Need a little info on the Nikon FA

[removed-user-1]

So, while out doing some Christmas shopping for others, I picked up a battered but working Nikon FA for $10. It's a camera I've always wanted and I couldn't resist. Other than the user cosmetics, it only has one issue: there is no rewind crank. This is an easy fix, of course. I thought I had a spare one from a Nikon FM here in my parts bin, but I was wrong, I can't find it.

My question is, do I need the specific rewind crank that came with the Nikon FA, or will virtually any FM-series rewind crank work?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Chan Tran]

I don't think the FA belongs to the FM series like FM,FE etc..

 

[trythis]

My FA, FE, FM and FM2 (not and FM2N) all have slightly different washers and posts so I dont think that you can easily swap them out without the correct washers. Also the depth of the plate the hole is from the bottom of the winder disk looks different. I dont have time to pull them all off, but the FM has a coil spring inside the post under the washer and the FM2 post is skinny with no spring. Iwould look for the correct one with the washers and the tension bar that keeps the winder handle down. If all you need is the crank and not the disk, they look the same.

 

[trythis]

I don't think the FA belongs to the FM series like FM,FE etc..

The FA is in the series in terms of size and layout, but its definitely got a bigger prism housing. The FG is smaller and the crank is not the same as the FE/M

 

[removed-user-1]

Thanks... I found some pictures online of the various models and the parts of the rewind cranks for each. The FA's rewind is definitely different. Not that it really matters, since I can't find the FM parts I thought I had.

The FA is basically an FM-series camera; for instance, it can use both the FM/FE motors MD-11 and MD-12, but the other FM/FE cameras can't use its dedicated MD-15 motor.

Oddly enough, the rewind shaft itself was still there; it came out when I stuck a probe in to pop the back open! All I'm missing are the fork, the knob/crank, and whatever springs and parts connect those to the shaft.

I have rewind knobs from other cameras I've scavenged for parts, but none of them fit. I'll just have to find a parts donor FA.

 

[Nodda Duma]

The thread on the knob itself is the same, so you can swap the whole knob.

Any crank will "sort of" work otherwise.

 

[GarageBoy]

It may work
My dad had a surplus of Nikon f rewind knobs and slapped one on a yashica fxd

 

[Ap507b]

I think i have a. Pdf of the factory repair manual somewhere. Message me your email address if you would a copy of it.

 

[removed-user-1]

I found a parts donor on the auction site, which has a busted shutter but a complete film rewind. The one I'm refurbishing's light seals are starting to go; it's probably still light tight but might as well give it new foam. I emailed John Goodman for a kit!

 

[removed-user-1]

Parts donor arrived today. Putting in the new rewind crank was easy. Thanks all for the help!

 

[removed-user-1]

Ok, I've run a roll through this camera, and developed it (FP4+ in Ilfosol 3, 1:9 @ 70F). All's well in terms of using it, no light leaks, meter is accurate, etc.

But I noticed something odd. Neither the Program mode nor the Shutter-priority mode work correctly. When the camera is set to P, it defaults to M (Manual mode), and when it's set to S, it defaults to A (Aperture-priority mode). Maybe some Nikon experts can weigh in on my opinion, which is that this camera may be about to fail (if this is an electronics problem).

As is, the Program and Shutter-priority modes are no great loss for me, since I usually shoot manual or aperture-priority. What I've essentially got is a Nikon FE2 with a matrix meter, which is still a very usable camera.

 

[fstop]

How do you know its defaulting to another mode?

 

[trythis]

Are you putting the lens into the smallest aperture? F22 in most cases is required for Program mode. I am not sure about the shutter priority mode.
I tried mine and it overrides impossible shutter speeds like 2000 which turns into 60 if its not bright enough. Could it be that Shutter priority is trying to override your exposures and giving you weird readings?

 

[removed-user-1]

Well, as I said, it's not a big problem. This is just something I do for fun, find an abandoned camera and try to bring it to life. I'm probably going to donate it to my community college's photo program, telling them that it only works in manual and aperture-priority. But here is the observed behavior, step-by-step.

Set the camera to Program, set the lens (in this case, an AIs 25-50mm Nikkor) to f/22. Look at the display, it reads whatever shutter speed the dial is currently set to, and also displays the M and +/- signs as it is pointed at different light sources. At no point does the camera adjust the shutter speed the way it would if it was working in Program.

Set the camera to shutter-priority, set the lens to f/22. Point the camera at different light sources, and the shutter speed changes to provide an accurate exposure for the current aperture (f/22). You can set whatever shutter speed you like on the dial, and the camera ignores it; it seems to be working as if it was set to aperture-priority.

I've owned several Nikon FGs (which would be a great camera if it only had DOF preview, a sync socket, and exposure lock...). Anyway one of them had a similar issue; it worked fine in manual and aperture priority, but put it in P, and it would trip the mirror and then not open the shutter. You'd have to switch the shutter speed dial to any other setting to drop the mirror, and you'd lose that frame.

 

[fstop]

Try cranking the EV adjustment back and forth, and turn the shutter speed dial back and forth, and the mode selector switch a few times. sometimes the contacts need to be "wiped" a few times.Also fresh batts.