Nikon Nikkormat FT2 Color User manual

Mike Butkus  Digitally                                              DN:ou=butkus.org,Date:cn=Mike2024.07.09signedButkus,email=mike@butkus.org,by21:30:28Mikeo=ButkusButkus-04'00'camera manuals,c=US

FOREWORDwww.butkus.us
                      The Nikkormat FT2 offers the high quality
                       performanceand durability common to Nikon
                       cameras,but with the basic simplicity of de-
                          sign that has made the Nikkormat camera
                        popular with amateur and professionalalike.
                         Systematically-positionedcontrols for picture-
     !                         taking ease,a convenientflash unit mount for
t  ' ;                            simplified flash photography and the extensive
                             possibilities of the Nikon System of Photo-
                        graphy further enhance the capabilities of the
                      Nikkorm at FT2.
                     To ensure you get the best results from your
                       Nikkormat FTz. read this instruction book
                            carefully and practice using the controls be-
                            fore you load film  into the camera. Follow
                          the suggestionson camera careon page 30 and
                      you will receive many years of reliable service.
                               'v-                     The Nikon Warranty which comes with your                                       114
                                                                             'i;tr  Nikkormat FT2 is your assuranceof prompt,                                    ' ;                          t
                        courteousserviceand complete satisfaction.




                                                                               5

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Press down the camera back latch on the side of the     that the perforations along the edges of the film mesh
camera and the hinged back will spring open. Pull up     with the sprockets.
on the rewind knob and drop a film cartridge into the    Close the camera by  pressing on the back  until   it
film chamber with  the  film  leader pointing  towards    snaps into place. Fold out the rewind crank and turn
the take-up spool. Now, push down the rewind knob         it gently  in the direction of the arrow until you can
to hold the cartridge in place and insert the end of      feel a slight tension. This will take up any slack in the
the film leader into any one of the three slots in the      film  cartridge. Be careful not  to exert too much pres-
take-up spool. Rotate the talce-up spool as shown in     sure on the rewind crank.
the illustration so that the'film passesunder the spool    Loading exposes the first few inches of the film. To
with its emulsion side (dull side) facing out. Make sure    dispose of  this exposed film, wind the film advance

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lever and make two blank exposures. Watch the rewind    To  unload, press the rewind button  on the camera
knob to see if  it rotates in the direction opposite the    baseplate, unfold  the rewind crank and turn  it with a
arrow  while  the  film   is being advanced. This  will     constant, gentle pressure in the direction of the arrow.
indicate that the film has been loaded correctly and    Avoid uneven or excessively fast rewinding. When no
is being advanced.                                more tension can be felt and the crank turns loosely,
The frame counter on top  of the camera should now     the film has left the sprockets and the camera may be
rest at "0".  Advance the film one more frame and    opened. Pull the rewind knob up slightly and the film
you are ready to take the first picture.                      cartridge will drop out.
Caution: Do not load the c&nera in bright sunlight. If no    The rewind button  will pop out again as soon as the
other shadeis available,shadethe camerafrom the sun with     film advance lever is stroked.
vour body while loading.
                                        ).

LOADINGTHE CAMERA
Film-PlaneIndicator                        Film-AdvanceLever
                                                 The  film-advance  lever simultaneously advances the
                                                                      film, cocks the shutter and oPerates the frame counter'
                                                                                               It  also serves as an on-off switch  for the exPosure
                                                        meter.
                                                         Stroke the film-advance lever with the right thumb  in
                                                     a single stroke. A built-in locking device Preventsthe
                                                                  shuttler from  beins released unless  it  is fully  cocked
                                                  and the film has bJen          a full frame.                                                                              "drranced                                                 The film-advance lever springs back to its original posi-
                                                                       tion, with ample clearance for the thumb,  after each
                                                             stroke. However, the meter will remain in the "on"
                                                               position  until  the  lever  is pressed flush against the                                                                         \                                                               \ \\           camera body.                                                                                                    \\ :-     - - - l
                                                         Caution: Be careful not to push the rewind button (on the
                                                            camera's baseplate) during  film  advance operation' Should
                                                                            this occur, temporary stoppage of fi1m transport and double
                                                          exposure of the negative may result.

