Nikon Nikkormar FT3 User manual

Nikkorlll_
INSTRUCTION MANUAL

NOMENCLATURE
Coupling Lever Release
Meter Coupling Lever
Cou pies the exposure meter
to the lens' auto diaphragm.
Neck Strap Eyelet
Shutter-Speed Index
Align with the desired
shutter speed.
Self- Timer
Trips the shu tter in 8
seconds delay.
ASA Film -Speed Index
Adjusts the meter for the
speed
of the film used.
ASA Film-Speed Scale
Range: 12-1600 ASA.
Tripod Socket
Rewind Button
Press to rewind the film.
------------------~
2
Lens Mounting Index
Mirror Lock
Slide downward to lock the
mirror up out of the optical
path .
Lens Release Button
Unlocks the lens for remov-
ing
or changing lenses.
Shutter-Speed Lever
ASA Lock
Camera Back Latch
Press to open the camera
back.
Battery Chamber
Houses the silver-oxide
battery that powers the
meter.
Camera Back
Hinged to swing open from
the side.

Aperture /Distance Scale Index
Infrared Mark
Lines up with the prefocused
distance to compensate
for shift in focus.
Meter Coupli ng Shoe
Aperture Ring
Sets the lens diaphragm to
the desired flnumber.
Depth- of ·Field Preview Button
Press to preview how much
background or foreground
is in or out of focus.
'----
Fl ash Terminal
Accepts a flash sync cord.
Rewind Crank
Fold out to rewind the film.
Meter Wi
Finder Eyepiece
Permits comfortable viewing,
composing and focu ~
Hot-Shoe C :..; o :..; n .:..: t ", a c:. c c:. t _______________________________ --'
Film -Plane Indicator
Shows the exact position of
the film plane .
Distance Scale
Depth - of -Field Scale
Color-coded mar kings give
depth-of-field at different
apertures.
Focusing Ring
Easy-to-grip, knurled sur-
face for
quick, accurate
focusing.
Meter Coupling Ridge
Connects to the meter
coupling lever.
Shutter-Speed Scale
Speeds from 1/1000 to 1
1r t- _____________________ se _ c _ o _ n _ d ~ p _ lu _ s _B_ . __________ _
Shutter Release Button
(With screw thread for
cable release).
Frame Counter
Indicates the number of
frames ex p ~ o = se :.: d :.: . ________ __
Film -Advance Lever
Advances the film, cocks
the shu tter and operates
the frame cou nter. Also
switches the built-in
exposure meter on or off.
Meter ON Index
3

CONTENTS
Nomenclature ... ... ... ....... . .. . . 2
Shutter Release Operation ....... ...... 20
Foreword .. . . . . . . . . . . 5
Depth of Field ....... . . . ........... 21
Loading the
Camera ... 6 Depth-of-Field Preview Bu
tton .. . ... 21
Film-Plane
Indicator 8 De-pth-of-Field Scale .
...... .. . . .... 22
Film-Advance Lever . 8 Self-Timer
........................ 24
Frame Counter. . . . . . . . . 9 Mirror
Lock .. . ... . ................ 24
Film-Speed (ASA) Setting ........... 9
Infrared Photography ................ 25
Exposure Con trois . ................. 10
Setting the Shutter Speed. . . . . . . . 11
Setting the Aperture . . ............ . 11
Exposure Measurement ............... 12
Fu ll -Aerture Exposure Measurement .... 12
Turning On the Meter .. . . . . . .12
Centering the Needle ... ..... . ...... 13
Getting the Right Exposure .. ... . .. .. 14
Stop-Down Exposure Me asurement .. . .. 15
Special Cases .... . ........ .... . .. 16
Silver-Oxide Battery ... . ..... ....... . 25
Flash
Synchronization . ... . . ......... . 26
Changing
the Lens ... . .............. 27
Accessories ... ...... .. . ........... 28
Lens Hoods ..................... 28
Filters
.. . ... .. ................ 28
Finder Eyecup ... . .. . ..... . ...... 29
Eyepiece Correction Lenses . ... . . .... 29
Camera Care ...................... 30
Features/Specifications ............... 31
How to Hold the Camera .............. 17
Focusing ......................... 18
4

