That Nikkormat FTn.

dave lackey said:
Beautiful! You know, you’re right!!! 👍👍👍
LOL… I always wanted a nice bookshelf with Nikons on display!

A Nikomat would be great!😇
Of course my cameras don’t just sit on a shelf, they get exercised, too…one like this would be a joy to display, and to use!

Btw, I have long admired your posts of your black and white work. I have been meaning to thank you for those!

Thanks!!!🙂
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@dave lackey, thank you for your kind words! I'm happy to share my photos here and I'm glad you enjoy them.
Erik van Straten said:
Don't underestimate the lens. I think I still have my original one: NIKKOR-H Auto 1:2 f=50mm Nippon Kogaku Japan No.773270. Is it possible to find the year of production of these lenses?

Yes, I agree, dourbalistar's work is marvelous.

Erik.
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@Erik van Straten, much appreciated! Based on the serial number link that @Freakscene posted, my Nikkor-H Auto 50mm f/2 non-AI is from around 1968-1971, just a few years younger than your lens. Seems Nikon had a prolific production output in that three year period, producing 198,897 lenses in that batch!
 
Ok, outfitting my Nikkormat bag is now done.😇

Dang, these FTNs are cool. The “new to me” 50mm/f2.0 lens is a joy to use. It won’t take long tomorrow to finish a roll of TMax 100, then I will get back to shooting some expired BW films.

Looking forward to developing some film and scanning over the weekend.

Why is it I am just now immensely enjoying BW film and my Nikkormats?🤔 I don’t know… I can always blame Erik… LOL
😂😂😂

With a huge “Thank you!”!!!!!
 
gelatin silver print (nikkor h auto 50mm f2) nikkormat ftn

London 1974

Erik.

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Erik van Straten said:
TriX, developed in D76. Split-grade printed on Ilford MGFB 17,8 x 24cm (7 x 9 1/2 in) glossy with a Leitz Focomat IIc, dried with an original 50 x 65cm one-sided Büscher.

Erik.
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Yeah, thanks, I was thinking that was TriX and D76. 😇 It’s been awhile since I used TriX and developed my own and I’m sure I will be back with it again. Soon.
🙂
 
dave lackey said:
The interesting thing is, it seems a near grain less image.👍👍👍
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Yes, in those years the TriX was relatively finely grained. After the Tmax400 was introduced, TriX became granier, presumely because there was less silver in it. Difficult to say, however. What do we know. The lightmeter of the Nikkormat is very good. A good exposed negative has a finer grain than a thin negative. I exposed the film for 200 ASA because a slightly more opaque negative is easier to print. I still do that nowadays with Tmax400.

Erik.
 
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Erik van Straten said:
Yes, in those years the TriX was relatively finely grained. After the Tmax400 was introduced, TriX became granier, presumely because there was less silver in it.
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I’m confused. Based on experience and the usual forum lore, I always thought Tri-X of the 1960’s and 1970’s had fairly noticeable grain and that was part of its appeal. Then, much later (1990’s?), Tri-X became more fine grained - at least for the same relative exposure and development.

I haven’t used it a lot recently, so maybe the newer film is granier.
 
Grain is a very subjective substance. When you print a TriX negative on paper with an extra hard gradation, you'll get lots of grain. This was very fashionable in the late sixties/early seventies. But if you print the same negatives on softer paper, the grain is gone.

Erik.
 
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Erik van Straten said:
Grain is a very subjective substance. When you print a TriX negative on paper with an extra hard gradation, you'll get lots of grain. This was very fashionable in the late sixties/early seventies. But if you print the same negatives of softer paper, the grain is gone.

Erik.
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Erik, it has been a long time since I last used TriX. What is your opinion of it these days? I am probably going to be using it a lot later this year in my Nikkormats and my FM2n.
 
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I haven't used TriX for a long time, I only use Tmax400, so I do not have an opinion on the recent TriX. I would just try a roll and see how it is. My developer is Perceptol, 1+2 for 10 minutes at 20 degrees C. I would use that too for TriX.

Erik.
 
The more I think about it, the FTN is both a beautiful and minimalist tool for photography and in some ways, it is much like the M2 (but with a really good meter!).

Simple, reliable, beautiful, well-built and easily affordable with a lot of great lenses available for little money.

One from the dark days of the Pandemic…

Nikkormat FTN 50mm/1.8
Expired Eastman 5222, XX:
Split Fence Rail Vignette Ftn 2021.jpeg
 
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I am hoping to find some time today to develop a roll of film from each one of these:

My POV this morning over a cup of coffee:
IMG_3999.jpeg

The FTN is always in good company. I’m interested to see how these two will match up in the real world. The “new” lens on the FTN is a joy.

These two cameras are no Spring chickens!😇

The top one is 61 years old with a 1959 lens. The FTN is 52 years old with I think the same year lens from 1971.IMG_3997.jpeg
 
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