Do I need an FM3a

MartynK said:
I had much the same experience. All SLRs were manual when I started photography, and I was deeply suspicious of the electronic automation and particularly the battery dependency when this first appeared. I never really got over that either and still 'trust' my F2 and FM more than the later models, although I do have a DSLR too!

AFAIK, the FE2 does have a failsafe shutter speed, but I've never owned one and can't confirm that personally. I think the FM3A reverts to full mechanical/manual mode if the battery dies. Best of both worlds, at a price.
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Not quite as bad,but i did but an cheap Fuji S3 body my thinking being that if we ever have a massive power failure and you couldn't charge up your battery DSLR ,at least i could still take photos as you can run the S3 on AA battery :D
 
TheGreatSoprendo said:
The FE2 is a great package for its size. Going to Italy next week and need to travel light camera wise, so have 90% decided that FE2 + 50mm is the only kit I'm bringing. I do find having aperture priority a useful feature for quick shooting if out and about on holiday, snaps of the kids etc., though I am slightly nervous and wondering if I'd be better off with a mechanical body from a reliability perspective. I'll be bringing spare batteries, but if anything goes wrong with the electrics it will be a challenge to shoot everything at 1/250! I guess sunny 16 with the ISO100 film I'll be bringing will mean approx f11 in bright sunshine, something like f4 to 5.6 in open shade...would be a challenge but not impossible.

Still toying with the idea of taking the Rolleicord instead for a laugh, but it's much slower to shoot, and not as easy to change rolls on the hoof with my family urging me to hurry up....whereas I can change a roll of 35mm without breaking stride! FE2 also likely to get the nod over F3 due to weight/size advantage.
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The FE2 and a 50mm should be an excellent choice, but I'd think about something wider too, depending where you're going. The older streets in the centre of many Italian towns and cities can be pretty narrow and you won't have much space to manoeuvre. The wide angle would be handy for cafe type shots too.

FE2s seem to be pretty reliable, but I suppose anything can go wrong. What about a small pocket digital as a backup? Heresy?
 
Hang on whats an F3 :lol:

Suprendo you could have borrowed my series E 28mm
 
Mr Bump said:
Hang on whats an F3 :lol:

Suprendo you could have borrowed my series E 28mm
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Very generous of you mate.

I actually have a Nikkor 28mm f2 which is a fantastic lens. I'm just trying to stick to one lens if possible though.

Another option is the 35mm f1.4 - which is really versatile, but not so good for portrait type shots.

I could of course take the nasty plastic AF Nikkor 28-70 I own but it just doesn't seem right using it with older cameras.

I'm now wondering if 35mm would be better than 50mm. I'm determined only to bring one lens, though I guess I could squeeze my tiny 20mm f4 into a pocket....20mm plus 50mm might be a perfect pair....

Too many to choose from if I'm honest!!!

Oh, and this is an F3 my friend...(or an F3HP to be precise)

Nikon_F3HP_with_85mm_f2.jpg
 
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MartynK said:
The FE2 and a 50mm should be an excellent choice, but I'd think about something wider too, depending where you're going. The older streets in the centre of many Italian towns and cities can be pretty narrow and you won't have much space to manoeuvre. The wide angle would be handy for cafe type shots too.

FE2s seem to be pretty reliable, but I suppose anything can go wrong. What about a small pocket digital as a backup? Heresy?
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Maybe let the wife take one, then I can have it if anything happens, but avoid feeling like a film traitor, unless the worst happens :lol:.

You're making me bring another lens now....bad man!!
 
Well, for an FE2, yes it may be pricey and at that price I would buy from a shop and get a guarantee, but to bring you back to the start, I believe the camera you need is the F3, I have the FE and to be honest it is temperamental,three visits in two years to my man, there are lots more electrical THINGS that can go wrong, these are old camera's do not forget, my view is the same applies for all the FE range.

The FM range will not give you want you want, so price wise the F3 ( what you started the thread with) seems to be the logical choice.

Still this does not matter, because whatever you buy, use and love, in six months I can see a thread from you which starts, Love my ******, what should I buy next.:D:thumbs:
 
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Double post sorry
 
Richard I kind agree with you and to be honest I would like to get within reason the best I can afford and as new as I can, the original thought was an FM3a but they are to expensive in all honesty but I did see the F3 and did think that one, is that what you mean.
 
medwaygreen said:
Well, for an FE2, yes it may be pricey and at that price I would buy from a shop and get a guarantee, but to bring you back to the start, I believe the camera you need is the F3, I have the FE and to be honest it is temperamental,three visits in two years to my man, there are lots more electrical THINGS that can go wrong, these are old camera's do not forget, my view is the same applies for all the FE range.

