Nikkormat FTn lens advice needed.

[madNbad]

Here's the 50 H & S:

 

[madNbad]

Go big! Nikkor S 55 1.2 non-Ai on a Nikkormat FS:

 

[abruzzi]

@madNbad since you're posting all these great pre-AI lenses, do you have the unique old 5.8cm ƒ1.4?

 

[madNbad]

@madNbad since you're posting all these great pre-AI lenses, do you have the unique old 5.8cm ƒ1.4?

No. I never really liked the 1.4 and was drawn to the 2.0. I had a slightly older 50 S 2.0 that had the long aperture ring but wasn’t a tick mark. I also had a 105 with the long aperture ring, the bubble case and original box. The Nikons were fun, sold them all and am happy with a pair of Leica’s.
However, I did own a Df for about a year and had several Ai-S lenses chipped for it including the fabulous 28 2.8 and a 50 1.8.

 

[KerrKid]

Go big! Nikkor S 55 1.2 non-Ai on a Nikkormat FS:

Oh my. That’s nice.

 

[KerrKid]

There is nothing particularly wrong with pre-AI lenses as a long you understand that:

1. They will only do wide open metering on cameras with the prong that engages the bunny ears. The last "pro" body that had this, was the F2, not sure about their prosumer film cameras. You CAN use these lenses but you have to do stop down metering on the newer bodies.
   
   
2. In some cases, the newer lens designs were better, and in pretty much all cases the newer lenses had better multicoating.

That said, I have an AI converted 135mm f/3.5 Nikkor that's a lovely portrait shooter. Best of all, the pre-AIs are dirt cheap.

I sort of accidentally fell into "collecting" Nikons. I've always had a few around for emotional/historical reasons in that I mostly shoot LF and MF. Then the local camera store showed me a pristine F2 that I'd always wanted when I was young. Then I found a nearly NIB F3 that I had to have. Then the aforementioned store showed me an almost perfect Nikomat for $75, then a really clean late model F chrome body without a prism for $40, and .... it kind of snuck up on me.

Also, my local camera store is like a drug pusher ...

P.S. I did finally start clearing out my collection of lightly used camera gear that I did not use enough to justify owning. Look in the Classifieds here and you'll find a good deal on a nice Mamiya 645 system.... it's calling to you ... really, it is ...

Haha. I would love the Mamiya 645, but can’t spend the money on that right now. Just saying that was tough.)

 

[madNbad]

Oh my. That’s nice.

Yeah, the guy that bought it got a deal. The body had been serviced and the lens had been cleaned and lubricated. Glad I owned it.

 

[dynachrome]

My 50/2 Nikkor-S is my only tick mark lens. It came to me with a Nikkorex F. I haven't used it yet. Any 50/2 Nikkor from the HC forward is very good. The HC is often found with dried up lubricant. I don't see any difference in performance between the 'K', the AI and the later 50/1.8 manual focus lenses. Of the 50/1.8s, my favorite is the first version. It has nice build quality.

 

[KerrKid]

I have an ai 50mm f2 on my watchlist. Looks decent. We'll see. Roberts has some lenses as well, but say there is haze in them.

 

[harlequin]

A Nikkormat FTn with a 24mm lens was given to me.

I don’t know if it takes non-ai or if ai lenses will work on it.

I believe my FM and FE will accept non-ai lenses if that’s the direction I have to go.

If I got a 35mm and/or a 50mm lens, is there a particular one that you would suggest.

Thanks for your help.

Having multiple nikkormat bodies
ftn/ft2/ft3

The only modern AI lenses would only work correctly on FT3

Ftn Ft2 needed the pin arms on the lens, even then the extended Aperture scale would protrude and the lens and or body could be damaged as the lens was now tilted because of the AI portrusion. I have seen a lot of ft2 with engraving around the F mount, a result of forcing current lens on old body.

 

[IMoL]

Having multiple nikkormat bodies
ftn/ft2/ft3

The only modern AI lenses would only work correctly on FT3

Ftn Ft2 needed the pin arms on the lens, even then the extended Aperture scale would protrude and the lens and or body could be damaged as the lens was now tilted because of the AI portrusion. I have seen a lot of ft2 with engraving around the F mount, a result of forcing current lens on old body.

