Nikon SLR fans: Nikkormat or FM?

[paulfish4570]

Well, I sure am enjoying the FE2. It is about the same weight as my SP1000, and I am getting sharp photos from it. I like much seeing the f-stop in the little window, and the left side shutter readout is a pleasure. Most of all, I like the incredibly bright viewfinder that does not require reading glasses ...

 

[semilog]

Well, I sure am enjoying the FE2...

Meanwhile, using an FT2 is reminding me just what wonderful and refined cameras my FE2s were. Nikon learned a lot about camera design in the time between those two cameras.

 

[paulfish4570]

The FE2, like the SP1000, is very RF-like to me ...

 

[Vincent.G]

Paul, I recommend the F3HP. Great VF and accepts all pre-AI and AI lens. It has an interchangeable viewfinder and focus screen. The shutter curtain is made of titanium as well. I have the F3/T (a HP version) and it is a great camera.

I also own a FM3A for mechanical backup to my F3/T (which unfortunately only have a mechanical speed at 1/60sec). The FM3A is lighter and has superior VF readout than F3 with its "matching needles". However the VF readout on F3/T does not bother me.

 

[dimitris]

I wear glasses and to me the viewfinder of the F3hp was what it really made it stand out vs. anything else.

 

[gb hill]

Well, I sure am enjoying the FE2. It is about the same weight as my SP1000, and I am getting sharp photos from it. I like much seeing the f-stop in the little window, and the left side shutter readout is a pleasure. Most of all, I like the incredibly bright viewfinder that does not require reading glasses ...

Looks like a keeper Paul. Good luck with the FE2, making me want to load my Canon SLR to carry with me tomorrow!

 

[NaChase]

Might be a moot point by now but I am going to throw it out there anyways: F2S. It is as rugged as they come and the viewfinder is fantastic. Mine is 14 years older than me and is in arguably better shape than I am. Also, as others have said, pre-AI lenses are both phenomenal and dirt cheap!

 

[mojobebop]

diopters

diopters

Having owned both I would go with a Nikkormat FT3 or FTn. The FT3 takes newer batteries and is AI savvy. Equal workhorse to my beloved FTn (first SLR). The FM does not have the same feel in my hands but she is lighter. As price is an issue (otherwise get an F with a plain prism or a FM3a) I thing you're better off with the FT3. Either way you will not go wrong. The FT3 has the K screen and the MD12 really never proved itself worth the weight, but that is me.

There are a few great people out there who do a great job with CLA and foam.

B2 (;->

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you mentioned using ft3's. i am currently looking for a corrective diopter; +0.5. do you know
if these are available. looking online i see nothing mentioned. do you know if the ft3 shares the same diopter with other model nikons?

 

[Rob Fox]

FM3A and Nikkormat FTn (II) here

The first one is a high-end beauty, but no matter what, I am still plain crazy about my Nikkormat, which remains my most beloved SLR ever

There's something SPECIAL about that camera I can't explain.. Will burried with me, I guess..

 

[lxmike]

Nikon F or F2 would be my choice, interchangable finders, focusing screens etc, I love the Nikon F with plain prism, and the Nikkors are superb glass, the 5cm f2 pre ai Nikkor-H, is very nice

 

[lewis44]

Get an F3, does all the things FM, FE, FM/FE/2, 2n3n do, Auto exposure clocks to 30sec, with finder black out shutter. The build and finish are better than FM/FE series

I agree, either an F3 or F3HP. I've owned probably every Nikon SLR since the F and still have an F3 & an F3HP. All the rest are gone.

 

[kshapero]

The Nikkormats are loud compared with the other Nikons. With User grade F3HP's for under $100, hard to say no to that.

Somehow when I grab a Nikon SLR- it's either the F2AS or the F2SB. And I have a lot of them to choose from.

With all things considered for the OP: Go with the F3HP. The FM is too small and light. Get a CF-22 or CF-20 case with the F3HP. The bottom portion makes it easier to handle.

and- the 24/2.8 is one of the all-time best Nikkor lenses made. I prefer the older style, but the new one is nice too. I have both.

Brian, you must have big strong shoulders, I prefer the FM series because it is lightweight. And IMHO they are built to last. I still have my original FM. In '84 while in Japan it fell into the drink, a fast moving stream on lots of rocks. it moved about 15-20 feet downstream before i could get it. I dried it out in the window and it worked perfect the next day, although dented.

 

[Spavinaw]

mojobebop--In my 9-13-10 post I listed the cameras that use the same diopters as Nikkormats, They are F, FA, FE2, FM, FM2, and FN3A. There may be others.

 

[paulfish4570]

I will add an FM2 at some point just because it is wholly mechanical, and the controls will match my FE2 ...

 

[68degrees]

Maybe not that important but I found it worth mentioning: The Nikon FM is one of only a few cameras having a gallium arsenide photo-cell for the light meter. This type of photo cell has an advantage of high selective spectral sensitivity for the visible light range but low for IR.

does this mean that other meters will confuse heat for light and give false readings when taking photos of hot things?

 

[maddoc]

does this mean that other meters will confuse heat for light and give false readings when taking photos of hot things?

A strong shift of the maximum light intensity into the far red would be still registered by other meters (if no IR cut filter is present) but not recorded by orthochromatic film.

 

[asiafish]

I just went through the same process myself, though I was looking for a second body to go with my F2A. My F2A is black and I keep it loaded with black and white film, and I wanted a chrome body to load with color film like I used to do back in the day.

The one complaint I always had with the F2, FM and even my Leica cameras was the shutter speed dial on the top. I love the selector around the lens mount a la Nikkormat and Olympus OM-1, and for that reason I went with a Nikkormat FT3. The FT3 is built just as well as the F2, uses very similar match-needle metering and modern batteries. My lenses are all AI-S, AI or AI-converted, so an FT2 was not in consideration.

 

[Uncle Bill]

I'm going to qualify this, I own multiple Nikkormats and a pair of FMs and love both. In your case if it's only one camera, get the FM, it's lighter, the meter is not prone to jumping and uses the ubiquitous SR44 batteries.

 

[Huss]

..The FT3 is built just as well as the F2, uses very similar match-needle metering and modern batteries. My lenses are all AI-S, AI or AI-converted, so an FT2 was not in consideration.

Why not? It uses AI/AI-S and non AI lenses. Which is why I got one - I can use it with all my MF Nikon lenses.

p.s. when this thread was created, the Nikkormat FT3 and Nikon FM were current model cameras...

 

[Spavinaw]

Why not the FT2? Because some later lenses do not have the "ears" that couple with the meter pin on the FT2. I have such a lens.