therwol Loc: USA

The FA was better than all of them. Matrix metering. 4 Exposure modes. Exposure compensation for older lenses with diaphragm miscalibration. I never had a problem with mine, but it was said to be fragile due to it's complexity for the time it was made. I last used mine 10 years ago and gave it to my son in-law. He uses it more than any other camera he owns. Personally, I've moved beyond film.

BebuLamar

OK! In my opinion the FA is the worst among them.

therwol Loc: USA

I'm talking about advanced features that you didn't see on any other cameras at the time, features that transferred to newer generations of cameras. In terms of reliability, it sucked. So many of them broke that Nikon couldn't supply parts to fix them. So we agree and disagree. I used mine lightly and never had a problem with it. It's glued to my son in-law, and we'll see how long it lasts.

BebuLamar

Sure none of the FA features were what I want and need. Also the FA was very expensive in its time made it a bad choice in my opinion. But of course each of us has his/her own preferences so I just express my opinion.

blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area

pendennis

I was hesitant about buying the F6. Several years ago, I'd unloaded all my film cameras in favor of digital. In 2016, I bought a Mamiya 645 Pro TL, and started shooting 120 again, and I'd been looking at an F6 on Craig's List from a fellow in Ann Arbor, MI. He had it out there for several months, starting at $1K. For five months he came down $100 each month. When he got to $500, I took it. After using the F5 for years, the F6 is really a quantum leap in film photography. I forget sometimes that I'm shooting film and not digital. I've run Fujichrome, Kodak Ektar and Portra through it, and I'm completely pleased with it. It's features far outweigh my capabilities. The only thing I don't like is the battery life of the standard batteries (CR123). I'm going to remedy that with the MB40 battery grip. It speeds film advance by almost 50%.

I guess the only thing I wish could be updated, is the ability to use the newest electro-magnetic aperture lenses. I have an 80-400 Nikkor and it works with a TC for nature shots, so I'm not completely hand-tied.

While the F5 was a great camera and predecessor, I still like my F4, even with the LCD bleed. The F4's focus is crude by today's standards, but it works just fine.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

I have to agree. Too fragile, main board dies quickly.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

I really like my N90s and F100. The metering and build quality on the N90s is superb.

pendennis

I never owned the F100, but I did the N90s. It was a great companion to my F5. However, it bellied up, and at the same time parts of the finish started to melt. I cannibalized a few parts and donated it to my local repair shop for his use. Like you, the metering was superb, and was the internal build.

therwol Loc: USA

If you look at the choices in older Nikon film cameras, there are many. I would want to know the goal of the OP in buying an FM or FE versus an F3, F100 etc. Save money? None of those cameras should bust a budget these days. Also, the older the camera, the harder it is to find one that hasn't been beaten up from heavy use. At the very least, you would want to have the foam/seals replaced. They rot away over time.

racerrich3 Loc: Los Angeles, Ca.

Not sure of some lingo or abereviations here but if I'm the OP im looking to sell my inherited FE. I saw many offers for FM's but not FE.

BebuLamar

Actually the OP doesn't want to buy anything. He was looking to sell his FE and wanted to know how much money he expects to get.

therwol Loc: USA

I see their post above yours. It wasn't clear to me from the post, and then everyone started talking about different cameras as though they wanted to buy something. Perhaps they can find someone on this forum who would make an offer.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

The N90 was good but I much preferred the F100.
It felt great in my hands.
Still have it.
The last body we got before going digital.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

No way I'd pay $300 for an original FM... although it and the later "FM2" and "FM2n" models, especially, are excellent film cameras. The FE-series were largely parallel with and similar specification to the FM models, though the FE-series was shorter lived.

