Nikon F Photomic FTn questions

[AlanKlein]

In 1977 I bought my first camera a black Nikon F2AS and someone stole from me when I had it at the 1 hour processing lab that I managed at the time. I wonder if you have it?

Nah. After I lost my Nikon F, I couldn't afford another one here in the states. So I bought a Nikkormat FT3 which I still have.

[Sandy Vongries]

This camera and meter system were my primary for a dozen years, it is capable of excellent work in experienced hands. Using this type with the central weighting requires that you meter an area that represents the image you want to capture. There are certainly advantages to incident metering when conditions and time frame permit its use. As to matrix, I am not a particular fan - it seems fine for snapshots or emergencies, but for me the results are not as predictable as spot metering. Likely just too habituated.

[ben_hutcherson]

I'm not sure whether or not I've mentioned in this thread(I mentioned it recently, but it may have been in the other thread running on FTNs) that I've brought several F2 DP-1s back to life either from a dead or "jumpy" meter by applying a tiny amount of carbon tet directly to the ring resistor inside face and working everything(shutter speed, film speed, and aperture feeler) back and forth. This probably isn't a permanent fix, but has worked for me.

 

Since the FTN finder and DP-1 are VERY similar internally, I suspect that this will have the same result on the FTN.

 

Of course, carbon tet is VERY toxic so handle with care. I use it in a fume hood at work. BTW, to be sure I'm actually using a "tiny amount" I partially disassemble the finder such that I can see the ring resistor(I think that removing the front plate is as far as you need to go) and use a glass pasteur pipette to put a drop or two of carbon tet directly on it.

 

As an alternative to carbon tet, since it's not such an easy to find chemical these days, I'd suggest the old Kodak film cleaner as a reasonable alternative. It's also halogenated(1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluorethane, or R-113 if you're someone who thinks in terms of refrigerants :) ) mixed with heptane and of course evaporates with no residue. Although it's no longer made, but can usually be had with a bit of hunting.

[JDMvW]

When I bought my Nikon F Photomic, one of the first things I did was to get (at greater cost than the camera and photomic head) a plain prism

finder. I have lots of old TTL cameras from all over the world, but

 

It's hard to get anything like the original batteries

Even if you could, these camera meters are older than most of the people shooting them these days.

[BeBu Lamar]

When I bought my Nikon F Photomic, one of the first things I did was to get (at greater cost than the camera and photomic head) a plain prism

finder. I have lots of old TTL cameras from all over the world, but

 

It's hard to get anything like the original batteries

Even if you could, these camera meters are older than most of the people shooting them these days.

 

I bought a brand new DE-1 for the F2AS for $42. Well that was back in 79.

[stephen_poe]

I don't use my F and F2 that much any more, but sometimes I do feel the need to do some time travel and shoot some film. Back in the late 90's I was at a camera show out on the west coast and had a chance to buy a couple of plain pentaprisms in nice shape for $35 each. At that time there did not seem to be that much interest in the non-metered prisms - I guess everyone thought that the newer metered prisms and their mercury batteries were going to go on forever. Not. Anyway, I am really glad that I bought those plain pentaprisms - they are still in great shape and it is a pleasure to be out and about with my F using either sunny 16 of one of my light meters. In the case of the metered prisms it is not just the obsolete mercury batteries, but the issue of the resistor disk wearing out. If the metered prisms need any parts they are pretty much impossible to find. And I got to thinking that this may be a generational thing. I am 78, and got serious about photography long before built in meters. When I was in high school my dad gave my an Ikonta and one one of those old Kodak exposure dials (I think they were about 25 cents). Took me about a week to memorize the exposure values from the dial and that has been in my head ever since. I eventually got a Weston meter, but most of the time found that it was less trouble to just use the exposure dial (now in my head). And that sort of still holds true. I have better and more sensitive meters now (Pentax digital spot is one of my favorites), but is amazing how much you can do without a meter. A Nikon F with a plain pentaprism is a thing of beauty and a chance to get back to basics. Cheers

[Sandy Vongries]

No intent to be snarky, but as a long time user of old Nikon F models, other than looks and compactness, what is the functional difference between the prism and a dead (F Photomic, F Photomic T, F Photomic TN, or Photomic FTN) meter? All, with a light meter do the same job. BTW, though sleeker, F 2 and F3 as well!

[ben_hutcherson]

what is the functional difference between the prism and a dead

 

Aside from the looks, there's also the fact that they are smaller, lighter, and the finder is less cluttered. Of course, the meter read out isn't THAT obtrusive(esp. since it's outside of the image area on all the pro Nikons), and the metered finders display the set shutter speed and aperture regardless of whether or not the meter works.