The (+) mark on top of the camera body shows the
 exact position of the film plane. This is important  to
know  when  measuring the  film-to-subject  distancq,
 especiallyin close-upsand macrophotography'

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 Frame Counter                                 1600 with  dots between each pair of numbers for
The frame counter located on top of the camera works     intermediate settings such as ASA  64,80,   etc.
 automatically  to show how many frames have been     Pull up the ASA   lock  on top of the shutter-speed
exposed. The numbers 20 and 36 are colored red to     lever and, while holding the lock up, slide the slotted
 correspond to  the number of frames in a standard   ASA  index pointer  until   it  lines up wirh  the ASA
35mm  cartridge. The frame counrer stops just past    number of the film  in use. After releasing the ASA
 the 36-frame mark and resets itself automaticallv to     lock, check that the ASA index pointer  is securely
 "S", two frames before "0"*when  the camer" b"ik   i,     locked into position.
opened for reloading.     ?





Film-Speed(ASA) Setting
Some films are more sensitive to light than others. A
film's sensitivity is commonly known as its "speed,"
expressedin ASA numbers.
In order to work with films of different speeds,the
Nikkormat FT2's light-meter circuit musr be adjusted
for the ASA number of the film used. This is done by
means of. a  slotted index  pointer located on the
bottom of the shutter-speedring. The ASA film-speed
scale has numbered settings for speedsfrom ASA 12-

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The amount of exposure the film receives is determin-
ed by a combination of shutter speed and aperture.
The larger the lens aperture, the more exposure. Like-                                www.butkus.us
wise, the slower the shutter speed the greater the
exposure. Aperture  is expressed in f/numbers with
larger numbers representing smaller apertures and vice
versa. For example, f/8 gives twice as much exPosure
as  fl1J.  Shutter speed is expressed in seconds or
fractions of a second. Th€ numbers on the Nikkormat
shutter-speed scale are reciprocals of the actual speeds
(250 representsL1250second,etc.).
Camera aperture and shqtter-speed controls  ate caI-
culated so that an increase of one f/number  com-
pensates for a one-step decreasein shutter speed.For
example, Ll25O at fl8 is equivalent to I11,25 at  flt!.
The  table below  shows how  aperture and shutter-
speed are interrelated. All the combinations give the
same exPosure.
   Aperture        f 11.4   fl2      il2.8     fl4       il5.6
 Shutter speed  1/500  1t250  11125 1/60   1130   (seconds)

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Setting the Shutter,Speed                       Setting the Aperture
 Shutter speedsare controlled by a ring around the base
of the bayonet mount  rather than ihe usual dial on
top  of  the camera body. To set the shutter speed,
Fasp  the  lever and  turn  the  ring  until  the desired
speed appears next to the indicator dot on the front
of  the camera body.  For added convenience when
measuring exposure, the shutter speed in use as well as    exposure.
the  next  highest and lowest speeds appear in  the
bottom  of the viewfinder, so the shutter speed can be
adjusted while observing,the exposure meter needle.
Click-stopped settings forrshutter speedsfrom 1/1000
to  1 second plus "B"  are engraved on the shutter-
speed ring. At  the  "B"   (bulb)  setting, the  shutter
remains open as long as the shutter release button,is
depressed.

Note: lntermediate shutter-speedsettings are not recom-
mended excepr in the Il25O ro 1/1000 second range.

