The Nikomat FT, the Camera that Solidified NIkon's Market Share.

 

The Nikon F was a top of the line system camera built to stop a bullet, one problem while it had a full lens line up to support it, the camera was expensive and only within reach of photojournalists, press pools, and wealthy amateurs. Nikon wanted to widen the market for the Nikkor lens system introducing the Nikkorex F, it was a dog. The company went back to the drawing board coming up with the Nikkormat FT (Nikomat for the Japanese home market) and meterless FS. This was bleeding edge for Nikon in 1965, a vertical copal shutter and TTL average metering like the Nikon F Photomic T. The camera was a hit, while only made for two years the FT was the foundation for the Nikkormat FTn, while cosmetically the same, had an improved view finder showing  the shutter speed and had an eight year production run. 

The FT has the same durablity of later Nikkormats, you can tell the shutter speed layout is slightly different than the later FTn, FT2 and FT3. My example the meter is pretty much dead but that's no big deal as I have multiple light meters and I got the camera for less than $40 USD. I popped an earlier production Nikkor H 50 2 lens. and went to town. 


Camera: Nikomat FT, Nikkor H 50 f2 lens. 

Film: Ultrafine Extreme 400, HC110 B. 


Nikomat (Nikkormat) FT Morrison Farm House in teh Sun White Hous on Cedar Grove House at the Corner of Chartwell and Cedar Grove Palmer Ave House with Patio Palmer Ave Front Porch 175 Reynolds Front Door House on Randall St._ Crossing Church St_ Crossing Church St Looking West_ Church St. Townhouses Jan 2021

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