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Rent NowThe Nikon Nikkormat FT2 is a fully mechanical 35mm film SLR manufactured from 1975 to 1977, part of Nikon’s Nikkormat line of consumer-oriented cameras built to the same quality and specification standards as Nikon’s professional F-series bodies. Positioned as a more affordable alternative to the flagship Nikon F2 at the time, it’s remembered today as a durable workhorse with a devoted following among photographers who own manual-focus Nikon glass.
At its core, the FT2 uses an all-metal, multiple-blade Copal Square S vertical-travel focal-plane shutter with speeds ranging from 1 second to 1/1000 second plus bulb mode, along with a flash sync speed of 1/125 second, a notable improvement over the Nikon F2’s 1/90 sync speed at the time and a feature that helped studio photographers appreciate the FT2 specifically. Metering is handled by a CdS-cell, TTL center-weighted system with a sensitivity range of EV3 to EV17 at ASA-100 and an ISO range of 12-1600, displayed via a needle readout both on the top cover and inside the viewfinder, without any automatic exposure modes, keeping full manual control over aperture and shutter speed in the photographer’s hands.
The camera is built around Nikon’s F-mount, and mounting a lens requires Nikon’s distinctive indexing procedure: the lens aperture ring must be set to f/5.6 and the meter coupling pin rotated to align with the lens’s “rabbit ears” prong before the lens twists into place, a system used across the pre-AI Nikkormat line. The FT2 introduced several refinements over the earlier FTn, including a permanently affixed hot shoe atop the pentaprism housing, a single combined sync port for both X (electronic flash) and M (flashbulb) connections, a switch to a non-toxic 1.5V silver-oxide battery (SR44/S76) in place of the earlier toxic mercury cell, a locking ISO/ASA selector dial, and an updated Type K focusing screen featuring a 3mm split-image rangefinder with a 1mm microprism collar.
Build quality is a defining strength of the FT2, with a solid die-cast aluminum alloy body offering a weighty, substantial feel comparable to the professional Nikon F2, along with depth-of-field preview, a self-timer, and mirror lock-up. Unlike the professional F-series, the Nikkormat’s pentaprism housing, focusing screen, and film back are fixed rather than interchangeable, and no motor drive accessory was offered for this line. The camera measures approximately 148 x 95-96mm x 54mm and weighs about 773-780g.
Key Features
– Nikon F-mount fully manual 35mm film SLR
– Metal vertical-travel Copal Square S focal-plane shutter, 1 sec to 1/1000 sec plus bulb
– 1/125 sec flash sync speed
– CdS-cell TTL center-weighted metering (EV3-EV17 at ASA-100; ISO 12-1600 range)
– Powered by a single 1.5V SR44/S76 silver-oxide battery
– Permanently affixed hot shoe; combined X/M sync port
– Locking ISO/ASA selector
– Type K focusing screen (split-image rangefinder plus microprism collar)
– Depth-of-field preview, self-timer, and mirror lock-up
– Fixed (non-interchangeable) pentaprism, focusing screen, and film back
– Solid die-cast aluminum alloy body construction
– Fully manual focus, aperture, and shutter speed operation