 

With that said, the pre-FTN finders have always seemed a bit "rickety" to me and can rattle too much for my taste. The FTN added the front clamps(that carried over to all the F2 metered prisms) and tends to be a lot more secure.

[Sandy Vongries]

Functional - how you feel about it and your taste doesn't count for much in the greater universe. I've been using these cameras, mostly working, some not since '68 or so. How about you? Oh, BTW your opinion is just as valid or invalid as any other. :D

[lukpac]

I don't use my F and F2 that much any more, but sometimes I do feel the need to do some time travel and shoot some film. Back in the late 90's I was at a camera show out on the west coast and had a chance to buy a couple of plain pentaprisms in nice shape for $35 each. At that time there did not seem to be that much interest in the non-metered prisms - I guess everyone thought that the newer metered prisms and their mercury batteries were going to go on forever. Not. Anyway, I am really glad that I bought those plain pentaprisms - they are still in great shape and it is a pleasure to be out and about with my F using either sunny 16 of one of my light meters. In the case of the metered prisms it is not just the obsolete mercury batteries, but the issue of the resistor disk wearing out. If the metered prisms need any parts they are pretty much impossible to find. And I got to thinking that this may be a generational thing. I am 78, and got serious about photography long before built in meters. When I was in high school my dad gave my an Ikonta and one one of those old Kodak exposure dials (I think they were about 25 cents). Took me about a week to memorize the exposure values from the dial and that has been in my head ever since. I eventually got a Weston meter, but most of the time found that it was less trouble to just use the exposure dial (now in my head). And that sort of still holds true. I have better and more sensitive meters now (Pentax digital spot is one of my favorites), but is amazing how much you can do without a meter. A Nikon F with a plain pentaprism is a thing of beauty and a chance to get back to basics. Cheers

 

Alas, my first SLR was an EM, so using an external meter or even sunny 16 was never a consideration. I also still have my dad's old F, which has a non-meter prism, but that probably hasn't seen a roll of film since at least the early 1980s.

 

At this point kind of debating if I want to continue down the FTn route or just call it a day and look for an F3.

[Sandy Vongries]

At this point kind of debating if I want to continue down the FTn route or just call it a day and look for an F3.

No reason you can't do both - I enjoy all the old Nikons right up to F 5. Should use them more than I do, but that is another story. No way I would get rid of Dad's camera - that's an M 3, though.

[lukpac]

No reason you can't do both - I enjoy all the old Nikons right up to F 5. Should use them more than I do, but that is another story. No way I would get rid of Dad's camera - that's an M 3, though.

 

I'm not really planning on getting rid of anything, other than possibly one of the N70s I have. At this point it's more deciding how much I want to dive back into the world of film, and how much I care about the uniqueness of the FTn vs. how much I just want things to work without worrying about them.

[Sandy Vongries]

how much I just want things to work without worrying about them.

There's that, of course, and film - getting and processing if you aren't into or back into DIY. It's awfully easy to grab a digital, and as I found myself saying on a digital shoot last night, "the film is free!"

[lukpac]

There's that, of course, and film - getting and processing if you aren't into or back into DIY. It's awfully easy to grab a digital, and as I found myself saying on a digital shoot last night, "the film is free!"

 

Yes, it's quite a different experience, in a lot of ways. And still debating the DIY thing too. My experiences thus far getting B&W film developed have been frustrating, to say the least. Blowing/wiping away dust is one thing, but having to clean bits stuck on the film is another.

[Sandy Vongries]

And still debating the DIY thing too.

I did it for years without a darkroom - changing bag & kitchen counter - very doable - just haven't got motivated. Have all of the "stuff".

[Sandy Vongries]

That would be the direction I would go. At this point I'm most concerned about dust, especially considering my experiences thus far. Scanning is tedious enough without constantly dealing with gunk on the film.

Dwaynes will process & scan.

[lukpac]

I did it for years without a darkroom - changing bag & kitchen counter - very doable - just haven't got motivated. Have all of the "stuff".

 

That would be the direction I would go. At this point I'm most concerned about dust, especially considering my experiences thus far. Scanning is tedious enough without constantly dealing with gunk on the film.

[lukpac]

Dwaynes will process & scan.

 

I used a local store for my first roll, who (I later learned) sent it to Dwayne's. It came back with scratches and dirt and was loose in the envelope. Not sure if that was an anomaly, but I definitely wasn't pleased.

[Sandy Vongries]

Have used them several times - have a good scanner so haven't used that service yet, but the films have always been clean & good. Quite a few here on PN have used them - yours is the first negative I've heard.

