Is the Nikon FM3A the best MF film camera?

DREW WILEY · Mar 20, 2015

Yup. I shot my FM2n last week and developed the film. Nikons are really nice for scouting around on a sprained foot. Now that it feels better, I can go back with my 8x10. But actually.... I might shoot even the same scene for a completely different feel. The Nikon print will be tiny
and poetic. The 8x10 neg will be enlarged for all the luxurious texture and detail. I love working with both systems.

MartinCrabtree · Mar 20, 2015

Each tool has it's use. Come follow me around the motocross track with your LF camera.

Alan Gales · Mar 20, 2015

MartinCrabtree said:
Each tool has it's use. Come follow me around the motocross track with your LF camera.

What's funny is that they used to shoot sports with 4x5 Speed Graphics. The Nikon 35mm SLR cameras changed all that with good reason.

ksa66 · Mar 20, 2015

Brand of gear only mathers to the maker nothing is free

But nowadays all digital wont be live long

ksa66 · Mar 20, 2015

My city of ruins
Springsteen
stick toghether

ksa66 · Mar 20, 2015

Its a kind of magic new stuff get lucky

ksa66 · Mar 20, 2015

Queen damn im drunk very sorry

k.hendrik · Mar 20, 2015

Sorry, very drunk I'm damn queen... me too!

RattyMouse · Mar 20, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
Even though I have the F (plain prism), F2 (various flavors, all with metering heads), F3/T, F4s, FM, and FM3a I think my favorites are the F, FM, and FM3a.

To me, the metering heads on the F2's, plus the shutter speed dial coupling, makes the camera feel clunky in use. Build quality is excellent and implementation of features such as the timer, mirror lock-up, DOF, is excellent.

Never really liked the LCD readout on the F3's, but it's a very solid camera, especially the F3/T.

I love the controls on the F4, but I always use mine with AF lenses, so it doesn't count in this poll

That leaves the F, FM, and FM3a - which I enjoy the most, equally.

How easy is manual focus on the F4?

Theo Sulphate · Mar 20, 2015

RattyMouse said:
How easy is manual focus on the F4?

Very easy: put the focus mode selector on the camera body to M and focus as you would with any manual focus camera. You can use the green dot in the viewfinder to confirm focus, assuming you've centered your subject within the AF marks.

RattyMouse · Mar 21, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
Very easy: put the focus mode selector on the camera body to M and focus as you would with any manual focus camera. You can use the green dot in the viewfinder to confirm focus, assuming you've centered your subject within the AF marks.

Does this work better than with digital cameras? I used my Nikon manual focus lenses on a Fuji S5 Pro (Nikon D200) and the green light simply does not work for accurate manual focus.

Lamar · Mar 21, 2015

I have an easier time manually focusing on the F4 than I do my D300. Might be due to the larger finder. I've read that the newer bright screens are optimized for slower lenses and that manual focus with apertures faster than f/2.8 is not accurate due to the bright screen design. I'm not sure if the standard B screens on my F4's have this limitation or not. The focus indicator seems accurate to me though when I use it. Ken Rockwell has some good information regarding F4 focus screens for the F4 about 1/3rd of the way down on this page along with a Nikon F4 focus screen selector chart vs the lens you are using.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/f4.htm

RattyMouse said:
Does this work better than with digital cameras? I used my Nikon manual focus lenses on a Fuji S5 Pro (Nikon D200) and the green light simply does not work for accurate manual focus.

E. von Hoegh · Mar 21, 2015

Vsanzbajo said:
Being the most modern and so greatly built, do you guys think is the best MF Nikon body? Opinions....
Thanks

No, that would (by a large margin) be the F2 with whichever prism works best for you.

250swb · Mar 21, 2015

I used F's, F2's and F3's, and FM3's professionally and when I got my first F3 I thought it was the best camera ever for a long time. With hindsight it is the F2 (and the others are long gone).

Steve

flavio81 · Mar 23, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
Even though I have the F (plain prism), F2 (various flavors, all with metering heads), F3/T, F4s, FM, and FM3a I think my favorites are the F, FM, and FM3a.

To me, the metering heads on the F2's, plus the shutter speed dial coupling, makes the camera feel clunky in use. Build quality is excellent and implementation of features such as the timer, mirror lock-up, DOF, is excellent.

Never really liked the LCD readout on the F3's, but it's a very solid camera, especially the F3/T.

Interesting view. I owned/own F3, F2AS and F. I hated the LCD readout of the F3 and that's why I sold my F3 last week. It is really a flawed design and Nikon should have never ever let the Giugaro design team mess with the F3. The "+/-" display on the LCD is really tiny and a really bad choice compared to the nice bright LEDs of the previous F2AS viewfinder. Or a good analog needle. The LCD illumination light button is a joke, and a bad joke at that. The shutter button feel is not as good as the (precise) feel of the F2.

