Smallest Nikon film SLRs

skorpiius · Sep 26, 2015

Haven't had much luck via google, so maybe any Nikon experts on here might know.
I'm basically looking for smallest Nikon slrs:

1) Smallest fully manual

2) Smallest with some auto exposure (ie AE)

3) Smallest with autofocus

Any ideas?

Ideally something smaller than my D80

bobwysiwyg · Sep 26, 2015

I'd vote for a Nikon EM.

Ricardo Miranda · Sep 26, 2015

This has already been debated here ad nausea. You could do a search around here or do a bit of research yourself.
All you need to know: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/photography.htm
Also study the manuals. Almost all Nikon manual are available online: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html
Study the site, look at weights and dimensions and you'll reach your own conclusions.
But, the first thing you should do is to define "smallest", i.e. is it in size, weight or both?
Have a nice research.

Shawn Rahman · Sep 26, 2015

You've come to the right place! This has probably been discussed in several threads as noted, but always time for additional discussions. Not all 1.7 million posts on APUG can be original.

Here are my opinions:

1) Smallest fully manual

I'd say EM; maybe the FM or FM2 comes close too; all battery dependent for metering.

2) Smallest with some auto exposure (ie AE)

FG

3) Smallest with autofocus

N55 or 65. But I think you want something better. The N80 is wonderfully compact and capable.

elcabezagrande · Sep 26, 2015

The EM is not fully manual at all. It is aperture priority with one manual speed (1/90) available for emergency. The FG offers both manual and aperture priority.

Shawn Rahman · Sep 26, 2015

Correction: elcabezagrande is correct. The EM is not fully manual.

elcabezagrande · Sep 26, 2015

The smallest fully-manual camera with the Nikon nameplate is probably the FM10, although technically it is a Cosina product.

Timestep · Sep 26, 2015

Nikon FM2 ( Manual ) FM3 ( Both manual and Auto )

Smallest Manual would be the Pentax MX— a "silly milimeter" smaller than the Olympus OM's

frank · Sep 26, 2015

Nikon FG is a great value and has the attributes you are looking for.

skorpiius · Sep 26, 2015

Thanks everyone. By smallest I was meaning dimensions, I don't care about weight.

frank · Sep 26, 2015

The Nikon 50mm f1.8 series E (version 2 with chrome ring) is the perfect compact high performance companion to the FG.

Xmas · Sep 27, 2015

omG

EM is auto only
FG is manual, aperture priority, programme
FG20 is manual, aperture priority

Rest are larger and less capable at drop tests

The series E and later AIs are identical in size, some ugly sisters if you like trophy wives

blockend · Sep 27, 2015

Remember pancake lenses make a huge difference to the overall dimensions of an SLR.

DannL. · Sep 27, 2015

I bought a pair of EM's at the BX in 1982, just prior to my first overseas tour. Great little camera. Since the EM is Aperture Priority, you can control both shutter speed and aperture via the aperture setting. And if needed, you can compensate for exposure with the ASA setting by lying to the camera. I was only shooting Kodakchrome and Ektachrome at the time, and I don't recall ever a bad exposure. It also has the manual 1/90th setting when needed. I can imagine back then, had I used an "all manual camera", more that half my exposures would have been toast.

Richard S. (rich815) · Sep 27, 2015

Ricardo Miranda said:
This has already been debated here ad nausea. You could do a search around here or do a bit of research yourself.
All you need to know: http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/photography.htm
Also study the manuals. Almost all Nikon manual are available online: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/index.html
Study the site, look at weights and dimensions and you'll reach your own conclusions.
But, the first thing you should do is to define "smallest", i.e. is it in size, weight or both?
Have a nice research.

+1, yup but everyone will throw out an opinion on the facts.

tom43 · Sep 27, 2015

The F55 / N55 is very small and also the lightest of all Nikon SLRs. It´s made complete out of plastic but it has the electronics fom the last Nikon film generation. Together with Fuji Provia / Velvia this camera is the perfect landscape machine in the mountains.

analoguey · Sep 27, 2015

Most non F/f2/3/4 etc., are smaller than a D80 (barring the f100).

sent from tapatalk

benveniste · Sep 27, 2015

In terms of general purpose film cameras offered to the general public.

The smallest fully manual camera is the S3 (136 x 79.5 x 43.5 mm)
The smallest fully manual F-mount camera is the FM-10 (139 x 86 x 53 mm)
The smallest camera with some AE but no AF is the EM (135 × 86 mm × 54)
The smallest autofocus film camera is the Pronea S (116 x 87 x 57mm)

There was a prototype Nikon which used 16mm film, and Nikon may have made some prototypes which used 110 film.

stool · Sep 27, 2015

Its Nikon fg, end of story.

Xmas · Sep 28, 2015

The

EM
FG &
FG20

Are on the same chassis and share many sub components but different top and bottom plates...

David Lingham · Sep 28, 2015

skorpiius said:
.
I'm basically looking for smallest Nikon slrs:

I'm intrigued as to why you would want to know this.

flavio81 · Sep 28, 2015

I'd vote for the Nikon FG.

Xmas · Sep 28, 2015

David Lingham said:
I'm intrigued as to why you would want to know this.

Play the StarTrek theme

gbag space the final frontier...

skorpiius · Sep 28, 2015

David Lingham said:
I'm intrigued as to why you would want to know this.

I have a Nikon D80 and I was curious if there was an even smaller film body that might be useful for street photography, without going the compact/rangefinder route.

The impression I get is there are film bodies which are smaller, but not a huge difference.

MartinCrabtree · Sep 28, 2015

I have a D3100 and that sucker is tiny. Don't believe you could make an analogue camera so small. Transport system and all that.

Smallest Nikon film SLRs

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