Got the FM3a !

italy74 said:
Yes, Steven, I think I've mentioned somewhere I'd like an Ultron 40 mm on it.
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I, too, picked up an FM3a just last week - and I did put the CV Ultron on it!



I put a 24-exposure roll of Kodak Gold 100 through it on auto, just to check the metering and basic function (while removing myself as much as possible from the process) and was pleased with the results. Here are a couple of frames:





I'm already liking the camera, and the combination with the lens. I've put some HP-5 Plus in it and will check how I go exposing manually.

...Mike
 
You got something nasty going on there along the left side of the frame, perhaps from scanning? Especially visible in the shot of the guy crossing the street.
 
Pablito said:
You got something nasty going on there along the left side of the frame, perhaps from scanning? Especially visible in the shot of the guy crossing the street.
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You're quite right: I'd just done a couple of quick adjustments and resizin then posted them up there on flickr. But looking a little more closely and printing from the file there's certainly something there.

I'd had a lab scan done as well as doing my own. From looking into that, the issue is present in my scan but not the one from the lab and certainly not in their prints. Now, I'm scanning more than the "official" size of the negative (37.something mm rather than 36mm - but the nasty left edge seems to intrude more than that). I'll have to look into that further (the issue doesn't seem to be there on scans of Tri-X I did some days ago).

Nonetheless, its not a problem with the camera or lens: its just in my process.

...Mike
 
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Well, it's exactly the combo I like, guys

Mike, you think too it's the right compromise between wide and standard focal lenght, 40mm? 35 is nice but sometimes a bit too wide and 50 sometimes is narrow..

Thanks again, though.
 
Dino,

Are you taking the lens cap off when you wind on? Maybe you are attempting a very long exposure rather than locking up?
 
Ciao Mark
good question. I set immediately the camera to "A" but for the first frames I don't remember if I had the lens cap on or off.. do you think this might be the answer then? I can shoot once but then I can't wind the lever nor shoot again, this is why I had to redo everything from the beginning... But I'll check next time I load the roll. Thanks for the hint.
 
mfunnell said:
Nonetheless, its not a problem with the camera or lens: its just in my process.
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For the record, its not even that. The problem doesn't exist with negs from other colour film, and shining a LED flashlight shows a slightly discolured edge to many (can't tell if it's all) frames of just this one film. Looks like it happened in the lab after their print and scan. :( At least it's just a test roll.

...Mike
 
italy74 said:
Ciao Mark
good question. I set immediately the camera to "A" but for the first frames I don't remember if I had the lens cap on or off.. do you think this might be the answer then? I can shoot once but then I can't wind the lever nor shoot again, this is why I had to redo everything from the beginning... But I'll check next time I load the roll. Thanks for the hint.
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I've left the lens cap on in "A" mode when winding on the film many times! Unlike the F3, the FM3A does meter from the very first frame so the camera just thinks its taking a photo in the dark and you get a really long exposure. The trick is to turn the shutter speed dial to 1/4000 to cancel it. I automatically set the shutter speed to 1/4000 when loading film now. Just have to remember to set it back to "A" when you're finished.

Another thing to remember is that in "A" mode the FM3A will default to 1/250 when a flash is mounted and turned on. You have to manually set the shutter speed to use slower speeds than 1/250.
 
Thanks Jon,
this is really a couple of useful info !!! I thought it set automatically the speed as every other camera: 1/250s in full day shots, 1/125 half light or cloudy and 1/60 in dark.
 
Dino: First of all, I don't have any of the FM models. I do have two FE2s, an FA, and an F3. I would vote for the F3 for having the loudest, vibrating-est mirror! But let me point something out: most of that CLOCK occurs on the downstroke. Try this experiment: with no film in the camera, set the shutter speed to one second. Release the shutter. Judge the amount of vibration you feel at the beginning of the exposure (shutter going up); and then at the end of the exposure (shutter going down). See which one causes the most vibration, as judged by what you feel with your fingers holding the camera.

A final note: If you want a second body for when you need low mirror clatter, check out the FA. It has a reputation for having the least mirror slap of any SLR. I have one, and I think the reputation might be deserved!

Best.

