This was larger and heavier than most competing amateur level SLRs of the mid-1960s, such as the Asahi (Honeywell in the USA) Pentax Spotmatic of 1964, but the quality of the internal components gave the FT strength and durability.

The FT's exposure control system was a "center-the-needle" system using a galvanometer needle pointer moving vertically at the lower right side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in, open aperture, TTL, full-scene averaging, cadmium sulfide (CdS) light meter versus the actual camera settings.

The photographer would adjust the shutter speed to freeze or blur motion and/or the lens aperture f-stop to control depth of field (focus) until the needle was centered between two pincer-like brackets.

The needle array was duplicated in a window next the top-mounted film rewind crank to allow exposure control without looking through the viewfinder.

As such, Nippon Kogaku could not find a way to automatically synchronize their Nikkor Auto lenses' aperture information with the FT body.

Nikon's most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G type (2000) lacking an aperture control ring; and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount, but will not function properly at all.

The Nikkormat FS, manufactured from 1965 to 1971, was an FT stripped of the built-in light meter with its exposure information system and the mirror lockup feature.

The FS was unpopular[citation needed] when new because of the lack of a built-in meter, but this makes it rarer and more valuable than the FTs to collectors today.

The Nikkormat FT2, manufactured from 1975 to 1977, added a permanently affixed hot shoe to the top of the pentaprism cover, combined the two PC terminals into one and switched the light meter battery to a non-toxic silver cell, one 1.5 V S76 or SR44.

The Nikkormat FT3, manufactured for only several months in 1977 (but still available new from dealer stock in 1978), had the shortest production run of any Nippon Kogaku SLR.

[citation needed] The FT3 was essentially identical to the FT2 except that it supported Nikkor lenses with the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (introduced 1977).

The metering system was considered one of the best on the market at the time,[citation needed] as the Nikkormat FT3 remained a very popular camera with professionals and amateurs alike.

The photographer would then adjust the shutter speed and/or the lens aperture until the needles aligned, at which point correct exposure would be achieved.

Autoexposure systems that greatly simplified the process were a boon when first introduced in the Konica AutoReflex (Autorex in Japan) in 1965.

Note that the EL would still function without batteries in a very limited fashion: fully mechanical operation, with only one shutter speed available (an unmarked, fixed 1/90 second) and without the light meter.

The Nikkormat ELW, manufactured from 1976 to 1977, was an EL modified to accept the Nikon AW-1 autowinder, providing motorized film advance at up to two frames per second.

The ELW also expanded the automatic shutter speed range to eight seconds, and its viewfinder was fitted with a new standard focusing screen, the Type K (see the Nikkormat FT2 above).

The Nikon EL2 was manufactured from 1977 to 1978 and was essentially identical to the ELW, but with the addition of instant response silicon photodiode light meter sensors and support for Nikkor lenses with the new Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (see the Nikkormat FT3 above).

In 1959, Nippon Kogaku released its first 35 mm SLR, the professional level Nikon F. The F combined every SLR technological advance available in 1959 (automatic diaphragm lenses, instant return mirror and eye-level pentaprism viewfinder) into an integrated package with mechanical durability and reliability, plus optical quality.

[citation needed] It also offered the most complete system of accessories in the world,[citation needed] including interchangeable viewfinder heads, viewfinder screens, motor drives, flashbulb units, bulk film backs and eventually over fifty Nikkor lenses.

The Nikkormat FS and FT of 1965 were similar in size and weight to the Nikon F, had a pentaprism viewfinders, and were fully compatible with the F-mount lenses.

Nippon Kogaku achieved some success with amateurs, but by the mid-1970s the remaining Nikkormat models were rebadged as Nikons and the line ended.

[citation needed] Assuming that they are not abused, Nikkormats suffer very few mechanical failures for an amateur level SLR.