Nikon FM3A - the Good SLR

[kshapero]

You too are entitled to your opinion.
In my world, it is, and has always been overpriced. And there is nothing that it offers in the way of features that I either want or don't already have in the cameras I use on a regular basis.

It really depends whether you are coming from a Leica or coming from a Nikkormat. It is all relative.

 

[Out to Lunch]

with the 1.2/50mm

 

[valdas]

with the 1.2/50mm

I use (and LOVE) the same combo!

 

[kdemas]

Mine most often has either the pancake 50/1.8 AIS or the 45/2.8 P on board. I have really grown to love this camera after having the FM2N for ages.

 

[Vics]

I needed the option of shooting either my Ai lenses or my non-Ai lenses. Also I couldn't justify the price of an FM3a, so last week I bought an FM from KEH for just under $60. I just came in from an hour of shooting around our town with the 24mm 2.8, and what a joy! Camera seems to be working great with 10 shots left to go on the first roll. This camera feels smaller than my M3, and lighter, too!

 

[mfogiel]

This camera is all you would normally need in a manual focus SLR. The only problem I've had with it, is that both my copies consistently back focus all my lenses - I think it has to do with some mirror adjustment problem.

 

[kxl]

That 50/1.2 AIS is tempting...

 

[kdemas]

I needed the option of shooting either my Ai lenses or my non-Ai lenses. Also I couldn't justify the price of an FM3a, so last week I bought an FM from KEH for just under $60. I just came in from an hour of shooting around our town with the 24mm 2.8, and what a joy! Camera seems to be working great with 10 shots left to go on the first roll. This camera feels smaller than my M3, and lighter, too!

Sounds like you made the right call on that one, congrats!

 

[kanzlr]

This camera is all you would normally need in a manual focus SLR. The only problem I've had with it, is that both my copies consistently back focus all my lenses - I think it has to do with some mirror adjustment problem.

the focusing screen has to be shimmed correctly. I had this done at a Nikon Service Point, but every camera repair man that has the shims in stock can do it (you can even do it yourself if you have them, its easy)

 

[Frontman]

I had and used the FM3A for some time, but it never caught on with me. I ended up reverting to my old F.

I have been shooting the OM3Ti I recently bought, and I like it better than the FM3a, mainly because I prefer the OM lenses. My OM 21/3.5 performs better than my Nikkor 28/2.8, and I prefer the OM 50/1.8 to my Nikkor 50/1.8. I also shoot the 50/1.2 OM and Nikkor lenses, the FM3A's 1/4000 top shutter speed is an advantage, and saves me from having to carry an ND filter.

The auto exposure is a non-issue for me, I prefer an all-manual camera.

 

[Pete B]

Does the FM3A feel as solid as the FM2n?
Pete

 

[kdemas]

Does the FM3A feel as solid as the FM2n?
Pete

It does Pete.

 

[Steve Ruddy]

Have to agree with Keith on this one, Gil. At least 100,000 FM3As were made, so its never going to be a rare sought after camera.

Today was the last day of the Matsuya Camera Fair in Ginza, Tokyo and I dropped by to scout for closing day bargains. I saw half a dozen FM3As priced from around $350 to $450. They were all there on Saturday too. Not selling even at those prices. The price bubble of a few years ago is gone forever I think.

Not sure what that price bubble was, but if I add inflation to those prices from 2013 it only adds about $40 more. Try to find a mint one for that today. Also I don’t know what qualifies a camera as collectible but seems like many are currently buying these up.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

No, overpriced because one can buy an FE-2( for example), plus two spare Duracell 1.5 volt button batteries for an additional $10.00, have everything the FM3a gives you and be a small pile of money to the good.

I have always fancied a Nikon FM3A, but IMO the hybrid shutter comes at just too high a premium.
I will content myself with my Nikon FE. In cold weather one can use the DB-2 remote battery pack.

Chris

 

[dtcls100]

So the FM3A and Pentax LX pass the test, eh? Aperture priority auto exposure and use of ALL shutter speeds if the battery dies.