The F2AS i own and like a lot, i would say it's my favorite Nikon, although the FE is a very nice camera overall, nothing special, but no weak points either. I used to use a FE2 which i like a lot. However it can't mount pre-AI lenses and that's a big no-no in my book.

In general i liked the FE line better than the FM line; in the case of the FE versus FM, the FE seems better built (why, i don't know, because they are so similar; although the FE was higher priced on its day). As for the "battery dependent" issue, well the FE and the FE2 are some of the most frugal cameras i've used... the batteries last ages on them, so why go for the mechanical FM line? For mechanical cameras the F2 and F are kings, and I particularly like the feel of the Nikon F; it is not the most well-featured camera but it motivates me to take pictures.

As for "the best 35mm SLR", i'd give that prize to my Canon F-1 New, although i've yet to try a Minolta XK, Contarex, and Contax RTS, which could be contenders. An ergonomic dream, superb clarity of viewfinder (even better than F3) with excellent in-viewfinder display of actual aperture, suggested aperture, and shutter speed. All of this lit by a light when at night. Hybrid shutter which can be used in mechanical backup mode for speeds of B, 1/90, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, and 1/2000. Better built than my Nikon F3 and F2AS, and on par with the Nikon F which is one of the best built cameras, IMO. The old F-1 is yet even better built than it, and it is the best built camera I own.

Les Sarile · Mar 23, 2015

flavio81 said:
In general i liked the FE line better than the FM line; in the case of the FE versus FM, the FE seems better built (why, i don't know, because they are so similar; although the FE was higher priced on its day). As for the "battery dependent" issue, well the FE and the FE2 are some of the most frugal cameras i've used... the batteries last ages on them, so why go for the mechanical FM line? For mechanical cameras the F2 and F are kings, and I particularly like the feel of the Nikon F; it is not the most well-featured camera but it motivates me to take pictures.

No doubt a personal preference but just to point out the obvious differences, the F and F2 models were conservative in specs compared to the FM's higher shutter speeds and sync speeds. The FM series are plenty robust and the weight savings were positive features as well.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 23, 2015

flavio81 said:
(Nikon F3)...

The "+/-" display on the LCD is really tiny and a really bad choice compared to the nice bright LEDs of the previous F2AS viewfinder. Or a good analog needle. The LCD illumination light button is a joke, and a bad joke at that.
...

I particularly like the feel of the Nikon F; it is not the most well-featured camera but it motivates me to take pictures.

...

100% agree on your assessment of the F3's LCD.

There's just something so inviting about the F. It feels solid and competent, a no-nonsense instrument. I never thought I'd like it as much as I do.

Theo Sulphate · Mar 23, 2015

Les Sarile said:

I see what you did there with that arrangement - very nice. I love it, the way you always have these nice photos to put up regarding the cameras we're talking about.

Chan Tran · Mar 24, 2015

No it is not! I think the F3 and F2 are both better.

Les Sarile · Mar 24, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
I see what you did there with that arrangement - very nice. I love it, the way you always have these nice photos to put up regarding the cameras we're talking about.

Thanks as I have been exploring these magnificent machines and finding advantages with each that can be influenced by personal preferences.

GarageBoy · Mar 24, 2015

Battery independence is overblown
Carry spares (SR44s are tiny), check and recharge frequently (for AA cameras)
I'll take the fully featured F4 anyday - that green dot assist is helpful when I can't see anything
F and F2 are nice cameras to experience, but I'd use something else

flavio81 · Mar 24, 2015

Theo Sulphate said:
It feels solid and competent, a no-nonsense instrument.

Yes, that is the best way to summarize ny feelings when using the F. Such no-nonsense machine motivates me to increase my commitment for picture making.

flavio81 · Mar 24, 2015

GarageBoy said:
Battery independence is overblown
Carry spares (SR44s are tiny), check and recharge frequently (for AA cameras)
I'll take the fully featured F4 anyday - that green dot assist is helpful when I can't see anything
F and F2 are nice cameras to experience, but I'd use something else

I agree with your view regarding battery independence. The F3 for example uses extremely little power; the battery lasts ages.

kivis · Mar 31, 2015

kivis · May 11, 2015

Bob-D659 said:
Except the F4 is an AF body.

F3 is the most modern manual focus and really nice to use, but the best is the F, unless you need TTL-OTF flash metering.

You can shoot manual focus lenses on the F4 with ease and with Matrix metering.

Is the Nikon FM3A the best MF film camera?

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