First of all,I like the FA's smooth and quiet performance.The shutter and mirror are very,very well damped and ballanced;1/30th second with 85 mm lens can deliver a sharp shot ( unless you drink a lot of black coffe ).Second,in spite of five-zone matrix metering,I found FA's very centered centerweighted metering far more usable for my needs.

Well,if you are a die-hard war reporter,or you just have to take that close-up of a football player getting a goal,forget this camera. I experienced a problem with the shutter;it got broken once,but I really pushed the camera far over it's limits

I purchased my very first Nikon FA back in 1987,and I have used it for a couple of years.The FA's ability to accept MD-12 motordrive really turns me on so far,because I also use it on my FM-2's.After a couple years I sold it for no reason at all,and that was a mistake.A few weeks ago,while walking in the street I bounced at my long lost pal and guess what-a beatifull,black Nikon FA with a 24 mm Nikkor was hanging off his shoulder.So,I've made decision-I'll get one pretty soon...

Customer Service

I never needed it

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F3,which is my favourite Nikon camera

manual and automatic, brand name, very nice lenses, multiple exposure, durable

minimal--less options than newer cameras

When I started looking for a camera of my own (I was borrowing an eighties Minolta for about a year), I wanted to get an older model. Early eighties cameras offered the old manual feeling with the then-new option of automatic (which i never use, but it's still nice to have). All the features I wanted (including a trustable brand) lead me to the Nikon FA, which has plenty of features--my favorite being the option of multiple exposure. This camera has been great and everything a need and want in an SLR.

Similar Products Used:

minolta (XG700?)

Small and light. Matrix or Center Weighted metering. High speed program for prime and zooms (AIS type) 135mm or more. Silky smooth shutter and mirror operation. Shoot at 1/30 sec with a 135mm lens! Double exposures. DOF preview. Solid build. Long battery life. 1/250 sec flash sync etc.

Manual Mode uses Center Weighted exposure only...no Matrix. No exposure lock.

I find the FA to be a great little camera. You can use all the great AIS primes and zooms. The Matrix exposure seems like it can't be fooled. Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Program Mode and Manual settings...what more do you need? Some little known perks that are not in the manual are: 1) Night exposures - just set the aperture (using Aperture Priority), set the self timer (for mirror flip-up) and shoot with a tripod. The FA will automatically determine the correct shutter speed (up to several minutes)! Great exposures every time! 2) Outdoor Flash Fill - Use a TTL flash. Meter the background in Manual Mode with 1/250 sec shutter speed. Set your Aperture for correct background exposure. Now, set your Exposure Compensation Dial to -1 (or whatever you choose). Turn on your TTL flash and shoot. The Exposure Compensation Dial does not affect the ambient exposure in Manual Mode, but, it does affect the TTL Flash Exposure! The FA is a superb camera.

Customer Service

Not required.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FG, FM, EM.

Takes all those fine Ai and Ais lenses from my good old FM. Takes the MD-12 Motor, too. Built like a tank. 1/250 max flash sync. Depth-of-field-lever (I use this more often than I thought I would). Matrix metering / center-weighted metering switch (I use this less often than I thought I would because I have learned that matrix metering just does the job). 1/250 flash sync!!!

Flash. TTL-OTF and the automated modes (P,S,A) only work center-weighted at a fixed 1/250 and there is no indication of the aperture in these modes. That's quiet ok for fill-flash action in daylight, but if you want to mix ambient and flashlight at night, you have to go back to centerweighted manual mode.

Best no-flash MF camera I can think of. Matrix metering works wonderful for those tricky snow/backlit/high-contrast shots in full sun. I believe that with this body and a good AiS lens I focus faster than any AF except maybe for those expensive F5 / D1 machines...

Customer Service

Officially, parts are no longer avaulable. However, Nikon service Berlin (Germany) claim that they can exchange everyting but the Copal shutter.

Similar Products Used:

Pentx ME super, Nikon FM, Nikon Coolpix 9xxx, Canon Ixus digital (baah! jucky colours!), Minolta SLR digital (ok)...

small and light-- if you need more ballast, screw a block of steel to the bottom; pretty, in black, in my eyes; and the shutter release sound and feels smoother than other SLRs,

skimpy viewfinder, (maybe?) no AE lock

I've been reshuffling the deck with my 35mm gear lately. I found a shop that wanted my well-used 8008, but not my FA. I'm now thinking it's a keeper, to back up the new F80 I've ordered. The FA can use my 2 MF Nikors a little longer, but always liked it somehow. One correction of a prior post, however-- there's no high-eyepoint to this viewfinder, which is small and dark, hard to see with glasses. After 15 years with this fairly simple camera, I should know it all. One question, though-- There's a button on the bottom of the right side of the lens mount, below the depth of field and lens release. Pushing it in does nothing apparent. I thought it might be AE lock, but I seem to remember it might be related to Matrix metering. Any insights?

Similar Products Used:

N8008, F3

Matrix metering, Multimode, takes ALL Nikon lenses (AI, that is), the original Matrix grand daddy. SOmething to be said for the originator of modern day Matrix- so much engineering WAY ahead of it's time. A masterpiece and a turning point in time- a very important Nikon.

Not of F3 build. Extensive polycarbonate use would have been good like a T90. Bottom plate still dents easily. I always disliked the strap mount locations, makes the camera stick out funny and loosens the eyepiece filter every time. No AE-L, but understandable- still has exposure compensation. This is a complete camera for the public(probably the last that Nikon made). The N80 is good, but loses the use of legendary Nikkors.

