Nikon Nikkormat FT / FTN
The Nikkormat FT was originally introduced in 1965, as a low cost alternative to the flagship Nikon F camera. As such, the Nikkormat FT (also named the Nikomat on the Japanese market) is a simpler camera than the Nikon F. For starters, it is an all-mechanical camera, with the exception of the light meter. Shutter speeds range from 1 second to 1/1,000, plus a bulb mode, and are set by a ring based around the lens mount, similar to the Olympus OM-1. Like most SLR cameras, apertures are set on the lens itself. The Nikkormat FT has a TTL meter with a simple match needle display in the viewfinder, as well as in a small window on the top of the camera. This means that exposure settings could be gauged while holding the camera at waist level, before bringing it up to the eye.
Unlike the Nikon F, the Nikkormat FT did not have a removable prism, nor could it accept motor drives. This made the camera smaller and lighter. While it was meant primarily as a backup camera to those using Nikon Fs, many photojournalists actually used the Nikkormat FT as their main camera, keeping the Nikon F as the backup.
The FT was produced until 1967, when it was replaced with the FTN. This improved version featured a center-weighted metering pattern, instead of the whole scene average of the previous FT. The FTN also has a shutter speed display in the viewfinder and it simplified the process of mounting lenses to the camera. The FTN was produced until 1975 when it was succeeded by the FT2.
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