EXPOSUREMEASUREMETUT
The Nikkormat FT2  featur-gsa center-weighted thru-   Turning On the Meter
the-lens exposure metering system cross-coupled to    To  switch on the Nikkormat  FT2's CdS exposure
the shutter speed and aperture controls. The meter    metering circuit,  pull out the film advance lever just
reads the  light over the  entire focusing screen but    enough to uncover the red dot on top of the camera
favors a  central  area. This means that  correct ex-   body. When the meter  is not  in use, Press the lever
posures are possible even  in  situations where an     flush against the camera body,  since the battery  is
averaged reading would  result  in wrong exPosure-     being drained continuously as long as the lever is in
with strong backlighting, fgr example.                    the i'on" position.
Full-Aperture Exposure Measurement
The FTz  meter takes advantage of automatic  dia-
phragm feature of  Nikkor  Auto Lenses to measure
light at the maximum apefture of the lens. This insures
a tright viewfinder image for viewing and focusing and
minimizes  the  influence  of  light  entering through
the finder eyepiece.
In order for the FT2 meter to measure exPosure at
 full aperture with  lenses of different maximum aPer-
 ture, it must be coupled with the maximum aPerture
 of the lens in use. This is done each time the lens is
attached or changed by turning the aPerture ring of
 the lens through  its entire range (see "Changing the'
 Lens," p.22,).
                                                                                r

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 A number of different shutter speed-aperturecombina-     ing range) varies according to the lens and film speed
 tions will  usually result in the same exposure. The     used. For example, with the 50mm  flt.+ lens     a
 "best " one depends on the results desired. use f ast      film speed of RsR 100, it extends from  ilt.q  at""aLl4
 shutter speeds to "freeze" motion  or slow ones to     second to  f l11.at 1/1000 second.
 create deliberate blur. Small apertures give grearer
 depth of  field, large ones let  tlre subjecl sta;d out
 against an out-of-focus background (see,,Depth of
 Field," p.19.).
Centeringthe Needle :
To determine correct exposure, adjust the aperture
and/or shutter speed until the meter ne edle in the
viewfinder is centered (the -  and + marks let you
know whether you  are under- or overexposing). A
second meter needle is conveniently \ocated on top of
the camera for use with  the camera held at waist-
level or mounted on a tripod. For fine adjustments of
less than one f/number, use the aperture ring as it per-
mits reliable intermediate settings.
under extremely low light conditions the meter nee-
                        (68"dle may center at the       setting on the shutter
speed dial.  If so, correct exposure time is z seconds.
If the needle moves erratic ally or cannot be centered j
even  after  all possible aperture-shutter speed com-
binations have been tried, then the light is too bright
or dim  for the meter's range. Effective range (coupl-

EXPOSURE MEASUREil/NENT
Getting the Right Exposure
The central Eart of the focusing screen should always
be aimed  at the main subject when  centering the
needle. Otherwise unimportant  bright  or dark areas
may give an exposure reading which  is too high or
too low, resulting in under- or overexposure.
If an off-center composition  is desired, first measure
the light striking the main subject and set the aperture
and shutter speed to cehter the needle. Then move
the camera until  the desired composition appears in
the viewfinder.
For  subjects of  unifornii tonal brightness, a reading
may be taken from any paft of the subject. However,
if the subject is contrasty  (sidelighted portraits,  for                   Exposure measurement area
example), measure the light falling on the most impor-     Picture area
tant part of the subject in which detail is desired in
the final picture.
For landscapes including  large areas of  sky,  tilt  the
camera downward  during measurement or   fill  the
center of the finder with the main subject to Prevent
underexposure of  the main  subject caused by  the
bright skylight.
   Photos:
     L. Measuring the bright area in the center of the screen will
      causeunderexposure of the main subject.
     2. For correct exposure, first measure the light striking the
      main subject, then compose and shoot.

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                                                   Steady camera holding  is important  for best results,
                                                        since even the  slightest camera movement  at  the
                                            moment of exposure can result in an appreciable loss
                                                                 of  sharpness, especially at slow shutter speeds. The
                                                   photographs show the best way to hold the camera for
                                                       rock-steady picture-taking.
                                             Wrap the fingers of the right hand around the camera
                                                 body so that the index finger rests comfortably on the
                                                           shutter release button  and the thumb  fits between
                                                         the body and film advance lever. This way you can
                                                         stroke the film-advance without  removing your eye
                                                     from  the viewfinder. Cradle the camera in  the  left
                                                hand for additional support, with the left thumb and
                                                       index  finger grasping the focusing ring. The camera
                                           may be switched from  horizontal  to vertical format
                                                                   in this position.

