The Nikkormat FTN Camera [ A few views of the FTn body with Nikkor 43-86mm zoom lens ] Contributed by John Walls
"Nikomat" Picture Library of Japanese local version
As a "sister" of the Nikon F and F2 cameras, Nikkormat FTn was based upon the basic body of the original Nikkormat FT, the camera has been widely used by professionals and advanced amateurs the world over during those days as a back up bodies to the professional F body. Many of the users who can't afford the more expensive system oriented professional Nikon F & F2, used this camera as an entry model into the huge and first rated Nikon SLR system.
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It incorporated with various useful features, it accepts all the interchangeable Nikkor lenses during those time and still usable with many of today's AI & AIS lenses and shared most of the accessories offered by the Nikon System. It differs from the more sophisticated Nikon models only in that it does not accept the motor drive backs and came with a non-removable pentaprism viewfinder and non-interchangeable focusing screen, the standard focusing screen was a 4 mm circular microprism surrounded by a 12 mm diameter matte surface. The remainder of the screen surface is a Fresnel surface. |
Designed with sharp and clear-cut lines, the external appearance of the Nikkormat camera body gives an overall feeling of mechanical precision and dependability associated with professional use. The FTn was introduced and marketed in 1967, continued to serve even after later models were introduced, bridged over the introduction of the 2nd generation of the Nikon F, the F2 and was eventually discontinued in 1975, that has shown how popular it was. The camera body is made up of 685 component parts mechanically. Made of die-cast aluminum alloy and finished in chrome plating. Later versions of the FTN were fitted with black plastic covers on both the film advance lever and the self-timer lever. The Nikkormat body is also available in black finish. For identification among the rest of Nikkormats is quite easy, a "FT" precedes the serial number on the camera body' and the letter "N" is inscribed next to the film rewind knob and above the light meter window on the top of the camera.
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Some advice from Hiura Shinsaku When performing stopped-down metering (when using bellows, etc), |
Major features of the Nikkormat FTN include:
- 92% of the actual picture field
- Sturdy mechanical metal focal plane shutter that travelled vertically that works without any battery.
- The most significant change from the FT mode of exposure reading (Nikkormat FT employed with full screen average meter reading) was at the way how the camera performs the metering. FTN's built-in center-weighted through-the-lens exposure meter, it was the first Nikkormat that uses the 60/40 metering distribution. The center-weighted (heavy-centered) metering, where sixty percent of the metering is read in the viewfinder's 12 mm center circle, and the remaining 40% is determined by the rest of the viewfinder area. Meter needle visible in the finder viewfield and atop the body. It employed with a CdS exposure meter powered which by a 1.3V mercury battery. Battery requires only for metering.
- Range of metering: EV3 - EV17 at ASA 100 (e.g. f/1.4, 1/4 sec.- f/11, 1/1000 sec.).
- ASA sensitivity setting: 12 - 1600.
- Maximum aperture setting: f/1.2 - f/5.6.
- Meter diaphragm coupling: f/1.2 - f/32. Couples with both diaphragm and shutter speed dial
- Single-stroke film advance lever (135°, throw angle 26°) also serves as on-off switch of the meter.
- Synchronization: X and M synch terminals. X synch at 1/125 sec. or slower. FP- and MF-class bulbs also usable.
- Depth-of-field preview control
- Independent mirror lock-up
- The selected shutter speed is visible in the viewfinder.
- An exposure needle (surrounded by brackets) in the viewfinder moves toward the corresponding "+" or "-" symbol to indicate whether the photographer should increase or decrease exposure.
- The camera automatically recognizes the maximum aperture of the lens in use. Initial ASA/ISO film speed setup is thus much simplified.