I have never seen this - if you compare an AI/AIS lens with a Pre-AI lens, the extra aperture scale/AI coupling does not protrude further than the aperture ring of a non-AI lens. This is why you can "convert" a non-AI lens to AI by filing away part of the aperture ring. The whole reason that AI/AIS lenses have the coupling fork is for backward compatibility with Pre-Ai cameras.

I regularly use a mixture of AI, AI-S and non-AI lenses on my Nikon F, Nikkormat FTN and EL without any issue.

 

[nikkormat]

Having multiple nikkormat bodies
ftn/ft2/ft3

The only modern AI lenses would only work correctly on FT3

Ftn Ft2 needed the pin arms on the lens, even then the extended Aperture scale would protrude and the lens and or body could be damaged as the lens was now tilted because of the AI portrusion. I have seen a lot of ft2 with engraving around the F mount, a result of forcing current lens on old body.

I have had an FTn and FT3, and currently have two FT2s. I use exclusively AI and AI-S lenses, and have never encountered this problem. Can you show a picture?

 

[KerrKid]

I have a Nikkor ai 50mm f2 lens on the way. $50 and supposedly excellent condition. We'll see.

 

[KerrKid]

The Nikkor ai 50mm f2 lens arrived from Cowboy Cameras in Dallas. It looks to be in perfect condition. Very light easy focus. But, you know...it feels a lot like my Nikkor AF 50mm f1.8D albeit with a better-placed focus ring. I'm looking forward to using it on the FTn.

 

[mshchem]

The Nikkor ai 50mm f2 lens arrived from Cowboy Cameras in Dallas. It looks to be in perfect condition. Very light easy focus. But, you know...it feels a lot like my Nikkor AF 50mm f1.8D albeit with a better-placed focus ring. I'm looking forward to using it on the FTn.

A photo of the lens on the camera would be great

I love this stuff

 

[KerrKid]

Ok. First I had to figure out how to mount it correctly.)) It would be interesting to know when it was made, but it looks brand new.

 

[madNbad]

Ok. First I had to figure out how to mount it correctly.)) It would be interesting to know when it was made, but it looks brand new.

View attachment 355012

1979
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html

 

[KerrKid]

1979
http://www.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html

Nice! Thanks!

 

[George Mann]

Now you are well on your way to enjoying one of the very best 50mm lenses ever built.

I too had and used a Nikkormat FT2 with this lens which I bought new in 1975.

I now have 2 of these lenses which I use over any other 50mm.

 

[KerrKid]

Now you are well on your way to enjoying one of the very best 50mm lenses ever built.

I too had and used a Nikkormat FT2 with this lens which I bought new in 1975.

I now have 2 of these lenses which I use over any other 50mm.

High praise indeed! I'm eager to try it out. Now I have to get off my butt and install new seals in the FTn.

 

[George Mann]

High praise indeed! I'm eager to try it out. Now I have to get off my butt and install new seals in the FTn.

The secret to getting the best performance from this lens is to use a hood.

 

[KerrKid]

The secret to getting the best performance from this lens is to use a hood.

Hmmm. I'll have to check to see if the one on the 24mm lens will fit. I don't think I have another one. The lens seems recessed quite a ways and I thought that would be sufficient.

 

[George Mann]

Hmmm. I'll have to check to see if the one on the 24mm lens will fit. I don't think I have another one. The lens seems recessed quite a ways and I thought that would be sufficient.

This one won't do. A standard 52mm collapsible rubber hood is sufficient.

 

[jimjm]

This is the last version of the 50/2 lens Nikon made, so with the latest coatings it'll probably have the best performance of any version from the series, which is saying a lot.
You'll probably be OK without a hood, unless you do a lot of shooting into the sun, but it's not known to easily flare. Hoods are always a good idea, though, as they can also protect the front of the lens from banging into things.

 

[jimjm]

Correct hood for this (if that matters to you) is the metal Nikon HS-6, or rubber HR-1. Plenty available on eBay, but the rubber hood is definitely cheaper.