Nikon FM3A
Encyclopedia
The Nikon FM3A is an interchangeable lens, focal plane shutter, 35 mm
film, single-lens reflex (SLR
) camera. It was manufactured by Nikon Corporation in Japan, on small-volume assembly lines, from 2001 to 2006. The camera was available in two colours: all black, and satin chrome. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only (no lens) was $820.
The FM3A was the successor to the renowned Nikon FM2N
camera of 1984 and was the last member of the successful, semi-professional line of Nikon compact 35 mm SLRs. The other members were the Nikon FM
(released 1977), FE
(1978), FM2
(1982) and FE2
(1983). They (and the Nikon FA
) all used the superficially similar (but not identical) rugged copper aluminium alloy chassis and high-quality Nikon vertical bearing-mounted metal shutter and ball-bearing mounted film advance, but with improved feature levels, minor external controls and cosmetic differences. The newer low-budget Nikon FM10
and FE10, while named similarly, are completely different introductory-level cameras manufactured by Cosina
.
The major improvements in the FM3A compared to the FM2N are the hybrid electro-mechanically controlled aluminium-bladed focal plane shutter, the aperture priority
auto-exposure mode, the match-needle exposure control system and provision for through-the-lens (TTL
) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation. In other words, the FM3a merged the robust mechanical systems of the FM2N with the proven, reliable electronic exposure controls of the FE2.
alloy. The electronics are well protected within the body and of extremely high quality, including the flexible circuits. The FM3a's film transport consists of high-strength hardened metal gears and moving parts, mounted on clusters of ball bearings. The vertical metal shutter utilises precision tapered high-strength aluminium alloy blades and oilless self-lubricating bearings. The guide rails are made of stainless steel. The mirror is made of titanium. It is large to reduce chances of vignetting with super-telephotos of up to 800 mm, and uses the same mechanism found on Nikon's pro F2, with some improvements designed to further reduce effects of vibration and mirror bounce.
The FM3A accepts all of the Nikkor lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount
that support the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (AI, AIS), first introduced in 1977. The chrome FM3A was often sold in a kit that includes a color coordinated chrome finished Nikkor 45 mm f/2.8P lens. This special flat "pancake" lens was manually focused on the FM3a, but contained a CPU which could communicate focal distance to Nikon's later autofocus (AF) camera bodies.
Other accessories for the FM3A include the Nikon MD-12 motor drive (automatic film advance up to 3.2 frames per second), as well as the Nikon MF-16 databack (sequential numbering, time or date stamping on the film), and the various compatible Nikon TTL flashes (SB-15, SB-16b, SB-20, etc.)
In manual mode, the camera is completely mechanical in operation, and only requires batteries for the light metering information system. In aperture priority mode, the batteries continued to power the meter, but are also utilized for shutter timing and the exposure control electronics. The FM3A's metering information system consisted of a match-needle system using two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in 60/40% centerweighted silicon photodiode light meter versus the actual camera settings. This system can be traced back to the Nikkormat EL (Nikomat EL in Japan) of 1972. The viewfinder also has Nikon's fully interchangeable bright focus screen with various options for focus.
, which had begun to skyrocket in value on the secondhand market. Nikon responded to this phenomenon with a revival of their classic FM/FE series design.
The FM3A's expensive construction and conservative design were not intended to appeal to the consumer-level market. Nikon instead marketed the camera to serious amateur and professional photographers who were desirous of the highest possible quality and precision of control, and a service life estimated not in years, but decades.
The FM3A's introduction coincided with a major technological revolution in photographic technology—digital imaging. Many photographers, professional and amateur alike, switched to digital, resulting in a huge decrease in film SLR sales. By 2004, annual sales of digital cameras had surpassed those of film cameras. Though FM3a sales remained steady, they were minuscule in volume compared to Nikon's other cameras, and steadily increasing costs forced Nikon to announce the discontinuation of the FM3a on 11 January 2006, leaving only the expensive and heavily electronic Nikon F6
and the inexpensively built Nikon FM10
in Nikon's 35mm film SLR line. Since the announcement of the FM3a's discontinuance, value on the secondhand market of the FM3a camera (and its FM2 predecessors) appreciably increased.
