Rating  - Fantastic camera, but not for everyone
I'm amazed by some of the negative reviews on this camera. The FM3a is a fully manual camera. While it does take batteries, it's intended to be completely usable with no batteries. I can't think of another 35mm camera with all these features that will still work at all shutter speeds of the batteries die.
This is a camera for photographers, not those shooting film on the weekends. Compared to moderm cameras, it is not as user friendly, it does not have a lighted viewfinder, and yes, it can be hard to operate in the dark. If you want to use a film camera in the dark, get a used Nikon N80 or some other electronic body.
This is a classic camera, which will be appreciated most by people who have used and loved the classic Nikon film cameras. I applaud Nikon for having the guts to bring this camera to market in the digital age. Bravo, and well done!
Rating - One of the reasons I will never stray away from Nikon
Most camera manufactuers don't even offer a manual focus camera, and their lens mount changed during the autofocus era, but the FM3A is an example of Nikon's loyalty to "old school" diehards. There's some automation that makes life much easier- Aperture priority, TTL flash, and it reads the DX coding on the film so you don't have to set it manually. It's built very well and can stand up to rugged use. The black costs about $20 more than the silver, but I don't mind paying extra for the "pro" look.
It's a bit small in large hands like mine, but add the MD-12 motordrive and it feels much larger. And it can shoot about 3 frames per second with it. Autofocus lenses can be used as long as they have the aperture ring, but there's no autofocus, of course.
It does very well shooting long exposures at night. In aperture priority, the shutter will stay open for several minutes if need be. There's been discussion that the max is 8 secs, but that's not true. To bracket, simply use the exposure compensation or the film ISO setting.
Rating - One of Nikon's Best Cameras
The Nikon FM3A is the camera Nikon should have made back in the 1980's. It combines the aperture priority automation of the Nikon FE2 with the manual only ease of operation of the Nikon FM series. Indeed, if the batteries should die, this camera should still work at virtually all shutter speeds under manual mode. It is also blessed with the traditional Nikon 60/40 center-weighted metering found in many of Nikon's manual cameras, dating from the last Nikkormats. It handles as well as its illustrious predecessors, but here, I think it is built so that it can be more durable than either the FE or FM cameras. In short, it is an excellent second body for someone seeking a durable backup to go with their Nikon F2A/AS, Nikon F3, F4 or current autofocus cameras. And for others interested primarily in working with Nikon's manual focusing lenses, it may be their primary body. Admittedly, it isn't cheap, but it is designed to be a professional workhorse and the price seems to reflect it. If I was still using Nikon equipment, I wouldn't hesitate adding the FM3A to my SLR kit.
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Customer Reviews for Nikon,FM3A,018208016679,0018208016679,B00005LERN, |
