very accurate meter like others already mentioned. Flash syn 1/250. Double expoures.

nothing

I have N90s and Fm3a. I use the fm3a mostly for the field because it gives me completely manual control. With this camera, i have leared a lot about photograpy.

*solid. *simple. *reliable. *ttl flash, fast top sync and shutter. *bright viewfinder with all exposure information. *match needle metering!! *DX film speed setting

*hard to press DOF preview with MD-12 (motor drive). *i keep loosing the eyepiece. *hard to see exposure info in low light (still useable thanks to ae-lock). *no autofocus (j/k)

Really well constructed, well laid out camera. I was rather surprised at how rugged it accually is.....i've knocked it, dropped it, dinged it, taken it through rain, snow, sleet, (good ol' canada) and for the most part it has held up rather nicely. All the weaknesses I can think of for this camera are rather trivial, but i will mention them anyways.

Customer Service

sucks (nikon canada). the viewfinder glass and mirror fell apart while i was changing lenses (i swear it wasnt my fault). 2 months and $400 later i finally got it back.

Similar Products Used:

various nikon/canon/pentax cameras.

- Very good build quality. - Excellent lenses choice. - Very bright viewfinder. - Not too large, not too heavy. - High recision and confidence feel.

- Could be a little quieter. - A little less plastic could be used for controls (button here and a piece there ...).

Excellent, high quality picture-taking machine. I use AIS 105/1.5, 55/2.8 and 28/2.8, and quality of images is simply delightful. For a knowledgeable photographer, this is a real winner in the 35mm Nikon world - hands down!

Customer Service

None so far.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM2 Canon FTbn

stength Ap and manual exposure great second hand lenses available EVERYTHING!!

helps if you take photographs with your right eye (see above) A touch on the small side (I do have big hands though)

Where do I begin? A fantastic piece of kit for those who enjoy control over their photography. After many similar camera purchases over the years (OM2n, Pentax ME, OM40, Canon AE1) this beats them all hands down. Build quality, weight, size, control position – fantastic 35-70 manual focus Nikon lens. Having read most of the reviews on this site – I agree with all of the positive attributes discussed. I shall add a few additional comments which may prove useful to some readers who may be interested in buying this camera. I naturally take photographs with my left eye, but doing this means I cannot get proper access to the AE lock with my right thumb (particularly whilst the advance level is cocked). This was initially a real problem, but I have now trained myself to use my right eye and this is no longer an issue. I have large hands and with a heavy Nikon 70-210 AFD lens attached it can get a bit tiring – will probably buy an ever ready case (back portion) to increase the size of the gripped area of the body (worked with my old AE1 – try it!). These are the only two VERY MINOR problems I have with this camera – they pail into insignificance when compared to the positive attributes. All in all a wonderful bit of kit. I was toying with the idea of going digital, but having recently bought a scanner I can have the best of both worlds. Great Velvia slides for lecture presentations, reproductions etc… but also great scans if you require this type of media. Was recently given a compact digital camera – has great points (quick review, no film wastage, straight to CD etc etc) but the whole joy of taking the photograph had gone!! The whole picture taking experience just seemed too....well…disposable. The FM3a will ensure many years of photographic enjoyment.

Customer Service

not used yet.....hopefully will never require their services (except for servicing)

Similar Products Used:

see above

Metal, Manual, Quality...

Not really a weakness but: Nobody mentioned this so far. After changing the film in A-Mode one must switch to a speed setting to take the film "in". If you forget to switch back to A (which i did once) your slides will be exposed with 4000. Nice whenever your on the surface of the sun ... on earth you get black slides :-)

I really like this camera. To me, this is the perfect replacement for my Nikon FM2n which i really loved. Basically i sold my F4 (which was my favourite camera before) after i bought the FM3a. Nice camera! I think this will be the last manual camera from nikon...

Customer Service

Not used so far...

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FM2n, Nikon F4, Nikon F100

solid built, lightweight, not rely on battery (especially in winter time), easy to use in all knobs and control. do what you comment.

not for quick action.

This is the ultimate film camera equipped with just all you need to take an excellent picture provided that you are not in a hurry.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

X-700, F4, F601, F5, F70, D100

All the functions you need, without fancy and confusing design.

The camera is a bit cold to hold in winter(!)

Amazing camera, even after I accidently droped it and the film rewind advance broke! I can still use it with MD-12 and make excellent picture! Combined Electronic and Mechanical exposure are very useful, especially those cold place where you might have a chance freeze your battery. Center Weighted meter is very actuate. I can't say it have the toughest body construction but it's difinitely better than today's plastic toy.

Customer Service

I e-mailed them some questions, they responsed fast enough.

Similar Products Used:

FE-2

the only way you can still purchase a 100% new MF body. F2 is good, but I do not like 2nd hand stuff

none.

Great Cameras say it all. I almost fully converted to Digital but I still keep this FM3a body for film. If you do not use your cameras just for P & S, you should not find it slow or even try to compare it with any AF SLR. I find the price is ok as compare to what I have spent on D1X. Should anyone have bad comment on this nice body, you may be looking at the wrong class of cameras. Understand what you need first.

Customer Service

none

Similar Products Used:

F5, F100, D1X, FM, FA, F2 Question on the pervious comment : You just mentioned you spend $4XX on the FM3a but also indicate that $600 is too expensive. How much did you actually paid for it ???

This camera can operate without batteries, shoots up to 1/400th sec., has Auto-DX coding, TTL flash with Speedlites and an AE-lock button. It can still operate completely manually, too. Very compact, easy to use. The knurled shutter speed dial is a dream. Easy-to-get, cheap batteries. Quietest SLR I've ever had.

The metal on the body feels thin and flimsy. I have a Nikkormat that could smash the FM3a to bits. The ASA dial is PLASTIC. The AEL and Flash Compensation buttons are PLASTIC, as are a couple of other small surfaces. It seems to me that buttons and dials are what wear out first on a camera. The camera is actually a little too light and too small for my average-size hands. The finder display is awful; a light blue needle indicates the shutter speed selected, and it turns invisible in anything less than good interior light. Forget dim interior shooting, which is what this camera would have been perfect for! And the price, as I've noted, is simply ludicrous. Maybe if it were $400 instead of $600, I'd keep it. But even after seeing what the FM3a could do, I simply couldn't justify owning it, even used.

I was very excited to finally get my hands on my own FM3a after much saving. And before I list the reasons why I returned it, I will say this; the FM3a is a masterfully created machine packed to the gills with features you'd only expect to find on an AF camera, and in that respect, it's a winner. The downside? It's build quality is not what I had been led to expect, and it's price is simply ludicrous. Nikon, get off your high horse! In short, this camera is blessed with pricey, hi-tech features and cursed by being designed for slow, planned, all-manual kinds of work. I bought it to be a backup to my F5, and found it too pretty to risk banging up in my bag.

Customer Service

Haven't had any, don't expect any.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F2as, F5, N90, N90s, EM, Nikkormat FT. Canon EOS-1, Elan 7, A-1, AE-1. Pentax K-1000, Mz-5n, ME Super, Pz-1, Pz-1p. Spotmatic. Leicaflex SL. Bolsey B2.

Solid, manual, most things mentioned

No MLU, No 100% viewfinder and no Spotmeter.

Vey nice camera Nikon but why did You not give us MLU, 100% viewfinder and spotmeter ??? Same complaint with the F100 ----> Forcing us to buy the F5 but here buying a F3, 3 times more expensive than the FM3A !!! Hello Nikon !!?? F5 is only 2 times more expensive than the F100