Sunday, May 25, 2014

Need a Manual for that Old Camera? butkus.org is the Answer!

Image Source: http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/filmcamera/slr/nikomat_ft3/
 
 
This morning, I loaded up my first roll of film in the Nikkormat FT3 I won in the Film Photography Project (FPP) Walking Workshop last weekend. When I went to set the film speed, I realized that the indicator didn't want to move. I couldn't remember how to unlock it, but was at least smart enough to not force it.
 
What to do? Needless to say, it didn't come with a manual. Simple. There's an incredible resource of scanned manuals for cameras and accessories online at butkus.org
 
(Click Here) to go to butkus.org if you need a manual for (nearly) any old camera.
 
I found the complete Nikkormat FT3 manual there, just as I expected.
 
Whenever I find a manual and download it, I donate (~$3-5) to the site. It's easy, with a Paypal button right there. There's also a mailing address, if you want to send a check.
 
By the way, while the FT3 is simply described as "AI version of the Nikkormat FT2 (1975)" on the Nikon website, I've come to realize that it's truly the best Nikkormat (Nikomat) model for me, as it happily accepts AI lenses, and like the new digital Nikon Df, has the option of flipping the AI lever out of the way so that you can mount and use non-AI lenses. When you do this, you have to use stop-down metering, but hey, that's a small compromise. So, the FT3 is a wonderful camera to always have in your bag as a backup when shooting Nikon film SLRs, no matter which model is your primary or which manual focus lenses you're carrying.
 
Now to see if I can make any interesting images with it!
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 

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