Nikkormat FTN

[lauren_macintosh]

<p>After doing some reading on this camera, If I have read correctly and I know you will correct me if I am wrong :)<br>

there are two model's of FTN's one is the earlier model which takes a Mercury battery and the other takes a silver battery for the meter.</p>

<p>I do not know why I bought a Nikon but , I did and what are the differences between the lenses some say Nikkor-s and some say Nikkor-h and some say Nikkor-F<br>

An FTN is on its way to me: I am Asking so I can get the proper batteries for it, thanks to all who respond .</p>

[craigd]

<p>I'm not sure about the Nikkormat models, but I can help on the lenses.</p>

<p>The early Nikkors, up to the early 1970s, have a letter after "Nikkor" that tells you how many elements the lens has. The letters are related to the Latin words for the numbers from four to nine: a Nikkor-Q has 4 elements, Nikkor-P 5, Nikkor-H 6, Nikkor-S 7, Nikkor-O 8, Nikkor-N 9. I've seen a few lenses with more than nine elements: one with 11 was labeled "Nikkor-UD", and one with 14 was labeled "Nikkor-QD", so the pattern seems to continue up into the teens. Zoom lenses were typically just labeled "Zoom-Nikkor" without any extra letters; similarly fisheyes were labeled "Fisheye-Nikkor" and shift lenses "PC-Nikkor".</p>

<p>When multi-coating was added around 1970, an extra C was added, so you'll see things like "Nikkor-H C". After a few years of this, all the extra letters were dropped, and lenses were just labeled "Nikkor".</p>

<p>I've never seen a lens labeled "Nikkor-F".</p>

[red_robin]

<p>Sorry to bust-in but I have the FT2, are there different batterys needed for these also?</p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<p>The FT2 takes a single commonly available 1.5v S76/SR44 silver-oxide cell.</p>

<p>I'm not that familiar with the FTN, but was under the impression that they all required a 1.3v battery for the exposure meter (I believe the modern substitute is a 1.3v zinc-air hearing aid cell).<br>

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikkormat/fseries/ftn/feature1.htm</p>

[mukul_dube]

<p>Only a miracle will find a 1.35V mercury cell, PX625 or equivalent. The Nikkormat was a fine camera for its time, and alas now is reduced to a toy which people like the original poster can obtain cheaply to mess about with.</p>

[craigd]

<p>The 1.3v zinc-air cell works quite well, and any competent camera repairman should be able to adapt a 1.35v mercury-cell camera to take modern 1.5V non-mercury batteries. I've had this done to a Konica Auto S2 and a Minolta SRT 201; it ought to be possible for a Nikkormat as well. A few cameras, such as the Pentax Spotmatics, don't need any modification because they use a bridge circuit that is not as sensitive to the exact voltage supplied by the battery, but I don't think the Nikkormats are like that.</p>

[fred_haeseker]

<p>Earlier Nikkormats that use mercury cells are not toys. They're built on the sturdy, reliable Nikon F series bodies and mechanics and use the fine Nikkor lenses. The TTL metering is powered by an obsolete battery, but the Nikkormat will work very well as a meterless SLR. After all, photographers did OK before TTL metering became standard. Lack of a meter just makes an SLR a bit more of a classic manual camera.</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>FTN takes 1.3V mercury cells, its successor FT2 could take 1.5V silver oxide.</p>

<p>I imagine in a FTN you can use the Wein 1.35V zinc-air cells as an alternative until you decide whether to go to the trouble of altering the camera to take different batteries.</p>

<p>The manuals are available on Mike Butkus' <a href="http://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikkormat_ftn/nikkormat_ftn.htm">excellent site</a>.</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p>The whole battery issue keeps cropping up ad nauseum. There are a whole range of options out there regarding substitutes for the PX625, ranging from zinc-air cells through to custom-made adapters that will swap among cameras, allowing the use of alternative batteries. The actual modification of a camera is a fairly expensive option! A little Googling is cheaper...</p>