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Outline its controls and key features (3 Parts*) | Main Reference Map for Body |
The Camera
Bodies
| FT | FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2
This
site is made out 15.5MB with 478 items
(Jpeg, Gif, PDF & HTML files) (Last Update: 25th May 1999)
| Message Board | for your favourite Nikkormats
| Message Board |
for your Nikon Optics in a shared environment
| Message Board |
Specifically for Dispose or Looking for Nikon/Nikkor Photographic
Equipment
|
Main Reference Map
|
HTML Format: FT | FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2 | AW-1 Motor Winder
PDF Format: FT
| FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2 | AW-1 Motor Winder
| Specifications | FT | FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2
| Back to Nikkormat FTn
Index Page |
| Back |
to Main Index
Page of Nikkormats
| Message Board | for your favourite Nikkormats
| Message Board |
for your Nikon Optics in a shared environment
| Message Board |
Specifically for Dispose or Looking for Nikon/Nikkor Photographic
Equipment
History
& Background
of Nikkormat Cameras
| "Nikomat" Picture Library
of Japanese local version | Outline
the
major
key features and differences
of various models
The
Camera Bodies
| FT | FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2
This
site is made out 15.5MB with 478 items
(Jpeg, Gif, PDF & HTML files) (Last Update: 25th May 1999)
| Main Reference
Map
|
HTML Format: FT | FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2 | AW-1 Motor Winder
PDF Format: FT
| FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2 | AW-1 Motor Winder
| Specifications |
FT
| FS | FTn | EL | FT2 | ELW | FT3 | EL2
 |
The Eyes of Nikon:- |
Fisheye-Nikkor Lenses - Circular | Full Frame | Ultrawides Lenses - 13mm15mm18mm20mm | Wideangle Lenses - 24mm28mm35mm |
Standard Lenses - 45mm 50mm 58mm | Telephoto Lenses - 85mm105mm135mm180mm & 200mm |
Super-Telephoto Lenses - 300mm 400mm 500mm 600mm 800mm 1200mm |
Special Application lenses:
Micro-Nikkor Lenses - 50mm~55mm -60mm 85mm -105mm 200mm Micro-Zoom 70-180mm
Perspective Control (PC) - 28mm 35mm PC-Micro 85mm
Dedicated Lenses for Nikon F3AF: AF 80mm f/2.8 | AF 200mm f/3.5 EDIF
Depth of Field Control (DC): 105mm 135mm
Medical Nikkor: 120mm 200mm
Reflex-Nikkor Lenses - 500mm 1000mm 2000mm
Others: Noct Nikkor | OP-Nikkor | UV Nikkor 55mm 105mm | Focusing Units | Bellows-Nikkor 105mm 135mm
Nikon Series E Lenses: 28mm35mm50mm100mm135mm | E-Series Zoom lenses: 36~72mm75~150mm70~210mm
MF Zoom-Nikkor Lenses: 25~50mm | 28~45mm | 28~50mm | 28~85mm | 35~70mm | 36~72mm E | 35~85mm | 35~105mm | 35~135mm |
35~200mm | 43~86mm | 50~135mm | 50~300mm | 70~210mm E | 75~150mm E | 80~200mm | 85~250mm |
100~300mm | 180~600mm | 200~400mm | 200~600mm | 360~1200mm | 1200~1700mm
Tele-Converters: TC-1 | TC-2 | TC-200 | TC-201 | TC-300 | TC-301 | TC-14 | TC-14A | TC-14B | TC-14C | TC-14E | TC-16 | TC-16A | TC-20E
Nikon F
| Nikon F2 |
Nikon
F3
| Nikon F4 |
Nikon
F5
| Nikon F6 |
Nikkormat / Nikomat |
Nikon FM
| Nikon FE/ FA | Nikon EM/FG/FG20 | Nikon Digital SLRs | Nikon - Other models
MIR Supports for Photographic Community: Various Message Boards/Community
Forums
Nikon
F-series|
Nikon
F2-series|
Nikon
F3-series|
Nikon F4-series| Nikon
F5-series|Nikkormat/Nikomat-series
Nikon FM-series|Nikon
FE-series|Nikon
FA|Nikon
Digital
SLR
series|Various
Nikon
Models|Nikkor
Optic
-shared
Others:- Free Trade Zone - Photography| Free Trade Zone - Business Community |Free To Zouk - Photographic Community
Apple's Mac Public Community Message Board | Windows based PC &
Apple/Mac
Public Community Trade Exchange Centre
Recommended links to understand
more technical details related to the Nikkor F-mount and production Serial Number:
http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-153.html by: my friend, Rick Oleson
http://www.zi.ku.dk/personal/lhhansen/photo/fmount.htm by: Hansen, Lars Holst
http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/nikonfmount/lens2.htm
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
About
this photographic
site.
Home - Photography
In Malaysia
Copyright
© 1998.
HIURA Shinsaku ® ; Nikomat ML, Japan,
in collaboration with leofoo ®. MIR Web Development Team.
* Credit: A
Great thanks to Mr Denis Pleic for his volunteering
effort to reedit content and and patching some grammatical mistakes found in this
section of the PIM site. Miss
Rissa (Marketing) & Edward
(Techical) of Shriro Malaysia, distributor of Nikon cameras in Malaysia, in providing
so many useful inputs to make this site possible. Mr Hong,
Ipoh for lending me his FT2 to take some of the images used in this site. This site
is created for his eldest son, Yuen who has picked up his father's hobby and
the FT-2. My friend, John Walls from Florida, US for his images of the FTn
body and the Zoom Nikkor
43-86mm.
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