SLR Nikomat - compatibility with lenses

[reddesert]

Does anyone know a tutorial on how to do stop down metering? A video (or anything with images) would also be very helpful.

Download the Nikkormat FTn manual (assuming you got the FTn) from butkus.org or another source, and there is a section in the manual called "Stop-down exposure measurement." There is a picture in the manual.

 

[gone]

The Nikomats/Nikkormats have excellent meters, it would be a lot easier and faster to use the camera's meter, vs a hand held phone w/ an app. The non AI H 50 2 is a nice lens w/ beautiful bokeh and reasonable priced. The 50 1.8 lenses are sharper and have more contrast, at the expense of a loss of IQ due to their edgy bokeh. Love the shutters sound on a Nikkormat, never saw one w/ a bad one or a non working meter believe it or not. It's usually just cleaning the contacts and making sure the battery has juice.

 

[Autonerd]

I've only started with film photography and I'm thinking about buying a japanese Nikon Nikomat SLR camera (it is not a Nikkormat!)

I'd suggest you look for a Nikomat/Nikkormat FT2. It has open-aperture metering, uses S76 batteries (which you can still get), and AFIK is compatible with any Nikon lens that has "rabbit ears". I have one and rather like it, though it's VERY heavy and rather fiddly to use with the shutter speed on the dial. It does take wonderful photos, though.

I'd also suggest the FG, the Nikon that Nikon people love to hate. I have a few Nikons and this is my favorite -- it's small and light and has a great meter display. It does need AI-S lenses though.

Personally, though I've never owned one, I think the FM2/FM3 is overrated. I do own an FE and *definitely* think it's overrated. I have a N8008 and it's a wonderful camera but I prefer manual focus and manual wind. The newer Nikons are great when I need to get the shot but a little too automated for my liking.

HTH!
Aaron

 

[flavio81]

Hello. Second time posting on the forum!

I've only started with film photography and I'm thinking about buying a japanese Nikon Nikomat SLR camera (it is not a Nikkormat!). I have a few questions though: first and foremost, will it be compatible with the more modern analog Nikon lenses I already have here?

Yes, the lens will be compatible as long as it has an aperture ring. The "G" series autofocus lenses are NOT compatible: they don't have an aperture ring.

The meter will "couple" with the camera, making metering easier, if you use a lens with the "rabbit ear", which is an "aperture coupling prong". Pre-AI, AI, and AI-S lenses have such a prong. Some a***oles remove them from classic nikkor lenses, beware.

Also, I heard somewhere that the light meter uses a kind of battery that is not in production anymore. Is it worth it anyway?

You can place there a #675 hearing-aid cell and it will work just fine. Just make some sort of jig with cardboard or whatever, so the cell stays in place, centered, and in contact with the battery compartment terminals. This is true for the FT, and FTN cameras. The FT2 and FT3, as noted, use a SR44 silver oxide cell.

The ones I really wanted were a Nikon FM-2 or F2/F3 but they are way too expensive for me right now. I could also try other brands, but I already have a lot of Nikon lenses and adapters here so it does not seem worth it.

FM2 is overrated and I find your camera much better built and more reliable.

I also thought about buying a Nikon F-601, but it appears to be very plastic-y and I don't really trust the durability (reliability?) of the electronic parts. I also saw a review saying it does not work very well with manual focus lenses, is it true?

It will probably be less convenient to use with manual focus lenses.

 

[__Brian]

My Nikon N8008s is very good with manual focus lenses. I use an E Screen in it. It will not work with pre-Ai series lenses unless you have them modified to Ai. It uses AA batteries.

 

[John Koehrer]

#1 How did the store "test" a camera with no meter? They were blowing smoke up your skirt or pants or a*s.

Beyond that if it's inexpensive it's a rugged camera if you're willing to deal with no meter. I and many others use sunny 16 (sunny11 in the UK).

Notice it has NO metering prong or battery compartment

 

[madNbad]

#1 How did the store "test" a camera with no meter? They were blowing smoke up your skirt or pants or a*s.

Beyond that if it's inexpensive it's a rugged camera if you're willing to deal with no meter. I and many others use sunny 16 (sunny11 in the UK).

Notice it has NO metering prong or battery compartment

You may be looking at the wrong camera. The OP's is the black late model FTn with a metering prong and top plate meter window. The other photo is my FS which is indeed meterless.

 

[millardmt]

the trick with lens compatibility is it requires that the lens has the little aperture prong (the so called "bunny ears"). Most pre-autofocus lenses have them, but most autofocus lenses don't, and the "Series E" manual focus lenses don't either. Also, make sure you learn the indexing motion and perform it every time switching lenses. (mount the lens, turn the aperture ring to the largest aperture, then to the smallest aperture, then back to where you want it.) That makes sure that meter know the aperture range of the lens.