Focusing is always done at full aperture with Auto
  Nikkor lenses.This gives the brightest possible image
  on the focusing screen for easy viewing and comPos-
   irg.   It  also minimizes depth  of  field so the image
  snapsin and out of focus distinctly.
  The Nikkormat FT2  focusing screen consists of a
  matte Fresnel field with  a cen tral 3mm|  split-image
  rangefinder spot surrounded by a doughnut-shaped
  1mm-wide microprism  for  rapid, accurate focusing.                                                                       Microprism/ split-image screen  Look through the viewfinder and turn the focusing
  ring until the two halves of the central rangefinder
  image coincide to form d single, sharp image, or until
  the image in the microprism appearssharp and crisp.
  This focusing screen is suitable for subjects with both
  straight lines and ill-defined contours. However, when
  used with lenseshaving a maximum aperture smaller
  than f I +.5, or in close-upphotography, the rangefinder
  spot is likely  to darken. In  this case, focus on the
  surrounding matte field.
  The lens can also be prefocused using the distance
  scale engraved in both feet and meters on the lens
   barrel. Line up the black indicator line on top of the
   milled  ring opposite the  camera-to-subject distance
  as measured or estimated. This technique is useful for
  candid shots of elusive subjects when time does not                                     www.butkus.us
  permit through-the-lensfocusing.


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                                          Shutter Release
                                                  For sharp pictures, correct shutter releasing is just as
                                                    important as steady camera holding. A quick, jabbing
                                          movement of the finger on the shutter releasebutton
                                                                    will  result .in camera movement and blurred pictures.
                                                Hold the camera steady as shown previously, relax and
                                             squeezethe shutter releasewith a gentle, even pressure.
                                                  For long time exposures with the camera mounted on
                                                 a tripod, use a cable release.The shutter releasebutton
                                                                     is threaded to accept the Nikon F and Nikkormat
                                                   cable releases. For  hand-held exposures at speeds
                                                  slower than LI SO second, greater sharpness ."tt beOut of focus
                                                  obtained  if the shutrer release is tripped by means of
                                                     the self-timer. Set the self-timer mechanism in motion
                                                  (see "Self-timer," p.24.), hold the camera steady and
                                                       wait for the timer to trip the shutter.
                                                      Caution: When mounting the camera on a tripod, do not
                                                    over-screwthe tripod thread into the cameratripod socketas
                                                                                                    it may damagethe camerabaseplate.





 I n  f o c u s


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FLASHSYNCHRONIZATION
 The Nikkormat FT2 features-an accessory shoe with     Note:  Nikon   speedlight  units  SB-2,  SB-3 and  SB-4  are not
  built-in  hot-shoe contact and automatic MX  switch-    available  in North  America.
 over via shutter speed selection to facilitate the use of     Caution:  Flash units without  a hot shoe may  fire accidentally
 various light sources. Consult the table below to find    when  being slipped  into  place or when a flashbulb  is inserted'
  out which shutter speeds are acceptable for different     Although  not recommended,  accidental  firing may be prevent-
 types of flashbulbs.                                        ed by covering the hot-shoe contact on the camera body  with
                                                                               electrical tape.




  the accessory shoe on top cif the pentaprism housing'
 Due to the built-in hot-hoe contact, the need for a
 synch cord  is eliminated  for  units with  a hot  shoe'
  Fo.  r.rnit, without  a hot shoe, use a synch cord and
  connect the threaded synch terminal on the camera
 body to the synch socket on the flash unit' To prevent
  acciiental  eiectrical shock, the safety switch  in the
  accessory shoe turns on only when the flash unit  is
  in place.
  Nikon speedlight units SB-3 and SB-4 can be directly
  attachei  to  tte  Nikkormat  FTz. For mounting  thq
  Nikon speedlight unit SB-2 or flash unit BC-7, use of
  the flash unii  coupler AS-2 is necessary. For details,
  refer to the instruction manual provided with each unit.


