FM3a Aperature Priority Shutter Freeze up for 8+sec. exposure times

[aleksis_langerwerf]

If the exposure time for my FM3a unintentionally exceeds the 8sec.

auto exposure limit, the shutter freezes up. What would be the

proper way to unlock the shutter?? Turn the shutter dial from "A" to

another setting?

[arnabdas]

Maybe it doesn't exactly freeze up, just autoexposing for the amount of time required.

 

Changing it to another shutter speed will do the trick.. that's what I normally do!

[goemon]

An FM3a will expose for much longer than 8 seconds, but it is actually timing that and will

in theory close eventually. I do this every now and again when loading film, and just

shifting from A to 4000 will close the shutter.

[joe_margetts2]

There is not an 8 second auto exposure limit on the FM3a. The FM3a will, on A, time exposures accurately for many minutes - far longer than the maximum manual setting. This is a very useful feature for night photography.

 

I'm not sure that turning the dial to 1/4000th will end the exposure but the M250 setting certainly will if not.

 

Joe

[lex_jenkins]

It may not be a malfunction. The F3's longest shutter speed available through manually setting the dial is 8 seconds. Same as the specs for AE mode. But my many nighttime photo forays under moonlight revealed that the shutter may remain open for 30 minutes or longer and still deliver remarkably accurate exposures!

 

Even tho' the F3's meter goes brain dead after the mirror flips up (unlike some Olympus OM-series SLRs), it still is capable of properly exposing for low light situations. The only difference I can see between the OM's and the F3 is that some OM's can continue metering after the shutter opens which is an advantage when the light changes significantly.

 

The FM3a may function similarly. It would be interesting to experiment with it.

[russ_butner___portland__or]

I agree with Lex. For long night exposures, I dial in +2 stops exposure compensation. I then sometimes have to wait for 30-60 minutes, and voila', a great and accurate exposure.

 

Russ<div></div>

[plasma181]

I'm not entirely sure what the FM3a has under the hood as far as a light meter. I've tested it without film, and the automatic shutter will stay open for more than a minute. How long it will remain open or how accurate it is anyone's guess.

[graham_line]

Nice picture, Russ. Need to print that one and put it on the wall. The FM3A metering seems to be essentially the same as the FE2, which will support extended times beyond those marked on the dial.

 

Froeliche Weihnachten to all.