Nikon FM3a - vs. Nikon F3 HP - sturdiness and durability

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A question for those who have used/are using both cameras: which is the sturdiest of the two? I'll be taking one of them with me to SE Asia for a prolonged period of time, and I hope to avoid trips to the roadside repair man. Many thanks for your best advice, Peter
 
Haven't used either but I frequently travel Asia with various cameras. Get the one that rust the least and isn't black paint. I had with me my Pentax 6x7 for thee months in Indonesia last winter and it looks 20 years older. Everything seems to deteriorate at a much faster rate over there.
 
The F3P. It has much better sealing than the regular F3 and is made of
titanium including the prism.
This is a big deal as judging by how many dented prisms I’ve seen on regular F3hps, they must have made them out of soda cans.
 
Any variant of the F3 will be way more rugged than the FM3a. I love my F3p. For travel however, I'd probably go with the FM3a for its weight and simplicity.
 
Peter Wijninga said:
... which is the sturdiest of the two? I'll be taking one of them with me to SE Asia for a prolonged period of time, and I hope to avoid trips to the roadside repair man. ...
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That's a tough one! I've owned both over the years - just not at the same time.

In all practicality, it'd come down to ergonomics. But the F3's removable prism might provide a slight edge to the FM3 as to durability. OTOH, I'd figure out a way to pack both - use the F3 and pack away the FM3 (it's pretty small) and use it as a back-up.
 
I still have my FM3 a and F3 HP.The FM3a went with me on a walking trip in Tasmania. It was soaked for days and still functions correctly to this day.
The first F3 suffered a catastrophic meltdown when I tried to take off a Nikon flash without first turning off the flash and the camera.
Nikon in Singapore did not have a replacement mother board as the camera was so new.
So I bought an old Fm 2 which also still works.
You can't go wrong with a Nikon.
 
having opened both...i would say that the FM3A will probably be just as tough as an F3. the biggest durability issues for the F3s are the plastic buttons and dials and the old-tech LEDs. these were revised in later models I was told by no more than mr. Goto himself. :eek::eek::eek:

between the 2, i will choose the FM3A as it can operate without a battery, the F3 requires one, the way to trigger the M90 backup speed can be tedious, too.

there are many plastic parts on the FM3A than can break but so does the F3.

if you can, just bring an F2 with you or even an F. I am familiar with the F and those can really take a beating. the mechanisms are simpler and not a lot of things can fail.
 
I'm with Richard, bring an F as opposed to either the FM3A or F3. Although I don't own an FM3A, so I'm no expert on that camera. But I do own an F and used to own a pristine, low mileage F3HP that just up and died on me when the little plastic circuit board/copper ribbon thingy (or whatever it's made of) under the film rewind knob, where the flash is attached, cracked/broke, and that was it, camera stuck with M90, no remedy.

Where as my very old, very beaten F, just keep chugging along, no issues.

Best,
-Tim
 
I have a FM3a and it appears pretty solid and rugged. The F3 is pretty rugged but has an Achilles heal when using a flash mounted above the rewind knob. If the mounted flash is bumped reasonably hard, the glass FRE chip (which controls exposure functions) under the rewind knob can crack, rendering the F3 largely inoperable. Also, the FM3a's fixed prism is more moisture resistant than the F3 removable prism.
 
dtcls100 said:
I have a FM3a and it appears pretty solid and rugged. The F3 is pretty rugged but has an Achilles heal when using a flash mounted above the rewind knob. If the mounted flash is bumped reasonably hard, the glass FRE chip (which controls exposure functions) under the rewind knob can crack, rendering the F3 largely inoperable. Also, the FM3a's fixed prism is more moisture resistant than the F3 removable prism.
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That's why the F3P is so good, hotshoe is on the prism.
 
richardHaw said:
between the 2, i will choose the FM3A as it can operate without a battery, the F3 requires one, the way to trigger the M90 backup speed can be tedious, too.

there are many plastic parts on the FM3A than can break but so does the F3.

if you can, just bring an F2 with you or even an F. I am familiar with the F and those can really take a beating. the mechanisms are simpler and not a lot of things can fail.
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I forgot about the batteries! But if you can pack film, you can pack a set of tiny LR44 batteries which will last a few years.

Honestly, you can't go wrong with any of these lumps. My choice would be FM2n or F2As... F2As..
 
JoeLopez said:
I think you'd have a hard time finding one that much more durable than the other. Enjoy the trip :)
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That's probably very true. I have had a couple of F3, presently own an FM3a. I think the ability of the FM3a to function in manual mode without batteries, because in manual the shutter is mechanically controlled, gives added security. I'd much rather shoot with the FM3a than an F3, so I'm not leaving it behind when we go to Colorado next month!
 
I had several F3 fail on me out of the blue.
The FM3a, I didn't own long enough to know.
But I will never, ever, count on a single camera for a long trip, without a backup.
If I was forced to take only one, I would probably take the one that will continue to shoot after a failure of the electronics.
But again, even mechanics fail sometimes.
Always take a backup, even if it's "only" a Rollei 35 if room in the bag is a concern.
 
Never owned an F3 but have an FM2-T and an FM3a.

The F3 body weighs in at 715g, whilst the FM3a is 570g and FM2-T, 515g.
Which would you rather be lugging around in a hot, steamy clime?

Durability? Without a doubt.

Run out of battery power? Both will fire at 1/4000th of a second with none.

Backup? Ricoh GR.
 
FM/E series always seemed pretty durable to me

p02vb576.jpg
 
Whatever you do, DON'T bang the re-wind knob with the hot shoe on the F3 too hard. There's a wafer-thin round glass resister plate in there, underneath the ISO selector dial that I cracked twice bumping a mounted flash.

I bought a couple of those resister plates from Nikon years ago. They were $25. Today, they are unobtainable unless you can find a tech with new-old stock. Once cracked, the camera is rendered unusable.
 
I have a FE and the F3.
The weight difference equal to a small prime lens..
The FE can work without battery.
The F3 is the stronger, more durable camera body.
Take both or add a small backup, 35mm Rollei-T.
F3 are all black, mine shows brassing..
A pure mechanical body that has almost never let me down,Nikon-F.
Biggest problem SE Asia, heat, humidity, rain, rain, mist.
Small towels and plastic bags used in rain, not storage!

I travel with Point and shoot digitals, AA rechargeable, extra memory cards..
 
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