Nikkormat/Nikomat - Guestbook/Message Board

1. From : Deb (djg59@delphiforums.com)
Url : http://
Date : 11:12 AM Tuesday 08 November, 2005

My father passed away 3 years ago and this last spring we brought home his camera - a Nikomat FT N - which he bought in the late 60's or early 70's. As far as I know he was still occasionally using this camera just prior to his passing but we have no manual. I really want to use it myself in addition to the digitals I own already and am looking for any information on what accessories might presently be available for this model ... especially lenses. I assume it would be a good idea to have it thoroughly checked ... and would there be anyplace online that I could download a manual?

I'm excited by the brief reviews I've been able to find and am anxious to see what kinds of photos we can get with it.

2. From : rick oleson (rick_oleson@yahoo.com)
Url : http://rick_oleson.tripod.com
Date : 12:55 PM Monday 07 November, 2005

Hi David:

I'm not familiar with 2 different versions of the black body FT3, but I may just not have been paying that close attention. The FT3 had a very short production life - officially 1977-79, but since the FM came out in 1977 I suspect that FT3 production fell off pretty quickly from the start in practice.... so any newer/older distinctions within that short time span would be on a very small scale.

3. From : David Aho (n9ttx@yahoo.com)
Url : http://
Date : 10:47 AM Sunday 06 November, 2005

What is the difference between the all black body Nikkormat FT3's and the black and silver FT-3's...which would be the newer one, or is there a difference at all? Is there a year breakdown for the few years this model was manufactured? Are parts interchangeable between the two body styles an/or years the FT3's were made?

4. From : rick oleson (rick_oleson@yahoo.com)
Url : http://rick_oleson.tripod.com
Date : 12:36 AM Sunday 06 November, 2005

Hi Miti:

That's kind of a hard call, I guess: I suppose the camera could be significantly more valuable if it's really in mint/unused condition, and there may be collectors who would love to have it to put on display. But it's also an excellent camera, one that you already have, and it was made to be used. One option would be to sell it to a collector and use the money to get a good "user" Nikkormat.

I would not personally recommend an autofocus camera to learn photography: the basic goal of automation is to let you get pictures without knowing or learning anything. The ideal camera for learning (in my opinion) is even less automated than the EL.... something like one of the original Nikkormat series, for example. A Nikkormat FT2 would probably be my first choice, my second would be an FTn. Both of these can share lenses with the ELW, and they (especially the FTn) can be found in nice shape for probably $100 or less recently.

Looking at the above, it rambles far too much to qualify as "advice", doesn't it? Well, what I would do personally probably would be to keep the ELW AND get an FTn to accompany it - use the FTn for knocking around and the ELW occasionally. Lenses for these are pretty inexpensive as well, because they both use the "Non-AI" series of Nikkor lenses that are not compatible with later cameras (they can also accept the later lenses, so you have the widest possible selection to choose from).

5. From : Miti (miti139@hotmail.com)
Url : http://www.flickr.com/photos/minkminkmink
Date : 03:28 AM Saturday 05 November, 2005

| Nikomat ELW, 1976/2 | Suggestion please Hi guys, Searching through my house, I have found a virtually brand new Nikomat ELW, 1976/2 with the winder motor. My dad told me it was given to him by a Japanese firm many years back. I am recently taking a photography course, but is unsure whether I should use this camera or not as I got advice from people that it would be more ideal to keep this camera in a display. So my question is how much would this camera be worth? Would it be better if I should buy another SLR such as F80 incase I manage to mess the camera up etc. If I should keep ELW in display as some people suggested, are there any SLR you think would be appropriate for a beginner? I would appreciate any suggestion, thanks in advance Miti

6. From : rick (rick_oleson@yahoo.com)
Url : http://rick_oleson.tripod.com/index-43.html
Date : 12:48 PM Friday 04 November, 2005

Hi Jon: The most common cause of a dead meter is probably the wire breaking off of the battery box terminal. This wire corrodes and fails over time, especially if the camera is stored with a battery in it which promotes galvanic corrosion at the (-) charged side. There are other possibilities, though: the on/off switch under the wind lever, or the variable resistor behind the lens mount are possible culprits.

The meter in the FT is the least convenient of all of the Nikkormats: you have to manually change the ASA setting every time you change a lens. Rather than risk damaging a really nice camera to try to fix a pretty irritating meter, you might be as well off looking for a handheld meter for it...... (the above URL takes you to a make-it-yourself exposure calculator thingie that will help you get most of your shots with no meter at all) rick :)=

7. From : Jon Taylor (jon_taylor@post.harvard.edu)
Url : http://
Date : 06:53 AM Thursday 03 November, 2005

I have a Nikkormat FT that I picked up recently, and it seems to be nice and clean and working well - EXCEPT that the light meter doesn't react. I replaced the battery without any success. My question is: are there any not-too-complicated things I can do to get the meter working? I am somewhat knowledgeable in electroincs, know how to use a volt-ohmmeter, and so on, but I'm not a guru. And, I've never disassembled a camera before and don't want to destroy what is otherwise a working SLR! Any tips, suggestions, or nuggets of wisdom would be quite welcome. Thanks!

8. From : James A Keith (jamesakeith@earthlink.net)
Url : http://
Date : 05:55 AM Saturday 08 October, 2005

The Nikkormat EL takes a 6 Volt battery. An Energizer L544 6V Lithium battery would do just fine (or its equivalent).

9. From : rick oleson (rick_oleson@yahoo.com)
Url : http://rick_oleson.tripod.com
Date : 12:28 AM Thursday 06 October, 2005

Hi Vin: The FTn, as I recall, has a microprism-center-spot viewing screen like the FT. Theoretically, the microprism spot should shatter the image when out of focus and look clear when in focus. In my experience, though, microprisms never quite look clear and I'm constantly hunting to try to get the focus just that little bit better to clear it. I find this annoying and prefer either a split image center or a plain groundglass screen to a microprism, but this was the most popular style at the end of the 1960s. You just have to get used to it.....

10. From : Vin (vinosullivan@hotmail.com)
Url : http://
Date : 08:59 PM Wednesday 05 October, 2005

I just (yesterday) bought an FTn and am getting familiar with it; this site has been very helpful. I'd like to know what I should see through the viewfinder in terms of the focus and image. Even when I adjust the focus, there seems to be a little bit of a double image towards the center of the view finder. It doesn't seem right and I'm looking for help. Otherwise the camera seems OK. Going to get some film and shoot today and see what I get! Thanks.

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