vincent_sebastiano

Jeff, I purchased my first SLR in 1972 at the parent Camera Barn at 1272 Broadway. I went with a professional photographer who dissuaded me not to buy the Minolta SRT 102 they recommended.

 

Rick, Jeff’s info is correct as to Albinar and Star D lens. When I first shopped there I bought a Vivitar zoom, there were no Albinar lenses. In the late 70’s and early 80’s I saw Albinar and there was quite a lot of Star D lens and Photo accessories . Loved to browse through the many camera shops in lower Manhattan in the 70’s and 80’s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just received a box of 3 Fuji 200 color. Corner of box says made in USA, not Japan. I have been reading Fuji is selling rebranded Kodak color 200 . If so this is definitely more economical. Three rolls of 36 for $25 versus 3 rolls of Kodak Color 24 exposures for $30 I purchased in February.

On 2/24/2024 at 8:56 AM, orsetto said:

Two failed camera bodies? You've had an unusually bad run with the Nikon AI coupling!! It almost never fails like that on most classic AI film cameras. The only coupling issues I've ever experienced were with the goofy AI-retrofitted Nikon F2 DP-11 or DP-12 meter prisms: these use an entirely different inverted coupler/track which is more vulnerable to impact damage, bending, or seizing.

Re aging eyes: I recently had best-laid plans disrupted by vision changes myself.  My myopia had been fairly stable for the past decade, so I decided to splurge and track down diopter correction lenses for all of my dozen classic Nikon film cameras. This took all of 2021 to acquire at a cost of about $150, since I needed the somewhat rare 0 or +0.5 diopters. This made all my Nikons much easier to focus, until they suddenly began getting blurry again a few months ago. To my vast annoyance, I was diagnosed with rapid-onset cataracts in my viewing eye: after corrective surgery all my diopters will be useless, and they're difficult to resell so thats $150 and a lot of acquisition effort wasted.

While I didn't like the plastic feel or handling personally, the viewfinder of the FG really is stunning: the most enormous I've ever seen (a bit larger than even the huge Olympus OM or Pentax ME finders). A shame Nikon couldn't find a away to upgrade nicer bodies like the FM, FE or F3 with the FG finder: its so much larger, brighter and contrastier than those it almost embarrasses them. This alone might be worth the risk of FG reliability issues in your case: if you don't pay too much and get at least a couple years use from an FG, just discard it if/when it breaks. 

I don't remember the viewfinder of the N2000 or N2020: it may or may not have been carried over from the FG. The built-in motors and crude plastic bodies were a big "no" for me during the film era, although I did rather like the later more-refined N8008 (which is now finally getting the respect it always deserved: prices seem to be going up sharply).

I purchased the T2 as it was my first SLR camera in 1971 and stolen 6 years later. I did buy a Nikon 8008s body on Sunday and received it yesterday. Camera is in beautiful condition with new batteries. Also came with the original manual and a NIKKOR 35-105 f3.5 -4.5 AIS zoom plus small camera bag.  Not bad for $49 plus $7 shipping!

I purchased the T2 as it was my first SLR camera in 1971 and stolen 6 years later

After repeatedly removing bottom the plate to release stuck pawl on the FE I am in no mood to begin again. Buying the 8008s before price starts to rise is good advice!  I think I got lucky with the FTBN because it was professionally refurbished. If I had used the FT3 more often I probably wouldn’t have had an index problem . I have loaded the Nikkormat with a new roll of film and even if the prints are fine I will spend $50/60 for a good backup and $15 for a light seal kit for a beautiful  Konica T2 I bought a few years ago 
 

 

!