[craigd]

<p>I wouldn't send a camera out just to get it modified for modern batteries, but if you're getting an overhaul anyway, the modification doesn't, in my experience, add significantly to the cost.</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>The second part of your question regards the letters on old Nikkor lenses. Nikon used Greek and Latin letters to designate their lenses, based on the number of optical elements in the lens.</p>

<p><strong>U</strong> Unus (Latin) = 1 lens element<br /> <strong>B</strong> Bini (Latin) = 2 elements<br /> <strong>T</strong> Tres (Latin) = 3 elements<br /> <strong>Q</strong> Quattuor (Latin) = 4 elements<br /> <strong>P</strong> Pente (Greek) = 5 elements<br /> <strong>H</strong> Hex (Greek) = 6 elements<br /> <strong>S</strong> Septem (Latin) = 7 elements<br /> <strong>O</strong> Oct (Latin) = 8 elements<br /> <strong>N</strong> Novem (Latin) = 9 elements<br /> <strong>D</strong> Decem (Latin) = 10 elements</p>

[CoryAmmerman]

<p>I recently acquired an FTn. The only thing that I had to do to get it working again was to put in some new light seals. Everything else worked fine, so hopefully yours won't need an overhaul. As others have said, the FTn uses the old mercury batteries that aren't available in the US anymore. I've read several posts about using the zinc-air batteries, sometimes without any modification to the camera, so I bought a pack at the local Wallgreens. I haven't used them yet, though, since the mercury battery that was in the camera when I got it still has juice left in it. If I were you I'd buy a pack of batteries and a 12 exposure roll of cheap film to test the camera out with (the max shutter speed on the FTn is 1/1000, so I'd suggest 100 or 200 speed film). If your pics come out dark, just adjust where you center the needle of the meter to overexpose a bit. If they come out overexposed, adjust where you put the needle a little lower. Also, before loading any film in the camera, cycle the shutter several times at all of the shutter speeds. My camera needed a bit of a workout before the faster shutter times were correct.</p>

<p>If you're interested, you can read <a href="../classic-cameras-forum/00Xshm">this post</a> about my first time out with my FTn and maybe not repeat the same mistakes I made.</p>

[dan_fromm2]

<p>Fred Haeseker wrote: "Earlier Nikkormats that use mercury cells are not toys. <strong>They're built on the sturdy, reliable Nikon F series bodies and mechanics </strong>and use the fine Nikkor lenses."</p>

<p>Stuff and nonsense! The Nikkormat is a bargain camera built around a Copal Square Shutter, has nothing mechanical in common with the Nikon F and successors except the mount. You have an over-active imagination.</p>

<p>Fred, have you ever handled a Nikon F or a Nikkormat? My first camera was a Nikkormat FTN and before I bought it I tried out a Nikon F with FTn head. My wife still has a Nikkormat ELW, which isn't built on the Nikkormat (original through FT3) or F chassis. </p>

[User_502260]

<p>Dan, I know what yo mean when you write:<br>

Fred Haeseker wrote: "Earlier Nikkormats that use mercury cells are not toys. <strong>They're built on the sturdy, reliable Nikon F series bodies and mechanics </strong>and use the fine Nikkor lenses."<br>

I keep seeing people write that the Canon EF is just an automatic F-1. That isn't right either. I have a number of Nikon cameras and enjoy using Nikkormats, especially the FT2s. For macro or longer lens use I prefer a camera with interchangeable sreens so I can put in an E screen. I have two FEs and an FE2 for this. The Nikkormats may be bargain cameras compared to the F series models but from the FTN to the FT3 on the mechanical side they are capable and decently made cameras. Wht do I prefer the FT2 to the FTN? The FT2 takes an MS-76 battery and makes changing the film speed easier. The FE/FL series, culminating in the FM3A, has also proved to be quite durable. If I did not have a number of Canon F-1 bodies and many Canon lenses I might use my Nikon F2 more and even look for an F or F3. </p>