[Vincent Peri]

I used a local store for my first roll, who (I later learned) sent it to Dwayne's. It came back with scratches and dirt and was loose in the envelope. Not sure if that was an anomaly, but I definitely wasn't pleased.

 

I've been using Dwayne's Photo for years, and I'm very pleased with their work. I usually get slides processed and mounted, or B&W film developed only and the rolls uncut. The rolls come with a roll-length paper strip to keep the negatives from touching each other and in hard cardboard tubes to protect against shipping damage. I cut the film into 6 frame sections for my Print File negative storage pages.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Vincent Peri

[ben_hutcherson]

I've been using Dwayne's Photo for years, and I'm very pleased with their work. I usually get slides processed and mounted,

 

I have a few rolls that I'm planning to send to Dwayne's.

 

Do they still use paper mounts? The last time they processed film for me, that's what they used, but my local lab says that they can only get glass and plastic now.

 

Since I usually scan, I prefer plastic both because it's cleaner and it's also easier to unmount the film if I'm so inclined. I'm tired enough of "iffy" chemistry at my local lab, though, that I'll deal with whatever types of mounts Dwayne's uses.

 

BTW, they've always returned my uncut MF film to me in a plastic sleeve(the type that's split down the side and is folded over just a bit to hold it-I don't like the sleeves my local lab uses for 35mm that are seamless and require the entire length of film to be pulled through) that was rolled inside a carboard tube. The tubes they use to use(again, haven't had them process any in years) basically looked like a section sawed off a very heavy and tough poster tube, and had a red plasticy-type outside covering. They were probably 2 1/3" wide-just a hair wider than the film itself.

[ben_hutcherson]

Functional - how you feel about it and your taste doesn't count for much in the greater universe. I've been using these cameras, mostly working, some not since '68 or so. How about you? Oh, BTW your opinion is just as valid or invalid as any other. :D

 

I guess it's something of a matter of opinion, but I do consider size and weight to be functional differences.

 

Also, again this is a preference but also a functional difference-I like how the shutter speed dial operates without a metering prism attached. My fingers fall to it a lot more easily than reaching up to the top of the prism. The one downside is that without a prism, the dial can rotate a full 360º, so there's no firm "end" stops to use as a reference when setting shutter speed by feel(that's one thing I've always disliked about Nikon's pro cameras vs. the Canon F-1 and most other Canons). With that said, if you are familiar with the camera you do have the post on the shutter speed dial that's normally used to index to the meter to use as a reference point for where the dial is set. I just have a hard time remembering WHERE exactly on the dial that post is :)

[Vincent Peri]

I have a few rolls that I'm planning to send to Dwayne's.

 

Do they still use paper mounts? The last time they processed film for me, that's what they used, but my local lab says that they can only get glass and plastic now.

 

I had them develop about 10 rolls of slide film a few months ago, and they were mounted in cardboard frames. I prefer the cardboard, since I can wrote notes on them.

[lukpac]

I've been using Dwayne's Photo for years, and I'm very pleased with their work. I usually get slides processed and mounted, or B&W film developed only and the rolls uncut. The rolls come with a roll-length paper strip to keep the negatives from touching each other and in hard cardboard tubes to protect against shipping damage. I cut the film into 6 frame sections for my Print File negative storage pages.

 

I'll keep that in mind. I'm curious, what B&W film do you use? The first 3 I shot were HP5, and I'm wondering if for some reason that's worse in terms of attracting gunk. Or...I've just been unlucky.

 

Also, again this is a preference but also a functional difference-I like how the shutter speed dial operates without a metering prism attached. My fingers fall to it a lot more easily than reaching up to the top of the prism. The one downside is that without a prism, the dial can rotate a full 360º, so there's no firm "end" stops to use as a reference when setting shutter speed by feel(that's one thing I've always disliked about Nikon's pro cameras vs. the Canon F-1 and most other Canons). With that said, if you are familiar with the camera you do have the post on the shutter speed dial that's normally used to index to the meter to use as a reference point for where the dial is set. I just have a hard time remembering WHERE exactly on the dial that post is :)

 

I will say I like the fact that the shutter speed is visible in the finder with the FTn.

[Vincent Peri]

I'll keep that in mind. I'm curious, what B&W film do you use? The first 3 I shot were HP5, and I'm wondering if for some reason that's worse in terms of attracting gunk. Or...I've just been unlucky.

 

I shoot mainly Tri-X, T-Max 100 and T-Max 400 35mm film. I gave up on 120 film many years ago because of the excessive in my opinion mirror vibrations... lots of slightly blurry photos. And no, I was shooting in conditions where using a tripod was out of the question.