The camera was CLA by John Titterington in 2008 and and I purchased from him that year along with Canon FTBN recalibrated for alkaline battery. I tend to use that a lot which is why I didn’t use the FT3. I am going to shoot a roll of Kodak Gold , it expired 12/22 and kept in a dark and dry closet so it should be fine. I also have a Nikon N 80 and would like a backup came that will let me meter with my pre autofocus lens ( AIS). Though not mechanical, I believe the 8008s with let me center weight meter in aperture priority and manual and there are many bodies available in the $50 range with the K2 Briteview focusing screen. Would you recommend this or should I cross my fingers and go for another FE after my first two had the shutter advance lock up?  

The camera was CLA by John Titterington in 2008 and and I purchased from him that year along with Canon FTBN recalibrated for alkaline battery. I tend to use that a lot which is why I didn’t use the FT3. I am going to shoot a roll of Kodak Gold , it expired 12/22 and kept in a dark and dry closet so it should be fine. I also have a Nikon N 80 and would like a backup came that will let me meter with my pre autofocus lens ( AIS). Though not mechanical, I believe the 8008s with let me center weight meter in aperture priority and manual and there are many bodies available in the $50 range with the K2 Briteview focusing screen. Would you recommend this or should I cross my fingers and go for another FE after my first two had the shutter advance lock up?  

On 2/27/2024 at 6:30 PM, orsetto said:

The FT3 is designed for the silver oxide but usually does equally well with alkalines unless they've tapered their voltage from age. Try swapping the silver batteries from one of your other cameras to be absolutely sure the misread isn't battery related.

If it still reads about a stop off, consistently, there are two possible causes.

One would be the AI ring snagging at f/16, potentially meaning the ring is also misloading the maximum aperture when the lens is mounted. Another possibility: in my experience: even a perfectly functioning Nikkormat FTn, FT2 or FT3 will have an odd tendency to read about 2/3rd to a stop off from any other Nikon camera (or other brand). All of my Nikkormat meters consistently underexpose by about 2/3rd stop. So despite the AI ring issue, the meter in your FT3 may actually be reading just fine within its typical variance.

Whatever the underlying cause, as long as your FT3 meter error is consistently reading one stop off, you can easily compensate by setting a film speed that counteracts the error. If its underexposing by a stop, set the ASA ring to 100 instead of 200 for your roll of Kodacolor Gold. Lots of old cameras require fudging the film speed setting, even back when they were new: meters can vary quite a bit while still being "accurate".

 

On 2/23/2024 at 10:16 PM, orsetto said:

The automatic indexing (AI) mechanism senses the widest aperture of the mounted lens, the smallest aperture just follows along for the ride.  So you may not really have a significant problem as long as the system is still correctly recognizing the maximum aperture when you change lenses: you may just have the minor inconvenience that it won't let you set a smaller aperture than f/16. Not perfect or proper, but still quite usable for most normal photos (many Nikkor lenses only go to f/16 or f/22 anyway, and f/22 or smaller will trigger diffraction issues diminishing sharpness).

Compare meter readings of your FT3 against your other cameras, aimed at the same subject, over the range of f/1.4 thru f/16. If your FT3 reads close to your other cameras, it is accurate up to the point it won't move past f/16. You can use it normally and not worry about having it repaired.

If your FT3 readings are significantly different from your other cameras, something is more deeply defective in the meter coupling so you won't be able to rely on the meter. You could still use your FT3 unmetered if you use another camera or a handheld accessory meter to get light readings: just transfer the settings to your FT3. Alternatively, check if your Nikkormat read error is consistent with varied lighting and shutter/aperture settings: if it is reliably off by one or two stops, you can easily compensate by setting a false film speed to fool the meter into correct readings.

The Nikkormats are wonderfully sturdy cameras, but unfortunately if they break down they are almost never worth the cost of repair. They are very tedious and tricky to disassemble for servicing compared to other Nikons, which means technicians must charge higher labor fees for repairs than most Nikkormats are worth today. The final FT3 is scarce and somewhat collectible, worth the repair cost if you intend to keep it for many years. But if you don't have a special feeling for it, I'd sell it and look for another that works properly.