135 film
The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for cartridge film wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format...
film, single-lens reflex (SLR
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
) camera. It was manufactured by Nikon Corporation in Japan, on small-volume assembly lines, from 2001 to 2006. The camera was available in two colours: all black, and satin chrome. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only (no lens) was $820.
The FM3A was the successor to the renowned Nikon FM2N
Nikon FM2
The Nikon FM2 is an advanced semi-professional, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1982 to 2001...
camera of 1984 and was the last member of the successful, semi-professional line of Nikon compact 35 mm SLRs. The other members were the Nikon FM
Nikon FM
The Nikon FM is an advanced mechanically-operated, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured in Japan between 1977 and 1982 by Nippon Kogaku K. K. .-History:...
(released 1977), FE
Nikon FE
The Nikon FE is an advanced semi-professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nikon in Japan from 1978 to 1983, and was available new from dealer stock until circa 1984...
(1978), FM2
Nikon FM2
The Nikon FM2 is an advanced semi-professional, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1982 to 2001...
(1982) and FE2
Nikon FE2
The Nikon FE2 is an advanced semi-professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1983 to 1987...
(1983). They (and the Nikon FA
Nikon FA
The Nikon FA was an advanced amateur level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1983 to 1987...
) all used the superficially similar (but not identical) rugged copper aluminium alloy chassis and high-quality Nikon vertical bearing-mounted metal shutter and ball-bearing mounted film advance, but with improved feature levels, minor external controls and cosmetic differences. The newer low-budget Nikon FM10
Nikon FM10
The Nikon FM10 is a manual focus 35 mm film camera sold by Nikon Corporation. It is of SLR design and was first available in 1995. It is normally sold in a kit that includes a Zoom Nikkor 35–70 mm f/3.5-4.8 zoom lens, although a Zoom Nikkor 70–210 mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens is also available...
and FE10, while named similarly, are completely different introductory-level cameras manufactured by Cosina
Cosina
is a designer and manufacturer of cameras and lenses, and a glassmaker, based in Nakano, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.-History:Cosina is the successor to Nikō , a company set up as a manufacturer oflenses in 1959...
.
The major improvements in the FM3A compared to the FM2N are the hybrid electro-mechanically controlled aluminium-bladed focal plane shutter, the aperture priority
Aperture priority
Aperture priority, often abbreviated A or Av on a camera mode dial, is a setting on some cameras that allows the user to choose a specific aperture value while the camera selects a shutter speed to match. The camera will ensure proper exposure...
auto-exposure mode, the match-needle exposure control system and provision for through-the-lens (TTL
TTL
TTL may refer to:* Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor, a state-owned manufacturer of cigarettes and alcohol in Taiwan* Through-the-lens metering, a feature of cameras capable of measuring light levels in a scene through their lens...
) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation. In other words, the FM3a merged the robust mechanical systems of the FM2N with the proven, reliable electronic exposure controls of the FE2.
Features
The FM3a is built to a high level of workmanship and material quality. It shares the advantages of the FM and the FM2n, both generally regarded as two of the most reliable cameras ever built (both in terms of operation under extreme conditions and in day-to-day reliability reports from repair shops and magazine surveys). It has an extremely strong body of copper siluminSilumin
Silumin is a series of lightweight, high-strength aluminium alloys with silicon content of 13%. Among the advantages of silumin is its high resistance to corrosion, making it useful in humid environments...
alloy. The electronics are well protected within the body and of extremely high quality, including the flexible circuits. The FM3a's film transport consists of high-strength hardened metal gears and moving parts, mounted on clusters of ball bearings. The vertical metal shutter utilises precision tapered high-strength aluminium alloy blades and oilless self-lubricating bearings. The guide rails are made of stainless steel. The mirror is made of titanium. It is large to reduce chances of vignetting with super-telephotos of up to 800 mm, and uses the same mechanism found on Nikon's pro F2, with some improvements designed to further reduce effects of vibration and mirror bounce.
