The ”Dual Personality“ FM3A--- Nikon’s New Retro-Tech 35mm SLR

In the late seventies Nikon introduced two camera models, the FE, an electronic shutter model with aperture priority auto exposure and the FM, a no-nonsense all-mechanical camera designed to operate without battery power. Photographers at the time speculated about a hybrid camera that combined the best features of both models and what such a camera might be like. After almost twenty-five years Nikon finally got around to making those fantasies a reality. The new Nikon FM3A camera combines the mechanical shutter, manual operation, and rugged dependability of the classic FM2n with an electronic shutter and aperture priority auto exposure much like that offered in the long discontinued FE/FE2. Nikon has never wavered in their commitment to fans of manual focus, not only in continuing to manufacture manual focus cameras (FM2n, FM10, FE10, and F3) and tenaciously maintaining the venerable “F” mount, but also in its support (most Nikon AF cameras permit the use of manual focus lenses) for the owners of the millions of manual focus Nikkor and Nikon “F” mount lenses still in use--something that can't be said for either Canon or Minolta.


The new Nikon FM3A retains the most important features of the FM2n, like its all metal body, full manual control, center-weighted metering, and adds useful features like DX film speed coding, +/- 2 stop exposure compensation, and Hybrid Shutter Speed Control. This new electro-mechanical shutter permits photographers to shoot with a battery-free mechanical shutter (useful in harsh environments or remote locations where battery power is either undependable or unavailable) or to use the battery powered Aperture-Priority Auto exposure mode in which shutter speeds are set electronically. The FM3A also features TTL flash operation (with a top synch speed of 1/250th of a second), a “one button” automatic fill flash capability (which reduces flash output by one stop) and automatic film advance (up to 3.2 FPS) with the optional MD12 motor drive. As a bonus the MD12 adds a grip (the FM3A doesn’t provide a grip). The motor drive makes the camera easier to handle (especially with large lenses) and improves the balance when a Nikon speedlight is mounted.

The FM3A is compact, light-weight, and quite elegant in appearance; the cast aluminum alloy body is sturdy, well sealed against dirt/moisture, and features brass top and bottom plates for added durability. The FM3A’s all-metal body/lens mount design is a nice change from the pervasive polycarbonate bodies and lens mounts featured on many auto focus camera models. The FM3A’s top deck is logical, uncluttered, and traditional, handling is simple and completely intuitive. The shutter-speed dial (with mechanical shutter speeds from 1/4000th of a second to one second, and “B”) and an “A” setting for aperture priority (with stepless electronic shutter speeds from 8 seconds to 1/4000th of a second) the “A” setting also provides TTL flash with Nikon speedlights (including the SB28 and SB-50DX.) and there's a PC socket (something missing from most current camera models) on the camera's face (for use with studio or off-camera flash units). Film advance is manual, pulling the film advance lever lightly away from the body acts as the “on” switch for the FM3A’s meter, to turn the meter “off” push the lever back to its flush position. If the MD12 motor drive is used, the film advance lever is deactivated and depressing the MD12 shutter button slightly activates the camera’s meter. The film rewind crank (you have to manually rewind the film into the 35mm cartridge) is on the opposite side, surrounded by a multi-use dial that allows automatic DX ISO setting or the user can manually set ISO (a primitive but effective form of exposure manipulation) the dial also controls the +/- 2 EV exposure compensation (in 1/3 EV increments) an LED in the viewfinder reminds you that this feature is set.

The FM3A uses match-needle metering like the FE/FE2, rather than the LED system from the FM2n. I started using match needle metering almost thirty years ago, so I am very comfortable with the system since it shows you not only your current or selected shutter speed but also what the meter suggests and a visual indication of how far over- or under you may be. An exposure lock button on the rear of the camera allows the user to meter a scene, then “freeze” the reading. The viewfinder has a “direct readout” window that displays the set aperture directly from the lens. There is also a depth of field preview button and a self-timer (which can be used to fire the shutter) the self-timer locks the mirror “up” prior to exposure, which is great for macro or copy work. FM3A (body) chrome $600.00 black $625.00 The FM2n will remain in Nikon’s camera model inventory for the foreseeable future FM2N (body) $450.00.

