Nikon FM3a Reviews

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Nikon FM3a
4.7 stars
Average rating for this product is: 4.7 out of 5

From 4 ratings and 15 reviews

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Average Ratings for Nikon FM3a

  • Photograph Quality4.9 stars
  • Features4.6 stars
  • Ease of Use4.5 stars
  • Value for Money4.3 stars
  • Reviewer Ratings4.6 stars
  • Overall Rating4.7 stars

15 Reviews For Nikon FM3a

  • rex asson 9th Jul 2008

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    Good Points: Exposure indication not good with dark subjects or in poor light---the fm2n is better--but is easier and more positive when opting to manually override the reading.


    Bad Points: no bad points at all


    General comments: Given that i carry and use both the Nixon fm2n and the fm3a at all times i find that there is never a situation that i can not walk away from without an excellent and usable image.

  • deerekit Rank: Lance Corporal 5th Mar 2008

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    The Nikon FM3a is my second Nikon camera; my first was a (Millennium Edition) FM2 which I bought as soon as I realised that the model had been discontinued - so, I bought the added advantage of a collector's-item camera and 50 mm lens with matching serial numbers. I eventually bought the FM3a in preference to an F5 because I wanted to be sure of the camera's ability to operate in all conditions and without power, and because I wanted to use manual rather than auto-focus lenses to make my photog ...

  • Goldbach 21st Jan 2008

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    If you are lucky to get one of these camera's, cannon lover or not, I suggest keeping it long enough to give to the grandkids so they have a nest egg when they put it on the antique road show or some other show where they auction classic items.

  • Guest 8th Jan 2008

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    A fitting companion to the FM2n as the two together , with the appropriate accessories , will meet any and all photographic requirements. No other 35mm camera made by Nikon or anyone else will produce photographs which are technically better . Just point it at the right object/scene .

  • John Chia Rank: Corporal 28th Mar 2006

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    The Nikon FM3a 35mm SLR is a beautiful classic camera. It's got everything you will ever need from a camera, and it's got aperture priority, which gives it a bit more ease of handling, especially when taking quick candid shots. It uses all the Nikon lenses, except for the DX range, but the best lenses are the old ones. It is also lightweight, uses virtually no batteries (I've had mine for 4 years and have not had to change them). So it is a great travel camera.

  • Perry Munson 23rd Jan 2006

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    The Nikon FM3a 35mm SLR camera has been a fabulous replacement for my old Fujica 701, which, incidentally, still works perfectly. I bought it because it may well be the last high-quality manual SLR on this planet. I expect it to last me long enough so that one of you will be able to buy it in great shape when I am gone.

  • Charley. 19th Jun 2003

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    I bought this camera when it first came out, and soon discovered that, like its forbearers, it is an exceptional shooting machine. It's been dropped, taken on a river rafting expedition (everyone else had disposable cameras), used in swamps, blowing sand deserts and extreme temperatures (hot and cold) without incident or problem.

    I'd like to add that this camera is perhaps the only SLR available that's still built to older standard. What makes it cost what it does is not on the surface - ...

  • Barry Campfield. 13th Jun 2003

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    Now that I've owned my FM3a for a while now, I've come to enjoy it more than any other camera I've ever owned. It's a true combination of two of the best cameras Nikon ever manufactured, the FM2 and the FE-2. You get the best features of both combined with a handy fill-flash compensation button and DX film coding. With the optional matte B2 screen the viewfinder is extremely bright and easy to focus. I use a diopter correction lens for my eyes and it works great for focusing without having t ...

  • Stanley Wong. Rank: Lance Corporal 27th May 2003

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    Introduction

    The Nikon FM3a is a manual focus camera that has a tough metal body. It has Aperture Priority (AE) mode for situations where you need it. Just like the predecessor, the FM2n, it can work fully mechanically without battery (just that the metering, and hence the AE mode will not work without the battery). It also has a bevy of features you would usually associate with a high-end manual focus camera such as a self-timer (with which you can have mirror lockup), DOF preview button ...

  • Garland. 24th Nov 2002

    Reviewer rating: 3 stars


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    Owned an FM3A for about three weeks before I sold it and picked up an F100. I loved the camera's size, features, and capability overall, but could not reconcile the lack of a spot meter. I shoot a great deal of transparency film under difficult conditions and was quickly frustrated with not being able to accurately meter specific distant areas, particularly in landscapes. Alas, I then soon sold the F100 for its battery-hungry disposition, poor film chamber isolation, and plethora of unnecessary ...

  • Paul. 24th May 2002

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    Nikon FM3a 35mm SLR camera.
    Can't say anymore than what I have said in the strong points. It gives you a feeling of power and independence from batteries in that in cannot manage 1/4000 shutter speed completely mechanically.

    Again, BUY THIS CAMERA!!

  • malcolm. 25th Apr 2002

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    After years of using more and more advanced AF cameras I have intentionally regressed to this manual Nikon FM3a 35mm SLR camera. Why? Because I never used all those "modes", all those gizmos and add-ons. Taking a photo is so simple. You set the focus, set the exposure and press a button. The important thing is to set the right focus and the right exposure. We have become used to "ultrasonic motors" whizzing focusing rings around - now I have rediscovered my eyes and my fingers. We are used to di ...

  • Hugh. 13th Apr 2002

    Reviewer rating: 3.5 stars


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    The Nikon FM3a is a good 35mm SLR camera that could have been better. I'm a nikon fan but I don't go around all rosey-eyed and scorn the competition just because it says nikon on the front. For a start, why no spot-metering? Olympus did it in the mechanical om3 18 years ago.

    Good camera if you want to start a manual nikon outfit, but I won't be changing my fm2 and fe2 for it. It's not worth it.

  • finlay. 19th Mar 2002

    Reviewer rating: 5 stars


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    This Nikon FM3a is a beauty of a camera. Unlike the previous reviewer this is in the FM series not the FE series. It offers mechanical shutter speeds from 1 second to 1/4000 of a second so cannot be considered as fully automatic depending on battery power.It is definitely FM3a in catagory and you can consider the automation as a bonus.After having used autofocus cameras I was getting fed up with the batteries packing in in cold winter conditions and the shutter locking.
    I was looking for a came ...

  • Elson75. Rank: Lance Corporal 23rd Sep 2001

    Reviewer rating: 4.5 stars


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    INTRODUCTION
    Nikon FM3a, a design that many assume will end the 2 decades of existences for the well-accepted FM2 and FM2n. I am not very sure how it will take over the heart of so many strong believer of the FM2n, which include myself.
    I am no fan of the FM3a, as I strongly feel it should be registered as a FE3 instead because of the extra electronic control that the FE series provides. In my personal opinion, the inclusion of the Aperture Priority AE into the FM series, which make the discus ...