Do note these older Nikkormats often suffer from dirty or corroded internal electrical meter coupling rings (carbon resistor): this can also cause inaccurate, jumpy or dead meter readouts. Probably half the surviving Nikkormat FT series bodies suffer from this malady, and/or CdS meter cells that have worn out. The Nikkormat meters either work fine, or are way off/unresponsive. Other than the meter, Nikkormats are almost indestructible and as rugged as an F/F2.

Well I have compared meter readings for the Ft3 versus a manual Ricoh XR1s and aperture priority Ricoh XR2s and the FTE appears to be off by about a stop. Don’t know if having a new alkaline battery in the FT3 versus new silver oxides in the Ricohs may have created a slight difference. I will be shooting Kodak gold 200 ISO so this may not matter much.

 

 

 

Not just 2 bodiesI also purchased 2 FE’s and both had shutters lock up after one shot! They were in beautiful condition and I reached out on Photo. Net and JDMvW kindly sent me a photo of under the camera plate where I could release the shutter . Eventually got tired of this, bought second FE and the same problem occurred so I sent it back. Your suggestion to compare metering with a second camera up to F16 is a good one and I will try that today. BTW, the N2000 has the Nikon K 2 Briteview screen which is excellent 

I had the same auto indexing problem 12 years ago with the el2! The auto index tab would move very slowly when I changed f stops. It had a bad battery drain even though I would carefully turn it off so I gave it away. I am also considering a FM but of course more expensive. Though I would rather get a mechanical Nikon I may consider a Nikon n2000 so my non autofocus lenses have a body. At 72 a bright viewfinder is helpful. 

8 hours ago, orsetto said:

If you cannot get this Nikkormat FT3 to work for you, and want to replace it with another classic era manual Nikon body, I would suggest you look for something other than an FG20. The FG series were great little cameras in their day, with fantastic huge bright viewfinders, but they haven't aged well and many are developing electromechanical issues today. 

Instead, look for a Nikon EL2 (autoexposure sister of the FT3) or the first generation Nikon FE (autoexposure) or FM (manual exposure). These three are affordable, easy to find in good working condition, and notably more reliable than the smaller EM/FG bodies. The FE2/FM2 are also good choices but much more expensive due to their cult followings: if you don't need 1/250 flash sync or 1/4000th top shutter speed, the earlier FE/FM are identical and much cheaper.

 

The FT 3 was the first automatic indexing Nikkormat. My problem is regardless of the lens I mount the automatic indexing on camera mount won’t go past F 16 though the lens goes to F22. Will this affect the metering on the camera? I have to assume it will a stop off . I can buy a Nikon FG20 in good condition with new seals or spend over 30 dollars to shoot and print 24 exposures. I have other film cameras, Canon FTBN, Ricoh xr 1&2s and a  Nikon N80 so don’t want to send out for a pricy repair. Hope someone may have a suggestion, any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks Mike, I had all back issues for both from 77-87 including the buying guide and all are lost. Really miss Modern Photography and Herb Keppler. I found a few reviews out there and the Tokina seems well regarded. For $41 including shipping and a Hoya Sky filter attached it seems hard to pass up, just wanted to know if anyone else had experience with it. This forum is a lifesaver and the effort everyone puts in and their photographs is truly impressive!

The first was a Konica T-2 I purchased from the NYC Camera Barn in 1971. it was owned by Fred Alba and he later sold third party lens called Albinar. I was 19 and my co-worker was Sid Desfor, formerly head of NBC photography until he retired in 1968. Sid got bored and returned to work in a Wall Street operations back office and trained me in the summer of 69. His brother Max won a Pulitzer Prize for photography during the Korean War. I learned quite a lot from him and loved the camera until it was stolen on 1977 and I bought a Pentax MX to replace it. Just bought a used Konica T2 and it looks like new! Never forgot Sid's first lesson, you don't want blurred photo's so he pointed me at a shutter priority when the store suggested a Pentax Spotmatic.

