Nikon FM3a

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.

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 photographs. I now regard the FM3a as my main body and the FM2 as my second body, although I often use them together to split and share my four fixed focal-length manual lenses (28, 50, 135 and 200 mm). As a journalist who shoots all of his own pictures, as a photo-journalist who sometimes finds himself in rough situations, and as a documentary photographer who values the depth and density and sheer quality of film, I can only say that these two Nikon bodies and their brilliant lenses are probably all that I will ever need (or wish for) in the making of photographs that matter to me, and that I try to make matter to others. I know that the F6 is the last film camera that Nikon will manufacture, but for me the two best mechanical cameras are a better choice: they speak of the purity and seriousness of the craft and vocation of photography, and remind me of its long history. I first picked up a camera more than twenty years ago - it was a Minolta X-700, an ideal camera for learning the basics - and my wish to always be entirely responsible for composition and exposure in the making of a photograph eventually led me towards the Nikon mechanical models with the sharpest and clearest lenses. Unless I one day decide to convert to a Leica MP rangefinder outfit, I will stay with Nikon and its mechanical sense and dependability.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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 - beepers or blinking lights - but rather it's the materials and construction inside. Instead of the usual cheap plastic gears and transport mechanisms, the FM3a's shutter transport rides on ball bearings. Even the old-fashioned advance lever rotates on ball bearings! What electronics it does have are well protected from shock and heat. And though the hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter is new, it is still an engineering evolution of the long proven and reliable Nikon FE/FE2 and FM2n cameras, rather than an unproven shot in the dark.

My local camera shop these days complains that they must often replace electronic SLR bodies within a month or two after purchase, sometimes more than once, until the customer finally gets a good one. Sometimes the customer drops the camera, which is deadly to many of today's offerings. But sometimes they don't do anything at all to it, and it still malfunctions. They say that happens with all the current SLRs except the Nikon FM3a. They don't sell a lot of this model because people want autofocus, but when they do sell an FM3a, it never, ever comes back.

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 to wear eyeglasses.

Now that some time has passed it's apparent that the naysayers and FM2n defenders were wrong in thinking that the FM3a was somehow inferior to past offerings or grossly overpriced - it's without a doubt equally as reliable a camera, with much more to offer, and prices have come down dramatically these days - $445 U.S. will get you a chrome version and $500 US a black one.

No, it doesn't have metering options, but its center weighted light meter IS extremely accurate and works well for those who know how to use it. And let me reiterate - it works, not like some other well known models/brands where two or three computerized functions are always on the blink!! Let the duffers stick to their matrix automated metering, people who bother to learn photography will have no problem with obtaining brilliant pictures. And, unlike the modern crop of plastic AF junk, the FM3a can be used outdoors in any weather extreme with complete confidence. It's probably the last camera currently made that will still be working away 25 years from now. Sure to be a collectible classic.

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 (really useful) and compensation dial.

I purchased the FM3a after many years using various AF SLRs. I wanted to relearn the basics. I also wanted a camera that would work no matter what. For a while I seriously considered the FM2n and the FM3a. I did intensive research into the 2 cameras. But I must honestly say that I have not used the FM2n before.

I have only had the FM3a for 6 months but I have gone through in excess of 20 rolls on it. In comparison, I have used less than 6 rolls on my other 3 camera bodies.

I initially planned to buy an AF Nikon body at a later date and use the FM3a as a backup. But now that I have gotten used to it, I am not too sure. I will probably wait a couple more years and get a digital SLR body instead. I am confident that I will have all I need till then in my FM3a.

FM2n vs. FM3a

What a tough contest. The FM2n is an all time favorite. Built to take a beating and still keep clicking, it has made it reputation by being THE camera you would bring when you needed a camera that you could depend on 100%. Professionals all over the world have at least 1 FM2n body in the bag as a backup to their F90s, F4s and F5s.

But the FM3a is all that and more.

The FM3a offers these little extras:

1/ Aperture Priority (AE) mode.

