That Nikon FM2

It isn't often you need that shutter speed of 1/4000 (!), but occasionally....This was taken on a very hot day in Manhattan. The lens was the 105mm 2.5 AI.

It isn't often you need that shutter speed of 1/4000 (!), but occasionally....This was taken on a very hot day in Manhattan. The lens was the 105mm 2.5 AI. [ATTACH=full]1266418[/ATTACH]

 

The Nikon FM2n is one of my favorite cameras.

It handles beautifully, but I have found it fragile. The advance lever flew off of it a couple of times, and the original shutter went out completely. The meter is still superb.

I have frozen the propeller of a biplane overhead through a 200mm lens hand held on an FE. It froze the plane and the prop perfectly.

 

Still love the FM2n. It is my bullet proof vacation camera these days.

Don't have an FM2 but I do have an FE2 which also goes to 1/4000 second. I need to use it more often.

The advance lever flew off of it a couple of times, and the original shutter went out completely. The meter is still superb.

 

I have to admit to scratching my head a bit at this one.

 

The FM/FE series cameras certainly aren't as tough as the F2, but they're solidly built cameras and this is the first I've ever seen of this complaint.

 

The advance mechanism-lever and all-is a LOT more robust than the Canon A-series, for example, and you don't exactly hear of levers flying off them either.

 

BTW, I have a pair of FM2ns, a pair of FE2s, an FM, FE, and an FA. I think the FM2n is my favorite of the series. I like the FE2, but mine seem to eat batteries-I'm not the only one to have noticed this, and I suspect it has to do with the fact that the shutter is(more or less) electronically timed and has to fight the springs that support the 1/200 sync speed and 1/4000 top speed.

The only reliability problem I have had is nocking the tripod over. I don't really consider it a defect but operator error, however the F6 survived a similar fall.

Yesterday I had my D700, with 70-200 zoom lens, and two teleconverters (1.4x and 2x) on a tripod.

 

Indoors on carpeting, so it isn't so bad if it falls over. It didn't, but it was close once.

 

With a heavy camera and heavy lens, it gets top heavy pretty fast,

but yes, not the camera's fault.

I have to admit to scratching my head a bit at this one.

 

The FM/FE series cameras certainly aren't as tough as the F2, but they're solidly built cameras and this is the first I've ever seen of this complaint.

 

The advance mechanism-lever and all-is a LOT more robust than the Canon A-series, for example, and you don't exactly hear of levers flying off them either.

 

BTW, I have a pair of FM2ns, a pair of FE2s, an FM, FE, and an FA. I think the FM2n is my favorite of the series. I like the FE2, but mine seem to eat batteries-I'm not the only one to have noticed this, and I suspect it has to do with the fact that the shutter is(more or less) electronically timed and has to fight the springs that support the 1/200 sync speed and 1/4000 top speed.

 

I had one FM2n but the advance lever came loose on it. I definitely had the feeling that the FM2n was fragile compared to other small SLRs I have owned (Pentax A and M series, Spotmatics, Contax 139.) It's a shame because I hoped the FM2n would replace my F3, bringing that fantastic sync speed.

I have 3 FM2N's, with serial numbers ranging from #72xxxxx to #77xxxxx. None of them show any signs of having a loose film advance lever. I haven't used them much since I bought them last year (maybe a roll or t20 of film in each), but they're 30 to 34 year old cameras. It's possible the previous owners had the lever(s) fixed. I don't know.

I have 3 FM2N's, with serial numbers ranging from #72xxxxx to #77xxxxx. None of them show any signs of having a loose film advance lever. I haven't used them much since I bought them last year (maybe a roll or t20 of film in each), but they're 30 to 34 year old cameras. It's possible the previous owners had the lever(s) fixed. I don't know.

 

You must have good luck then, since most of my FM and FE series cameras(including three FM2ns, two FE2s, an FE, and an FM) were bought from you and I don't notice any looseness or other problems in them.

Love my FM2n. It has never let me down.

It handles beautifully, but I have found it fragile. The advance lever flew off of it a couple of times, and the original shutter went out completely. The meter is still superb.

 

I beat two of these up shooting for newspapers back in the day. They are quite rugged. But, every camera has to be serviced from time to time.

My wife and I were at a local restaurant a few nights ago when a young man came to take our order. He had some tattoos that were on his arm that had a Japanese look to them. He was fresh out of the USN and is here at Richmond KY attending Eastern Kentucky University. He wants a degree in photography, we talked and he said he needed a camera but he couldn't find any for sale in our area. My loving wife said " my husband has all of the cameras". He is interested in basic 35mm no frills. I thought about it and I told him I would come up with an outfit for $40.00 for him next Saturday. I sold it cheap with photographers handbook, lens, etc. My reason to sell is it is not a gift, it is an investment for both of us. My hometown is 32,000 people plus 17,000+ at EKU. I took him a choice of Canon AE-1 program and Pentax ME both with lens. When digital took hold film cameras lost value and I stocked up on great gear. I would like to see more young people be interested in photography. EKU has a lot of vets here since Vietnam and is quite popular.

Anyhow, if you have a working camera that you will sell to these young folks cheap, you will feel good. I did. The look in his eyes as he looked the camera over told me alot. Talk to your young waiter or waitress next chance and see what they are preparing for in life and maybe you may be interested in helping him or her. I feel good.:)

Asahi: Pentax ME Price Guide: estimate a camera value

 

pretty much agrees. The AE-1 seems to be a little more.

 

A lot of good cameras come up on the Goodwill auctions from my local

store. Local pick-up avoids shipping, which would be a large fraction

of the cost.

 

Lately, my favorite from them is Bose noise-cancelling headphones.

Often they are in great shape, but ear cups are easily available on eBay,

if those are needed. I now have enough for all family members,

mostly for air travel.