nikon F (Photomic FTn) a true legend
Wolfgang Bleier
Austria, June 2024
Back in the late seventies, around 1978, my father surprisingly has handed to me his Nikon F Photomic FTn and some Nikkor lenses. It was the moment that has triggered my enthusiasm for photography, which has not diminished anymore since then. What a great leap forward from my simple point and shoot camera to a professional Nikon F SLR. All over sudden I held in hands solid metal and high grade optical glass instead of plastic. Fascinated by the creative possibilities of such a professional single-lens reflex camera and interchangeable lenses my ambition to take better pictures has rapidly grown.
A few years later I saw for the first time the masterfully built, all-new F3, Nikon's revolutionary SLR succeeding the F2. It came in 1981 that I have gave in payment my father's old Nikon F for a new Nikon F3 because of my then limited budget. To give in payment the F against a new F3 wasn't even a good deal in financial terms, but I simply could not resist the modern F3, which, by the way, I still love to use these days for film photography. At that time I didn't regret trading in the F for a new F3, but just a few years later I became a little sad that I had given up the legendary F from Nikon just because I didn't want to wait a few months longer to save enough money to buy the F3. My father's Nikon F remained in my memory and I would have loved to see it at home alongside my other vintage cameras, however, the Nikon F was gone.
It happened in January 2022, when I took my Nikon F5 for repair to a second hand shop in Vienna and on the day I picked it up I spotted in one of the glass cabinets a pristine, well preserved Nikon F Photomic FTn, fitted with a Nikkor 50 mm f/1.4. I started a conversation with the shop owner about this camera, how well preserved it is and, as a side note, its almost like-new condition like the F I have traded-in many years ago at the ORATOR photo shop in Vienna. For many years ORATOR was one of the shops for professional photographic equipment in Vienna, if not "the" shop. To my surprise the gentleman told me, that for many years he was employed in the second hand department of ORATOR.
The shop owner continued that this certain Nikon F was in the shelves for many years and when ORATOR has closed its business, he took over ORATOR's second hand equipment to his current shop. Well, at that moment I began to think of the almost impossible, could it possibly be that Nikon F that I traded in many years ago? I took a closer look at this camera and realized a realistic chance to get back my father's Nikon F, as I still had the receipts for buying the F3 and trading-in the F and could compare the serial number. Within seconds I decided to buy that camera "at risk", since in "worst case" I'd just have a very nice Nikon F in my collection. Back home I compared the serial numbers and - voilà - miraculously my father's Nikon F was back home! Not only that this amazing coincidence made me extremely happy, I remember sitting at home for quite some time to feel the F in my hands, staring at it from all angles with deep satisfaction.
The next day I bought alkaline button cells in order to check if the light meter generally still works - and it does. 1,3 V mercury batteries according to Nikon specifications, like PX13, RM-625R or Eveready E625, are no longer available, however, the Photomic FTn finder accepts also 1,5V alkaline batteries, for example VARTA type V625U/LR9 (by some manufacturers also denoted as LR625A or PX625A).
Haptic and perception
The Nikon F is a legend and legends never die. It was a great manual camera of its time, these days of course, none of its specifications can impress. However, highly impressive are its rugged metal body to withstand heavy professional use and wear and tear, as well as its highly reliable mechanical shutter (the shutter of my F is in perfect condition after more than five decades!).
Due to it's simplicity the Nikon F insists that only the photographer, besides of image composition, takes care of the film speed, focus, exposure and aperture, thus the depth of field intended for the image. Compared to modern, electronically controlled cameras the Nikon F can be a completely different, very satisfying experience, which is for the photographer to be in full manual control of what the camera is expected to do. It is about the considerate composition of a photograph. Those who grew up with modern, electronically controlled cameras or take pictures by using their smartphone may even not be able to relate to what I mean to say by this.
For many decades it was only the photographer, who was in full control of taking great pictures, or the failure to do so. The simple equation >> exposure = time x aperture << inherent in such kind of cameras like the rock-solid, all-manual Nikon F was dominating the world of photography.
