Nikon FM3A vs Minolta XD 11, Opinions on both.

[Vsanzbajo]

I understand that they are different cameras. My question was more about the quality of construction. I was amazed by the quality of the XD 11. I always hear people say that Nikons are made so rugged and well. I do not see many differences between them. I am impressed with the Minolta overall quality.

Comparing the FM3A to the XD-11 doesn't seem to be real fair, considering the difference in age between the two cameras and the difference in price. A quick check of eBay indicates that FM3As are going for somewhere north of $500 to over a thousand bucks, and nice looking XD-11s are around $100. The FM3A is a generation or three newer than the XD - of course there are going to be evolutionary changes in camera design. Heck, why not compare the XD (or the FM3A, for that matter) to an F6?

The XD is a fine camera, with a devoted following. They are of an age where just about any body you pick up is going to need a CLA, which solves most of the problems people have mentioned in this thread, including the shutter-lag issue. (As an aside, the shutter lag issue is caused by an air-damper incorporated into the shutter mechanism, which, when working properly, makes for a very quiet, very low vibration shutter actuation.)

Rokkor lenses are as good (some say better) as any of their contemporaries and, unless you go for the more exotic or cult-favorite ones, are a lot cheaper than comparable Nikkors, due to the cachet (and the F-mount) of the Nikon lenses. The Micro 4/3 crowd are now in the competition for Minolta lenses, so prices have gone up some. You can still get a nice kit of standard Rokkor primes between 28mm and 200mm for remarkably low prices, if you shop around some.

I have an SRT-102, an XE-7 and an XD-11, plus a modest kit of Rokkor primes, which will last me for as long as it matters. All of them are great cameras in their own way, they all are reliable and work great.

 

[guitstik]

You should get your hands on the XE-7. You could drive nails with it and it has such a smooth film advance and a quiet shutter.

 

[Les Sarile]

This website has an interesting perspective based on the timeline of SLRs from Minolta, Canon, Nikon and Pentax from 1957 to 1982 -> http://minolta.eazypix.de/slrtable/

 

[M.A.Longmore]

You should get your hands on the XE-7. You could drive nails with it and it has such a smooth film advance and a quiet shutter.

.
SSSSSSsssssssshhhhhhhhhh

Guitstik, Don't ever recommend the XE-7.

Ron
.

 

[CGW]

You should get your hands on the XE-7. You could drive nails with it and it has such a smooth film advance and a quiet shutter.

When's the debut of your YouTube footage doing just that?

 

[vpwphoto]

I got sucked into the drive nails argument of Leica bodies years ago... they are all housed by thin alloys covering the gears... none of that is very true or even useful info. Puffery!!! Just get what you like for the reasons that are good to you and use it. Use it man./woman.

 

[vpwphoto]

Misread... I thought it was F3 vs Xe-7... if you are not considering the F3 just go with this ancient Minolta.

 

[guitstik]

Have you held an XE-7? compared to my XD-11 it is a brick. Not that I am complaining because the extra weight is beneficial when hand holding at slower shutter speeds. The XE-7 is like a defensive lineman that can ballet dance in swan lake, big and heavy but smooth and graceful at the same time.

 

[fstop]

You should get your hands on the XE-7. You could drive nails with it and it has such a smooth film advance and a quiet shutter.

When's the debut of your YouTube footage doing just that?

Yeah the XE-7 is pos I own 5 of them now.

 

[guitstik]

What do you mean pos? If it's what I think, I can offer to take them off your hands.

 

[fstop]

I'm being sarcastic to scare people away from buying them so I get them cheaper.:devil:

The XE-7 and the XE-5 are both great cameras.

Back on topic, I would take the XD-11 over the FM3 for the simple reason that it is a multi mode and thus more versatile body.

 

[guitstik]

Oh ya, right. Those XE-7's really suck.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

(As an aside, the shutter lag issue is caused by an air-damper incorporated into the shutter mechanism, which, when working properly, makes for a very quiet, very low vibration shutter actuation.)

Leicaflexes, which have a similar damper, have probably the lowest shutter lag of all SLRs, being comparable to a rangefinder (though the partly similar Leica R4 does have a noticeable lag).

