Nikkormat FTN

Nikkormat FTN circa 1967

The Nikkormat is one of those iconic cameras that are branded in my mind since I was a kid. I grew up in the '70s and that was the kind of camera that I hoped to be able to acquire as soon as I could.

The Nikkormat was intended as a backup camera for professionals and a more affordable camera, than her sisters the F and F2, for the serious amateurs.

This series of cameras were manufactured from 1965 to 1978 by Nippon Kogaku K. K., which later became Nikon Corporation.
The chronological line was FT, FS, FTN, FT2, FT3, EL and ELW.

The different models corresponded to evolution in features, except for the FS, which was an FT striped of the light meter.

This example of mine is an FTN from around 1967, the later production models had plastic coverings of the film advance and self-timer levers.

It was named Nikomat in Japan but, due to copyright claims from Zeis Ikon, in other markets, like Europe and the United States, they used the name Nikkormat.

The same happened with the name of the lenses, that even today, are Nikkor.

All the materials on this camera are metal. It's completely mechanical. The batteries are only necessary to power the match needle light meter.

Contrary to all other Nikon cameras the shutter speed selector is located on a ring behind the lens, and not in a knob on the top plate, as you can see in the above picture.

The shutter is a metal blade focal plane shutter, travelling vertically.
The speed range goes from 1 to 1/1000 seconds and B.
The ISO range goes from 12 to 1600 (ASA).
The metering system is of the centre-weighted, through-the-lens, type, 60/40 percent.

There are two flash sync sockets, one to electronic flashes, max. shutter speed 1/125", and another to flashbulbs the shutter speed, in this case, depends on the type of bulb.

The cold flash shoe is optional and mounted using the viewfinder ring to secure it.
It ruins the looks of the camera. I never use it.

These cameras had a fixed prism and focusing screen with a 4mm micro prism circle, surrounded by a 12mm matte focusing surface, the rest is a Fresnel lens.

It uses all the Ai and non-Ai lenses from Nikon. If the lens has the prong to couple with the pin on the camera it can be used with it.

After installing the lens it's mandatory to turn it to the minimum aperture, larger f-number, then turn it to the maximum aperture, lower f-number, to perform the indexing of the maximum aperture of the lens.
That means calibrating the meter to the maximum aperture of the lens.