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Yet Again
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 2:20 am    Post subject: Yet Again Reply with quote



The gear acquisition thing flared up again Rolling Eyes
Somewhat ugly Nikkormat FT-3 that languished long term un-claimed in a camera repair shop.
Early A/I (auto aperture index system). Camera had been C.L.A.'d, and is in excellent operating condition. New light seals and mirror cushion on it.
The cosmetics, not so much Wink
IIRC, the first A/I camera was the Nikon EL-2.
Very nice shape 50mm f2 nikkor on it- one of the long prong versions that I like.



I probably would have passed on it had there been any other 50 on it, except for the "S" 1.4, or the the A/I 1.8 which seems to have more or less insane prices attached to it these days.

I feel I did well at what I paid for it, and I'll have a third back-up to the F2 camera now.



Top plate showing the usual nikkormat layout. Insulator in the hot shoe looks a little funny. I'll get a look at it again when I do the final clean up sometime this week.
Everything needs a good cleaning. The young fellow there did not know how long it was in the shop- apparently it was quite a while.
The focus screen in it is almost as bright as the first standard screen for the FE camera.

ETA:



Folding A/I tab shown with the lens off. Note mirror-up button at the upper right of the lens mount. Lever at lower right of lens mount is for setting shutter speed.

-D.S.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 9:14 am    Post subject: Re: Yet Again Reply with quote

Doc Sharptail wrote:

IIRC, the first A/I camera was the Nikon EL-2.

-D.S.


Bad memory here: The FT-3 was the first production camera with the A/I indexing system, but not by much.
The FT-3 released in March of 1977, and the EL-2 released in May 1977.

https://www.nicovandijk.net/nikomat.htm

-D.S.


PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 11:02 am    Post subject: Re: Yet Again Reply with quote

Doc Sharptail wrote:

The gear acquisition thing flared up again Rolling Eyes

Shit happens Wink

Doc Sharptail wrote:

Somewhat ugly Nikkormat FT-3 that languished long term un-claimed in a camera repair shop.
...
Very nice shape 50mm f2 nikkor on it- one of the long prong versions that I like.

What's the "long prong version"? I'm not that versed with Nikonians terminology Wink

Doc Sharptail wrote:

I feel I did well at what I paid for it, and I'll have a third back-up to the F2 camera now.

-D.S.

At some point you'll find that a fourth back-up would make you feel safer ... just in case.

S


PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:45 pm    Post subject: Re: Yet Again Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:

Shit happens Wink


What's the "long prong version"? I'm not that versed with Nikonians terminology Wink


At some point you'll find that a fourth back-up would make you feel safer ... just in case.

S


Actually I reviewed this purchase again, a little more slowly this morning. It seems my upper brain must have kicked in with me un-awares:

It's the only black FT-3 I've seen in person. A few places I've read on-line place entire FT-3 production at around 140,000 camera bodies, with almost no mention of the black version. Despite the rough exterior condition, it is a body worth having.

We've had the "long prong" discussion before- about 5 or 6 years ago, I think. It's that square metal protuberance next to the rear element at about 12 to 1 o'clock position in the photo above. The contribution to that discussion from another more informed poster than me suggested it's likely a signal pin for aperture, and probably focal length, for one of the early Nikon "Program Mode" cameras like the FA.

A 4th back-up to the F2 had better be a Titan, or even better, a NASA used body Wink

I actually have learned a bit of self-control these past few years, if not by much Rolling Eyes
The same outing had me buy a very cheap Vivitar 70-150 f3.8 zoom that has some funny looking wipe/fog marks on the element just above the aperture. Probably have more on that slightly bone-headed purchase later, in another thread. I have to learn to fully check things, but used Nikon mount lenses still get me pretty excited...

ETA:

https://forum.mflenses.com/nikon-50s-same-differences-or-not-t82956.html

https://forum.mflenses.com/nikon-50mm-t84779.html

There's the previous discussions....

-D.S.


PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Took a little time to set lighting and get some slightly better images of the camera.
At this point, cleaning has started, but has a long ways to go yet. I did get most of the cigarette smoke off it, but there's some other deep seated grime on the body yet. It may take a while.



Shutter speed wheel details. A simple system to use. The repair shop must have cleaned and re-lubed the internal bearing surfaces on it- it operates as if new.



Bottom plate. The inside of the battery cover is marked "for ft-2 + 3". Slider for setting film speed at bottom center of lens mount. The release mechanism for it is the bare metal tab on the shutter speed lever.



Rear of the camera. Yet another Nikon missing it's clear glass eye-piece cover ring.



Top plate showing the basic controls. Button just to the right of the penta-prism is the depth of field preview button.



It's actually starting to look a little better here Wink

-D.S.


PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 10:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Doc Sharptail wrote:
Took a little time to set lighting and get some slightly better images of the camera.
At this point, cleaning has started, but has a long ways to go yet. I did get most of the cigarette smoke off it, but there's some other deep seated grime on the body yet. It may take a while.

-D.S.


Acetone usually works pretty well on such stuff (use cotton swabs). Sometimes acetone will dissolve the color used for the engravings, so proceed carefully. Some plastics will be affected, too. But on metal and the common black colors as well as on most leatherettes one can remove some really stubborn dirt ...!

S


PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2025 4:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

stevemark wrote:
Acetone usually works pretty well on such stuff (use cotton swabs). Sometimes acetone will dissolve the color used for the engravings, so proceed carefully. Some plastics will be affected, too. But on metal and the common black colors as well as on most leatherettes one can remove some really stubborn dirt ...! S


It appears as if someone in the past has tried to "touch-up" the black enameled brass with almost matching black paint that has a very high gloss shine to it. I forgot, and cannot for the life of me remember the correct term for enameled brass~ my Dad (that's going back a very long stretch, and probably politically incorrect as well) called it "Japanned Brass".
I have an acetone based cleaner here that I'll try on the leatherette. The repaired enamelling will be left as is. The finish on the camera is rough enough as it is.

The internals are spotless, except for the shutter curtains, which appear to be stained with aperture lube.
Despite all that, I'm liking this camera a lot. For a pre-ergo camera, it handles quite well.

-D.S.