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

I got sucked into the drive nails argument of Leica bodies years ago... they are all housed by thin alloys covering the gears... none of that is very true or even useful info. Puffery!!!

They are "all" housed in thin alloys?!!??

 

[guitstik]

Do you not know what a "figure of speech" is? It was not ment to be a literal statement of fact but an illustration of how well built and tough they are.

If someone came up to you and said they were so hungry they could eat a horse, would you try to feed them a horse? Come on get real.

 

[budrichard]

It's not the cameras that matter, its the lenses.
Choose a lens or lens system and that chooses the cameras that are available for those lenses.
Long ago I choose Nikkor SLR lenses, so the progression from Nikon Ftn to Fm2 to Fm3A was logical for me.-Dick

 

[guitstik]

Take also into consideration that not all lenses will work on later model cameras from the same manufacturer except for Minolta. The single longest run for a lens mount system belongs to the SR mount. It did not change from 52 until the late 80's when the A mount for the auto focus cameras came out.

 

[CGW]

The single longest run for a lens mount system belongs to the SR mount. It did not change from 52 until the late 80's when the A mount for the auto focus cameras came out.

Nikon F mount--1959 to the present? No total MF/AF legacy break.

 

[guitstik]

I stand corrected.

 

[Rol_Lei Nut]

Take also into consideration that not all lenses will work on later model cameras from the same manufacturer except for Minolta. The single longest run for a lens mount system belongs to the SR mount. It did not change from 52 until the late 80's when the A mount for the auto focus cameras came out.

Leica M: 1954-today...

I'll get back to you later about facile "figure of speaches".

 

[Tommy3]

First Post, But I Have This Question:

Anyone heard of this problem with the FM3A?
"Nikon supposedly admitted (and I confirmed with my lens and camera) that for lenses with F/1.4 aperture the metering does not work properly. When opening the lens from f2 to f1.4, the metering needle advances by 1/3 or 2/3 f-stop. The workaround is to manually overexpose by 1/3 to 2/3 f-stops when using this aperture.
I did an experiment in the Aperture priority mode and found that the problem actually does not exist in this mode."
Thanks

Hi all,

Sorry to drag up this old thread. I expect delivery of an FM3A soon, and have been idly reading on-line info. I came across this quote, but I never saw the question answered. Since I expect to use 85/f1.4 and 50/f1.4 lenses on the camera, I am quite interested in the answer.

Does anyone know or have you ever heard this elsewhere?

Cheers!

Tom

 

[Chan Tran]

Hi all,

Sorry to drag up this old thread. I expect delivery of an FM3A soon, and have been idly reading on-line info. I came across this quote, but I never saw the question answered. Since I expect to use 85/f1.4 and 50/f1.4 lenses on the camera, I am quite interested in the answer.

Does anyone know or have you ever heard this elsewhere?

Cheers!

Tom

I can't see how this could happen with lens of f/1.4 but not other lenses.

 

[Tommy3]

Thank you Chan Tran, I have not puzzled that out either. I have not heard or seen this malfunction referred to any where else, so I will assume it is isolated or nonexistent. I will also check out the camera metering vs. my handheld, that should tell the story right enough...

Best,

Tom

 

[budrichard]

Update, my FM3A continues to chug along with it's MDII installed. All my AIS lense fit and work from 24mm to 500mm. Only thing that could be better is lighting for the match needles inside the finder if in Manual.
Just used it for the portrait shots for a commercial wedding with the 24mm lens for coverage and the 24mm f2.8 Nikkor is just as good as when I first used it, decades ago for weddings. To use my 21mm f2.8 Leica ASPH, I must use a handle mount Metz because the 21mm finder goes where the hotshoe is.
The Nikon setup is much more compact.
The FM3A is the best Nikon film camera today. As much as I love the Nikon F, they and the FTn finders are aging. Too bad nikon made such a shor run of FM3A's. I ordered mine through a local Nikon Dealer just as production ended. He came through with a black body at a nice discount. Shoud have purchased two.-Dick


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