The FM range will not give you want you want, so price wise the F3 ( what you started the thread with) seems to be the logical choice.

Still this does not matter, because whatever you buy, use and love, in six months I can see a thread from you which starts, Love my ******, what should I buy next.:D:thumbs:
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:lol::lol:

I love my F3 and generally will always pick it up rather than the FE2, but I think they are just as prone to failure. The trick would be to find one that has had either gentle professional use (ie in a lab or something) or regular amateur use. Many of them have been used and abused by pros for journalism/sports etc and might have had thousands of rolls of film through them, and the shutter etc could genuinely be on its last legs.

Then again, just get one and don't worry too much - if problems happen sort them out or get another one. It's not as if we're using these for professional jobs and have to rely on them.
 
The FE was discontinued in 1983, and the FE2 in 1987, so they're getting long in the tooth now, although quite a lot of people are still very satisfed with them. I'm guessing that repairs involving the electronics will be very problematical though. The F3 remained in production until about 2000 - 2001, and might be a better choice if you want the aperture priority feature.

The F3 is battery dependent, with a failsafe shutter speed of 1/80, and also relies on electronics. That's fine, if you're comfortable with it, and they're excellent cameras, but I'm not sure if the electronics can still be serviced? I prefer the F2 and the FM series which are completely mechanical, but I'm used to manual cameras.

The FM3A reverted to fully manual if the batteries failed, with all the shutter speeds available. I don't know if this was unique, but it was certainly unusual.
 
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TheGreatSoprendo said:
:lol::lol:

I love my F3 and generally will always pick it up rather than the FE2, but I think they are just as prone to failure. The trick would be to find one that has had either gentle professional use (ie in a lab or something) or regular amateur use. Many of them have been used and abused by pros for journalism/sports etc and might have had thousands of rolls of film through them, and the shutter etc could genuinely be on its last legs.

Then again, just get one and don't worry too much - if problems happen sort them out or get another one. It's not as if we're using these for professional jobs and have to rely on them.
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Good avice in here ^^

ANY camera can pack up at any time.....I've had as many issues with relatively modern gear inc digital than what i have from kit 100 years old!

Obviously check out as much as poss your intended purchase but then just get film in it and use it....if you have a problem in time then it's shear bad luck but there is always an answer...repair/replace.
 
Mr Bump said:
Richard I kind agree with you and to be honest I would like to get within reason the best I can afford and as new as I can, the original thought was an FM3a but they are to expensive in all honesty but I did see the F3 and did think that one, is that what you mean.
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Yes that is the one.:thumbs::thumbs:
 
I really like the F3, but before getting an F3 I would ask yourself how much flash work you think you will need to do because the combination of the 1/80th synch speed & the unique flash hot shoe may mean that it isn't for you?

Flash is the only thing that I would say against getting an F3. I much prefer the viewfinder to the FE2 (LCD display against needle) & with the small grip to the right of the body it sits much better in the hand. I didn't find my FE2 really comfortable in the hand until I added an MD-12 to it. The F3's 80/20 CW meter is very good too. It is just a lovely camera to use.


With regard to reliability & condition both of my F3's date to the 80's & both are working fine. I got both of mine off of ebay & used the cosmetic condition of the body as a guide thinking that If the body looked to be in good condition then there is a good chance that the camera may not have been seen much professional use?

I have seen it suggested that pro photographers see cameras as tools & can be a little bit less careful with them than people who have had to pay for them out of their own hard earned. Whether that is true or not is another thing?
 
Partly, I suppose. I think most pros do regard their gear as tools to earn a living with, and don't get emotional about it the way many amateurs do. I've known a few, and some did look after it, others just used it hard and replaced stuff when necessary.
 
Suggesting the F3 over the FE2... added weight, slower sync speed, a clumsy flash system (it's not really TTL unless you use the special adapters), LCD display is more likely to suffer from failure compared to the simple needle, slower fastest shutter speed. Sure, the F3 offers interchangeable viewfinders and the HP finder, but unless you are doing some specialist work (which you won't be, with a film camera, in 2013), that's a pointless feature.

