gear

THE DIGITAL SOAPBOX OF ANDY CLEAVENGER

NIKON FM3A

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Email:  graycard18@gmail.com

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Hands down, my favorite 35mm film camera.

It’s small, unassuming, quiet, constructed of robust metal yet extremely light. Every control is exactly where it should be. It has all the features I want and nothing I don’t. But my favorite part of the camera is the meter. It has a wonderful needle matching system that is truly beautiful in its simplicity.

Most camera meters show you only one or two stops above and below the correct exposure. The FM3A shows you the entire range of available shutter speeds. When you press the shutter release down half way the light meter engages and points the thin black needle in the viewfinder at the correct shutter speed for the aperture you currently have the lens set on. Then (without taking the camera away from your eye) you turn the shutter speed dial until the thick blue needle matches the thin black one. Voilá...  correct exposure. You can instantly see exactly how far off your exposure is, whether it’s five stops off or just a half stop off. This system not only shows me a ton more exposure information than any auto focus viewfinder, it makes it easier for me to see that information in my periphery while I continue to concentrate on composition.

The FM3A is an interesting combination of features derived from its mommy the FE2 and its daddy the FM2N. It breaks down like this: The “M” in FM2N supposedly stands for “mechanical”. Meaning the FM2N was a completely mechanical camera. The only part of it that needed electricity to operate was the light meter. If the battery died you might have to pull out your hand held light meter, or resort to using the sunny 16 rule, but you still had a working camera. The “E” in FE2 supposedly stands for “electronic”. Meaning the shutter speeds were controlled electronically. If the battery died, the camera died. However, the FE2 was able to offer an auto exposure mode that the FM2N couldn’t.

The FM3A successfully marries the two in order to combine the inherent advantages of each into one camera. Battery independent, mechanical operation for all shutter speeds when shooting in manual mode, BUT ALSO electronically controlled shutter speeds when the camera is set to aperture priority mode (the only auto exposure mode I’ve ever cared to use). Pure genius.

I sooooooo wish there was a digital version of this camera.