I am an Idiot with Nikkormat Cameras

reddesert · Apr 2, 2021

With the lens mounted, the aperture blades should not close when you turn the aperture ring, unless you press the DOF preview button. The camera has a lever that keeps the aperture blades open until the shutter is fired, then it moves allowing the lens to stop down.

If the aperture blades are closing down when you turn the ring, it suggests you have tangled the camera-to-lens linkage in such a way that the lens link is on the wrong side of the camera's lever. This could be what is stopping you from turning the aperture ring or removing the lens. This is what I described in post #5.

Tel · Apr 2, 2021

I have an FT2 that does the same thing. If you remove the nameplate, you will see what the problem is. Removing the nameplate is easy--just two screws (be careful not to lose the two brass spacers underneath). When the nameplate is off, you'll see the indexing ring where the pin is bumping into a lever above it. There are two levers that work together (I have no idea what they do) but the one on the left as you face the camera is the culprit. You can lift it out of the way by rotating it clockwise and that should allow you to remove the lens. The offending lever is apparently supposed to move out of the way when you mount the lens, but on mine it seems gummed up with oil or crud that prevents the weak spring attached to it from moving it up and out of the way.

madNbad · Apr 3, 2021

Thank you for an answer to a confusing problem.

mshchem · Apr 3, 2021

I remember how much easier this was with a F2. I always pushed up on the meter pin that came out of the finder, then you would just chunk the lens on, give the aperture a quick twist left and right to make sure it was indexed. I would do that with the Ai cameras out of habit. It was very satisfying.

ronnies · Apr 3, 2021

I don't have an FT2 only an FTn but to me the scale that shows the indexed max aperture is too far under the prism housing. Has something slipped round on the mount and is now blocking the release? As suggested, removing the 'ears' may allow the lens to be removed then we can see what's blocking the index pin from going back.

Ronnie

gkardmw · Apr 3, 2021

Thanks everyone - removing the name plate and moving the lever did the trick! Although, I never saw any brass spacers so perhaps they are missing on this camera - Tel, do you have a picture of these spacers?

Tel · Apr 3, 2021

I don't have a picture but I do have a spare set. Tell me where to send them.

drkhalsa · Apr 3, 2021

ronnies said:
I don't have an FT2 only an FTn but to me the scale that shows the indexed max aperture is too far under the prism housing. Has something slipped round on the mount and is now blocking the release? As suggested, removing the 'ears' may allow the lens to be removed then we can see what's blocking the index pin from going back.

Ronnie

Ronnie, that's because the aperture is set on f22. If he were able to set it at f5.6 that scale would be more in view.

ronnies · Apr 4, 2021

drkhalsa said:
Ronnie, that's because the aperture is set on f22. If he were able to set it at f5.6 that scale would be more in view.

Ah, Thanks. That would explain why I never see mine round there.

Ronnie

I am an Idiot with Nikkormat Cameras

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