Nikkormat FTn Test Drive

Back in June, I wrote about an exceptionally well preserved, 47-year old Nikkormat FTn I bought off of eBay. I really do need to write the seller and get more information on this camera because honestly, it appears someone purchased it in the late 70s, brought it home, put it on a shelf and never used it. There are no signs of use, no scuffs, no nicks or bright spots. Inside and out, this camera is pristine. If I didn’t love taking pictures so much, I would leave this camera in its box as a collectable and preserve it. But I am a shooter, not a collector. So after spending some time marveling at the cosmetic condition of this old Nikon, I decided to take it for a brief test drive around the homestead with a 24-exposure roll of Kodak Tri-X and a Nikkor-H Auto 50mm f/2 non-AI lens just to see if everything on this camera works.

First, I shot my desktop…

My other Nikkromat FTn and a FM2n in the foreground

Then, some unremarkable shots around the house and yard…

Sunlight hitting a picture on the wall in our hall

When I snapped this picture of Jazz asleep in the hall, I thought it would be a great test of this camera’s meter…

This side gate is a frequent subject for test shots

The dogs are always happy to pose for one of Dad’s old cameras

I carried my Sekonic L-208 meter around with me as I put the Nikkormat through its paces just to compare the readings the camera’s meter was giving me with what the modern Sekonic served up. In almost every instance, both meters agreed.

The shutter sounds amazing on this camera. The film advance is smooth, the lens-mount shutter speed control feels nice and even the ASA/ISO setting tab is easy to adjust. Many of the late model FTns like this one came with Nikon’s split image K screen making focusing a snap. And there isn’t a spec of dust in the viewfinder.

The old Nikon F, F2 and these Nikkormats were made during a time when cameras were built with high quality materials, attention to detail and designed for long, trouble-free performance. I have really become a fan of the Nikkormat FTn. It’s a joy to shoot and I appreciate the clean design of the pentaprism without the hot shoe. It’ a good looking and good shooting camera.

Nikon’s lubricants have held up well in this camera and the seals are in decent shape, but after spending nearly five decades sitting idle, this FTn deserves some spa time. It will go into the service queue this fall.

PS: One of my readers named Michael asked a question in the comments about the battery I use in this camera. When I attempted to respond to him, his question and my answer were deleted for some reason. I use a 386 battery inside a MR-9 battery adapter to power the Nikkormat FTn.