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My first and still my favorite Nikon film camera


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15 replies to this topic

#1
Nikonsince1972

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I still use my F2A, F3HP, F4E, FE-2 and Nikkormat FT2 but my 1969 FTN is still my favorite. I love to take it out and have people ask me how many MP it has.  :lol:

18610706-orig.jpg

 



#2
Nikon Shooter

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… and have people ask me how many MP it has.  :lol:

What do you tell'm? :P

My favorites were the F3HP and the F4E… still have them!



#3
fallout666

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is this slr or straight film camera. i thought slr where electrionic film camera where had board to run camera to make sure all was right before shot was done so had computer on it. 



#4
Merco_61

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is this slr or straight film camera. i thought slr where electrionic film camera where had board to run camera to make sure all was right before shot was done so had computer on it. 

It is a fully mechanical SLR.

 

The first 35 mm cameras were rangefinders, in the 50-s came the SLR bodies. These first had no light meter at all, then they got coupled light meters and later through the lens metering. They were still fully mechanical. The next generation got electronic shutters and became battery-dependent as the shutter wouldn't fire without current. After that, the metering systems and automation became more and more advanced until the autofocus became more or less a standard feature in the mid-80-s. The cameras were still SLR.

The next big step was when digital sensors got cheap enough for the mass market and the DSLR was born. This was in the late 90-s to early 2000-s. Then we had years of steady development until the mirrorless cameras (MILC = Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera) came along.


I still use my F2A, F3HP, F4E, FE-2 and Nikkormat FT2 but my 1969 FTN is still my favorite. I love to take it out and have people ask me how many MP it has.  :lol:


 

Shouldn't the FTN be FTn, to make it perfectly clear that it is the F with a Photomic and not a Nikkormat one means?

 

I didn't get into Nikons before the Ai generation became affordable used. My first two Nikons were F2AS, one black and one chrome.



#5
Brian

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The Nikon F Photomic is different from the Nikon F Photomic T, different from the Nikon F Photomic Tn, Different from the Nikon F Photomic FTn...

(Bullseye), (Manual Indexing, Averaging Meter), (Manual Indexing, Center Weighted Meter), (F5.6 Shuffle Indexing, center weighted)

 

African or European Swallow...

 

I bought the Nikon F Photomic in 1978, used, as a second body to my Brand New F2a. The Nikon F Photomic was made in 1962, works great. I had a motor plate added, and synced with an F36 with cordless Remopak. I also have several Nikon F bodies, with all the meter heads and a working Selenium Meter 3. They just keep working.

 

But- My favorite Nikon Body is the SP.



#6
Larryc001

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Sorry these aren’t my firsts. But they are sort of like my firsts. Also Nikon since about 1972. Larry

Attached Thumbnails

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#7
Ron

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I wouldn't kick any of them out of bed.

 

--Ron



#8
Larryc001

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Thanks Ron. Nice to know.
  • Ron likes this

#9
tonyzoc

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Since we're talk Nikon Fs, I've got two. One with a plain prism (around 68xxxx) and the second a Photomic FTn (~73xxxx) with the black plastic tipped winder and self timer levers. The F with the plain prism won't take the FTn finder. The Nikon badge interferes with mounting. I read somewhere that early Fs needed they're badge replaced to use metered heads, but (68xxxxx) doesn't seem that early. Was my badge swapped with an early body? What do you think?

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#10
Larryc001

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I have had the same problem. Certain finders won’t fit. After removing the badge, the finder still wouldn’t fit. I was unable to figure this out. Maybe one of the Nikon F experts can shed some light on this.

#11
tonyzoc

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I have had the same problem. Certain finders won’t fit. After removing the badge, the finder still wouldn’t fit. I was unable to figure this out. Maybe one of the Nikon F experts can shed some light on this.

I know there are bodies converted by Nikon and they have a red dot on the left top plate next to the serial number. But by 67xxxxx they stopped because all models past this point were built to accept metered heads.
Nikon F Red Dot

Mine is a 68xxxxx, so not what I'm expecting. It is a housing base size issue, but I think the badge change was part of it. The newer badges have notches on the top edges. I should try mounting without the badge on... If it fits, then likely someone put an older badge on my body. I can't find any documentation on the badges though.

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#12
tonyzoc

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I have had the same problem. Certain finders won’t fit. After removing the badge, the finder still wouldn’t fit. I was unable to figure this out. Maybe one of the Nikon F experts can shed some light on this.

Here's another interesting site...
Nikon F Variations

Another possibility is that one or more top plates were changed out from a newer body...since my serial is 68xxxxx and right top plate is Nikon (not Nippon Kogaku) but I don't know what year they changed that. If I take the badge off and the FTn finder fits, then it's probably a 68xxxx with the wrong badge. If it doesn't fit, then it's a non-converted earlier body with the wrong serial number.

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#13
tonyzoc

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I have had the same problem. Certain finders won’t fit. After removing the badge, the finder still wouldn’t fit. I was unable to figure this out. Maybe one of the Nikon F experts can shed some light on this.

So I took off the nameplate on both cameras and they are slightly different. Without the nameplate, the FTn finder sits in the 68xxxx body fine, so I apparently have an older nameplate on this body. See pic below. The top nameplate is from the newer body and the bottom one is from the older body. 5494ea297bcef6ad2baef91b91e92764.jpg

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#14
Brian

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Since we're talk Nikon Fs, I've got two. One with a plain prism (around 68xxxx) and the second a Photomic FTn (~73xxxx) with the black plastic tipped winder and self timer levers. The F with the plain prism won't take the FTn finder. The Nikon badge interferes with mounting. I read somewhere that early Fs needed they're badge replaced to use metered heads, but (68xxxxx) doesn't seem that early. Was my badge swapped with an early body? What do you think?

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6900001 marked the change: The FTm meter head uses the clamps to prevent Nikon Photomic Fly-Away Syndrome. The name plate is grooved for the clamps to attach.

 

ALSO: The early Nikon F bodies up to about 6600000 have a smaller frame around the focus screen. You can use the eye-level prism, waste-level finder, and Photomic "Bullseye" finder- but not the later TTL finders. Nikon F bodies with a red dot near the SN signify that they were modified by Nikon to take the newer finders.

 

These are rare-

 

Exif-JPEG-PICTURE.jpg

 

Mirror-up releases, Questar Modified Nikon F.



#15
tonyzoc

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Well that makes sense. My F with the nameplate blocking the FTn finder is a 682xxxx and it's only the nameplate preventing mounting of the FTn head. I'd prefer to keep that nameplate anyway...I have a plain prism for it, which I like. Plus I have a late F 739xxxx with a FTn finder. The FTn had a jumpy needle and I took it apart and cleaned the brushes and circular variable resistor and it works perfect now.

Also...I've noticed the variants in the early non-AI lenses. I don't have any Pat. Pend. version but I have a most with the early style aperture ring. I have the 28, 35, 50/1.4, 105, 135 and 200 pictured. I bought a 24mm I should be getting this week. (The 35 and 50 are the later aperture ring with raised ridges.)

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93862bebf73a0057ef07bbede03e0a67.jpg

#16
Tomwlkjr

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I have several and my N90s is becoming a favorite but my all time favorite was my FM