FOREWORD
The Nikkormat FT3 offers the high quality
performance and durability common to Nikon
_ cameras, but with the basic simplicity of de-
sign that has made the Nikkormat camera
popular with amateur and professional alike.
Systematically-positioned controls for picture-
taking ease, a convenient flash unit mount for
simplified flash photography and the extensive
possibilities of the Nikon System of Photo-
graphy further enhance the capabilities of the
Nikkormat FT3.
To ensure you get the best results from your
Nikkormat FT3, read this instruction book
carefully and practice using the controls be-
fore you load film into the camera. Follow
the suggestions on camera care on page 30 and
you will receive many years of reliable service.
5

LOADING THE CAMERA
Press down the camera back latch on the side of the
camera and
the hinged back will spring open . Pull up
on the rewind knob and drop a film cartridge into the
film chamber with the film leader pointing towards
the take-up spool. Now, push down the rewind knob
to hold the cartridge in place and insert the end of
the film leader into anyone of the three slots in the
take-up spool. Rotate the take-up spool as shown in
the illustration so that the. film passes under the spool
with its emulsion side (dull side) facing
out. Make sure
6
that the perforations along the edges of the film mesh
with the sprockets.
Close the camera
by pressing on the back until it
snaps
into place. Fold out the rewind crank and turn
it gently in the direction of the arrow until you can
feel a slight tension. This will
take up any slack in the
film cartridge. Be careful not to exert too much pres-
sure on the rewind crank.
Loading exposes the first few inches
of the film. To
dispose of this exposed film, wind the film advance

lever and make two blank exposures. Watch the rewind
knob to see if it rotates in the direction opposite the
arrow while the fUm is being advanced. This will
indicate
that the fUm has been loaded correctly and
is being advanced.
The
frame counter on top of the camera should now
rest at "0". Advance the fUm one more frame and
you are ready to take the Hrst picture.
Caution: Do not load the camera in bright sunlight. If no
other shade is available, shade the camera from the sun with
your body while loading.
To unload, press the rewind button on the camera
baseplate,
unfold the rewind crank and turn it with a
con~tant, gentle pressure in the direction of the arrow.
Avoid uneven or excessively fast rewinding. When no
more tension can be felt and the crank turns loosely,
the fUm has left the sprockets and the camera may be
opened. pull the rewind knob up slightly and the fUm
cartridge will drop out.
The rewind button will pop out again as soon as the
fUm advance lever is stroked.
7

LOADING THE CAMERA- continued
Film-Plane Indicator
The (~) mark on top of the camera body shows the
exact position of the film plane. This is important to
know when measuring the fUm-to-subject distance,
especially
in close-ups and macrophotography.
8
Film-Advance Lever
The fUm-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 prevents the
shutter from being released unless it is fully cocked
and the film has been advanced a full frame.
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.
Caution: Be careful not to push the rewind button (on the
camera's baseplate) during ftlm advance operation. Should
this occur , temporary stoppage of ftlm transport and double
exposure of the negative may result.

Frame Counter
The frame counter located on top of the camera works
automatically to show how many frames have been
exposed. The numbers 20 and 36 are colored red to
correspond to the number of frames in a standard
3Smm cartridge. The frame counter stops just past
the 36-frame mark and resets itself automatically to
"S", two frames before "0", when the camera back is
opened for reloading.
Film Speed (ASA) Setting
Some films are more sensitive to light than others. A
fUm's sensitivity
is commonly known as its "spee d,"
expressed in ASA numbers.
In order to work with films of different speeds, the
Nikkormat FT3's light-meter circuit must 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-speed ring. The ASA film-speed
scale has
numbered settings for speeds from ASA 12-
1600 with dots between each pair of numbers for
intermediate settings such as ASA 64, 80, etc.
.Pull
up the ASA lock on top of the shutter-speed
lever and , while holding the lock up, slide the slotted
ASA index pointer until it lines up with the ASA
number of the film in use. After releasing the ASA
lock,
check that the ASA index pointer is securely
locked
into position.
Film-Speed (ASA)Scale
1620 3240 64 80 125160 250 320 500640 10001250
ILLILLILlIL!I!LIL!I~~1
12
25 50 100 200 400 800
1600
9

