jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Watching a lot of photography channels on YouTube, the presenters often say that their favorite camera of all time is the Nikon FM3. Looking on eBay, they are being offered and sold for very high prices in comparison with other Nikkormats. I'm not interested in buying one, but I thought the difference in pricing was surprising. I have no experience with the Nikkormat. I had an F Photomic back in the day.

gmontjr2350 Loc: Southern NJ

When I was sent to Japan in 1972, guys were buying Nikkormats. I was totally ignorant regarding more sophisticated cameras and laughed when I first heard the mirror action. I had purchased a Minolta HiMatic 7, a rangefinder. Still have it.

George

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

My first SLR was a Nikkormat, but I don't think it had anything to do with the Nikon FM3, which was released much later.

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

The FM3A is fetching ridiculous prices. Get the FE-2, which is almost identical, and better built.

BebuLamar

FM3a wasn't selling very well until Nikon discontinued it. It's like a cult. People love it because it's has aperture priority and the entire shutter speed range would work in manual without battery. It's a nice camera but it's not worth its money compared to others.
I was considering it when I was shopping for a new camera in 2002. I decided to go for the F3 which was $1930 instead of $600 for the FM3a. Well the FM3a now is worth more than my F5 but I still don't think I would be more happy with it.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I shot a lot of TriX in a Nikkormat in VietNam in 68/69 (couldn’t afford a Nikon F) and I remember it very fondly.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I knew nothing about that whole Nikkormat line, but a friend had one.

richardsaccount

In the for what it is worth dept. Gray's of Westminster had a Youtube video on the Nikon FM3.
Konstatin and Becky each own one. Konatin's is a black body and Becky's is chrome. They were
out somwhere taking snaps. They apparently like l them a lot or they wouldn't have them I guess.

Rab-Eye Loc: Indiana

My first non-Instamatic was a HiMatic 9. I wish I still had it!

BebuLamar

The FM was to replace the Nikkormat Ft series. The FE was to replace the Nikkormat EL series. But Nikon discontinued both the FM, FM2, FM2n, FE, FE2 for a long time before they reintroduced the FM3a which was really an FE2 with full manual mechanical shutter speeds. Nikon had problem sourcing some components like the gavanometer (the exposure meter needle) as by then almost nobody used them any more.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

I don't believe it is considered a Nikkormat but it is a very fine slr. I had an FM3A, the latest one and I wish I had kept it. I also have the original Nikon F Photomic. Yes, they are expensive right now.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

The Nikkormat series and the FM series were similar in concept. Both were made of similar materials (not Nikon's finest, the F series). They were rumored to be manufactured by Cosina or another third party. I had one of each, a Nikkormat FTn and a Nikon FM. I was not particularly impressed with either. I vastly preferred my NIKON FTn and F3.

That said, the FM3 is a classic manual film camera with then state-of-the art design. The FM2 and FM3 were popular with commercial photographers who covered events such as theme park entry, graduations, and anywhere you needed multiple identical bodies so a "loader" could keep a couple of cameras loaded, ready, and waiting while the photographer used one of them. With only 36 frames on a roll, film always needed to be changed. Digital cameras drastically reduced or eliminated that need.

The FM I had at work was a pain. The viewfinder was only about 95% accurate, which made the camera useless on a copy stand or slide duplicator, where 100% perfect viewfinder to film coverage match and alignment were essential for making title slides and special effects. The Nikon FTn was fine, and the F3 was perfect for that. Both had 100% accurate viewfinder coverage.

The FM also had a flaky meter. It wasn't nearly as bad as its predecessor, the early Nikkormat, but those LEDs flickered between under and overexposure at random sometimes. Repair shops laughed at it.

My Nikon FTn is a classic, but flawed in so many ways. From the back you HAD to remove and pocket or set aside to change film, to the awkward position of the shutter button, to the loose way the viewfinder fit onto the camera, and on and on, it was annoying.

The F3 was the Nikon I really liked. It did everything well, with the possible lack of shutter priority automation. Once I was used to the F3, I gave the FM to my assistant and bought a second F3 for the copy room. It has a pin registered back for precise multiple exposures and a viewfinder reticule grid that can be projected onto artwork for placement in the frame.

The photographer with his Nikkormat FTn in 1976. Reflection (reversed in post) in a clean brass ashtray

(Download)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I went to a two-day Nikon workshop with my Photomic, and the instructor asked how many used the holder for the back of the camera when they removed it. No responses. Then he showed us. Slip it between two fingers of the other hand. Perfect!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I remember that Nikon School marketing gibberish. It didn't fly with the group I was in. It got a big groan!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I agree that the FM3A (2001) is a very nice camera....

However my favorite Nikon is the one generation older FM2n (1989). I have two of them... one that's matte chrome and the other black (and "like new").

The Nikon FM cameras are all manual exposure models. They have a built in meter that can be used for "match needle" method setting exposure, but I tend to use a separate handheld meter or just the "sunny 16" rule (and it's derivatives). The Nikon FE-series ran parallel to the FM-series, the primary difference being that the FE-series have both manual and aperture priority auto exposure modes.

Both FE-series and FM-series Nikons were more compact cameras, in response to the success of the Olympus OM-1. They also represent a transition from fully mechanical operation to electronics, which in part allowed for the more compact design. Even with the transition to electronics, these Nikon models didn't give up any of the brand's reputation for durability and reliability. However they do require batteries for full operation (there is just one shutter speed possible without battery power).

The Nikon FE2 (1983) got a titanium bladed shutter, which allowed it to have a 1/4000 top shutter speed and 1/250 flash sync. While common today, those were practically unheard of speeds in those days. But I'm not sure if the FE2 was the first to offer them. These were then incorporated in the FM2n in 1989, however by then they had switched to an aluminum bladed shutter (early FM2n have honeycomb shutter blades, later ones have smooth blades).

A main difference between the FM2n and the FM3A is in the exposure system, the newer model offering improved metering accuracy. But even more notably, aperture priority auto exposure was added to the FM3A. In a sense, the FM3A represents a merging of the FM-series with the FE-series. Reportedly, Nikon had noticed the high prices the FM2, FM2n, FE2 and FA models were bringing on the used market and decided to bring out the manual focus FM3A model in spite of the predominance of auto focus cameras and the beginnings of the transition to digital.

Both FM2n and FM3A cameras can be fitted with Nikon MD-12 motor drive, which advances the film at about 3.5 frames/sec. I know the FM2n also works with the earlier MD-11 drive, but am not sure it's compatible with the FM3A. The modestly redesigned MD-12 was concurrent with both FM2n and FM3A (and also works on the earlier Nikon FM and later Nikon FA, as well as the FE-series cameras). Nicknamed "the AK-47 of motor drives" for the loud noise they make, I have both my FM2n's fitted with MD-12s. In addition to film advance (slow by modern standards), MD-11 and especially MD-12 offer a secure and comfortable grip, more like many modern DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.



I don't know if the earlier models are better built (I've handled an FM3A, but not used one long term)....

But I'd say...

If you want aperture priority auto exposure mode, along with manual, get the FE2. They were built from 1982 to 1987.

If you want aperture priority AE, shutter priority AE, and program AE, as well as manual, get a Nikon FA (1983 to 1987).

If you are happy with manual exposure only, get an FM2 (1983 to 1989) or FM2n (1989 to 2001).