Inaccurate. Lx mechanical speeds are from, I recall from 1/75 to 1/2000.

 

[shawn]

My 1965 Voigtlander Ultramatic CS has aperture priority and all shutter speeds if the battery dies. Did it really take Nikon 36 years to duplicate that? 😉

Shawn

 

[maigo]

Have to agree with Keith on this one, Gil. At least 100,000 FM3As were made, so its never going to be a rare sought after camera.

Today was the last day of the Matsuya Camera Fair in Ginza, Tokyo and I dropped by to scout for closing day bargains. I saw half a dozen FM3As priced from around $350 to $450. They were all there on Saturday too. Not selling even at those prices. The price bubble of a few years ago is gone forever I think.

Hard to predict the future, innit?
Closing prices on eBay are now average $650-750USD with extreme examples in the $900-1000 range.

 

[splitimageview]

I haven't really seen anything the FM3a has that is worth the price difference over an equivalent condition FE2. Having mechanical shutter speeds is nice, but FE2 batteries last relatively forever and are cheap...then there is the fill flash feature, but I never use flash, so...

Add a $20 K3 focusing screen to the FE2 (my near perfect FE2 cost $125) and for all practical purposes it's the same as an FM3a. Plus, the older "Nikon" logo on the FE2 prism looks better. 🙂

 

[Pál_K]

The Nikon FM3A has Aperture priority exposure and a manual exposure (so what no big deal) but if the battery becomes drained in the field ALL SHUTTER SPEEDS are available for use. Who else has that?...

Wow. Even though an old thread, I can't believe how many people totally misunderstood the actual criteria and question.

Coming close to the requirement was a good contender: the Canon EF "black beauty" of, I believe, 1973. It offered AE, but not aperture priority: with batteries you could get either shutter priority exposure or full manual exposure. If the batteries died, you could always use 1/2 second to 1/1000 mechanically. Actually, 1/2 to 1/1000 was always mechanical - the batteries were for AE trap-needle mode in selecting the aperture and also for any usage of the slow speeds, 1 second to 30 seconds. It has a nice viewfinder readout showing shutter speed and aperture.

I almost forgot one of the nicest features: once you load film and close the back, you can advance the film to frame 1 just by using the wind-lever; no need to press the shutter release.

Mine is below, but a nice website for it is:

https://www.imagingpixel.com/p/canon-ef-slr.html

Actually, maybe there was a slight redesign, because some of the EF's, like mine, have 1 second to 1/1000 as mechanical and 2 seconds to 30 seconds as battery dependent.


Anyway...

It was very nice for Nikon to offer the FM3a in the early 2000's. It looks and feels wonderful, has a great viewfinder display in the style of the FE2, FE, and even Nikkormat EL. I bought a black one new - I should've bought a few more because I like them so much.

My 1965 Voigtlander Ultramatic CS has aperture priority and all shutter speeds if the battery dies. Did it really take Nikon 36 years to duplicate that? 😉
...

Yes. Yes, it did. And I do want a working Ultramatic CS to have next to my Bessamatic.

...
Plus, the older "Nikon" logo on the FE2 prism looks better. 🙂

After the Nikon F it's been downhill ever since. Actually, it seems that everyone's logo started to stink after the 1970's. Perhaps fodder for another thread...

 

[dtcls100]

I have a near mint black FM3a and it is a very nice camera. However, I think the hybrid shutter is overrated. In over 40 yrs of shooting thousands of rolls, the only times I have had batteries fail is because of the cold. Silver oxide button batteries are prone to freezing. However, the Nikon FE2, FM3a and F6 (all which I have) all take lithium batteries that are very cold resistant. Moreover, I have a Nikon DB2 cold weather pack that connects to FE2, F3 and FM3a battery compartment to a cord leading to a AA battery compartment that you keep in a warm pocket, eliminating cold weather battery issues. So hybrid shutter is cool, but unnecessary.

I don’t use FM3a much because F6 is much better camera and because in bad weather and camera risky situations (like on canoe), I prefer to use cheaper FE2.