Nikon F3 or FM2?

[gavinlg]

I've succumbed to the desire to own a famous nikon SLR, along with some of their fine MF lenses. I've narrowed my choice down to 2 cameras. I'm just looking for opinions on which people like more basically...

Firstly there's the F3. Can anyone tell me if besides the advantage of being able to see through the VF at a slight distance, the HP model is any better to look through? Is it much larger?

Also there's the FM2/n which is desirable mainly for its Mechanical shutter. Is there a real difference in reliability between the cameras, or is it much of a muchness...

The lens I will be getting will be a 35 ais f2 following good reviews of it. I will also be using it on my 30d.


Thanks!

 

[Michael I.]

fm2n survived where a f3 died.it is also cheaper

 

[Chris Lynch]

i've never OWNED an FM2👎 or F3, but i currently shoot an FE2 and love it. I had an FM3A shortly, and sold it cuz i needed the cash- that was a very nice camera and i do miss it dearly.

Sorry for that probably not-too-helpful input. 🙂

 

[gavinlg]

fm2n survived where a f3 died.it is also cheaper

I thought someone would have some insight on the electric vs mechanical side of it.

Is the fm2n viewfinder worse to look through than the f3?

 

[jfserejo]

I have a FM2n and a FM3a and the FM2n is always the one I take with me when I wish to use the lenses from Nikon. I like the mechanical response of this camera better and the meter with only a "+ o -" is my favorite meter of all the cameras I have.
One other thing I feel about the FM2n is that the camera will never fail you.

Good luck with your choice,
Joao

 

[anandi]

I have both...

I have both...

Hey,
A thread that I can answer definitively. I have both an FM2👎 and an F3. For the F3 I have both the HP viewfinder and regular finder. Here are my thoughts:

If I had to choose one camera it would be the F3. I find that having aperture priority there lets me shoot faster in situations that I don't have time to manually set exposure for. You can always set exposures manually if you want. Also it allows for Non-AI lenses to be mounted and stopped down metered, opening up even cheaper excellent glass. I can't say that the HP viewfinder makes a whole lot of difference to me either way. I do wear glasses and sunglasses sometimes when shooting but overally I probably like the DE2 (?) finder with the slighter greater magnification factor. It's also cheaper to get with an F3 for some reason. Finally the heavily centre-weighted metering acts effectively like an spot meter to me and I have grown to rely on this even more than any matrix metering I have ever used. It is uncannily simple and effective. Bright/Dark scenes and subjects you'd just compensate for manually anyway.

I like the feel of the F3 a bit better, it's a little heavier and therefore a bit more stable for handheld low light shots and the little grip on it is effective.

In praise of the FM2👎 - it is lighter and more compact for a kit. The viewfinder is every bit as nice as the F3. It comes with a split screen focus (not interchangeable) that I find a bit easier to use than the focusing screen I have on my F3 (the middle region just goes in and out of focus). I like to shoot with the FM2👎 when I have lots of time to setup and to force me to think about exposure. It is more fiddly and enjoyable to use when you're in that frame of mind. The LED metering system + 0 - is pretty effective and useful in the dark, some people prefer match needle metering, you get used to it and it becomes as quick as manual metering can I think. I also take out my FM2👎 out in the rain and wouldn't hesitate to use it in the cold

I haven't noticed any issues with the FM2👎 in terms of shutter speed accuracy. It does have a faster flash synch speed.

I'd imagine an FE or FE2 would be sort of an in-between best of both worlds (or go for broke and get an FM3a!). I think the battery issue isn't practically a problem with an F3. A spare set takes up little space and compared to digicams batteries last forever.

Hope this helps, feel free to email me any questions at aanandi AT gmail DOT com

Cheers,
-Amit

 

[ChrisPlatt]

FE2's are getting very inexpensive...

