Nikon FM3A

[stormbytes]

I was lucky enough to find a brand-new FM3a a couple of years after they were discontinued. In fact, I'm an idiot! I remember standing in B&H and holding one, for all of $650 or thereabouts and letting it go, but I digress...

The FM3a is a terrific little camera. Its solid. Doesn't 'need' any batteries (except to work the built-in meter). Its reliable, well built and basically bullet-proof.

If you like the feel of 'tradition' in your hands as you deploy that mechanical shutter, the FM3a will find a cozy spot in your photo arsenal

 

[fstop]

Don't get me wrong a FM3a is on my list of must have cameras.

 

[sangetsu]

I bought an FM3a, and it is a wonderful camera. Some people think that they are overpriced, but when you compare the camera and what it can do to the likes of say a M7 o MP, it is a bargain. I bought mine mainly or shooting my Nikon lenses in situations where I didn't want to waste time on guesswork, just focus and shoot. The A mode is wonderful for this purpose. I have been let down by dead batteries in my old FE, so the manual shutter mechanism is a plus to me. Also, the AE lock is a very important feature, and it allows me to meter on different areas of my subject.

But, despite all the bells and whistles, I still find that I spend more time shooting with my old F.

 

[Chan Tran]

I think the FM3a is overpriced. I would take the FE2 for much less money. But I would use my F3HP.

 

[keithwms]

My only reason not to get an fm3a was the fm2n.. which costs zilch in comparison

 

[al5256]

Hi,
If I need a manual Nikon camera I will get a FE over FM3a and save my money to good medium format. FM3a is outrageously overpriced and full of features not a manual camera user really needs in this age. In fact I have three FEs and in one of them I installed FM3a’s K3- bright screen. FM3a is a good choice for collectors not users.

 

[kapro]

The FM3a is a terrific little camera. Its solid. Doesn't 'need' any batteries (except to work the built-in meter). Its reliable, well built and basically bullet-proof.

It does need batteries for apreture priority as well. At least mine does..

 

[Les Sarile]

In fact I have three FEs and in one of them I installed FM3a’s K3- bright screen. FM3a is a good choice for collectors not users.

People who don't use an FM3A may believe it is not a good user camera but it's dead on accurate TTL flash metering (along with all the other advantages already stated) as well as it being much newer then it's siblings make it more useful then collectable.

BTW, that is a smaller font size but capital "A" . . . ;-)

Too bad it didn't inherit the slower shutter speeds of the FE2.

 

[fstop]

I have a couple FEs, FE2s, I want to add a FM3a for everyday shooting.

 

[Joan Fortuny]

I have one FM3A and it's great: feels like a "traditional" camera wilst keeping some of the "must haves" of "useful" cameras: aperture priority or TTL flash. It is built like a rock and when you add one of those grips that were sold by third party companies it handles great. Without a grip, and given it's mass, it handles rather poorly.