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I've owned an FM3A for about yer now and love it. You can shoot in aperture priority if you want or go for full control. It has an internal light meter which relies on a battery to work. However, the camera itself is totally mechanical and can shoot quite happily without a battery. Under the film rewind knob you can set your file speed as well as your preferred exposure compensation. If you shoot film you'll definitely enjoy this camera, style and ergonomics. Nikon have a treasure trove of relatively cheap lenses from way b before the digital age all of which will fit this mount but if you want to use the metre you'll need the AI-S lenses like the Nikon 50mm AI-S f1.2 which has a tab on the aperture ring that engages with the camera's meter. You can see the aperture setting via the viewfinder along with suggested mix of f-stop and shutter speed. All in all a great camera. Word of warning: There's an awful lot of abused FM3A's on eBay so make sure you zoom in to any photographs before bidding.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
As I know, in all around mechanical SRL cameras, FM3A is the best. It's compact, light weight, reliable, relatively (to mechanical cameras) quiet and low vibration shutter, large shutter speed range 1-1/4000S and up to 1/250 flash syn., TTL metering and flash control, aperature priority autoexposure and AE lock. The greatest selling point for this camera is that it can fully operate (no metering reading) without battery!! One of my favorite feature is the self-timer can be used as mirror lock-up at pre-shutter release to reduce vibration. In the view point of functional specifications, no other full mechanical shutter camera can beat or approach. Someone may argue that Nikon F2 has a better constructions. I agree that many cameras have more beautiful and tough constructions than FM3A. However, in practical picture taking, FM3A is more convenient and easy to use. I have two F2s, they have not been used for few years after I have bought a FM3A. Now I think FM3A become a collectable as it has been discontinued. I have collected and played with many camera, including Sinar, Hassel, Leica M, Canon FD & EOS, Nikon AF, Voigtlander, etc.... If you ask me which camera would be kept if I can only have one, I will not hesitate to say "Nikon FM3A". Until now (March 2009), I have 3 BLACK FM3As, two for regularly use, and one (bland new) for collection. Recently I read a book "Nikon Camera Story" published in Chinese, in which the author confidently guessed with evidences that the origin of the FM3A's design was come from a prototype of developing Nikon F3 in 1977. The prototype was designed with full range combination of mechanical and electrical shutter. It is an amazing background of FM3A's development, but believable.Read full review
It is important to note that my choice in a film SLR was based on my decision to learn photography from the ground up. To learn why certain apertures were recommended, and certain shutter speeds were not recommended in certain instances. I do not want a camera to make those decisions for me. I want the resultant image, good or bad to be mine, whether I am disappointed or proud of the result. In the large part, I am most proud of my photographic Images with the FM3a. I purchased my FM3a before travelling to Hawaii in January. I purchased it for the Aperture priority. I had been using Cosina Voigtlander Bessa R's prior to this and I wanted something which would give me all the independent creativity I wanted with an option to automate the films speed by setting the aperture and having the camera decide the film speed. I looked long and hard researching all websites and fora I could find. and it was unanimous that for a sturdy well built camera with the options I wanted, and over 29 years of producing AI and AIS lenses to fit the FM3a both manual and auto focuses, the FM3a received praise from all circles, and I have never been happier with a purchase in my live. It has delivered the most perfect photos I could have imagined. With or without the use of the Aperture Priority “A” feature, anyone who can read a camera manual can take great photos. I used on my trip a 28-105 Zoom which fulfilled my needs perfectly. I could not have imagined a better camera purchase for someone like me, who is withstanding the Digital urge with a fury. Other than the Nikon F3HP, the, FE, FE2, FE10, FM series and the FM10, I cannot recommend any other film SLR, with the FM3a being the best choice for the beginner and the film purist.Read full review
This is the best non-pro class 35mm camera one can buy to use with AI, AI-s, AF and AF-D Nikon lenses. It is also a small and light camera that can be carried all day without getting a hernia. Its predecessors - the FM, FM2 and FE2, are some of the best cameras Nikon ever made. But the FM3A has one enormous advantage over all prior models: it can be used at all shutter speeds with batteries in auto-exposure mode and without batteries in manual mode. As such, it is virtually an unstoppable camera body. It also has the ability to flip the mirror up when used with the self-timer, which gives it great flexibility for precision, high rez photography. At its typical prices, there is nothing else out there that approaches its flexibility, weight and ease of use. It's not a perfect camera: it doesn't have multiple automation modes or multiple metering modes or a diopter adjustment. But it is as close as one can get without a much higher price and/or weight penalty.Read full review
Fully mechanical yet doesn't scimp out on any features. Has a light meter when you need it but if the battery dies you still have a fully operational camera. Pretty similar to the Nikon FM2/FM2n but with AE lock as well. Also of course has a metal shutter. Has the best features from the FM2 and FE combined. Literally the perfect SLR.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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