For Those Times When an Autofocus, Automatic, Full rewind, multi TTL Camera Just Won’t Do
Written: Mar 25 '01 (Updated May 03 '02)
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Pros: Manually operated camera, no batteries necessary. It’s a Nikon.
Cons: --
The Bottom Line: Best manual camera. Lenses are interchangeable with all other Nikon SLRs with some exceptions.
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| soothsayer's Full Review: Nikon FM2N Film Camera |
The FM2 is a classic. This is one of two manual cameras that Nikon currently manufactures, the other being the FM10, a plastic version of the FM2 often found in third world countries (assuming they can’t afford the FM2). The FM10 can now be found here in the US as a gray market item.
The FM2 features an all-manual system of focusing and film advancing and rewinding. Shutter speeds range from bulb (keep your finger on the shutter until you want to close it), all the way down to 1/4000 of a second. The fast shutter speed is possible with the help of honeycombed titanium shutters (they are now made of aluminum alloy for better performance). The “N” refers to slight upgrade to the FM2 in which the flash sync speed was upgraded to 1/250 from 1/200. The FM2 has a built-in center-weighted light meter that requires a 3V battery to operate.
What is good about the FM2 is that nearly all lenses produced by Nikon, Nikkor, and other manufacturer can be fitted on it, with some exceptions. This is made possible because of Nikon uses the legendary F lens mount for all of its SLR cameras. Nikon’s F mount was introduced back in 1959 with the introduction of the Nikon F camera. This is significant because lenses are generally expensive. If the camera manufacturer decides to introduce a new camera model, and you want to buy it, you want to make damn sure that your collection of lenses will fit that new body. Otherwise, you cannot buy the new camera without investing money on new lenses and selling off your older equipment. Even Nikon’s professional digital camera, the D1 uses the F mount.
The only change that Nikon was able to do to accommodate newer lens designs (especially zooms and AF lenses) was to change barrel sizes to make them bigger. It used to be that 52mm was the default size for most Nikkors, now 55 and 62 are more the norm. One only has to buy new filters instead of lenses.
Among its faults, the FM2 is a small camera in some hands. It lacks a grip, and the eyepiece (and the winder) may come loose. Also, Nikon flashes designed for the FM2 are old, there are a few newer models by other manufacturers, but there is not much I can say about them. As a manual camera, it can be a pain if you need to shoot action, and are not fast enough on the wind and focus, also when you need to shoot stealthy closeups, a manual camera can be a pain, but I am saying this for all manuals, not just Nikon.
For students and professionals, this camera is high quality and reliable. There is a full range of shutter speeds, and ISOs at your employ along with a full range of Nikkors, Nikons, and other F lenses at your disposal. It also makes for a great backup in case the power in your autofocus cameras goes out.
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 500
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