What should I replace my broken FM3A with (or is that by)?

Angarian

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Thank you very much for that information. Very interesting.
 

Les Sarile

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BTW, pros don't use autoexposure . . . Besides, any pro user - who may have accidentally put their F3 on autoexposure would have known that all you had to do if you got hung up on a long autoexposure is to move it off to a manual speed. I could understand them putting this feature on the none pro cameras like the FG or even the FA and FE2. Of course all subsequent motorized cameras - pro or otherwise, always automatically advance to position 1 but I really appreciated that Nikon made this right in the FM3A. That and the full hybrid shutter compelled me to acquire the FM3A.

That backstory of preventing people from retiring just to make the FM3A happen was also very compelling -> Nikon FM3A
 

benveniste

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Unless one is using flash on the F3 a lot, that's a very minor inconvenience. There is an atttachment, AS-7, that moves the hotshoe off the rewind. It's not that expensive and works great.

Like the F3P, the AS-7 does not support TTL flash via the hot shoe. The AS-17, introduced about 15 years too late, does.


The choice between the FE2 and the FA is a subjective one, but here a few cautionary points from a long time (almost 40 year) FA user:

The weak point of the FA is the flexible circuit board, which loses flexibility with age. The only source of replacement parts is cannibalization from cameras that are of the same age. If you plan on using shutter-priority with an FA, you should also plan on using AI-s lenses. Otherwise the only time you can be assured you'll get the shutter speed you want is if the lens is wide open. The FA lacks AE lock, which apparently was a deliberate (and poorly thought out) design decision. Finally, AMP is designed to be used with the camera in landscape orientation. You can get some very weird results if you don't switch to center weighted metering in portrait orientation.
 

Chan Tran

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For using the camera I like the feature but when i want to test the shutter speed I have to put something to make the camera thinks the back is closed so the shutter speed will work at all speeds.
 

mshchem

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That's a great article. Thanks for sharing
 

Chan Tran

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Can you elaborate on this?
In general I do use auto mode and I like it so I don't have to turn it back to manual when I load the film. I almost always load the film with the lens cap on any way. When I test the shutter speed I have to open the back (in fact I remove the back of the F3) in order for the sensor to see thru the film gate to test the shutter. So to do that I have to jam a toothpick at the switch that indicate the back is closed so that the shutter will work correctly.
 

Les Sarile

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Using one of those shutter testers with the LED receiver?
 

Chan Tran

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Using one of those shutter testers with the LED receiver?

Yes I use 2 way. One I have a thru beam with the sender and a receiver. Another I use a sensor which has the sender and receiver in the same package and it detect light bounce back from the light curtain. Either way I have to have the back open. The output of the sensor is connected to an oscilloscope to measure the time.
 

Les Sarile

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I never thought about these manual bodies not firing when the back is open or off. Nikon adding some more foolproofing . . .

I have a few manual bodies and have always been interested in their shutter accuracy. However, I've never observed an exposure problem so never tested any. If you've been keeping track of results I would be interested if you're willing to share.
 

Chan Tran

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No the F3 would fire the shutter with the back open but it won't fire at speed above 1/80 before the frame count reach 1 which it doesn't because the back is open.
 

Les Sarile

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No the F3 would fire the shutter with the back open but it won't fire at speed above 1/80 before the frame count reach 1 which it doesn't because the back is open.

Of course!

Have you seen any benefits from shutter speed testing? How much of a deviation have you gotten from fully manual as well as from cameras with shutter priority? From some I've seen seems they trend to be slower?
 

Chan Tran

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Of course!

Have you seen any benefits from shutter speed testing? How much of a deviation have you gotten from fully manual as well as from cameras with shutter priority? From some I've seen seems they trend to be slower?

Please rephrase your question. What do you mean deviation from fully manual? For the F3 I would have to test manual speeds and then auto speeds. Auto speed is kind of difficult because you have to have simulated light source to make the camera set the speeds.
The F3 is accurate to about 10% on shutter speed like 500 to 60. At 1000 and 2000 it's more like 20 to 30%. Below 60 is very close. The FM and FM2n matches the F3 on speed of 125 and above. Lower speed it has the same variation as the higher speeds. So electronically control has advantage mainly in the low speeds.
My Minolta's are OK but not as good as the Nikon's. The cameras that have the worse performance was my 2 Yashica Lynx 14 and Lynx 14e. The speeds are like 1 and 1/2 stops too slow.
 

DREW WILEY

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I dislike auto anything, and found the FM3a Aperture Priority system too dicey for anything fussy like slide film. So I sold it. I personally prefer the no-nonsense FM2n. Per shutter speeds, I test them all anyway with an electronic tester. Only the very highest speed on either model was significantly off (I bought both cameras new). Needle metering versus lit-up LED's? - about the same, although LED's are easier to use in dim light. For critical work, I use a handheld meter anyway.
 

fstop

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Check your in box.
 

fstop

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Thats funny I like automation except automatic transmixers in cars, those I like manual.
 

Chan Tran

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In 2002 I was in the market for a 35mm SLR. I did think about the FM3a as it's significantly less expensive than the F5. In the end I bought the F5. The FM3a would be a much better investment as its price went up and the F5 is a bad investment as its price went down drastically. But I don't like the FM3a. I much prefer the F3. In fact I don't like the hybrid shutter.
 
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