Technical Specifications

Lens mount: Nikon “F” mount (virtually all “F” mount lenses may be used with the exception of Nikon’s “G” series which lack aperture rings and pre-AI Nikkors)

Shutter-speed: A (Aperture Priority auto-exposure): 8 seconds to 1/4000th of a second. (Manual) 1 second to 1/4000th of a second plus B

Viewfinder: Eye Level Pentaprism (shows 92% of frame) display: Shutter speed, exposure meter, shutter indication, direct aperture value readout, exposure compensation reminder, flash ready light

Focusing: Manual with split image/microprism collar. The 12mm diameter focusing aid shows the area that defines the 60% metering concentration. 3 (user) interchangeable focusing screens are available

Depth-of-field preview: yes

Metering TTL 60/40 center-weighted, full-aperture exposure metering system. Meter range: EV 1 to EV 20 at ISO 100 (with a 50mm f/1/4 lens)

Film-sensitivity: DX (ISO 25 to 5000) or manual (ISO 12 to 6400)

Multiple Exposure: yes

Power: One 3V lithium battery (CR-1/3N type), two 1.55V silver-oxide batteries (SR44 type), or two 1.5V alkaline batteries (LR44 type) Battery power check: yes

In The Field/Handling and Operation

On a beautiful Saturday afternoon I headed south on Dixie Highway (U.S. 31W), bound for the “Bridges to the Past” and “Tioga Falls Recreation Area” at Fort Knox. My friend and I planned to spend the day evaluating Nikon’s new FM3A. My friend sells and distributes new and used cameras and imaging equipment (both digital and analog) and he had brought along a brand new FM3A (we also had a Nikon N90S) several lenses (35/1.4 Nikkor, 85/1.8 Nikkor, 105/2.8 Micro-Nikkor, 35-105/3.5-4.5D-AF Nikkor zoom) and an MD12 Motor Drive. Both cameras were loaded with Kodak Ektachrome Elite (ISO 100) slide film. The plan was that I use the FM3A and the three prime lenses while my friend shot with the N90S and the 35-105 Zoom. We would both photograph pretty much the same subjects, at the same focal lengths, and then we would compare the two sets of slides side by side on a color corrected light table.

The Bridges to the Past hiking trail is two miles long and follows the roadway of the old Louisville & Nashville Turnpike chartered by the Kentucky General Assembly in 1829. Andrew Jackson and Jenny Lind (the Swedish Nightingale) are known to have traveled along this old stagecoach road. The hiking trail starts at the base of the Muldraugh Escarpment (an ancient plateau that rises several hundred feet above the nearby Ohio River) the climb is gentle, but can be taxing on a hot and humid summer day. The trail crosses three beautiful native Kentucky limestone bridges built in the 1830’s as it follows the east fork of Tioga Creek to the top of the escarpment. The scenery is typical for Kentucky mixed hardwood forest and more than thirty-five species of tree have been identified along the creek. During the spring and summer wildflowers are abundant and the creek is very pretty. There is a large limestone outcrop (called Tecumseh’s Nose) and a small cave (Sieboldt’s Cavern) along the way. The trail terminates at “Dripping Springs” a shady fern covered area with a small spring that bubbles from a small cave in the hillside.

My wife and I were lucky enough to be here for a huge hatch of Giant Tiger Swallowtail and Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies about three years ago, there were hundreds of large colorful butterflies everywhere you looked. Many were “puddling” (standing in seeps and wet spots absorbing needed chemicals) and others were hanging from flowers and plants along the roadway as their newly opened wings dried. My friend and I didn’t see a single butterfly during the time we were there. We’ve had some pretty impressive thunderstorms over the last few days so everything was washed clean of dust and the creek was flowing nicely. The two of us spent a couple of hours shooting flowers, the beautiful old bridges, and Dripping Springs.

After returning to the parking lot for a couple ice-cold soft drinks we headed for “Tioga Falls.. This trail is a loop of just over two miles and passes through creek bottom and mixed hardwood forest with some very impressive old growth trees. The trail is a bit steep in places with some fossil rich limestone outcrops along the way. One hundred and fifty years ago this area was very popular with rich southern planters from Louisiana and Mississippi. A luxury hotel was built so the planters and their families could escape the oppressive heat and malaria epidemics of summer in the Mississippi delta country. The Tioga Falls Hotel was as far north as slave owners could go without risking the loss of their slaves. There is nothing left of the hotel, which burned to the ground over a century ago.