Hello all,

 

I just purchased a beautiful Konica T-2 and have been looking for a Vivitar 28-90 F2.8-3.5Series 1 for a month without any luck. Would a Tokina 28-85 3.5-4.5 ATX be very comparable despite the one stop difference? I have the Vivitar in Pentax and Canon FD mounts and have always been happy with the results( stopped down) but they seem very rate in Konica AR. The Tokina appears on the E auction site on a regular basis and I don't know if the wait for the Series 1 is worth it. Thought of looking for the Kiron 28-85 version but I already have one Kiron with the aperture locked up and don't have confidence in another!

Thanks JDMvW,

 

Seems like all OM2s models have same basic circuit so either take out batteries if not going to use( always) a good idea or carry extra's just in case.

hello all, I have an opportunity to buy an OM2S in very good condition. Would anyone know the approximate production date for serial number 1002933? I ask as I have read the electronics relating to battery drain were greatly improved over the life of the camera and would like to avoid an earlier one.

 

Thanks to all,

vince

<p>Well, I am glad I'm not the only one who noticed the decrease. They do have a separate store on E-bay, it may hold different gear than their own website so I'll check it out. Everything I have purchased has been better than the grade they gave, other than a bgn Nikon MD 12 motor drive that shorted out a few months after I got it and took my FE gear train with it!.</p>

<p>Just a general question, I have been browsing through Keh's 35mm equipment and there seems to be a huge decrease in what's offered. Does anyone know if they decided to phase out the majority of their film camera lines? It just seems to be a big decrease from several months ago and I found it startling.</p>

 

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>If a CLA will clean up the problem I would definitely consider it as it could use new mirror bumper and rear foams. I assume if I advise the tech of the sticky ring they would clean that also. The camera appears to be in excellent condition and I would hate to toss it.</p>

 

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>it was not rotating with the aperture ring. I just took the lens off and it did not spring back to the setting you have above and stayed at the 12 o'clock position. I manually turned the tab ring 10 times back and forth and remounted the lens. I moved the aperture ring left and right five times and the tab ring worked correctly and then it stopped again at 12 o'clock and would not move with the aperture ring.</p>

<p>Michael,</p>

<p>your answer solved one problem but led to another! I put in a new battery, checked the AI TAB to verify it was in place, and tried again. No matter what I did the readings didn't change. On the chance it was lens related I took a different lens off my N2000 and tried it with no improvement. I then noticed that on the N2000 when I changed F stops the AI tab moved with the change but on the EL2 it did not. I reattached a lens and physically moved the AI ring with the aperture change ring and obtained the correct meter readings.<br>

This is great because a meter problem would cost much more than I am willing to pay. My next question of course is: is there any easy sulution the the ring not moving. The spring is fine, when the lens is off the camera the tab is where you appears in your photo and springs back when yo move it. </p>

 

<p>I was able to buy a nice late model 43-86 zoom and it came with the Nikon EL2 body. The camera itself is in beautiful condition as it was in original Nikon case. I put in a new battery and it functioned well for half a roll. When I tried to use it today the meter needle would indicate a shutter speed of 8 regardless of any lens aperture I set. When I pointed the lens at a very bright light source the speed would change to 60, again regardless of what aperture I set. These are the only two shutter speeds the needle indicates regarding. The battery is new and the battery contacts are very clean, I also doubled checked to verify the battery was entered correctly. Does anyone know of any quick fix? I don't usually want to send an old camera in for repair but it is in beautiful condition. KEH has a BGN chrome for $79 and free shipping so I am tempted but hate to waste the body I have.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Duane,</p>

<p>thanks for your insight, I purchased the Canon sx130is and I am very happy with the handling and image quality. My son has the Nikon L110 and he is impressed also. Still getting used to not having a viewfinder but it most cases it's fine. Nice zoom range and the extra controls make it more than a simple point and shoot without being as large as the other bridge DLSR styled cameras.</p>

<p>Vince</p>

<p>Vince</p>