As for reliability, I think it's hardly fair to claim that the FE series will be less reliable - sure, you had an FE that was tempremental, but I'm sure there are plenty of F3 models out there which also exhibited similar problems. If anything, the F3 is likely to have had a far tougher life, more likely to have been used with a motor drive, treated badly by a professional...

[I'm a big fan of both cameras. But the FE2 is a camera of absolute class, it's almost embarrassing how much better it is than the F3 in so many respects.]
 
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freecom2 said:
Suggesting the F3 over the FE2... added weight, slower sync speed, a clumsy flash system (it's not really TTL unless you use the special adapters), LCD display is more likely to suffer from failure compared to the simple needle, slower fastest shutter speed. Sure, the F3 offers interchangeable viewfinders and the HP finder, but unless you are doing some specialist work (which you won't be, with a film camera, in 2013), that's a pointless feature.
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I agree, and most of the incredible range of interchangeable heads, screens and other accessories for the earlier F series bodies are becoming quite difficult to find in working order now.
 
MartynK said:
I agree, and most of the incredible range of interchangeable heads, screens and other accessories for the earlier F series bodies are becoming quite difficult to find in working order now.
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Well, more and more of them are being sucked into the hands of collectors to create complete sets - which drives up the prices of the ones left on the market, making them seem quite collectable, which means they get bought up by collectors... vicious cycle!

Even the normal metering heads for the F2 go for a staggering amount - I recently saw an F2A head that was going for as much as a whole F2A body :shrug:
 
freecom2 said:
Well, more and more of them are being sucked into the hands of collectors to create complete sets - which drives up the prices of the ones left on the market, making them seem quite collectable, which means they get bought up by collectors... vicious cycle!

Even the normal metering heads for the F2 go for a staggering amount - I recently saw an F2A head that was going for as much as a whole F2A body :shrug:
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Yip. As with so many things, if only we'd known.........................!
 
I mentioned this early in the thread, but I think it's worth repeating that the F3 has a fantastic large viewfinder which is far easier to view in its entirety for glasses wearers, than that of the FE series.

It's also a 100% viewfinder, which depending on your point of view has pros/cons.

But for me, the ease of viewing the full viewfinder while wearing glasses is a big bonus in favour of the F3 - it actually helps me take better photographs I think.
 
Given what Grays of Westminster are selling F3s for just now, spending that sort of wedge on one from a an E-Bay seller seems a bit... :nuts:
 
yep, they have one for £99. Grays have one for <£200 with a 12 month warranty. But E-Bay seller seems to want £300ish (who knows what the reserve is) with some useless stuff that may be of no use. Grays and Ffordes are great, proper outfits who make their money from keeping customers and keeping them happy.
 
kenm said:
yep, they have one for £99. Grays have one for <£200 with a 12 month warranty. But E-Bay seller seems to want £300ish (who knows what the reserve is) with some useless stuff that may be of no use. Grays and Ffordes are great, proper outfits who make their money from keeping customers and keeping them happy.
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Indeed, even if it doesn't look to be in the best cosmetic condition, if you get a warranty it lets you check it over completely and make sure everything works as it should. F3s sometimes suffer from shutter lag problems - impossible to identify from pictures of the camera, easy to identify if you run a film through it testing a range of shutter speeds! £99 for an F3 with 6 month warranty is a bargain in anyone's book.
 
Yip. I wouldn't buy an F3 from an eBay seller if I could get one from a reputable dealer, with a warranty, for a similar price. These cameras were well built, but they were in production for about 20 years and there's always some risk with used gear, particularly if you don't know its history. The warranty gives you a comfort zone.
 
Yep I am seeing the logik, I will see how many pennies are available in a few weeks. I have a few items to sell on that I am not using.

thanks guys

That Greys place has some crazy nice stuff.
 
Greys have this, so tempting...


Nikon F3 body
NEAR NEW. These fine bodies retailed for £1350 in the days of the strong pound! The prisms are interchangeable and action, magnification, waist and high-eyepoint alternatives are available. Also a vast choice of screens (22 in all!). More accessories for this camera than for any other 35mm reflex! Fully guaranteed for 12 months. MINT- £245.00
 
I'm never a fan of minty bodies - you pay too much for them, you can only ever make them less mint, and a lack of use can actually be a detrimental thing for old film cameras (yeah, it is warrantied, but after 12 months you are on your own).

The best compromise is always one that has been used, but not ridiculously hard.
 
