana L. The Wein Cell explains it. They're only good for ~90 days after the plastic cover is removed. With my old cameras that need the mercury batteries, I use an A76 in one of these: www.ebay.com/itm/A76-LR44-AG13-357-Battery-Adapter-to-PX625-for-Vintage-Cameras-Free-Shipping-/151898589762?hash=item235ddc8a42:g:5pEAAOSwnH1WWk6R
That houses an A76 battery and provides a close-enough voltage that the meter readings are within the film's exposure latitude tolerance. Those are what I use for the old Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and so forth, bodies that require the mercury batteries.
David Hancock You're the best! I just ordered some A76 batteries and the adapter. I'm hopefully that's the trick to get me back up and running. If you ever make it to the DC area, we have to meet up and break bread. I've learned so much from you and I'm very grateful! Thanks again for your help!
Kiana L. You're welcome and I'll get your adapter shipped out tomorrow.
I lived in DC for three years. One on the 500 block of E. Capitol St. and two more in Hyattsville, across the street from UMD.
Thanks for all the information! Really helpfull! Im 16 and have never shot with film before. I just bought one of these. My mother had one when she was younger but it broke. Im wondering if you know what some good lenses for this camera are. I wan't a 50mm but It's kinda tricky to understand if it will work or not.
You're very welcome.
There are lots of great lenses for this camera. You will need an NAI or Pre-AI lens, the terms are interchangeable. These lenses have a silver nose on the aperture ring. Lenses without that silver nose will not connect with the camera's metering mechanism.
For 50mm, the NAI 50mm f/1.4 is a good lens and generally affordable. There is a 50mm 1.8 that tends to be a bit cheaper.
The older Nikon zooms are mediocre, so in addition to the 50mm, the 28mm 2.8, 35mm 2.8 (as an alternative to the 28), and 135 either 2.8 or 3.5 are all great lenses. I have a video on building a basic camera kit. th-cam.com/video/PYhW0h1_TVQ/w-d-xo.html That will give you some good pointers on starting out with a good lens and some basics to grow into.
Also check out my All About Film series to learn a bit more about different films.
David Hancock Thanks nice again! Im currently whatching your all about film series to learn more. I just have one more question. Can i use any modern batteries?
No, these cannot use the modern batteries. You'll have to get a voltage-adapting battery adapter, have it altered by a camera repairman, or manually adjust the ISO to compensate. To do that, set your shutter speed to the speed closest to your film speed and your aperture to f/16. Take a meter reading off an object in full sun (not the sun itself) and adjust the ISO dial until the readout shows a proper exposure. Then you'll know how much to compensate.
Thanks, your video is helpful.
You're very welcome.
LI650 batteries are the lithium equivalent. I think they run about $1.50 on eBay.
hi i recently got hold of the Nikkormat FTn f which belonged to my grandfather..but i can't seem to move the ASA indicator..i've tried using my nails, stylus to push it but it still won't budge. any advice?I'm a pure amateur so you have to bear with my silly questions, The meter in the viewfinder how do i centralise it? with batt or without? what functions require the usage of batt for this camera?
I recently picked up a FT2 w/ 50mm f1.4 AI lens at a garage sale. I am somewhat familiar with this camera. But, w/o thinking, I took the lens off and put it back on w/o casually w/o checking to make sure it was indexed correctly. Now the lens seems to be stuck-I can't remove. I seem to remember some trick to removing. Is this true?
mary beck If it's mounted and the the lens' nose is around the camera's coupling, it can be removed. Try setting the aperture all the way to 16 (I think, the number on the furthest right when you hold the camera as though you were going to shoot it and look down at the top of the lens.) Try to unmount it again. What's most likely going on is that when you unmount it you're holding the aperture ring and the lens body, preventing the aperture ring from turning freely and far enough to let the lens finish unmounting. Let me know if that works or not.
12:17 i do have the flash bahaha..nice video😉
:D
Hello, I just watched both of your videos because I found my Grandparents FT and I got really excited, however, the film advance lever is stuck and doesn't go all the way back as it should, I have tried to give it little hits like you do in the video but it doesn't work. I would love if you could help me solve this problem, thank you very much.
I can try. First thing is to see if it has film. Don't open the camera and try rewinding the film knob. If there's resistance after up to six winds, push the film rewind release on the bottom and rewind the film. If there's film in it, it might be fun to get it developed.
The next thing to try is actuating the shutter. When you press the shutter release, what happens?
Thank You!!
I just got my FTN today, and I just thought that would that be possible is I use G lens on it and use preview function to control the apature to stop down, it might not accurate but at least it can make G lens to stop down on it, did you ever tried that?
+yuxuan qi The G lenses lack a physical aperture linkage. Everything with a G lens is controlled by electronic contacts which the FTn lacks. So G lenses will only work wide-open.