Rob
 
Thanks Rob, but the FM3a was a "must-have" and I took it "as-is". I don't really care about the shutter noise, but I'll try your experiment to see where is effectively the noisy part. Its strange sound was just a fun note I discovered while comparing it with the other SLRs I have. I mean every time each of us purchases something, the first thing he does is comparing it with what he already has, right? I won't change the FM3a because it's noisy, in the end I'm satisfied with it. I knew it would have been noisier than other cameras but I had kind of "crush" for it, you see what I mean?

Then, here is a little ( and funny ) update.
Today I managed to take the FM3a with me at mass and as usual I took a few shots of the ceremony. The 50 was on it, waiting to couple with the 40 Voigtlander (I'll explain later why). At the end of the mass, the priest told us that there were a bunch of boys (and girls, of course) coming from Africa (not sure which part, maybe from southern Morocco?) who are here for two months and its their first experience out of their country.

So I took the opportunity and went to visit them. I proposed them and their escort to take some pictures of them and since I'm known there they accepted. Of course I'll have to give them the prints once I have them. By the way, I was shooting with a T-max 400 stretched to 1600 (good in church but also there because I want to practise with depth of field and manual focusing) so that I worked most of the time around F/11 and 1/2000s or so.

Well, the "unexpected" (now is a learned lesson) came when I shot the first picture. ALL (and when I say ALL I mean ALL) the twelve kids came around me and grabbed and touched the camera trying to look the picture just taken. I tried to tell them it was not digital but I doubt they have understood my words. Their escorts speak Italian (very few), French (a bit more) and Spanish, but they are honestly too little to speak any other than their native language, whatever it is. However they were really craving to look and touch and handle the camera: fortunately it is in metal and the only (apparent) thing I got was some fingerprints in front of the 50mm (I'd say really the LEAST) then they wanted to shoot themselves. I was at the end of the roll and they sneaked a few pictures of it (I guess the photographer will wonder when will look at the latest pictures on my roll :D ) Then I finally removed the roll and set the camera to 1/4000s just to make them able to shoot again as they wanted. I even had the possibility to "teach" them something about shooting "Look at me, I said: CARICA (wind) and SCATTA (shoot), CARICA and SCATTA" Most of them understood and they were all boys. Of course they shooted without caring anything about if it was in focus or not (plus that there was not the film roll) When a little girl came a bit shy I tried too to show her how it was easy but she didn't understood correctly and kept the lever opened so that she couldn't shoot. Since the other boys were pressing again to shoot, she tried but didnt do that. What a pity. Among all them only about her I really cared.

However, I have to say that it will be for sure my camera if I ever go somewhere abroad where I can meet such boys... Can you imagine so many boys handling TOGETHER (!) the much more expensive F6 or D700 ??? Kind of a nightmare ;) You should have had to see how quickly (and without any respect for the lever) they winded the shutter, still it resisted. What a baptism of fire!!!
 
Dino,

That's a great story! At least now you know your FM3a can take punishment! I'm looking forward to the photographs - please show them to us! I'd really like to see some.

...Mike
 
Thanks Mike,
if everything is fine I should be able to post them within the end of the next week.
 
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p.s. The 40 Voigtlander will give me a bit more framed field and of course will have its front lens much more protected than the 50 !!!! Plus, I should be able to manage to shoot with a bit longer times than the 50 itself.
 
I picked up an FM3a two weeks ago together with the Nikon 50mm f1.2. Latter was from the last new stock - first time I've ever bought a new lens in my years of photographing. Beautiful and bright through the finder. I'd been looking at acquiring a 35mm rangefinder but realised the thing I missed on my Mamiya 6 was close focusing so I decided to go the SLR route again for 35mm. Not that I particularly needed a new SLR - I've had a Minolta X700 for years. A great camera. But the FM3a, in terms of fit and finish, is in a different league. Also, regarding shutter noise, I find the shutter on my FM3 to be much quieter than the shutter on my Minolta.
 
Riverman said:
I picked up an FM3a two weeks ago together with the Nikon 50mm f1.2. Latter was from the last new stock - first time I've ever bought a new lens in my years of photographing. Beautiful and bright through the finder.
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Congrats on the FM3A and 50/1.2. A Nikkor 50mm f1.2 on an FM3A sure makes for a bright veiwfinder! Surprised to hear you bought it from the last new stock though? The MF Nikkors are still available in Japan (i.e. not discontinued - see links below) but maybe Nikon USA no longer carries them?

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/lens/mf/index.htm
(lenses still available)

http://www.nikon-image.com/jpn/products/discontinue/others/index.htm
(discontinued lenses)
 
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