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Depth of  field refers to a zone extending  in front  of    Depth-of-Field Preview Button
and behind the plane of sharpest focus. Within  this    The depth-of-field preview button  located on top of
zone  blur  (or unsharpness of  the  image)  will  be     the Nikkormat  lets you check depth of  field before
negligible and everything can be accepted as in sharp    shooting and make  desired adjustments. Press the
focus. Depth of field extends a greater distance behind     button  and the lens stops down  to the preselected
the subject in  focus than  in  front.  Depth  of  field     aperture to allow you to see how much background
depends on three factors:  focal length  of  the lens,    or foregound  is in or out of focus.
lens-to-subject  distance a-+d taking  aperture. The
smaller the aperture and the shorter the focal length
of the lens, the gre ater the depth of field (for example,
wideangle lenses have more depth  of  field than tele-
                            .thephotos). Also, the closer     subject, the smaller the
depth  of  field. These three factors can be adjusted
independently  or  in combination  to give the photo-
grapher creative control over the final picture.

DEPTHOF FIELD
    Depth-of-FieldScale                                       lensBy stoppingon1y, thedowndepththeof
    Depth of field can be read from the color-coded scale       field can be increased,as
     .rrgr"ued on the milled ring. The pairs of colored lines       illustrated by the
      .olr.rporrd  to f/numbers  of the same color. To find       followingphotographs:three
     the depth of field at a particular aperture first focus                                                                                 L. Lens at f/4. Small
     the lens on the subject (or set the lens-to-subject dis-        depth of field
     tance on the distance scale). Then check the numbers          with only main
    on the distance scale opposite the colored lines which          subject in focus.
    match the taking aPerture of the corresPonding color
      to find the depth of field at that aPerture.
     For exanlple,-f116 on the aperture ring of-the 50mrn
      f/L.4 lens-is blue. With tlrc,lens prefocused at 15 feet
     (4.5m), the numbers on the distance scale opposite
        itt.  Ut".  lines show that depth of field extends from
     8 feet (2.4m) to infinitY  ("';.





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CHANGIIUGTHE LENS
To remove the lens from  the camera, Press the lens   Lens Mounting
release button on the front  of the camera body and     In order  for the Nikkormat  FT2 exposure meter to
 twist  the  lens to  the  right as far as it  will  go. The    measure light  at full aperture with  lenses of different
lens  will  come  loose and can be  lifted  out  easily.   maximum  aperture, the meter must be adjusted for
                                                            the maximum  aperture  of  the  lens  in  use. This  is
                                                  done each time a lens is mounted as follows:
                                                                      First push the camera's coupling pin to the right as far
                                                      as it  will  go. Set the lens aperture diaphragm at f15.6
                                                 and insert the lens into the bayonet mount, making
                                                         sure that the coupling pin  fits into the slotted prong
                                                   on  the  lens aperture  ring.  Twist  the  lens counter-
                                                         clockwise  until    it  locks  in place with  a sharp click.
                                          Now  turn  the aperture  ring  all the way  to the mini-
                                      mum aperture setting (largest f/number), then all the
                                               way in the opposite direction. This steP automatically
                                                          adjusts the meter to the maximum aperture of the lens.

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Maximum-Aperture Scale
The above adjustment can be confirmed by looking at
the maximum-aperture scale on ring with the coupling
pin. The scale has a range from  f11..2to  f/5.6.  for
example, if the 28mm f/2.8 lens is mounted on the
camera, the red index mark should fall opposite 2.8.

I  SELF-TIMER           MIRRORLOGK

    The built-in self-timer can be used to trip the shutter    The reflex mirror can be locked in the "*p"  position
     in approximately  eight seconds delay. To cock the     out  of  the  optical  path  for use with  the Fisheye-
     self-timer. turn the lever downward as far as it  will     Nikkor  6mm   flS.6  and  the OP  Fisheye-Nikkor
    go. When the shutter release button  is pressed, the   L0mm  f|5.6, whose rear elements protrude into the
    timer starts. The self-timer is independent of the shut-    camera body and interfere with  the movement  of
     ter mechanism and can be set before or after the shut-    the  mirror.  Simply  slide the mirror  lock downward
     ter is wound. Do not use at "B"  setting.                and the mirror  will remain locked up. To return the
                                                                  mirro:  to  its original focusing and viewing position,
                                                                    slide the lever up again.

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