Chris

 

[gavinlg]

Hey,
A thread that I can answer definitively. I have both an FM2👎 and an F3. For the F3 I have both the HP viewfinder and regular finder. Here are my thoughts:

If I had to choose one camera it would be the F3. I find that having aperture priority there lets me shoot faster in situations that I don't have time to manually set exposure for. You can always set exposures manually if you want. Also it allows for Non-AI lenses to be mounted and stopped down metered, opening up even cheaper excellent glass. I can't say that the HP viewfinder makes a whole lot of difference to me either way. I do wear glasses and sunglasses sometimes when shooting but overally I probably like the DE2 (?) finder with the slighter greater magnification factor. It's also cheaper to get with an F3 for some reason. Finally the heavily centre-weighted metering acts effectively like an spot meter to me and I have grown to rely on this even more than any matrix metering I have ever used. It is uncannily simple and effective. Bright/Dark scenes and subjects you'd just compensate for manually anyway.

I like the feel of the F3 a bit better, it's a little heavier and therefore a bit more stable for handheld low light shots and the little grip on it is effective.

In praise of the FM2👎 - it is lighter and more compact for a kit. The viewfinder is every bit as nice as the F3. It comes with a split screen focus (not interchangeable) that I find a bit easier to use than the focusing screen I have on my F3 (the middle region just goes in and out of focus). I like to shoot with the FM2👎 when I have lots of time to setup and to force me to think about exposure. It is more fiddly and enjoyable to use when you're in that frame of mind. The LED metering system + 0 - is pretty effective and useful in the dark, some people prefer match needle metering, you get used to it and it becomes as quick as manual metering can I think. I also take out my FM2👎 out in the rain and wouldn't hesitate to use it in the cold

I haven't noticed any issues with the FM2👎 in terms of shutter speed accuracy. It does have a faster flash synch speed.

I'd imagine an FE or FE2 would be sort of an in-between best of both worlds (or go for broke and get an FM3a!). I think the battery issue isn't practically a problem with an F3. A spare set takes up little space and compared to digicams batteries last forever.

Hope this helps, feel free to email me any questions at aanandi AT gmail DOT com

Cheers,
-Amit

Thankyou very much - this is more or less exactly what I was looking for - thankyou.

At the moment that f3 is looking pretty sexy, but It'll be a few days before I actually buy one... Need to think more still.

 

[the_jim]

I own/owned an FE2, FM, FM2n, FM3a and F3. The finders are great on all of them. The FE2 and FM3a have the match needle system which I like and the FM/FM2n have the +o- system that many people also like. The F3 has a little monochrome LCD that displays the speed and is very easy to use. The high eye point and eye level finders are equally easy for me to use, as I dont wear glasses.

The big difference for me comes in two points.

1. Top shutter speed. I love to shoot as wide open as I can so the faster the shutter the better. The FE2, FM2n and FM3a have a vertical travel shutter that goes up to 1/4000 whereas the F3 has a horizontal shutter that tops out at 1/2000.

2. Feel. The smaller bodies are nice and well built, but the slightly larger F3 just feels so much more comfortable in my big hands. The weight of it is also perfect for me. The shutter advance lever is so smooth and quite that it's scary. Also the pitch of the shutter is a little different. It sounds a little softer.

For me, the second point is more important as you can work around the first through filtration and slower film.

Any argument about mechanical vs electronic shutter reliability is a bit silly anymore. With proper care and planning, any of these cameras will last you a lifetime.

 

[JonR]

Take a look at www.flickr.com/groups/fmseries. There you will find a big group of active Nikon FM-users - most of them with a FM2! The F3 is a great camera but the FM2 seems to be one of the most used Nikon cameras still today with those wanting a manual camera. Personally, it is my favourite Nikon SLR and combining it with some glass like the Nikon Series E 28, 100 and 135 mm lenses creates a great combination!

Jon

 

[GeneW]

anandi's reply is excellent, and matches my own inclinations. I have both the F3HP and FM2n -- love 'em both -- but if I were to choose just one, it would be the F3. It's got that heft and je ne sais quoi that just feels 'professional'. I like the FM2 for its compactness and lighter weight when I want to travel very light.

Gene

 

[BillBingham2]

I've had an FE, FM2, several Nikkormats, Fs and now have standardized on an F2. For me, while I loved my Nikkormats having 100% framing for me is wonderful. I know it sounds strange coming from an RF user, but here's the rub. In RF/VF world you can see around the edges and if something is distracting that might be in the frame adjust. Doing that in SLR world, IMHO is a pain.