[dan_fromm2]

<p>Jeff, forums on the internet are mailnly the ignorant talking to those who don't know.</p>

<p>Me, I'm an ignorant barbarian. What are you?</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>We are crossing over into becoming history revisionists. The Nikkormat cameras were the "better mousetrap", compared to the Nikon F's. They were lighter, had the same metering systems, their controls were brilliantly located. (The Depth of Field button alone should have won an award). And they sold for less money.</p>

<p>Other than their lack of: MD ability, bulk film back, and no interchangeable finders. What exactly could a Nikon F do today or in 1967, that a Nikkormat FTN can't? Their performance over the last 40 years, is negating your disparaging remarks.</p>

[dan_b.4]

<p>Well, since no one has mentioned it yet, I'll mention the CRIS MR-9 battery adapter for use in the FTN. Just don't throw away the adapter when the battery goes dead!</p>

[dan_fromm2]

<p>Steve, ignorant barbarian that <em>I</em> am I bought a Nikkormat instead of an F. I could have bought an F, decided that the additional $50 (prices from the spring, '70 IV Wing RCAF photo fair) for an F didn't buy me an additional $50 worth of usefulness.</p>

<p>Ignorant barbarian that <em>you</em> are, you neglected to mention that the Nikkormat's highest X-sync speed is 1/125 and the F's is 1/60. Advantage Copal Square, and for me it turned out to be a large one. You also neglected to mention that the Nik'mat's shutter speed ring is concentric with the lens mount. Like the Oly OM- series, but the Nik'mat came first. IMO the Nik'mat FTn and later models were the fastest work 35 mm SLRs of their time, in part because of the shutter speed control's location. The F is more robust and by far the better system camera. IMO it was the first 35 mm SLR to beat the Exakta.</p>

<p>Dan, I've never tried it -- sold my Nik'mat before mercury cells went away -- but the Gossen 2 SR-44 adapter for older LunaPro meters might also work in a Nik'mat. One worked just fine in my Canon AZ-814.</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>I have an early Nikon F, a Nikkormat FTn, and a black Nikkormat EL. My favorite of the three is the Nikkormat EL. They are all well-made cameras, and I see no need for rancor about build quality on any of them.<br>

My Photomic head for the F is dead. like most of its peers. The plain prism head costs more than the bodies these days. I also have a waist-level finder (aka "waste-level"). The Nikkormat meter has also died, also not uncommon. I understand a resistor fails, but a Google will reveal much discussion of this.<br>

Everything on the EL is still working like new, even after my daughter got through learning photography on it.<br>

I am beginning to understand the need to upgrade to a newer camera one day.</p>

<p>Yes, I'm looking for a nice black Nikon F2. I see little reason to go newer than that. :)</p>

<p> </p>

[cj8281]

<p>I have a Nikkormat FTn and an FT3. A cheap hearing aide battery #675 with an o-ring will work perfectly with it. The FT2 and FT3 both take the Silver Oxide type battery. The meters in both of mine work just fine. There was an earlier camera too, the FT. <br>

I consider my son's Kodak X15 more of a toy than I would the FTn. </p>

[fred_haeseker]

<p>Dan and Jeff, sorry about my overactive imagination/ignorance. I have an FT3 and I also had a late-model F with the standard meterless prism. The bodies seemed identical, and the only differences I could see were in the backs (removable vs. hinged) and the shutters (horizontal cloth vs. vertical metal). I never examined the innards (no need). I will never make any more dangerous assumptions!</p>

[dana_bartholomew]

<p>Wow. I see someone's knickers seriously twisted over Nikkormats. Too bad, 'cause my FT2 and FT3 are built like tanks and work well as daily shooters, especially the latter. They load more easily than my Nikon F. Meter +/- from the top of the body for easy street shooting. Accept modern batteries and the best Nikon lenses. And never -- ever -- miss a beat. In short, they're great not for gearheads, but for people who actually go out and take pictures.</p>