The FM3A accepts all of the Nikkor lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount
Nikon F-mount
The Nikon F-mount is a type of interchangeable lens mount developed by Nikon for its 35 mm SLR cameras. The F-mount was first introduced on the Nikon F camera in 1959, and features a three lug bayonet mount with a 44 mm throat and a flange to focal plane distance of 46.5 mm...
that support the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (AI, AIS), first introduced in 1977. The chrome FM3A was often sold in a kit that includes a color coordinated chrome finished Nikkor 45 mm f/2.8P lens. This special flat "pancake" lens was manually focused on the FM3a, but contained a CPU which could communicate focal distance to Nikon's later autofocus (AF) camera bodies.
Other accessories for the FM3A include the Nikon MD-12 motor drive (automatic film advance up to 3.2 frames per second), as well as the Nikon MF-16 databack (sequential numbering, time or date stamping on the film), and the various compatible Nikon TTL flashes (SB-15, SB-16b, SB-20, etc.)
In manual mode, the camera is completely mechanical in operation, and only requires batteries for the light metering information system. In aperture priority mode, the batteries continued to power the meter, but are also utilized for shutter timing and the exposure control electronics. The FM3A's metering information system consisted of a match-needle system using two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in 60/40% centerweighted silicon photodiode light meter versus the actual camera settings. This system can be traced back to the Nikkormat EL (Nikomat EL in Japan) of 1972. The viewfinder also has Nikon's fully interchangeable bright focus screen with various options for focus.
Design history
During the mid 1990s, a demand arose among some photographers for a quality manual-focus alternative to the 35 mm autofocus SLR camera. These cameras required complex computer and processing mechanisms, and especially in their amateur and consumer versions, were known for neither their ruggedness nor a long service life. Nikon owners began to demand a durable, precision-made camera with the AE electronic features and prized construction of the discontinued Nikon FE2Nikon FE2
The Nikon FE2 is an advanced semi-professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single lens reflex camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. in Japan from 1983 to 1987...
, which had begun to skyrocket in value on the secondhand market. Nikon responded to this phenomenon with a revival of their classic FM/FE series design.
The FM3A's expensive construction and conservative design were not intended to appeal to the consumer-level market. Nikon instead marketed the camera to serious amateur and professional photographers who were desirous of the highest possible quality and precision of control, and a service life estimated not in years, but decades.
The FM3A's introduction coincided with a major technological revolution in photographic technology—digital imaging. Many photographers, professional and amateur alike, switched to digital, resulting in a huge decrease in film SLR sales. By 2004, annual sales of digital cameras had surpassed those of film cameras. Though FM3a sales remained steady, they were minuscule in volume compared to Nikon's other cameras, and steadily increasing costs forced Nikon to announce the discontinuation of the FM3a on 11 January 2006, leaving only the expensive and heavily electronic Nikon F6
Nikon F6
The Nikon F6 is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera body that became commercially available during 2004, and is the sixth top-of-the-line professional film camera in Nikon's line since the introduction of the Nikon F in 1959...
and the inexpensively built Nikon FM10
Nikon FM10
The Nikon FM10 is a manual focus 35 mm film camera sold by Nikon Corporation. It is of SLR design and was first available in 1995. It is normally sold in a kit that includes a Zoom Nikkor 35–70 mm f/3.5-4.8 zoom lens, although a Zoom Nikkor 70–210 mm f/4.5-5.6 zoom lens is also available...
in Nikon's 35mm film SLR line. Since the announcement of the FM3a's discontinuance, value on the secondhand market of the FM3a camera (and its FM2 predecessors) appreciably increased.