I have noticed several posters espousing an incorrect procedure for Pre-AI Nikon lens indexing. To quote from my Nikon F2 instruction manual, the correct way to do the Nikkor "twist" is as follows:

"Turn the lens all the way to the minimum aperture setting [largest f/number], then all the way in the opposite direction. This step automatically fits the coupling pin in the Photomic finder into the coupling prong on the lens and adjusts the meter to the maximum aperture of the lens."

After mounting a standard 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor, e.g., this means turning the aperture ring first to f/16 (NOT "f/1.4") and only secondarily to f/1.4 (NOT "f/16").

Marc

 

[abruzzi]

yeah, I don't pay attention to that, I just twist it back and forth a couple times. that way it always works.

 

[millardmt]

yeah, I don't pay attention to that, I just twist it back and forth a couple times. that way it always works.

Yeah, I did the same thing back in the '70's with my first Niikon -- a Nikomat FTn -- until an anal camera store owner claimed that doing so was wearing out its light meter.

Marc

 

[madNbad]

Thanks for the indexing information. I haven’t owned a Nikon with a meter for several years.

 

[__Brian]

Yeah, I did the same thing back in the '70's with my first Niikon -- a Nikomat FTn -- until an anal camera store owner claimed that doing so was wearing out its light meter.

Marc

And did he also tell you to use one shutter speed and one F-Stop all the time so you would not wear out the meter?

I've found that moving the aperture back and forth will often cure the Meter Jitters. Also Radio Shack TV tuner cleaner- when you could get it, Tape Head cleaner works as will- but you have to get to the resistor ring.

 

[millardmt]

And did he also tell you to use one shutter speed and one F-Stop all the time so you would not wear out the meter?

I've found that moving the aperture back and forth will often cure the Meter Jitters. Also Radio Shack TV tuner cleaner- when you could get it, Tape Head cleaner works as will- but you have to get to the resistor ring.

Such a practice is very definitely NOT the way to address metering issues in the early Nikkormats. To the contrary, the meters' functional resistance elements in these cameras are very thin and can be (too) easily worn through completely.
And repair in such cases was (and is) highly problematic.

You might find this Photrio discussion enlightening: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/nikkormat-ft-light-meter-faulty.144549/

Marc

 

[__Brian]

It works for me, and I really do not care what others think about it- having bought my Nikkormat FT-2 in 1978 and using this practice, and it still working- I'll continue to follow it. Because it's worked for almost 45 years and it does not have far to go for "End-of-Life" and I do not care anymore. I also have a unique way of bringing Contax IIIa meters back to life. About the same process and takes just as long. Worked again on a Contax IIIa that belonged to my friend's late Father -in-Law and the equipment has been stored horribly for years. Also a nice trick for making the Nikon RF rangefinder patch usable again- without having to blot out part of the viewfinder. Not in the Book. Worked on the S4 stored with the Contax.

 

[Tomwlkr]

Abruzzi, do you mean this? (image below) I'm confused because the ones on the actual lenses have two little holes on them. It may sound dumb, but... if an adapter has the "bunny ears", could I possibly attach an autofocus lens (or any lenses without them) to the FTN by using it? Or is that just not a thing.

Original non-ai lenses have solid ears, cannot work with most ai cameras , ai lenses have rabbit ears with holes in them ans work with both ai and nob-ai cameras and even with some digital cameras like the D200, later ais and e series lenses didnt have rabbit ears but if you look closely theres two little indents where you can mount one if desired

 

[Chan Tran]

If the meter is important to you I think it's worth the extra money to buy the FM instead of the Nikkormat (although the FT3 would use the same battery as the FM) rather than going thru the trouble of getting the right battery.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I have a Nikkormat FT3. What's the best and sharpest lenses it would take without modification? Also note that the metering sometimes works and sometimes gets stuck at one end. That part doesn't seem reliable.

 

[AnselMortensen]

I have a Nikkormat FT3. What's the best and sharpest lenses it would take without modification? Also note that the metering sometimes works and sometimes gets stuck at one end. That part doesn't seem reliable.

Alan,
The 105mm f2.5 Nikkor has a stellar reputation for sharpness.
AI or AIS, newer versions.
IIRC, the FT-3 has a foldable AI indexing tab to allow use of AI lenses and Pre -AI lenses.
With pre-AI lenses, the tab would need to be "up", and you would need to meter with the depth-of-field-preview button depressed. (" Stop-Down Metering" ).
Mounting a Pre-AI lens with the tab "down" will damage the camera.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Alan,
The 105mm f2.5 Nikkor has a stellar reputation for sharpness.
AI or AIS, newer versions.
IIRC, the FT-3 has a foldable AI indexing tab to allow use of AI lenses and Pre -AI lenses.
With pre-AI lenses, the tab would need to be "up", and you would need to meter with the depth-of-field-preview button depressed. (" Stop-Down Metering" ).
Mounting a Pre-AI lens with the tab "down" will damage the camera.

How about fixed 35mm and zoom at the low end let;s say 35-70 or so?