Lenses for Nikon FM

[Focus No. 9]

hello, I'm a bit in the dark. I cannot determine if the Nikon FM was designed to optimally take advantage of the AI lenses. I know the camera can take the non-ai and the ai,,,,but but but ????

 

[dehk]

AI and AIS lenses works best for FM. NAI lens need stop down metering.

 

[Les Sarile]

Look for the table titled "Mid-Price Film SLRs" in this website http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/compatibility-lens.htm.
There are great non AI lenses and are available at great prices and nothing to it in learning stop down metering.

 

[Focus No. 9]

Thanks everybody.

 

[CGW]

Start here:

www.nikonlinks.com

 

[fschifano]

You really don't want Non-AI lenses for the FM2. The camera was designed to work with AI and AIS lenses. I don't know where the idea that early non-AI lenses are selling for very little money got started either. Sure you can find them, but good examples fetch pretty good prices on par with their AI, and far more convenient to use, counterparts. To use the older, pre-AI lenses, you need to flip the metering tab on the body out of the way and use stop down metering. If you forget to flip the tab out of the way, and you try to force a non-AI lens onto the body, chances are good that you'll break something. Human nature being what it is, this will happen and any money you might have saved by going for the least expensive solution will evaporate into a repair bill. Add to that the fact that stop down metering, while not hard to do, is a pain in the ass, and you've got some really compelling reasons to NOT use pre-AI lenses on the camera.

 

[Les Sarile]

The OP posted FM not FM2. As indicated in the provided link, the FM can use Non AI lenses while the FM2 cannot.

As for prices of Nikon lenses, one such source is Dead Link Removed. Search for "non AI" and you can see that they are cheaper then their AI counterpart - given the same condition.

If human nature is so low, you can buy all non AI lenses and leave the meter tab flipped up with the FM - the FM2 does not have this option.

 

[fschifano]

Whatever. Point is that non AI lenses are a pain in the butt to use with that camera and that you can't deny. So excuse me for writing FM2 instead of just plain old FM. And yes, human nature is that fallible. Sooner or later we all make mistakes. Trying to crank on the lens without flipping the tab up out of the way will happen and when it does, something will break. For a few extra dollars, you can avoid the problem altogether and have a more convenient package (and very likely better performing lenses) to boot.

 

[Les Sarile]

Point is that non AI lenses are a pain in the butt to use with that camera and that you can't deny.

I can as I have both. Of course that doesn't matter as it will be the OP that will or won't have to deal with it as the OP chooses. We're just providing opinions and options.

 

[Pumal]

You can find great Non AI glass. I; for one have great non Ai glass that I use routinely with my FE and F4

 

[aroth87]

Having to stop down to meter with non-Ai glass isn't too much on an inconvenience. I can easily push the DOF preview button with my middle finger on my FE. Just like anything, after enough practice it becomes natural. But if the OP isn't interested in stop-down metering, Ai and Ais lenses will meter without any extra input on the operators part. One less person to compete with for Non-Ai deals too...

Adam

 

[macrorie]

It can be cost-effective to buy the better models of non-AI lenses and have John White AI-them. I use lenses that he converted on both film and digital Nikons and they work flawlessly.

 

[skahde]

As we are on apug and compatibility with d-word technology is not neccessarily needed, may I suggest that another nice and easy way to use pre-AI lenses is a pre-AI camera?

I really liked my Nikkormat FT-2 before an accident transformed it into a piece of junk.

 

[Pumal]

I like my Nikkormats too. I have 5 or 6. I had them rewired to use SR44.