yes…this is the same model of camera that was specially requested by Nasa for use on their space missions, and this carries on today as well, where Nikon cameras form the backbone of Nasa’s photographic records.
the first Nikon camera taken into space was based on the Nikon Photomic FTN. it traveled to the moon aboard Apollo 15 in July 1971.
as many of you who follow this blog will know by now, i do tend to “accumulate” lots and lots of cameras, so many, that my house is now absolutely crammed with them…every nook and cranny has cameras or lenses poking out of it….no wonder that my long-suffering wife has given up complaining……she’s such a nice lady, that even though she’s threatened to dump me thousands of times over the years, im still with her….!
anyway, it so happens that ive always loved this camera, as it has that old-fashioned-modern look about it, if you know what i mean. and boy, is it solid? it weighs a ton, and as some users say, would make a very good weapon to hit somebody with, and it would still carry on working regardless!
this one works very well…i have used it several times overseas….i still remember it accompanying me on one of my many trips to, in my eyes anyway, that fabled city of Seattle…called “rainy city” by some, or officially “the Evergreen State”!
at that time, i was really hooked by the city and its close proximity to a wealth of mountains (im a mountain-man at heart!), and was trying to land a job there, which i foolishly spent the next 6 or 7 years doing, but to no avail…..i was looking for a job as an electronics engineer, which is what i graduated as and had worked at in the UK, but maybe i shouldve tried getting in illegally…seems most of the US is full of illegals, happily working away and living the dream!
anyway, i was using my photomic in the Pike Place market, a solid favourite of mine….taking shots of people, shopkeepers (yes, including those guys who chuck huge fish at each other…!), when a guy who mustve been watching me, walked over and said how much he was impressed by someone using a film camera in this day and age…and a Photomic to boot…..another of those heart-warming comments!
i fully agree that we will still be using these when the plastic digitals are filling up the landfill sites of the world! ok, so does this one work ok? yes, it does, of course! it has given me superb results every single time, and continues to work day in, day out.
yes, it carries “war-damage”….no dents, aside of a very small nick near the “n” letter of Ftn on the front and a slight nick on the front of the filter thread, as youcan just see in one of the photos above, but the thread is intact and you can still screw the metal lens hood which is supplied…..aside of that, a lot of the bodywork has brassing, but in my view, this just adds to the charm of the camera, signifying that it has been places, seen adventures take place!
all the shutter speeds are fine and all the mechs work just as they should. one thing i need to do is replace the meter battery (LR44 cells available anywhere) but being a hardened-camera-nut, i stubbornly carry on regardless of batteries…..just using judgement, which 99% of the time works wonders!
ok…thats how my camera is….now read what other users think about the Photomic:
“It is incrediby worn, at the front the paint is completely worn through where previous owners’ hands just wore right through. Wherever it has been, it must have been quite an adventure that nobody will ever know. The shutter is worn shiny, but it works and works and works….The Lentar lens is giving excellent results.”
“Appears to be made from a solid chunk of steel hogged out on a mill. Can be used as a deadly weapon in emergencies! Well built superb quality still shows through its very worn exterior. Available high quality lens availability is terrific. It was a beautiful piece of machinery in the sixties, and it still is so to this day…Makes contemporary SLRs look toy-like and fragile.”
there you are! so, do you want it for yourself? ok then…read on..
Price UK/Europe: £168.95 plus £10.99 shipping
USA/Canada, rest of world: US$255 plus $29 shipping
Payment: NOCHEX, PPPay, direct bank transfer, personal cheque (UK only). Paypal accepted, but please add $8 to final price to cover Paypal charges.
contact: harsum888@yahoo.com
