Another Nikkormat

I really like these old Nikkormats. So much so that I now own five. I have a chrome FTn, a black FT2 and FT3, an EL and most recently, this black FTn. I really didn’t need another Nikkormat or even another old camera for that matter. But this one popped up for sale on one my photography Facebook groups. The seller seemed like a nice guy and a passionate film photographer. And, like my other Nikkormats, the price was right. I have not paid more than $100 for any of them.

After years of shooting Leica and Canon, Minolta, Pentax, Contax and Hasselblad, it might sound odd that I’ve taken such a shine to these simple old Nikon SLRs, but I just love their minimalist, purposeful, elegance. Each one I have bought works. The shutters sound reasonable at every speed. And when I check the built-in meters against one of my hand held meters or my iPhone, they’re all nearly dead on. Nikon overbuilt these cameras and built them to last.

The body of this FTn is developing a nice brass patina near the strap lugs and on the top of the pentaprism, but otherwise it’s in good shape. The light seals need replacing so I will send it off for an overhaul after I run a test roll through it.

Prices on film cameras have gone up quite a bit in recent years but these old Nikkormats fly under the radar of most people. Given that, they’re a real bargain if you are looking for a depenable platform for the wide variety of available Nikkor lenses.