Another issue is focusing screens, I love the P screen and for me it's a big deal. The K screen is OK, but P is IMHO the best (1-14 in OM-1 land). Along with a wider range of screens also comes different finders. For copy standish work and really low to the ground shooting (like from the second level of a commuter train people on the first level) a waist level finder is handy.

If you really want a manual workhorse that will last a life time, go F or F2, IMHO, the next step down is the F3. Go F3.

B2 (;->

 

[Graham Line]

A minor correction. There are three user-interchangeable focusing screens available for the FM2n (and the FE2 and FA). In addition to the split image, there is a plain matte screen, and matte with gridlines.

To me the tradeoff between the FMs and the F series are the 100% finder and interchangeable prisms of the F's vs. the more compact body of the FMs. They're all well-built and easy to use.

In praise of the FM2👎 - it is lighter and more compact for a kit. The viewfinder is every bit as nice as the F3. It comes with a split screen focus (not interchangeable) that I find a bit easier to use than the focusing screen I have on my F3 (the middle region just goes in and out of focus).

 

[ChrisPlatt]

The FM2n is the loudest SLR I have ever owned.

Chris

 

[Michael I.]

f3 has a better VF and sits better in my hand.

 

[Nikon Bob]

Check out http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ for more info on the two. My vote goes to the FM2n for its lightness,cost and ruggedness. Unless you need pro build and features the FM2n is classic user. Yes I do use the FM/FE/FE2/FM2n and F3. There is not a thing wrong with the F3 but I just prefer the FM2n as I like minimalism.

Bob

 

[anandi]

My bad

My bad

A minor correction. There are three user-interchangeable focusing screens available for the FM2n (and the FE2 and FA). In addition to the split image, there is a plain matte screen, and matte with gridlines.

Oops, I hadn't realized that. Thanks for the correction.

 

[JJW]

Both are nice, but don't forget about maintaining them!

Both are nice, but don't forget about maintaining them!

Both are very nice cameras. The FM2 is lighter and easier to use. It is also not battery dependent, which is great. I have had the battery on my F3 drop dead and the camera is pretty much incapacitated.

Since these cameras are getting to be towards 20-30 years old, you need to consider the upkeep factor. I've had both FM2s and F3s (and FE2s) sent to my repair guy. This is what he has to say... the FM2 is simple to fix and very easy to maintain. Parts are usually not an issue. It will last forever. The F3 is more complex and parts sometimes do need to be replaced. It's more expensive to maintain. To fix some of the electronics inside, my repair guy needs to get parts cameras with the proper component(s) intact. The FE2s are more delicate, but that's another story.

That said, I have a nice clean FM2n body for sale. It's just been serviced and CLA'ed and has a 6 month warranty from my repairman. Drop me a line for more information.

The only reason I'm selling it is to get a DSLR... as much as I am sorry about doing this... but my clients are demanding digital deliverables..

 

[HSI]

F3 > FM2
-
The F3 is by far one of the best manual focus cameras out there in terms of ruggedness and realiabilty, (Also in the running, the Olympus OM4 and Canon F1N).
The F3 has a great meter stepless meter, heavy center weighting, and 100% viewfinder.
-
But it lacks a high sync and shutter speed and the pentaprisim is quite easily dented compared to the rest of the camera.

 

[dnk512]

I have them both. I am not selling either.

The FM2n is my favorite carry around as it is lighter and very simple in operation. The F3 is the best on a tripod. Though it does fit well in my hands, it is a bit heavier and the needle is a bit slower to evaluate (My comparisons are for using both cameras in all manual).

The F3 is sleeker in looks and in operation. It has true mirror-lock and electronic shutter.

As for viewfinders, I have both HP and nor-HP. If you do not use glasses go for the non-HP. However, the FM2n with a screen from the FM3 series is the best to focus on. But, you will not have 100% view. Does this matter to you?

The FM2n triggered my path to all manual old cameras (TLRs, Folders etc). The F3 is the most automated film camera I own.

Finally, the F3 is a part of a large system of attachments. It will also take older lenses that the FM2n will not mount.