EXPOSURE CONTROLS
The amount of exposure the fUm receives is determin-
ed by a combination of shutter speed and aperture.
The larger the lens aperture, the more exposure. Like-
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 f/11. Shutter speed is expressed in seconds or
fractions of a second. The numbers on the Nikkormat
shutter-speed scale are reciprocals of the actual speeds
(250
represents 1/250 second , etc.).
Camera
aperture and shutter-speed controls are cal-
culated so that an increase of one f/number com-
pensates for a one-step decrease in
shutter speed. For
example, 1/250 at f/8 is equivalent to 1/125 at fIll.
The table below shows how aperture and shutter -
speed are
interrelated. All the combinations give the
same exposure.
Aperture
f/1.4
f/2
f/2 .8 f/4
f/5 .6
Shutter speed
1/500 1/250
1/125 1/60
1/30
(seconds)
10

Setting the Shutter Speed
Shutter speedsare controlled by a ring around the base
of the bayonet mount rather than the usual dial on
top of the camera body. To set the shutter speed,
grasp
the lever and turn the ring until the desked
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
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 for
shutter speeds from 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: Intermediate shutter-speed settings are not recom-
mended except in the 1/250 to 1{1000 second range.
Setting the Aperture
To preset lens aperture, turn the aperture ring on the
~ens barrel until the desired f/number appears opposite
the black indicator line on top of the milled ring; this
line also serves
as the distance scale index. The aper-
ture diaphragm can be set for in termediate openings
between the click-stopped settings for more precise
exposure .
11

EXPOSUREMEASUREMENT
The Nikkormat FT3 features a center-weigh ted,
through-the-lens metering system. The exposure
meter · reads the light intensity over the en tire focus-
ing screen,
but its sensitivity is concentrated on the
12mm diameter spot in the center. This ensures you
of perfect exposures in everyday picture-taking situa-
tions, while still
retaining the selectivity essential for
specialized applications or advanced photographic
techniques.
Full-Aperture Exposure Measurement
When a Nikkor lens fitted with a meter coupling ridge
is
mounted on the camera, the metering system is
cross-coupled
to both the camera 's shutter speed dial
and the lens' aperture diaphragm setting ring. This
allows
you to continue viewing at full aperture while
determining the exposure settings, thus eliminating
finder dim-out and minimizing the influence of stray
light entering the finder eyepiece .
12
Turning On the Meter
To switch on the Nikkormat FT3's CdS exposure
metering circuit, pull out the film advance lever just
enough - to uncover the red dot on top of the camera
body. When the meter is not in use, press the lever
flush against
the camera body, since the battery is
being drained continuously as long as the lever is in
the "on" position.

A number of different shutter speed-aperture combina -
tions will usually result in
the same exposure. The
"best" one depends on the results desired. Use fast _
shutter speeds to "freeze" motion or slow ones to
create deliberate blur. Small apertures give greater
depth of field, large ones let the subject stand out
against an out-of-focus background (see " Depth of
Field ," p.21. ).
Centering the Needle
To determine correct exposure, adjust the aperture
and/or shutter speed until the meter needle in the
viewfinder
IS centered ( the - and + marks let you
know whether you are under- or overexposing). A
second
meter needle is conveniently located on top of
the camera for use with the camera held at waist-
level
or mounted on a tripod. For fine adjustments of
le ss than one f!number , use the aperture ring as it per-
mits reliable
intermediate settings.
Under extremely low light conditions the meter nee-
dle may
center at the "B" setting on the shutter
speed dial. If so, correct exposure time is 2 seconds.
If the needle moves erratically or cannot be centered
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 -
ing range) varies according
to the lens and film speed
used. For example, with the SOmm f!1.4 lens and a
film speed
of ASA 100 , it extends from f/1.4 at 1/4
second to f!ll at 1/1000 second.
13

EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT -continued
Getting the Right Exposure
The central part 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 center the needle. Then move
the camera until the desired composition appears in
the viewfinder.
For subjects of uniform tonal brightness, a reading
may be taken from any part of the subject. However,
if the subject is contrasty (sidelighted portraits, for
example), measure the light falling on the most impor-
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:
1. Measuring the bright area in the center of the screen will
cause underex posure of the main subject.
2. For correct exposure, first measure the light striking the
main subject, then compose and shoot.
14
Exposure measurement area
.. ------- ----------------------------------------------'\