For a long time camera design hasn't substantially progressed in terms of ergonomics, not to talk about the great progress in camera design that we can enjoy since the late 1990's. While holding a Nikon F indeed feels clumsy, it still feels great in a way because of its sturdiness and superb finish. On the contrary, however, holding a Nikon F5 introduced in 1996 feels fantastic and delivers a real aha-experience, as the F5 virtually melts with your hand.
Features and accessories
Built to record action, historic events or to play with creativity and aesthetic composition, the F was pioneering the dominance of professional SLR cameras in photo journalism and professional photography and found its uncontested place not only in the bags of many professionals after its introduction in 1959, but also in space exploration missions.
It was a combination of features that made the Nikon F so successful: titanium-foil focal plane shutter; depth-of-field preview button; interchangeable prisms and focusing screens; mirror lock-up; a large bayonet mount; single-stroke ratcheted film advance lever; flash synchronization and a rapid rewind lever are among the most important design elements.
Designed as a modular system camera, the F adopted various assemblies such as viewfinders, focusing screens, and motor drives for 36-exposure and 250-exposure film cassettes, as well as various third-party film backs. Each of these assemblies could be fitted and removed, allowing the camera to adapt to a variety of tasks. The F36 motor drive fires up to 4 frames per second with the mirror locked up or 3 frames per second with full reflex viewing maintained.
The letter F
The Nikon F is the dinosaur of Nikon's professional F-camera series, a mechanical, all-manual SLR camera built for ultimate quality, performance and reliability in professional photography. To put this in context with more than six (!) decades that have passed since its introduction, I shouldn't forget to underline the most prudent feature introduced with the F, which was the F-mount bayonet. By the F-mount bayonet Nikon has paved the way for the success of professional Nikon SLR and DSLR cameras for decades until today in 2024.
The production of the Nikon F has ended in October 1973, but the letter "F" became an everlasting synonym for the king of press photography in the 1960's and 70's. In spite of being succeeded by great SLR and DSLR cameras among Nikon's professional series, the Nikon F is still cherished as Nikon's one and only original "F".
| Specifications | |
Model |
Nikon F Photomic FTn |
Production period |
Original Nikon F April 1959, Photomic FTn September 1968 - October 1973 |
Camera type |
35mm single-lens reflex camera |
Focus control |
Manual |
AF area modes |
- |
Viewfinder |
Eye-level pentaprism type. |
Exposure metering |
TTL, center weighted full aperture exposure metering system; meter's sensitivity concentrated on a 12 mm diameter circle. |
Exposure modes |
Manual exposure control (M). |
| Exposure compensation | via film speed setting |
Auto exposure memory lock |
no |
Shutter |
Titanium foil horizontal-travel focal-plane shutter (mechanically controlled). |
Shutter speeds |
1s to 1/1000s (T), (B) for long time exposures. |
Film speed range |
ISO 6 to ISO 6400 |
Film speed setting |
Manual setting |
Film loading |
Manual |
Film advance modes |
Manual (optional motor drive) |
Film rewind |
Manual |
Viewfinder display |
Shutter speed (direct optical system) Overexposure and underexposure zone indication Battery power test (on top of viewfinder) |
Flash unit connection |
Dedicated Nikon F-style accessory shoe |
Flash synchronization |
1/60s to 1s. |
| Flash exposure metering | Automatic flash output control via Speedlight. |
Flash sync modes |
Synchronization with 1st (front) shutter curtain. |
Mirror lock-up |
yes |
Depth of field preview |
Mechanical push button |
Self timer |
Mechanically controlled 2s to 10s |
Multiple exposure |
- |
Power |
1,3 V mercury batteries PX13 or RM-625R no longer available Alternative: Alkaline batteries V625U / LR9 / LR625A or PX625A |
Other features |
15 interchangeable focusing screens available. |
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