Let me tell you why a camera like the FM3a is so remarkable. In December of , after more than four decades of making exceptional professional-grade film SLRs and just before digital cameras established themselves as the future of photography, Nikon decided to do something weird; create a manual-focus, 35mm film SLR camera. And though this is something the brand had done hundreds of times in the previous forty years, the Nikon FM3a was planned and built in a far different climate than any film camera Nikon had previously produced.
By the late s, autofocus was here to stay as a fast and accurate tool critical to the working photographer. Casual and beginner photographers wanted point-and-shoot cameras, and most of these had begun the switch to digital. Even enthusiastic photo geeks were more often finding their shutter speed dials set to a letter, rather than a number. But this was by design. These shooters wanted a classic film camera with durability to withstand the pressures of hard use in harsh environments, the ability to shoot at all speeds without a battery, and auto-exposure for when manual shooting would mean a missed shot.
Working from a room at the Ohi factory, engineers from Mito Nikon a Nikon camera production subsidiary that had previously worked on the Nikkormat series began designing the FM3a in a remarkably cohesive way. The small team seven engineers, later twelve employees worked closely with the factory production staff to ensure unprecedented levels of quality control throughout the design and production processes.
The result was a machine that, without hyperbole, was and remains still the best manual focus Nikon SLR. They smoothed the ergonomic quirks of its predecessors and added a pinch of high technology.
It was designed with an eye for simplicity, and built for a very specific type of photographer. Photographers loved it, and the ensuing avalanche of customer orders meant that demand outpaced supply for months. The FM3a was an instant classic. The Nikon FM3a is a classic 35mm film SLR, and though it was lovingly crafted at the turn of the millennium, it feels much like a camera made two or three decades earlier. This DNA has prompted many commentators to an over-simplification.
Chief among these innovations is its incredible hybrid shutter that allows both battery-powered electronically-controlled auto-exposure shooting and full manual control at every shutter speed without the need for battery power. These AF lenses must also have a physical aperture control ring.
The addition of an exposure lock button on the back of the camera makes on-the-fly adjustments to exposure a simple task. The viewfinder is exceptionally informative, showing a large exposure scale on the left side of the frame. The standard K3 screen shows a split-image focusing patch surrounded by a micro-prism focusing ring in the center of a clear matte screen while other focusing screens can be installed by the end-user.
In the hands, the Nikon Fm3a quickly distinguishes itself as top-of-class. A masterpiece of form and function worthy of the same accolades people heap on cameras from certain German brands. The top and bottom body covers are each made from a sheet of brass. The shutter release and film wind cap are the lathe-turned products of hand-machining. The shutter and film advance actions are smoothed by oil-free, self-lubricating bearings.
The film transport mechanisms are made of high-strength hardened metal gearing. These nuts and bolts details and fine materials selection culminate in a camera that feels, above all else, stunning in use.
Dials, knobs, levers, and switches actuate with delightful precision, and film advance is silky smooth and whisper quiet. The shutter release button is supple, with a half-press activating the meter and a full press making the shot. Mirror slap is light and well-damped, and as quiet as a traditional SLR can manage. Manual shooting is as straightforward as with all the best classic manual cameras. Set your shutter speed on the top dial, set your aperture, and shoot.
The viewfinder display shows how your settings relate to exposure in a clear way. In aperture-priority mode, things are even simpler. The metering system is masterful, and in two weeks of shooting it never made a bad exposure. The AE lock works perfectly, and makes even the most challenging light a no-brainer. For all this gushing, the Nikon FM3a is not a perfect camera.
Additionally, the inclusion of a locking device on the exposure compensation dial is a criminal offense over which I often rage. Why, then, do we need a redundant lock on the dial? This only slows the process of photography, something the FM3a never does otherwise. For the cost of an FM3a, someone could probably buy four or five FMs. The FE2 is half the price and, aside from the electronic-and-mechanical hybrid operation and some advanced flash methodology through-the-lens, off-the-film AE , does nearly everything the FM3a can do.
You could buy a couple of the pro-spec F3s or F4s for the same price. But none of these cameras would be the very best manual focus SLR Nikon ever made. The FM3a can make that claim. And quality is remembered long after price is forgotten so the old wisdom says. More than a decade after the final copy shipped from the factory production ended in , the Nikon FM3a still stands as an impressive photographic tool.
There was no thought beyond making the shot, no questioning glance to the top of the camera, and no puzzling over frame lines or worrying over light. There was no hunting for focus or wading through menus; no twiddling of dials or viewfinder distractions. It was just me and the camera, and the knowledge that at least one of us was going to work perfectly, every shot.
If I could simply focus and think, then there would be nothing standing between me and making a decent photo. They set out as the sun was setting on the heyday of film to create a perfect 35mm film SLR; a camera that would be a masterpiece tool, fit for the most demanding and experienced film shooters.
And they finally did it. The Nikon FM3a is a real masterpiece. By purchasing anything using these links, Casual Photophile may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you. This helps Casual Photophile produce the content we produce. Many thanks for your support. James Tocchio is a writer and photographer, and the founder of Casual Photophile. The shutter mechanism on this camera is truly amazing.
Finally although I much prefer the needle metering over LEDs, I wish they would have included illumination in the viewfinder or at least a white background so that it can be seen against a dark background. Like you said, no camera is perfect.