It is for this feature that purists would demand that the FM3a be renamed FE3a. Never before has the FM range offered a "Program" mode. With AE mode, you can simply select the aperture you need and take the photo. Be fully confident that the correct shutter speed based on the proven center weighted system will be selected.

There are times when this feature makes critical timing shots possible. Being a fully mechanical camera, the FM2n lacks this feature. It is related to the next feature.

2/ Dual shutter system

You work in the manual mode and the shutter speed is mechanically adjusted according to your choice, up to the staggering 1/4000s. This system is used both in the FM2n and the FM3a.

In addition, when you work in AE mode on the FM3a, the shutter speed is adjusted STEPLESSLY. So if the meter decides 1/333s is best, then that is what you will get. Not the next best step of 1/250s or 1/500s. This is also useful in night shots where it is most difficult to judge the timing past 10s. I have used the AE mode in situations requiring more than 30 s exposure with great results. With the FM2n, you would have to judge the timing yourself.

That in itself is an innovation worth mentioning.

3/ The Match Stick metering

I used to have a F401. It had an LED metering that showed "+" if the meter thought that setting would cause the photo to be overexposed. "-" when it decided that the photo would be underexposed. And "o" to show correct exposure. This is common on many Nikon bodies.

I simply hated it. It did not tell me how many stops over or under. I had to fiddle around until "o" was displayed (and sometimes I WANTED to be under/overexposed without playing with the compensation dial). The FM2n uses this system. This was the deciding factor.

The FM3a offers a full information matchstick metering. At one glance I know how many stops I am under or over exposed. I can make instant decisions without fiddling with the speed or aperture dials.

4/ Bright Focusing Screen

The FM3a comes with one of the brightest focusing screen I have ever seen. It is comparable to those add-on super bright focusing screens that you need to fork out loads to buy. I understand that it is the brightest Nikon offers without modification.

In the face of some many other features, this almost becomes a footnote. I guess why it the feature is sometimes left out. But let me tell you, this bright split screen focusing screen will floor you the first time you look it.

If you were planning to use the integrated Depth of Field (DOF) preview button that the FM3a has (I am not sure if the FM2n has one) then this focusing screen will be a blessing to you.

5/ Others

Two features that you would not associate with a manual focus Nikon body would be TTL flash control and DX code reading. Imagine that! The FM3a has both.

With TTL flash control you can use a Nikon speedlight and control the flash output by light measurement through the lens. I never found the need for this feature as my Mecablitz flash is pretty accurate by itself. But hey, it is there if you need it.

DX code reader allows you to pop in a roll of film and the camera will determine how fast (ISO rating) it is by the DX code on the side of the roll. Silly me keep forgetting to change the ISO setting so this feature really comes in handy for me.

Drawbacks

My only gripe is the price and that there is no spot metering.

Nikon has set the price for this camera pretty high. I can probably buy 2 FM2n bodies for the same price as a new FM3a. But you cannot fault the build. The combination of quality and features is fantastic.

With spot metering, this would be an invincible camera. Without it, well, it is simply just a very, very good camera that is super reliable.

Conclusion

So if you are looking for a backup Nikon body, a camera that will not quit on you, a camera to learn (or relearn) all the basics or whatever, the FM3a is the one for you.

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 features (for my style of shooting) sold my Nikkor lenses as well, the AF Nikkor zooms in particular for their relatively low optical performance and too-abrupt manual focusing (due to the short helicoids needed to acheive fast AF speeds), which is how I tend to use them most. Now using Contax equipment with Zeiss T* primes (28 f/2, 50 f/1.4, 135 f/2.8), a Sigma macro (until I can afford the Zeiss), and a Yashica 80-200 f/4 telezoom, any of which put to shame similar Nikon (or Canon or Minolta, for that matter) offerings.

In short, the FM3A is a fine camera for the purist used to working exclusively with 60/40 centerweighted metering. However, overall it's a bit pricey and limited in metering options for the rest of us. Somewhat of a bad miscalculation, I fear, for Nikon. A mint condition FM2(N) would likely prove a far more satisfying and useful purchase for 95% of users, at a substantial savings.