Novel polymeric nitridomanganese(V) and nitridochromium(V) complexes with a Schiff base ligand, [MnN(salpn)] and [CrN(salpn)] (H-2(salpn): NAP-disalicylidene-1,3-propanediamine) were prepared by photolysis of azido complexes. X-ray crystal structure analyses show that the complexes have an isostructual polymeric structure (...Mequivalent toN...Mequivalent toN...) with the N...M distances being 2.528(3) Angstrom for M=Mn, and 2.508(2) Angstrom for M=Cr.