Uhoh.. Nikon FM metering unresponsive!

jay moussy · Jun 30, 2021

Well, I spent some time testing a few SLRs I found here and there, and finally, I get to revisit my original Nikon FM circa 1979, to find the metering unresponsive. Not fair!

The battery set is fine, as demonstrated on its fellow Nikon EM.
Battery compartment and bottom spring contact blade are are fine.

Not sure what to do, here.

gone · Jun 30, 2021

Did you put a meter on the batteries to see their actual voltage? The EM may not need as much juice to work.

BobD · Jun 30, 2021

Did you switch the meter on? (pull film advance lever out from body exposing the red dot)

If so, I would try cleaning the battery compartment and the batteries with alcohol (even if they look clean) and try again.

Huss · Jun 30, 2021

jay moussy said:
Well, I spent some time testing a few SLRs I found here and there, and finally, I get to revisit my original Nikon FM circa 1979, to find the metering unresponsive. Not fair!

The battery set is fine, as demonstrated on its fellow Nikon EM.
Battery compartment and bottom spring contact blade are are fine.

Not sure what to do, here.

One excellent suggestion would be to buy my fully working FM.

Chan Tran · Jun 30, 2021

Not responsive you mean you see none of the LED lit up?

Sirius Glass · Jun 30, 2021

Might be a good time to have a CLA and take care of the problems that you do not know about.

wiltw · Jun 30, 2021

Things do go wrong, even without use, and cared for gently.. I have a Topcon Auto 100 which is my very first SLR, dad purchased it in 1965. I put it away in a padded hardcase fully operational, and when I pulled it out a few years ago (about 45 yo) its meter no longer responded.

jay moussy · Jun 30, 2021

Chan Tran said:
Not responsive you mean you see none of the LED lit up?

Yes, that's it.
The alcohol cleaning suggested above did not [produce hoped results.

Sirius Glass · Jul 1, 2021

jay moussy said:
Yes, that's it.
The alcohol cleaning suggested above did not [produce hoped results.

Is there an improvement if you drink the alcohol?

wiltw · Jul 1, 2021

Sirius Glass said:
Is there an improvement if you drink the alcohol?

If course, HE gets 'lit' even though the LEDs do not.

jay moussy · Jul 1, 2021

The tequila did not work, but I found some comfort in some vermouth.

Anyway, it is a no go.
How many of us use an older SLR with hand metering, or nose-o-meter?

logan2z · Jul 1, 2021

jay moussy said:
Anyway, it is a no go.
How many of us use an older SLR with hand metering, or nose-o-meter?

I use a handheld meter with my FM even though the meter works and seems reasonably accurate. I got used to metering that way when using my unmetered Leicas.

Chan Tran · Jul 1, 2021

jay moussy said:
The tequila did not work, but I found some comfort in some vermouth.

Anyway, it is a no go.
How many of us use an older SLR with hand metering, or nose-o-meter?

I use older camera (both SLR and rangefinder) without meter but not with hand metering or nose o meter. I guess the exposure.

Disappointed_Horse · Jul 1, 2021

Yes, eyes work much better than hands or noses for determining exposure.

Les Sarile · Jul 1, 2021

jay moussy said:
The tequila did not work, but I found some comfort in some vermouth.

Anyway, it is a no go.
How many of us use an older SLR with hand metering, or nose-o-meter?

I got used to having no meter when shooting daylight specially with color negative's huge latitude on the overexposure side. I conduct latitude testing on my films and seems Kodak Portra can handle quite a bit . . .

Sirius Glass · Jul 1, 2021

AAlfano said:
Yes, eyes work much better than hands or noses for determining exposure.

I found that a good calibrated light meter works even better than eyes.

Uhoh.. Nikon FM metering unresponsive!

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency