NikonGear'23

Gear Talk => Camera Talk => Topic started by: werkstattmagicalmike on January 23, 2020, 21:12:50

Title: How to clean the view finder on my Nikkormat FT3?
Post by: werkstattmagicalmike on January 23, 2020, 21:12:50

Hello, I am a new member from Germany and hope to find some help on how to remove a small particle which is visible in the view finder.

I already removed the ocular (which is screwed in the viewfinder) and cleaned it and the glass, and I cleaned the mirror and the focusing screen (but only on the side which is accessible). So I imagine that the particle is on the other side of the focusing screen. How can I access this?

Maybe someone can help me. Does anybody have a pdf of the service manual - or does it give information on how to do this?

Kind regards,
Michael

Title: Re: How to clean the view finder on my Nikkormat FT3?
Post by: Erik Lund on January 24, 2020, 07:59:25

Welcome to NikonGear! Enjoy

There is a thread on the Nikkormat here: https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=8240.msg133882#msg133882 (https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?topic=8240.msg133882#msg133882)

Title: Re: How to clean the view finder on my Nikkormat FT3?
Post by: mxbianco on January 24, 2020, 09:48:18

Try this link:

http://ss-it.de/data/servicemanuals/Nikkormat FTN.pdf (http://ss-it.de/data/servicemanuals/Nikkormat FTN.pdf)

(it's a 12 MB PDF file)

This is the service manual for the Nikkormat FTn, not a big difference from the FT2 or FT3 versions, at least it gives you an idea where to start unscrewing...

For instruction manuals for old Nikon / Nikkormat bodies, you can visit the classic Mike Butkus site:

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon.htm (https://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon.htm)

And naturally, as Erik indicated, Richard Haw is one of the pillars of Nikongear, if there's someone to ask, ask him! https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?action=profile;u=687 (https://nikongear.net/revival/index.php?action=profile;u=687)

The place to look for info here in Nikongear is the subtopic "What the nerds do", one out of three topics out there is by Richard Haw.

Ciao from Massimo

Title: Re: How to clean the view finder on my Nikkormat FT3?
Post by: Hugh_3170 on January 24, 2020, 12:44:46

There is an internal rubberised seal between the top of the Copal square shutter and just below the back of the pentaprism and focussing screen. 

The Nikkormat FT3 was released in 1977, so more often than not these seals are are by now a gooey mess and quite often fragments from this seal find their way onto the focussing screen.

Time for a strip down and a replacement of the seal I will wager.

I confirm the advice from mxbianco that the differences between the FTn, FT2, and the FT3 are minor.

Title: Re: How to clean the view finder on my Nikkormat FT3?
Post by: richardHaw on January 25, 2020, 14:03:24

look for the Nikkormat article on richardhaw.com ::)

BUT....

never attempt to repair it unless you have the experience and tools :o :o :o

send it to a repairman.