Stop-Down Exposure Measurement
With some lenses and accessories, full-aperture expo-
sure measurement is not possible, either because the
lens has no au tomatic aperture diaphragm or because
the diaphragm will not couple to the meter. In these
cases, the stop-down metering method must be used.
This means that you must determine the exposure
with the lens aperture diaphragm stopped down to
the taking aperture.
To set the meter for stop-down metering, depress the
coupling lever release and push up the meter coupling
lever. To avoid accidental damage, make sure you do
not use excessive force when raising up the lever. You
can now mount the lens or accessory as you would an
ordinary lens. The meter is switched on in the usual
way.
Nikkormat lCll
~ --- ~
For automatic diaphragm lenses without a meter
coupling ridge, set the desired shutter speed; then, de-
press the depth-of-field preview button to stop down
the lens aperture diaphragm; keeping the button de-
pressed, adjust the aperture ring until the meter nee-
dle
indicates correct exposure. Be sure to release the
preview button before making the exposure.
For fixed-aperture lenses, such as Reflex-Nikkor
lenses, simply adjust the shu tter speed until the nee-
dle is
centered.
For bellows units, extension rings .and preset lenses,
set the desired shutter speed; then, stop down the
lens manually until the needle is centered.
Since focusing may be difficult or impossible at small
apertures , due to viewfinder darkening, you are
advised
to focus first at full aperture. Then , stop
down the lens to determine the exposure '.
15

EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT -continued
Special C Ises
Repro-Copying
For originals such as photographs which have tonal
gradation, exposure is determined in the usual way.
In
the case of originals having strong contrast and no
gradation , such as documents or line drawings, mea-
sure brightne
ss of the whit e portion of the original
(
if the original is predominantly black, a sheet of white
paper may be substituted) after decreasing film speed
by four marks. Or increase exposure about 1-1/3 stops.
Slide
Copying
For originals with continuous tone gradations, deter-
mine
exposure in the usual way by the stop-down
method . To copy slides with letters or figures on
transparent background, decrease film speed four
marks or increase exposure about 1-1/3 stops. In
the case of transparent figures or letters on a dark
background, either increase film speed five marks or
decrease exposure about 1-2/3 stops.
Important: The above are only approximate guidelines. Exact
exposure determination .is extremely difficult, especially with
color reversal rums. Therefore,
it is advisable to make several
different exposures for each
subject to be sure of getting one
that is correct.
16

HOW TO HOLD THE CAMERA
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.
17

FOCUSING
Focusing is always done at full aperture with Nikkor
lenses. This gives the brigh test possible image on the
focusing screen for easy viewing and composing. It
also minimizes depth of field so the image snaps in
and out of focus distinctly.
The Nikkormat FT3 focusing screen consists of a
matte Fresnel field with a centra l 3mm¢ split-image
rangefinder
spot surrounded by a doughnut -s hap ed
1 mm -wide microprism for rapid , accurate focusing.
Look through the viewfinder and turn the focusing
ring
until the two halves of the central rangefinder
image coincide to form a single, sharp image, or until
the image in the microprism appears sharp and crisp.
This focusing screen
is suitable for subjects with both
straight lines and ill-defined contours. However, when
used with lenses having a maximum aperture smaller
than f/4.5, or in close-up photography, 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. Thi s technique is useful for
candid shots of elusive subjects when time does not
permit through-the -lens focusing.
18
Microprism/split-image screen

Out of focus
In focus
19

SHUTTER RELEASE OPERATION
---------------------------------------------
For sharp pictures , correct shutter releasing is just as
importan t as steady camera holding. A quick, jabbing
movement of the finger on the shutter release button
will result in camera movement and blurred pictures.
Hold the camera steady as shown previously, relax and
squeeze the shutter release with a gentle , even pressure.
For l ong time exposures with the camera moun ted on
a tripod, use a cable release. The shutter release button
is threaded to accept the Nikon F and Nikkormat
cable releases.
Caution: When moun ting the camera on a tripod, do not
over-screw the tripod thread in to the camera tripod socket as
it
may damage the camera baseplate.
20