What's your latest new old camera ? (Part 2)

[Erik D. Herrmann Sr.]

The FA never sold as well as Nikon hoped, and it was only in production for four years. I’ve never quite understood why - with its Matrix metering, shutter-priority mode, and program mode it added several useful features to their 1980s FE2/FM2/FG20/F3 line-up. I think it is an excellent camera.

The FE2 has always been my favorite Nikon film camera, but the FA is right up there, maybe tied with the F2 for second place. I use mine quite often (and just bought two semi-working FAs at a camera store clearance sale).

Congrats on your purchase - enjoy!

Thanks.
I have an FE and like it a lot, one of my favorites. I was looking for either an FE2 or FM2 when I came across the FA. I had heard of them but had never looked into them. The more research I did the more it appealed to me, even though I shoot in manual pretty much exclusively. I thought it might be fun to try out Nikons first attempt at matrix metering, shoot a roll in Program mode and see what happens. with a 50mm lens It's quite small and light and promises to be a lo of fun to shoot.

 

[cooltouch]

Nice looking FA, Eric, The FA was also the first Nikon that suported the "s" feature of the AIs lenses. (That little scooped out semi-circle in the lens mount) I'm gonna add one to my collection one of these days.

 

[Erik D. Herrmann Sr.]

Nice looking FA, Eric, The FA was also the first Nikon that suported the "s" feature of the AIs lenses. (That little scooped out semi-circle in the lens mount) I'm gonna add one to my collection one of these days.

They can be had for a song on ebay these days. I got mine with a pristine Tokina 29-70mm for $150.00

 

[BayG75]

I was working in a camera store when the FA was introduced and I dreamed of owning one - something impossible at the time given my ‘poor college student’ lifestyle (it retailed for around $425, or $1000 in 2018 dollars). I was eventually able to buy one in 1989, two years after the model had been discontinued (it was an unsold camera that had been lightly used by the store’s owner). I still shoot with it.

The Matrix metering isn’t quite as advanced as later versions of course, but it handles most situations pretty well, even with slide film, which is what I usually had in it back in those days.

With my Nikons I use manual metering about 60% of the time, and aperature-priority takes care of another 30%. I don’t do too much action photography, but there are times when shutter-priority and program modes come in very handy, and that’s when I reach for the FA.

It is my camera of choice during weekends at the family cabin, for instance, where I might be photographing everything from a calm, early morning lake scene to a dozen hyperactive kids running around the woods in constantly changing light. The FA handles that range better than any of my other manual film cameras.

 

[sabredog]

Picked this Canon EOS 300v up for much less than my weekly coffee bill.

Any insight regarding it?

 

[Sirius Glass]

I know this is a bit late but Santa claus bought me something VERY nice! A minty Hasselblad 503cw with the winder and PM51 unit! View attachment 194017

Very, very nice. Enjoy!

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

Picked this Canon EOS 300v up for much less than my weekly coffee bill.

Any insight regarding it?

Not really, mate. It's one of those cameras that I wouldn't be able to tell wether it's a film or digital SLR. It looks like you had a great deal nonetheless. Enjoy it!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Picked this Canon EOS 300v up for much less than my weekly coffee bill.

Any insight regarding it?
...

It's known as the Rebel Ti 'round these parts...decent camera.

 

[vlasta]

Like mint Minolta 9000 with winder and unused leather case, all for 25e.

 

[sabredog]

It's known as the Rebel Ti 'round these parts...decent camera.

Cheers Theo. I will take it out for a walk.

 

[frank]

Was very fortunate, but had to drive over an hour into the messy west end of Toronto to buy this F2 with 50f2 and most importantly, a 105f2.5 Ai. I'm much more of a wide lens shooter, but I wanted to replace this classic lens which I once had but sold some years back, and the price was right. I'll need to find a diopter for the camera viewfinder because even when wearing my eyeglasses, the view is fuzzy. When I look through using the lower reading portion of my bifocals, the view is clear. But looking that way is not convenient because I need to hold my glasses up off my nose to do so.

 

[BayG75]

The 90% clearance sale at my local vintage camera store is still going on, so I stopped by again today. Spent $20 and got three Nikons - a Nikomat (as they were branded in Japan) FTN, an FG-20, and an EM. All in full working order, if in need of a good cosmetic cleaning.