For me, the FM3a is pretty darn close. Great article! And the FM3a is a masterpiece indeed! Simple and very intuitive to use, and so efficient for the results! And those fabulous Nikkor lenses…. This ability to become an almost-invisible part of the photographic process might be my favorite thing about the FM3a, and I fully intend on getting another few decades out of it before I pass it on to the next generation.
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I'm an American geoscientist currently living in Ireland. I travel frequently and am an avid collector See John Counts's full profile and links. The fact the custumer service is still available is also something convenient. I concur with most of the above comments. I bought my FM3a from Grays of Westminster in It is a chrome version. I have this year had to send it to Nikon for a major repair and CLA as the shutter unit started to malfunction. That was quite expensive. Up until then I have found the camera to be a delight to work with.
I took the repaired camera out for a spin recently and was rewarded with well exposed shots — pity I was using E — uughh!. I also have a late serial number FM2n black, beginning to brass nicely which is a slower camera to use but I get the sense it is more reliable and may yet outlast its semi-electronic sister! I have recently bought some Fuji Velvia at a really good price — so good that I fear I may never be able to buy it again. The CV M lenses seem better built and mine are still going strong.
How do you feel the F-mount Cosina Voigtlander racks up against the classic Nikkors in terms of ability to handle abuse etc? I may have to get one for christmas! Having the rewind lever popped out in order to activate the shutter and meter is absurd. The damn things sticks right into my forehead when turning the body counter-clockwise to compose vertical format shots the natural stance.
The ergonomics on this little beauty are awful — at least for me. Happy for someone else to enjoy the FM3A — really not for me. Hi Pedro- some good observations there. All cameras all do pretty much the same thing, and these small details start to become big, defining factors for us during use. Somebody else also mentioned the shutter lock on the lever. This has never been an issue for me but I can see how it could really piss someone off if it got in their way all the time.
They worked well for me but once you grab the big brothers it becomes clear where the nikon legend was built. Otoh far from me to try to dispell the hype and myth around certain cameras. Is the last image used with flash? Having fun with the F and my 50 1.
Excellant review with really enviable portraits. I picked up what seemed to be an unused one a few years ago. I bought the shutter release from a chinese vendor on ebay a while back- a pack of four different colours for around a fiver. Really enjoyed reading this and seeing the great images after having just acquired both an FE2 and FM2.
It seems much more akin to the FE2 given the aperture priority mode, low selectable shutter speeds, exposure comp and matchstick needle meter display. What a great camera nonetheless.
Wish it was less expensive. I am truly baffled. Stunning pictures! Just never bothered to look at anything else. I liked the simplicity. I would be curious as to how in your estimation the FM3A might work for me. Very tempted to give it a try after your inspiring review!! Give it a go! Nice article and images. I just bought my third FM3a. Sold the F80 a couple of years later for a quarter of the price, and probably would have done the same with the FM3. The digital onslaught was well under way and I got a D70s.
People were practically giving cameras like this away. So this summer I bought a beautiful black example at Aperture, took it Paris paired with my beloved 35mm f2, and left it in the back of the taxi I took from the station to the hotel. Fast forward, the insurance eventually paid out, and I kept wistfully checking availability. Jumped on the tube after about 10 seconds wrestling with my conscience. And I have a 50mm 1. I agree with everything you say about it.
What I like about it, with the hybrid shutter, is the feeling that it can be used anywhere, at any time. And it has everything you want in a camera, and no more. I feel technology frequently gets in the way, and the FM3a is just pure, capable, photography.
Beautifully made, no frills, much cheaper and easier to load than a Leica. Could be quieter though! On another note, I bought an f90x recently- cheap and great fun too! Nikon rocks. The article, your photographs, all rock solid like the camera. Nikon was beyend my pocket as a teenager so I got into K-mount before settling on a Pentax MX for a while.
At the time, there was a lot of fuss being made about the FM3a. The FE2 does exactly the same job and is today a relative bargain for the hype surrounding the FM3a. For me, I would save and buy an FM2n, an FE2, or both… All that said, the other posters here are right; the F3 trumps them all in feel, build, handling and quality, is the one I love and is a bargain today. I have avoided mention of the F2 as that is a whole other subject! Hi Anil, took me 2 years to find your article! I have a chrome FM3a, so obviously my pictures are worse than yours!
I re-read countless reveiws and articles and decided I had to have this camera. Besides a photographer, I also collect cameras… When the FM3a arrived I marveled at all the practical features, the relative diminuitive size a hair shorter and thinner than the F3. Batteries not working means you can still shoot, and it mostly felt well put together. I even waited for 9 months while my F3 was off being repaired..
The FM3a in the end still lives with me, but it feels just a bit cheaper, just a bit less well put together than the F3, even if it is a technical marvel. The Nikon name plate is plastic, and on the chrome version scratches easily, revealing the black plastic underneath.
The brass is a thinner gauge than the F I still use the FM3a occasionally, and I simply love the match-needle exposure meter which is impossible to see at night. I do believe that Nikon did put all their love for film photography into it, and it feels very well thought out, if a bit light on quality.
A pity the bean counters made them scrimp and save here and there.. Still, I will treasure this camera as long as I can. Sorry, not for sale! And that is I guess a testimony to Nikons and their quality. Nice write up Anil, it was your article that finally made me pull the trigger on mine.
I decided […]. I think the title is all wrong. Very well written. I want […]. This is a helpful article—thanks! What camera and lens did you take those with?
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