+David Hancock yeah, that is so sad, but at least I bought a AIS 105mm f2.5
+yuxuan qi That lens, I believe, is based on the old Nikkor 105mm f/2.5, which is usually a pretty inexpensive lens. And it's a great pairing with the FTn.
+David Hancock Yeah, I could get the non AI old lens, but since I still want to use it on my D750, I must get a AIS lens.
Or an old NAI lens that was converted to AI so that it has both connectors.
My mirror is stuck in the closed position. I can open it with my fingers, but can't get t to open any other way. Help me plz
are there any major differences between the FTN and the FT2?
Does it finish at 30 pose? Mine is suddenly finished and i can't wrap film cycle :(
It might. If you had a very long leader, that could be the case.
Could you make a video to teach on how to do stepdown metering?
You don't need to do that with this camera. The Nikon Fe and F4 videos that I've uploaded show that process, however.
whether the battery needs to be inserted into the camera during lenses mounting/indenxing?
Not mounting or indexing. The battery is required for the light meter to return a meter reading.
thanks for prompt reply, it means that lens indexing is a mechanical function only and battery/current has nothing to do with it.
@@jacekwisniewski5414 correct.
Thank you.Couple days ago I've bought this fantastic camera and need some guidance even though I'm 35mm generation:))
Did you get the camera fixed in the end? Seeing you smack it really hurts!
@@eddyhoughton6542 I did fix it.
I was waiting to hear the sound of the shutter to compare it to my FA lol.
It' comparable to the sound difference between a Fiat 500 honking and a Fiat 500 being crushed by a monster truck.
Ft2 is best. K screen with split rangefinder and uses Lr44 batteries
Thank you!
"If there's a just and loving God, I will never own one of those G lenses." LOLOL.
How does the evolution of pre-AI, AI and so forth correspond (if at all) to Takumar/K mount lens technology?
At least the NIkkor G lenses go wide open on earlier film cameras - better than stopping all the way down as default!
+Hooray for Pentax! So there's some differences between Nikon and Pentax. Firstly, Nikon used, ostensibly, the same mount from the F through today (and into the foreseeable future.) That same mount had variations and not all lenses can work with all cameras with that mount and not all F lenses can mount safely on all F mounts -- for instance NAI lenses can break the metering tabs off camera like the N90. Pentax had the M42 which evolved a bit but was always backward compatible. The last Pentax M42 lens ever made would work, in some capacity on the first Pentax Asahi Pentax ever made (though it would need to be stopped down with the manual-auto switch before taking the shot.)
The K mount has advanced some but every K mount lens will work is some capacity on every Pentax DSLR. The green button can be used for metering with older, pre-A K mount lenses. The new digital (D-FA and DA) lenses are only backward compatible to a point and will not meter properly on older K and M bodies, for example, because they lack an aperture ring. So in that regard, the DA and D-FA lenses are sort of like the G lenses (but the Pentax lenses have a significantly better build quality than the Nikon G lenses.) The Pentax lenses can mount safely on all the Pentax cameras, but just may have limited functionality on some.
That said, I don't own G lenses (but have used them) and I don't own DA and D-FA lenses (but have used them) for the same reason that I'm not a fan of G lenses. I have seven or eight systems that I shoot with regularly. I don't need multiple types of lenses within each system. If I'm going to buy a lens, it will work on every camera that I have in that mount or I won't buy the lens. The only non-aperture-ringed lenses I could see myself using in the foreseeable future are Sony Alpha lenses because my Alpha 9, like all the Maxxum bodies, controls the aperture on the camera. That's just a built-in function on the Alpha series.
+David Hancock This is why I like the FA series so much - they will ALL work on EVERY K-mount body to the limits the camera allows, even if manual focus is sometimes not the best (MF with the 28-90 kit zoom is nothing short of awful; the 28, 50, 135 primes are infinitely better by comparison). I went for a bunch of DA lenses for Christmas instead of one FA Limited because the K-1 hadn't been formally announced yet and for all we knew it was going to be a wallet-killer and I would be with my K-5 for years to come, so three birds in the hand was worth one in the bush. Then the K-1 turned into what it is at the price we know, and all of a sudden it's closer.
OTOH the decision on my last overseas trip NOT to offer my SMC-M 40/2.8 and SMC-DA 40/2.8 pancakes as partial trade-in towards the FA 43 Limited is my regret and mine alone. ;)
***** I hear you. I had the chance, in Japan three years ago, to pick an NIB 43mm 1.9 for $320 and I still regret not pulling the trigger. I had just bought the 77mm two days earlier (for $600-ish, NIB), and was a bit strapped. I should have dug deep, though. Oh well.
The FA lineup is simply spectacular.
Nice instruction video, but please do not hit your hand with this metal brick, I am worried!!! :D
:D It's a heavy one.