Nikon FM3A

[noseoil]

My "fast" camera is an old Nikon FM with a prime lens (50mm f1.4, 135mm f2.8, etc.). Sorry, can't get behind digital, but I don't do weddings.

Az - "Let he who is without guilt, cast the first stone"

 

[modafoto]

...I shot a wedding the other day the shutter release and rewind were so distracting that the brides mother actually commented on the noise my cameras made after the ceremony!!! She's lucky I didn't pull out the Hasselblad for the ceremony.

If I was shooting that wedding I would have said this:

"Do ya want the photos or not!? Your crying and weeping during the ceremony was more annoying!"

I hate people who cannot respect photogs they have hired themselves.

Sorry I ranted

Morten

 

[TPPhotog]

If i have to use 35mm, I'd use something with a fast autofocus and automatic functions. I usually shoot in Aperature Priority. The last thing I want to do is juggle the guests, and fiddle with the camera.

Also lets face it how many of us reach for the XP2 when we have to shoot weddings? Easy to use, don't have to worry about the lattitude and there's the nice friendly pro lab that will handle all the post-shoot work.

Nicole maybe you shouldn't have used the shoulder of the brides mother as a camera support for that shoot

 

[AzRaeL]

make no mistake, shooting a wedding isn't an Artsy photoshoot. It's work.

 

[geezer7]

I've owned an FM3A for over two years and love it! I bought a new 50mm lens and several used prime lenses. I'm no expert by any means, but I have noted one minor drawback to the FM3A - it does not have mirror lockup! I can't say that I used it often with my previous camera, but it would occasionally be useful.

Dave

 

[gchpaco]

FM3as don't have mirror lockup per se, but they do have mirror prefire on the self timer. There are situations where one is more useful than the other, but on the whole I don't consider it to be enough of an issue to worth bothering.

 

[Magnus]

Upgraded my Leica M4 to the FM3a. Did a test with M6, Bessa R2 and the Fm3a what do I say, simply magnificent camera, good handling fast shutter speed (1/4000, pretty important for me shooting 200 asa all the time), the noise ??? so what I personally am not nothered by that, and those who are ... who cares. It's not that the noise of a camera makes one conspicuous or not....
Shoot with a so calles silent leica and peole will go "ahhh a leica" etc. etc. I have the FM3 alongside my Hassleblad 503 and I must say they are an excellent couple. I use the 50 1.4 which stopped down to 2 is a most remarkable lens. I only shoot TRI-x 400 at 200 with it which I always develop in D-76, the images we bring to life are simply great. The FM3 is a camera for life I guess, and I would never think of getting rid of it ... I would say go for it.
And since you do weddings get a nikon flash with it... works like a dream.

 

[nyx]

another option

You can also buy old FA - it has matrix metering (with manual lenses...and you can switch it back to CW), all four PASM exposure modes and some other cool features (for it's time)...and you can have this little beauty for something like 100$ on ebay

There are some disadvantages too of course:
it needs batteries to operate
hard to find parts in case of failure
no AE-lock - this was first camera with matrix metering and it was supposed to be so good that AE-lock wasn't needed anymore...good joke - it's early matrix has tendecy to overexpose A LOT when confronted with backlit scenes, otherwise it's spot on...

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

I own the FM3A and I love it. Sometimes its a bit too small (without the MD-12). It seems a bit too small and I can only relate it to my F2-AS.

Personally, for me, the F2-AS (or the plain F2 with DP-1 if you use an external meter) is the way to go. Find a really nice one built in 1979 that was not used by a professional photographer.

it has the right weight and feel and will last for ever if well maintained. Plus its all mechanical if you don't use the meter. The FM3A is only mechanical at two speeds.

Go to a good used camera store that also sells new and hold an FM3A and an F2 (or F3 as the previous poster mentioned).

If you were in NYC, you could use my cameras but you are in Australia.

I hope this helps and doesn't confuse you. Lastly, if you can't find an F2, you will be more than happy with an FM3A. The images I get with a brand new 24/2.8 Nikor lens are amazing with Tri-X.

 

[chuck94022]

I hope I dont get stoned for saying this on APUG but honestly the best camera for a wedding is a dSLR *LOL* A wedding is a non repeatable event. When I take pictures I want to make sure I can preview the shots.

... The last thing I want to do is juggle the guests, and fiddle with the camera.

... But in a high pressure event like wedding photography, you just wanna concentrate on getting it done fast.

So how many of those non-repeatable moments do you miss while you're goofing around staring at the preview screen?

If you shoot film you don't have the tempation to doubt yourself and look back at the shots you've already taken. Trust yourself, shoot the moment, and don't be tempted to start reviewing your work while in the moment.

(Note: I'm not a wedding photographer, nor do I play one on TV, I'm just the assigned APUG official stone thrower on duty! )

 

[Jeffrey A. Steinberg]

I have a larger issue with Digital:

With film, I am lucky if I get 2 shots out of 20 (220) or 36 (35mm). I file the negatives. Then, I come back to them sometimes 10+ years later. The context of the photos have changed, some people have died, fashion is different, cars look differently, etc. and the pictures take on a whole new meaning.

Wtih digital (I have a p&s for product shots I want to sell on-line), I find I edit and delete each picture and don't keep the same amount of digital negatives. So, I have only the 2 photos I talked about. What do I have 10 years from now? The same 2. This is not good.

--religious argument over. Back to shooting film.

 

[Tach]

Nicole,
You may want to consider the Nikon F3. It's built like a tank, but it's not a large camera. I don't have big hands and I find the camera to be very ergonomic.

Mmhhh... I find the AE lock difficult to use without motordrive, and unusable with it. The lcd illumination system is not very useful, either. It's loud without the motordrive; once I did shoot a funeral with it, and ended composing the shot, metering manually, flipping the mirror up, and taking the shot blind in order to evade the slap-thunk of the mirror. Eerie feeling... 500-800 persons at a time, and absolute silence.

With the motordrive, it's like opening fire with a FN-FAL. People duck and cover. Nice for the deer in the headlights look.

I find it quite largish; it's good as an unofficial press pass.

The aperature priority mode has been indispensable for me. The camera-metered exposures are usually dead on.

Fully agree. The metering pattern (fat spot) is very nice.