The trail follows Tioga Creek to its source, a large spring near the top of Tioga Hill. Tioga Falls drops 150 feet (making it one of the highest waterfalls in the state) into a lovely pool at the base of the hill. The area is always shady and cool because of the many old growth trees. My friend and I were able to get some nice shots of the falls (the best time to photograph Tioga Falls is in the spring when the redbuds are in bloom) and we found a nice clump of scarlet red Cardinal flowers on the way back to the parking lot.

The trailhead is about thirty miles south of Louisville just off U.S. 31W (turn left at the flashing yellow light at the bottom of Muldraugh Hill) and the area is almost always lightly used. The nearest facilities are located in Westpoint, a historic Ohio River town about three miles away. On the bluff above West Point is Fort Duffield, a Civil War fort (designed to protect the Ohio River) that never saw any action during the War Between the States. Famous rebel raider John Hunt Morgan swam his Cavalry across the Ohio River just a few miles upstream from Fort Duffield on his famous raid into Indiana and Ohio. Westpoint is also home to the Old Dixie Inn (312 Main St. 922-9447) serving country cooking and American comfort food for more than sixty years.

Conclusion:

After getting the slides processed (2 hour E6 service) my friend and I sat down at a color corrected light table to check out the results. As expected, the prime lens shots (FM3A) were sharper and had better color than those shot with the zoom lens (N90S) What was not expected was that the slides shot with the FM3A (using the center-weighted 60/40 meter) were just as well exposed as those from the Nikon 90S (with its sophisticated and highly accurate matrix metering) Used by an experienced photographer the match-needle metering (and the ability to subtly adjust exposure by changing ISO values or using the exposure compensation dial to bracket and fine tune exposures) of the FM3A can easily produce perfectly exposed images (even using narrow latitude slide films) Obviously, the FM3A wasn’t as quick in operation as the N90S, however the FM3A is targeted toward “Traditionalists/Purists” who are likely to consider creativity and exposure accuracy more important than speed.

The FM3A’s operation is intuitive and the camera responds to the photographer, something that is becoming more and more uncommon in our ever-evolving high tech world. The FM3A is the sort of camera that a passionate and committed photographer might design for his/her own use, not the most practical or efficient model ever built, but an incredibly useful tool for the rugged individual who insists on doing things his/her own way. If you enjoy using manual focus cameras like the Nikon FM2N, the F3, or the FE/FE2 then you are going to love the FM3A. Recommended without reservation.

If you would like to read more about 35mm cameras, please see my reviews:

Nikon SLR’s

Manual Focus

Nikon FM2n
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3CFA-1D553EB-37BC4CFF-bd2

Nikon FM10
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-6C07-23519DF-393087EA-prod2

Nikon FM3A
http://www.epinions.com/content_32634801796

Auto Focus

Nikon F5 (35mm) SLR
http:http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-3A32-DBB0138-37FBC7B7-bd3

Nikon F100 (35mm) SLR
http:http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-540D-DBAA8E5-37FBC6D5-bd3

Nikon F4S
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-1BF0-4DCCD57-389DB017-prod2

Nikon N70
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-6991-EA50BF1-38EE1854-prod4

Nikon N80
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5CF1-20F9233-3915B0F2-prod6

Nikon N65
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-46B3-76FC62B-3A00116B-prod1

Nikon N90S
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2BE1-1D4C2DF-37BC4B8C-bd2



Contax SLR’s

Contax N1
http://www.epinions.com/content_21301202564

Contax 645 (Medium Format) AF SLR
http:http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-31B5-B8D40D6-38AECFC4-prod2

Olympus SLR’s

Olympus OM4ti
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5ABD-F3D6954-38B42C34-bd3

Rollei 35mm

Rollei QZ35W & QZ35T
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-6991-EA50BF1-38EE1854-prod4

Voightlander 35mm Rangefinder Cameras

Bessa L & Bessa R
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-5D5-BC745AC-38AF6B20-prod6

Choosing a 35mm Camera
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-658D-D159BD0-38EA19CC-prod4

Choosing 35mm Lenses
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-283E-10641A05-393D299A-prod1

Nikkor 85/1.8

http://www.epinions.com/content_29370191492/tk_~CB003.1.14

Nikon Micro-Nikkor 105/2.8

http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-ED0-62442B1-393AA9F1-prod5/tk_~CB003.1.38


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