C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Nikkormat FT2 Black is a cosmetic variant of the standard Nikkormat FT2 (1975-1977), offered in a matte-black body finish in place of the standard chrome-and-black livery. Mechanically and optically it is identical to the chrome FT2: full-mechanical focal-plane shutter, pre-AI Nikon F-mount, TTL center-weighted CdS metering, and the hot shoe added over the FTn. Black Nikkormat bodies were produced in smaller quantities than chrome equivalents across the entire Nikkormat line, making them modestly harder to find in good condition. The FT2 Black appears to have been offered only toward the end of the FT2's brief production run, which concluded in 1977 when the FT3 with AI lens coupling superseded it.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The final FT2 in all-black dress - a brief production variant that appeared as the silver model was already being replaced.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Nikon F (pre-AI rabbit-ear coupling) |
| Years | ~1977 |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/1000s + B, horizontal metal focal-plane |
| Flash sync | X: 1/125s; FP: all speeds |
| Meter | TTL center-weighted CdS, EV 2-17 |
| Modes | Manual |
| Viewfinder | 92% coverage, 0.86x |
| Weight | ~ g (same chassis as chrome FT2) |
| Finish | Matte black body, black-painted trim |
Nikon offered black-finish variants of most professional and semi-professional bodies throughout the 1970s. For the Nikkormat range, black bodies followed the same pattern: the same mechanical internals in a matte-black painted shell. The FT2 Black appears at the very end of the FT2's production cycle. By 1977 the FT3 - which incorporated Nikon's new AI (Automatic Indexing) metering coupling - had already been announced, and the FT2 in any finish was on its way out. The rarity of the FT2 Black relative to the chrome version likely reflects short production runs rather than any intentional limited-edition status. In Japan, the equivalent body was marketed as the Nikomat FT2 in black.
Among Nikkormat collectors, black-body variants carry a consistent premium over chrome equivalents in comparable condition, reflecting both scarcity and the photojournalistic aesthetic associated with black-bodied Nikon gear. The FT2 Black is mechanically unremarkable - its value is cosmetic and collectible rather than functional. For a shooter, the chrome and black versions perform identically. For a collector completing a Nikkormat black-body set (FTn Black, FT2 Black, FT3 Black), the FT2 Black is the hardest to source in good cosmetic condition because its production run was so short.
Nikon F mount with pre-AI rabbit-ear coupling; works best with pre-AI Nikkor glass. AI and AIS lenses mount physically but require stop-down metering. Recommended pre-AI pairings: Nikkor-H 50mm f/2, Nikkor-S 50mm f/1.4, Nikkor-P 105mm f/2.5. The black body pairs especially well with black-barrel pre-AI Nikkors (typically 50/1.4 and longer focal lengths produced in black versions). No motor drive was available for Nikkormat bodies. Standard ISO hot shoe accepts any compatible flash unit.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
View profile →Nikon Nikkormat FT2 Black
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