I bought a literally "like new" black paint FM2n with two lenses and a flash at a local secondhand store for $40. I also have three FE2... one black and two chrome finish. All four are fitted with motor drives. I paid around $40 apiece for the chrome FE2s and $60 for the black one. I wouldn't pay as much for the earlier models, because they have lower specification

The FM was intro'd the final two or three years of F2 production, while the later FM2 and FM2n models were mostly sold alongside the F3. The FM (and FA, FG, FE models) were somewhat more compact cameras with non-interchangeable viewfinders. The more "pro-oriented" F2 and F3 models were larger, heavier and have interchangeable viewfinders (eye level meterless, metered, high point, sports). Most models were available in both all-black finish and with matte chrome top and bottom covers. There were also a few special finishes (see below).

The FM and FM2-series cameras have a built-in meter and exposure can be manually set using "match needle method", but they have no auto exposure modes. (FA, FG and FE series models from the same time frame have various auto exposure modes, in addition to manual. The FG has Aperture Priority and was the first Nikon SLR to have Program AE. The FA has Program, Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority AE. And the FE2 has Aperture Priority AE.)

The original FM was introduced in 1977 and the FE was intro'd about a year later. Both have a vertical travel, metal-bladed, focal plane shutter with 1/1000 top speed and 1/125 flash sync. They can be found in both chrome and black finishes. There was a slight change to the film rewinding crank in mid-production, which some consider a different version. There also was an "60th anniversary" FM model finished in gold. I don't think there was a comparable FE model.

The FM2 was intro'd five years later in 1982 and uses a titanium-bladed shutter with a then-unheard of top speed of 1/4000 and 1/250 flash sync. The FE2 was introduced about a year later with similar upgrades. I think these were the fastest shutters and sync of their day, in any 35mm SLR from any manufacturer. (A Ti shutter was also found in the top of the line Nikon F2 and F3, though both those pro-oriented models had a top speed of 1/2000 and a flash sync of only 1/80. Because of the FM2's shutter capabilities, it was used by a lot of pros.)

The FM2"n" (for "new") was an update in 1989 that uses an aluminum-bladed shutter (same as the FE2), but continues to provide the same top shutter speed of 1/4000 and a flash sync of 1/250. I am pretty sure the FM2/FM2n shutters are electronically controlled (as were FA, FG and FE models, though some of them are lower specification than the FM2/FM2n.)

There was no FE2"n" model.... In fact the FE series was discontinued about a year after the first FM2n was announced. Around 1990 the F90, N2020, N6006 and N8008 models replaced the FE2 (and others) in the N. American market (different model names were used elsewhere). Only the FM series and F series continued in production, alongside the new models.

There also is a rarer FM2n Titanium offered in 1995, toward the end of FM2 production. But the only real difference is that the top and bottom covers are made from titanium that was left naturally colored. It's fairly collectible and one of the pricier models.

FM3A was offered from 2001 to 2005 and was the last of the line. In spite of the series it purports to continue, this model has Aperture Priority AE in addition to Manual exposure mode.

FM10 was introduced in 1995, but really isn't part of the FM series. In fact it was outsourced and built by Cosina using a lower specification, mechanically controlled shutter (tops speed 1/2000, 1/125 flash sync). The FM10 and more pro-oriented F6 are the last two film SLR models Nikon and remain in limited production today. The FM10 reverted to the series roots, though... it only has manual exposure mode. No AE.

My FM2n is fitted with MD-11 winder, which is good for perhaps 3.5 frames per second, if I recall correctly). It's affectionately known as the "AK47 of motor drives", because it's so damned loud. I am pretty sure this same motor drive can be used on FM, FM2, FM2n, FA, FG, FE, FE2 models... and possibly some others. The MD-11 was the first "serious" motor drive for models other than the pro-oriented F-series. There was an earlier Auto Winder offered for the Nikkormat EL (and possibly one or two other models), but it was quite slow... less than 1 frame per second. A later update, the MD-12 usable on the same cameras as the MD-11, I think, though I don't think the two drives are significantly different. I have an MD-12 on an FE2 and don't notice much difference.