The Nikomat FT2 (in Japan) or Nikkormat FT2 (elsewhere) is the last of the pre-AI mechanical-shutter Nikomat/Nikkormat bodies, sold 1975–1977. Essentially it is an FTN with some added features.
Aperture indexing is semi-automatic on the FT2. When attaching a lens it must be set at F/5.6 so the camera’s meter coupling pin will be aligned with the lens’s meter coupling prong (rabbit ears) above F/5.6 then you must rack the aperture ring all the way back and forth so the camera will know the maximum aperture of the lens.
Specifications
- Die-cast aluminum alloy body
- Nikon F-mount
- Focal-plane shutter with vertical travel
- Highest X-sync 1/125 - actually 1/100 when tested on a shutter tester - all earlier Copal Square shutters are this way
- Automatic M-X switching, below 1/250, camera is in X-sync mode, above 1/250, camera is in M-sync mode
- Shutter speeds 1-1/1000 in full stops plus bulb. Set at the base of the lens mount similar to the early Olympus OMs
- Fixed hot shoe and threaded PC terminal on the body
- ASA scale 12-1600, set by pulling lock on shutter speed adjustment tab outward, then sliding index back and forth
- TTL full aperture 60/40% centerweighted center-needle metering in the viewfinder
- Light meter cadmium sulfide powered by a 1.5 Volt Silver Oxide Battery (S76/SR44)
- Nikon Type K focusing screen (split image/micro prism/matte); can be had with Type A screen (split-image/matte)
- Depth-of-field preview
- Mirror lockup
- Self timer
- Weight 880g
- Dimensions 148mm × 95mm × 54mm
Changes from FTN
- Improved film speed setting slider
- Permanent, internally-wired hot shoe (versus removable cold shoe and PC-socket to hot-shoe adapter necessary for the same functionality on FTN)
- Plus and minus signs on external meter indicator
- Plastic-tipped wind lever and self-timer lever, matching F2 and late-serial-number F (known as "Apollo" style due to the urban legend that these features were changed in order for the F to be used by astronauts wearing spacesuit gloves)
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