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Why do my Nikkormats have dented prism housings?

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Perhaps. I've seen far too many FE's and FM's with dented housing as well. Almost as if someone is deliberately dropping them upside down.
 
Because they're so reliable, they get used a lot. Because they're so affordable, people don't baby them like they might other cameras.
I've got 3 Nikkormats, only one with a dent in the prism. I also think they were overbuilt, so any damage from regular use will not impact functionality.
Same for the FE/FM series. I dropped an FE from 4 feet straight down onto asphalt on it's prism (not on purpose). Big dent, but no other damage to the camera or lens.
 
On my FM and EL, I can tell you where and when they happened. Cosmetic damage but they work great.
 
You probably carry more than one at a time. Even if you have one from each shoulder they will sooner or later bump into each other. Bottom edge against prism equals dent.
 
Conversely, one of my Nikkormats has a ridiculously dented baseplate. The rest of the body is in good to very good condition, but the base doesn't have a straight line on it. Really strange. Either someone swapped it from another camera, or a previous owner favoured pointed rocks as a rest.
 
jimjm said:
I also think they were overbuilt, so any damage from regular use will not impact functionality.
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Absolutely. Meters tend to be kaput, like other Nikons of the era. Otherwise, cosmetic condition is immaterial to functionality. The copal square shutters just keep going. Bombproof is an overused term but Nikkormats must come close.
 
Jesper said:
You probably carry more than one at a time. Even if you have one from each shoulder they will sooner or later bump into each other. Bottom edge against prism equals dent.
Click to expand...
I only carry one body. These Nikkormats I bought used. They work fine, though, even the meters.
 
Nikormats, built like tanks, are heavy. This mass meeting an immovable object can result in a dent. However, of the three that I have owned, none suffered any operational damage. It’s the meter that kills them.
 
jimjm said:
Because they're so reliable, they get used a lot. Because they're so affordable, people don't baby them like they might other cameras.
I've got 3 Nikkormats, only one with a dent in the prism. I also think they were overbuilt, so any damage from regular use will not impact functionality.
Same for the FE/FM series. I dropped an FE from 4 feet straight down onto asphalt on it's prism (not on purpose). Big dent, but no other damage to the camera or lens.
Click to expand...
I was under the impression that these dents were just a sign of them being properly worked in' without dents, they are just sleeve queens!
 
My FT2 that I got from KEH, as is for ~$15, is in excellent shape except a dented prism. My two FTNs are in great shape, but no dents. The black one was my first camera, bought in 1992 (already 20 years old) and the Crome one was bought last week. The early FTN (with the the solid metal advance and self timer levers) are to me the nicest looking 35mm SLRs, and both of mine are early models. The FT2 is a notch down because it adds a hotshoe (I never use flash, so the shoe is a useless interruption of the lines of the prism.)
 
My FT3 has a dent in it too. The prism seems hollow made out of cheap thin metal. So I guess that makes them susceptible to dings and dents. Like the bumpers and doors on my cars. :smile: The rewind lever thingy also fell off so I have to rewind it with the wheel. Anyone know how to re-install it?

In any case, the meter seems to work. I'll be testing it out for the first time in decades with Tmax 400 and Tri-x as I usually use my Mamiya RB67 which is built like a tank.
 
abruzzi said:
The early FTN (with the the solid metal advance and self timer levers) are to me the nicest looking 35mm SLRs, and both of mine are early models.
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Older Nikkormats have a silver film advance lever whether they are chrome or black. I think I'm correct in saying the FT2 takes more modern batteries, the FT3 definitely does.
 
blockend said:
Older Nikkormats have a silver film advance lever whether they are chrome or black. I think I'm correct in saying the FT2 takes more modern batteries, the FT3 definitely does.
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yes, early FTNs have flat metal advance lever and all FTNs take mercury batteries. The FT2 is just as nice a camera, and due to the 1.5v battery compatibility is easier to pick up and start shooting, but the old FTN looks cleaner with the nicer looking advance lever and the lack of flash shoe.
 
Rite of passage? Part of becoming of age?
 
I wouldn't call the brass tops cheap thin metal - it's a heavy enough camera as it is - they're dented before people dropped them/dropped things on them. 97% of Nikon f/f2 plain prisms are dented as well - same with the first two Canon f-1s
 
I suspect that the small dents are from using flashes with the cameras, sliding on and off the camera.

Mine are not dented- I was fairly careful with the Vivitar 283.
 
I have a few cameras with dented prism but they were dented when I got them. I never caused the dent in any of my cameras. I guess you guys are too rough with your cameras.
 
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