Nikon FM3A Viewfinder in Dim Light.

I was researching the Nikon FM3A for a friend of mine.<br><br>

 

I've read quite a few reviews on the Net. the gripe that came up repeatedly was that the metering information displayed in the viewfinder is difficult to view in dim light. how "bad" is this problem ??? because otherwise it seems like a terrific body.<br><br>

 

any photo netters with opinions / suggestions to overcome the above ???<br><br>

 

the other alternative I am looking at is the FM2N. Is this problem present in the FM2N as well ??<br><br>

 

Thanks,<br><br>

 

Best Regards,<br>

Venkat P.

If you use the "Auto" mode, it does not matter if you can see the needle or not. If you want to run a manual shutter speed and f-stop, then the roomlight may not be enough to see well.

 

The FM2N has little lights "red-green-red" that are good in the dark, but basic operation is the same as the FM3a -- you still need to see well enough to focus.

sometimes you can overcome the problem by framing, locking the

exposure, then pointing the camera at a lighter background to see the

needle, then returning to the original framing to shoot. if you are

in too much of a hurry for that you are probably better off in "auto"

anyway....

Welcome (back) to the joys of match-needle. Why some people prefer this over LEDs is beyond me.

 

For dim-light shooting I would definitely go for the FM2n, for exactly this reason.

I have to agree that LEDs are better for low light work. I had a chance to shoot low light with a borrowed Nikon F2AS and it was much easier than using my F3HP with its dim LCD readout. The FM2n has a 5 stage LED readout like the F2AS.

 

Autoexposure modes are fine and dandy but you normally want to be able to see the shutter speed, especially working handheld with available light.

 

The reason people like me prefer match needles is that its instantly possible to see how many stops above or below you are exposing compared to the meter. Very handy if you shoot slide film. Unfortunately with the F3HP I get the worst of both worlds: dim and no match needle!

 

If Nikon would only make the F3S: F3HP with 1/250 flash, a regular TTL hot shoe and a match needle, I would be in heaven (and bankrupt). All of my low light work is done on a tripod so my solution is to carry a small mini mag flashlight so I can see my viewfinder.

Are we talking "dim" or "bottom of a coal pit" utter darkness? The match needle display is quite visible is very low light, thanks to its design. The larger coloured "speed" needle protrudes slightly into the image frame, as does the thinner aperture needle. Anything darker is likely beyond the EV range of the camera, anyway. The FM2N's LED are plainly better in the dark but it's not much use if all they show is gross underexposure.Needles rule.

I've been happy for decades with the FM/FM2's 3-led system, but I am equally happy now with the match needle system on the FM3a.

 

As has been pointed out, it gives you an instant guide to the relationship between shutter speed and aperture selected.

 

All my lenses are f1.8 to f2.8 except my f4 200mm. I've never had a problem shooting in low light except with the 200mm. It's noticeably dark even in moderate light. However, I generally use flash if I am shooting in seriously low light, and rely on the flash auto-metering for the exposure.

Not as big a problem as some might lead you to believe, in my opinion.

How dim do you need to go? I've had no problem reading it with any light where the exposure is hand-holdable on 800 film. Occassionally in really dim light I'll find myself moving the view momentarily so a ligher part of the frame is behind the needle, but that's pretty rare. I could see this being a problem for a concert photographer perhaps, or someone who regularly photographs rooms illuminated with just a desklamp, maybe?