Mr Bump said:
Greys have this, so tempting...


Nikon F3 body
NEAR NEW. These fine bodies retailed for £1350 in the days of the strong pound! The prisms are interchangeable and action, magnification, waist and high-eyepoint alternatives are available. Also a vast choice of screens (22 in all!). More accessories for this camera than for any other 35mm reflex! Fully guaranteed for 12 months. MINT- £245.00
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Sure, but these are out of production now, can be difficult to find in working condition, and - as others have said - are becoming collectors' items. That puts upward pressure on prices. Tracking down accessories can be an interesting, and rewarding, pastime but I wouldn't buy an F3 based on the assumption that they are still readily available.
 
MartynK said:
Sure, but these are out of production now, can be difficult to find in working condition, and - as others have said - are becoming collectors' items. That puts upward pressure on prices. Tracking down accessories can be an interesting, and rewarding, pastime but I wouldn't buy an F3 based on the assumption that they are still readily available.
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That's just Gray's generic F3 blurb (they have a similar one for the other F models, I believe). They are a great repository for everything Nikon, but I don't think they are the first place to go if you want to buy a body to shoot with and actually put some film through.
 
freecom2 said:
They are a great repository for everything Nikon, but I don't think they are the first place to go if you want to buy a body to shoot with and actually put some film through.
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This. Greys are fantastic for collectors and completists but I'd look elsewhere for kit to use and abuse. I bought a 50mm f/2 from them a couple of years ago, fantastic service but a bit expensive, though the lens was mint and dust free. I've hardly used it because I didn't want to risk devaluing it too much :bonk:

Ffordes are usually pretty well priced, though be sure to inspect your purchase carefully on receipt.
 
freecom2 said:
That's just Gray's generic F3 blurb (they have a similar one for the other F models, I believe). They are a great repository for everything Nikon, but I don't think they are the first place to go if you want to buy a body to shoot with and actually put some film through.
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Yeah, I know, but it might be a bit misleading if you don't!
 
Strappy said:
Ffordes are usually pretty well priced, though be sure to inspect your purchase carefully on receipt.
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I've returned an item to them before because I wasn't happy that the condition was as described. There was no quibbling at all from them, I returned it, and got a prompt refund.

Every other time I've bought from them (easily 10 times) the item has been spot on.

Agree that it is worth calling them to talk through a purchase first, if you're unsure.

Have never bought from Gray's - as above, always looks pricey to me for equipment you want to use, though they have a lot of very interesting stuff!
 
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MartynK said:
Yeah, I know, but it might be a bit misleading if you don't!
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Of course, but remember - they probably do stock all of those accessories, and God forbid you'd buy your Nikon items anywhere else :bonk:
 
I understand what folk are saying about not paying for a minter etc but to be fair £245 isn't a lot of money and if it gives better long term reliability and service over a heavilly used but serviced version then its not a bad deal for me. I realy like shooting 35mm and can see myself enjoying this side of photography for a while and at the end of it a good condition F3 will hold its value in the future.

Ive got a D7000+300mm lens worth about a £1000 and it hardly comes out now that is poor value :(
 
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Mr Bump said:
... at the end of it a good condition F3 will hold its value in the future.
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I think that holds for pretty much every film camera now, they've devalued to the point where the purchase price will be fairly static.
 
Mr Bump said:
I understand what folk are saying about not paying for a minter etc but to be fair £245 isn't a lot of money and if it gives better long term reliability and service over a heavilly used but serviced version then its not a bad deal for me. I realy like shooting 35mm and can see myself enjoying this side of photography for a while and at the end of it a good condition F3 will hold its value in the future.

Ive got a D7000+300mm lens worth about a £1000 and it hardly comes out now that is poor value :(
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That's precisely it - I don't think you can guarantee long term reliability with a mint camera at all, and note: most of us recommended used but not abused cameras, rather than heavily used but serviced. Additionally, you won't be able to sell it back to Gray's for that sort of money at all!

However, it's your money though, and compared to the amount of money that is spent on D800s and 1DXs on other parts of TP, this doesn't seem like so much :thumbs:

(I'd still buy an FE2 though... not sure how we lost track of that! :bonk:)
 
freecom2 said:
(I'd still buy an FE2 though... not sure how we lost track of that! :bonk:)
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Given the prices you can pick them up for I would aspire to own both. Each has its merit's & strong points compared to the other & they are both outstanding camera's IMO.
 
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