I don't "need" any of them, of course, but it is hard to pass up such a sale. The FG-20 I will give to a 12-year-old niece who has shown some interest in film photography. The EM I got simply because it completes my 1980s Nikon SLR line-up. The Nikomat - well, I just really like those cameras (simple, sturdy, and I wish more cameras models had the shutter speed ring on the lens mount).

 

[G1DRP]

Canon T90.

 

[cooltouch]

Nice score, Frank. Not just an F2, but an F2A.

My most recent camera find is a Pentax ZX-7 with FA 28-80mm lens. Picked the set up at a local thrift store for a few bucks. It looks to be in almost unused condition. Fortunately, everything works, near as I can tell. Haven't put a roll through it yet, so I guess that will be the real test.

 

[kivis]

Just got a Nikon 105/2.5 Ai lens to go with my Nikon F and 50/1.4 Ai converted lens.

 

[anfenglin]

I bought a 6x12 / 6x9 hand made wooden pinhole camera off a guy called Jerry Chen from Taiwan.
Very well made with small magnets, makes a very good first impression. Can't wait for the first pictures.

 

[Dennis-B]

Last week, a needy senior at University of Michigan needed to sell some equipment to help relocate himself to a new job. He had this camera on Craig's List for several weeks until the price got down to what I thought was reasonable. Near mint, it also came with the 50mm f/1.4 AI-s and 10 rolls of Tri-X and Portra. I found a local source for a MD-4, and I took it out earlier this week to run some film through it. Off to the processor tomorrow.

 

[kempston_joystick]

I've been waiting for an FM2n to show up at a decent price - the one shown here was a Craigslist purchase, also came with a 50mm/1.4 AI lens. I love my F3, but this camera is less conspicuous and more involving.

 

[Dennis-B]

I've been waiting for an FM2n to show up at a decent price - the one shown here was a Craigslist purchase, also came with a 50mm/1.4 AI lens. I love my F3, but this camera is less conspicuous and more involving.

View attachment 194623

About a month before I found the F3, I ran across a FM2(non "n"). It's also in mint condition, I already had another 50mm f/1.4 AI-s, but I also have a 180mm f/2.8, and a 24mm f/2.8, both AI-s models.

The FM2 is a pleasure to use. It makes me think my way through the shot, and consider all the elements of the triangle (shutter speed, aperture, film ISO). I also added a MD-12, and it adds just a bit of weight for added stability.

But, we have to be careful. If too many people find out about these manual Nikons, everyone will want one!

 

[flatulent1]

Two chrome Nikomats, an FTn and an FT2, were sourced last week. Today, won an auction for a well-used F3P which will be replacing my fairly clean F3HP when it arrives.

-J

Hey John, I have an F3 HP in pretty nice condition. It's available, if you're interested.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Since we're showing F3's, I've had this for quite a while...

 

[cooltouch]

Very nice. I've always liked the champagne F3T even though I don't much care for the color pink.

You know, that reminds me. When I bought my F3, I never did post an image of it in this thread. Actually I bought a pretty nice outfit that included the F3. Got all this from a fellow who needed the money for what most folks pay just for F3 bodies on fleabay:

 

[Theo Sulphate]

A black 1964 Nippon Kogaku Tokyo labelled Nikon F with plain prism. It shows reasonable use. This is consistent with my newly adopted "no electronics, no batteries" philosophy.

To go with it, I bought yet another 50/1.4 pre-AI Nikkor; it appears to be unused condition.

An incongruous combination, I know.

The camera is being CLA'd; photos when I get it back.

 

[Bud Hamblen]

I recently received a 1950 Kodak 35 range finder model that had the distance scale on the lens marked in metres instead of feet. Apparently this was an export version.

 

[cooltouch]

A black 1964 Nippon Kogaku Tokyo labelled Nikon F with plain prism. It shows reasonable use. This is consistent with my newly adopted "no electronics, no batteries" philosophy.

To go with it, I bought yet another 50/1.4 pre-AI Nikkor; it appears to be unused condition.

An incongruous combination, I know.

I don't follow. Why is a Nikon F with plain prism and a pre-AI 50/1.4 an incongruous pair? The differing amounts of wear? It sounds like they were made for each other to me. I have the same exact combination -- my F is an early one with a 64xxxxx serial number, but I still think they go together quite naturally. Oh, I suppose some might quibble that my lens should be a 5cm instead of a 50mm, but I pretty much ignore this sort of thing.