After using most AI Nikon manual bodies and the most N-AF bodies, I can safely say that the FA is my present favorite. I also have an F3HP, which is rock solid. In terms of build, the FA is built like the FE/FM series, but is more updated like the FE2/FM2. Actually, it is quite comparable to the FE2 in many ways, but then it is also like the FG and a bit like the F3 in certain ways. The handling is very good, but my FA's shutter knob doesn't spin with a finger roll- I need two fingers to spin it. Also, with the polycarb top, It doesn't dent easily as my FE(s) and FM(s) do all the time- believe me, it happens. What matters most to me is that the FA has Nikon's renown Matrix Metering, which puts it squarely above any camera in it's class. I trust it enough (also knowing it's limitations- read Ken Rockwell's Matrix Guide) that I can concentrate on composition while extracting all the detail possible from my superb Nikkor lenses. Matrix metering really extracts the maximum potential out of the lenses at hand. Even with today's modern AF bodies, it is primarily Matrix metering that shows up in the photos. Blue sky is blue and colors are within the ballpark for film. I trust it and it rewards me on every roll. Even though I also use a 3.4 MP camera, there is no replacement for scanned film right now. I can get up to 8MP of useable image pixel for fine tuning and the ability to blow up the image to large sizes without much fuss. Also, the FA is the only other Nikon (except the F4), which has Matrix metering on manual Nikkors. This is not a small issue. My all time favorite 20mm F4 never looked so good as when I took shots on it with the FA. Previously, on my F3HP, I thought that the lens was too contrasty, but with the slight advantage of Matrix metering, my outdoor shots are coming alive- almost glowing with detail. I didn't believe it until I saw it on several rolls. I don't have a 20mm AF, but if the f4.0 is any indication of greatness, the f2.8 must be outstanding. The FA also has P, S, A and M modes, which is more than enough for anyone. THe S modes has a special auto shifting program which lets you lock in a max aperature/shutter speed and then it will shutter shift according to light value (hey, doesn't that sound like A mode?). It uses LCD inthe viewfinder like the F3- in fact, the FA has a lot simlar to an F3HP- high eyepoint, eyepiece shutter, countoured

Customer Service

watchout for the stick foam- ruins most Nikon bodies not matter what- probably the cause for 90% of every Nikon body dysfunction.

Similar Products Used:

All manual AI bodies, all N-AF bodies.

Shutter Blind, Program Mode, TTL flash metering, ect..

No exposure lock for use with center weighted metering.

What a real nice camera! The previous MF Nikon camera I owned was the FE-2, and after not digging AF, I was going to go back to the FE-2. But I cannot say that I was dissapointed in my decision. Great features, more than the FE-2 has, including the Matrix Metering, but also the real neat addition of the shutter blind, which is a BIG bonus for us tripod users. I cannot see a reason to go back to the FE-2, considering that they use the same shutter system, and probably most of the inner workings. When my FA breaks down (which I don''t see happening any time soon) I plan on buying another one!

Similar Products Used:

Nikkor 50mm f/1.2, Nikkor 35-70 f/3.3-4.5, Sigma 75-300 f/4-5.6 (push-pull version), Nikkor UD 20mm f/3.5, Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 macro, SB-15, MD-15

Higly reliable camera that is easy to use. Matrix metering works well.

This camera never sold well and went out of production in 1989, so finding parts may be difficult.

I bought my FA in 1986. The camera has worked flawlessly ever since. I had Nikon Canada check the camera in 2000 and they reported it was working fine and did not need any adjustments. I shoot mostly print film and have never had a problem with improperly exposed prints. I should try slide film to check exposure accuracy. It is quite easy to use, has a solid feel and has a compact size (as compared to my F100). I use an MD15 motordrive and find that it works very well. I have used an MD 12, but found it to be slower and not as well balanced as the MD 15. Overall this camera has been a pleasure to use.

Customer Service

Never had a problem with the camera.

Similar Products Used:

F100 and FE2

What should I say... Master of it''''s class. Good lenses available, good quality, good (nearly) everything, fine handling. Has more to offer if you know it well (A, S, P progamm overide like the minolta XD-family), TTL Flash, Fast shutterspeed... you name it. Fit''''s in the systemconcept of Nikon. Complete finder information.

Minor detail... but sometimes they are annoying... It lacks AEL (autoexposure lock) because the engineers truly believed their matrix meter didn''''t need it... The viewfinderscreen is quit dark compared to the new AF camera''''s. Viewfinder LCD has no light and is sometimes too dark. The led''''s for M (like the FM2) would be nice. Batteries, FM3/a shutter would make it perfect.. (Remake of the FA with this shutter would have been the best!) Spot meter would have been nice.

The best MF Nikon ever made? Maybe... It has a lot of nice feature for the freak (matrix, multi mode, TTL flash,...) Probably this camera didnt got the place it deserved, "outranked" by the AF-wave shortly after it was released... But it''''s a very fine camera which does an excellent job on macro and outperformes it''''s newest AF brothers! Takes nearly all Nikon lenses as they are. Well built, durable and reliable! I can use it anytime, anywhere where I wouldn''''t take any AF camera with me, only the FM2 is better on this point....

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

Contax rangefinder, several SLR (Minolta AF, Pentax MF, Canon MF/ AF) and Nikon FG, FM2, F80, F100

Accurate, reliable, many features including matrix metering, dof, mirror lock-up with self-timer, TTL OTF flash. Removeable drive (quieter w/o it, lighter w/o it), attach it if only if you need it.

Can't think of any besides the fact they are no longer made.

The best manual focus camera in the Nikon line but unfortunately no longer mfg'd (since "89).

Customer Service

Excellent.

Similar Products Used:

Minolta X-700, Contax 139Q, Nikon FE-2, Nikon F2AS and more.