Home > Consumer Reviews > NIKON FM3A 35mm SLR Camera Body (Lens not included)

Is everyone you know buying a digital camera? I have decided to go against the trend, and bought a FM3A. A light-weight and nearly manual camera. Why Nikon? After having used Canon for 20 years I decided to make the switch because I wanted better built quality. Something that lasts.

This baby has nearly all the pro features you are looking for in a camera. Built-in light meter, TTL flash, DX ISO, 1/4000 to 1 second, plus B. I usually choose the semi-automatic mode; by setting the aperture manually, then allowing the camera to set the shutter speed automatically.

As such, this camera is perfect for landscape photography. If you are like nature, and enjoy bush-walking or mountaineering, this Nikon is great. It only weighs 570g. This means that you can get away with using a light-weight tripod - if you don't mount big glass (a heavy telephoto lens). And it does not take much space. Good for travelling as well.

The only feature I sometimes miss is mirror lock-up. Without mirror lock-up, camera shake can cause problems at slower shutter speeds. But you can get around this issue by using the self-timer (causing the mirror to flip up before the shot is taken). A spot light-meter would have been nice, but you can still take spot readings by using a longer lens (or by zooming in).

The good thing about this film camera is that it provides me with the best of both worlds. I have the quality (and cheap price!) of film, the convenience of (slide) projection, but I can still scan the images into the computer if I need them digitally. And I can use the same set of lenses, should I decide to buy a digital body one day.

This is a simple to use semi-automatic camera - yet you can get find accessories for it (Nikon and third party) - including a motor-drive and flash.

Classic camera. I love it. Highly recommended.

Most camera manufactuers don't even offer a manual focus camera, and their lens mount changed during the autofocus era, but the FM3A is an example of Nikon's loyalty to "old school" diehards. There's some automation that makes life much easier- Aperture priority, TTL flash, and it reads the DX coding on the film so you don't have to set it manually. It's built very well and can stand up to rugged use. The black costs about $20 more than the silver, but I don't mind paying extra for the "pro" look.
It's a bit small in large hands like mine, but add the MD-12 motordrive and it feels much larger. And it can shoot about 3 frames per second with it. Autofocus lenses can be used as long as they have the aperture ring, but there's no autofocus, of course.
It does very well shooting long exposures at night. In aperture priority, the shutter will stay open for several minutes if need be. There's been discussion that the max is 8 secs, but that's not true. To bracket, simply use the exposure compensation or the film ISO setting.

The Nikon FM3A is the camera Nikon should have made back in the 1980's. It combines the aperture priority automation of the Nikon FE2 with the manual only ease of operation of the Nikon FM series. Indeed, if the batteries should die, this camera should still work at virtually all shutter speeds under manual mode. It is also blessed with the traditional Nikon 60/40 center-weighted metering found in many of Nikon's manual cameras, dating from the last Nikkormats. It handles as well as its illustrious predecessors, but here, I think it is built so that it can be more durable than either the FE or FM cameras. In short, it is an excellent second body for someone seeking a durable backup to go with their Nikon F2A/AS, Nikon F3, F4 or current autofocus cameras. And for others interested primarily in working with Nikon's manual focusing lenses, it may be their primary body. Admittedly, it isn't cheap, but it is designed to be a professional workhorse and the price seems to reflect it. If I was still using Nikon equipment, I wouldn't hesitate adding the FM3A to my SLR kit.

I'm amazed by some of the negative reviews on this camera. The FM3a is a fully manual camera. While it does take batteries, it's intended to be completely usable with no batteries. I can't think of another 35mm camera with all these features that will still work at all shutter speeds of the batteries die.

This is a camera for photographers, not those shooting film on the weekends. Compared to moderm cameras, it is not as user friendly, it does not have a lighted viewfinder, and yes, it can be hard to operate in the dark. If you want to use a film camera in the dark, get a used Nikon N80 or some other electronic body.

This is a classic camera, which will be appreciated most by people who have used and loved the classic Nikon film cameras. I applaud Nikon for having the guts to bring this camera to market in the digital age. Bravo, and well done!

I love this camera, I've been using Nikon FM10 for years, it was a great camera, the only problem was with its view finder, it was so dark that I couldn't use it properly in dim light and this made it hard to focus. For a camera with the same quality but a clear view finder, I went for Nikon FM3A. Now am able to have same quality pictures using manual options for more creativity and am able to focus clearly. I recommend this camera for professionals as well as beginners who want to take creative photography depending on manual options.