Review 3 of 40
Price Paid:
$125.00
from Ebay Summary: This was the first SLR I bought (after using an old Zenit which I had inherited) for myself. I have had no regrets. The camera is portable, easy to use, reliable and rugged. I find myself throwing it on the car seat or my backpack without much forethought since it's compact and not too valuable.
I later bought the F3HP and while I admire the heavier build, aperture priority, mirror lock-up, and nicer viewfinder, I find I usually grab the FM when I want a camera but the expressed purpose of my trip or destination is not photography.
I have looked at replacing both cameras with the new FM3A but I find the FM3A for me has neither the simplicity of the FM nor the greater feature set of the F3HP.
And incidentally, I really like the match diode metering system despite the criticism it sometimes receives. Very quick and intuitive to read. Strengths: Compact
Simple to use (adjust shutter speed, aperture ring and focus)
Rugged
Reliable Weaknesses: Slowish flash sync speed (1/125)
Top shutter speed only 1/1000
Viewfinder does not have much eye relief Similar Products Used: FM2n
F3HP Customer Service: Not Applicable
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