Any love for the Nikon FA?

[FrankS]

I can get a black one for a lot cheaper than a black FE-2. It's got matrix metering, even for non-Ai lenses, and shutter priority and program mode, beyond the FE specs.

I'm just rescuing kittens.

 

[rbsinto]

Frank,
About seven or eight years ago, I traded an FE-2 plus some cash for an FA, and then swapped my MD-12 plus a bit of money for an MD-15, after reading an article by Herb Keppler in Pop Photo about the AMP metering system in the FA, which only became popular after it was re-introduced in the auto-focus 801 body re-named as Matrix metering.
I originally considered buying an FA when they first came out in the mid eighties, but was actually dissuaded by a photo store owner who, like most people at the time didn't really understand what the metering system was or what it was capable of.
It was only after I got tired of the invisable-in-low-light match needle in the FE-2 and Kepplers article that I decided that the FA was the lowest-priced Matrix metering manual focus Nikon body available to me.
I love the camera and use it in Aperture-Priority mode most of the time, and am extremely pleased with the results it gives me.
It is everything the F3 should have been but wasn't, and I'm convinced that if it had been built to the "industrial-strength" standards of the F-series cameras, could easily have been the flagship Nikon Professional body of its day.

 

[css9450]

I have an FA also, a chrome one. Its been perfectly reliable for me. I too usually use it in Aperture Priority (and Manual).

Its nice to know I can use it in Shutter Priority and Program modes with my older lenses, which my N90S (and D80) could never do.

And its a pretty good looking camera too! Kind of like a sleeker, more modern FM or FE.

Oh, and last time I looked, B&H still had brand-new MD-15s in stock. I ordered one a couple years ago just to complete my kit; it truly was brand new. Like opening a time capsule.

 

[colker]

the FA is a classic. mine collapsed (shutter, circuit) and i am trying to revive it.
brautifull camera. i like it more than the F3. much more.

 

[whickus]

the fa is a great camera. i have two 35mm cameras - an m7 and an fa. the only bad thing about the fa is that there's no exposure lock. i got used to that feature on my m7, so going back to the fa is a little slow going if the lighting is tricky. other than that, it's a great manual focus slr.

 

[Rico]

I could tolerate the Gold FA. 🙂

 

[Kozhe]

Having the FE all I can say is that these old Nikons are just great. Compact and classic!

 

[dave lackey]

Funny you should ask...I have an FA on loan from a fellow Nikonian to shoot The Kodachrome Project and it is really a nice compact camera!

Not as tough as my F3/T but very nice to use and I love the program mode and aperture mode as well. With the E series 50mm lens, it is pretty darned compact and easy to carry with a wrist strap!

 

[nikon_sam]

I was looking for another Nikon body a few years ago and did my homework on the FA and I was also looking at the F4 too...
The F4 offered Auto-Focus (even though at the time I was sorta anti-auto everything) I decided on the F4 and I'm glad I did...
Getting back to the FA...it's a great body and has alot to offer...

 

[vha]

really wanted a FA in the early 90´s, was bugging the library to find the 1984 and 85 edition of the Norwegian photography magazine "Fotografi", and down to the basement they went 🙂 Took me (and the librarians) some time to find the review 🙂
Would have been fun to try it, to see if the camera is so fantastic as i wanted it to be when I was 15 years old . . . was lucky to get my F401s traded for a FM so I was kind of happy. And the FA was too expensive 2nd hand at that time too.

 

[Pablito]

Changing the battery in the FA is a PITA from what I remember, also the battery is somewhat harder to find that the very common cells used by the FE2. I much prefer the FE2 as well for its compact size.

 

[rbsinto]

Changing the battery in the FA is a PITA from what I remember, also the battery is somewhat harder to find that the very common cells used by the FE2. I much prefer the FE2 as well for its compact size.

the FA uses 1.5 volt buttons and they go in a circular well on the bottom of the camera no different from any of the other cameras in its chassis-size class (FE,FM,FE-2/FM-2/ FM-3a).

 

[Todd.Hanz]

I always wanted one after reading about it on mir.com:http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfa/index.htm

I too had an FE2 that I loved, sadly I traded it for some other gear that I wanted more at the time. I picked up an FA about a year ago, it goes with me everywhere with a 24/2.8 attached. I find the metering as good as my F4S... at least very similar. Very compact when not connected to the MB15. Get it, you won't go wrong!


me and mine...

Todd

 

[Rob-F]

One correction: the Matrix metering is only available with AI-S lenses. You don't get matrix metering even with AI non-S lenses.

 

[notraces]

The FA is one of the best --- much nicer than the FE2 -- I wouldn't trade or sell my FA - ever...

 

[Rob-F]

Frank,
About seven or eight years ago, I traded an FE-2 plus some cash for an FA, and then swapped my MD-12 plus a bit of money for an MD-15, after reading an article by Herb Keppler in Pop Photo about the AMP metering system in the FA, which only became popular after it was re-introduced in the auto-focus 801 body re-named as Matrix metering.
I originally considered buying an FA when they first came out in the mid eighties, but was actually dissuaded by a photo store owner who, like most people at the time didn't really understand what the metering system was or what it was capable of.
It was only after I got tired of the invisable-in-low-light match needle in the FE-2 and Kepplers article that I decided that the FA was the lowest-priced Matrix metering manual focus Nikon body available to me.
I love the camera and use it in Aperture-Priority mode most of the time, and am extremely pleased with the results it gives me.
It is everything the F3 should have been but wasn't, and I'm convinced that if it had been built to the "industrial-strength" standards of the F-series cameras, could easily have been the flagship Nikon Professional body of its day.

My story is somewhat similar. I originally shied away from the FA--thought it was a toy--and opted for a pair of FE2s instead. Recently I added an FA. Initial results look promising and I'm looking forward to shooting with it this spring and summer. I read that the FA is relatively free of mirror slap compared to most other SLRs. I can believe that. The FE2 seems almost as good, but the F# is a lot worse in that respect. So I think I'm going to love this camera.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

You can't use non-AI lenses on the FA. The coupling lever is fixed.

 

[leica M2 fan]

Matrix metering with AI lenses.

Matrix metering with AI lenses.

Rob, I believe you do get Matrix metering with AI lenses as well as AIs lenses.

 

[jb17kx]

I'm probably biased as an FE2 user, but I happily credit the FA with a lot. I wouldn't turn one down, but I like the match-needle system just that little bit more (though low-light, yes, I know).

I just think it came at an awkward time - in 1983 it was right up against the FE2, which was a lot more like the tried-and-tested FE. And of course, all that electronic and automatic stuff wasn't to be trusted at all - you only have to look at the F3 and the reaction it got.

But as a forerunner of a lot of the exposure technology the F4 would utilise it must have been fun to be an FA owner saying "I told you so".

 

[leica M2 fan]

I have an FA in really great shape that I just love to use, it pretty much has supplanted the F100 for go to shooter. The F100 is great in its own right buy too difficult to use with manual lenses. With the FA I can use the AIS 28.f2.8 I have and use my AF non-D lenses I had for the 8008s. Works perfectly for me and it is a joy to use because of the small size.