gnashings Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Hi,</p><p>Have an otherwise nice Nikon FM, but meter is wonky. Its off by as much as 7 stops in artificial, or low light, seems to be closer in bright/sunlight. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could point me to a place or person that could at least give me an estimate (or idea of what's causing it at least). Of course if any of you can chime in with ideas as to what is causing it, how hard it would be to DIY (of if possible), anything and everything would be helpful.</p><p>Seems I have bad luck with Nikon FM meters... are they all just getting to that age? :(</p><p>Any info, even a knowledgeable amateur who has done this kind of work in the past, would be appreciated. I understand that these cameras are not expensive, and yes money IS an object, but I am leaning towards thinking that it may be worth having one serviced over playing the roulette with more unproven eBay finds, etc.</p><p>Thanks in advance,</p><p>Peter.</p><p>PS. its a late FM (NOT FM2), with smooth collar around shutter release.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallnbig68 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Start by tlephoning Nikon Canada on Aerowood Drive in Mississauga. Then if they either won't or are unable to repair, Go to a place like Vistek and see if they have any suggestions. I'd stay away from Henry's; they seem to have lost the personal touch wanting to always sell new and not used.<br> The problem is the age of the meter is a contributing factor. At one time small handheld light meters ((Sekonic)) were low in price and reliable. Try and find one these days! Light meters are all electronic or so it would seem. You use mostly black and white. Film boxes usually have some form of basic exposure scale printed on the inside, or they did at one time. You may also want to haunt the pawn shops and see what you can find. eBay iss not a good deal especially as you are assuming the seller has a good reputation; you could try KEH in Atlanta GA in the USA and look at their website. <br> Good luck!</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnashings Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Hi Bryce, thanks for the suggestions - I couldn't agree more completely about Henry's... that place is (with a few exceptions of nice knowledgeable people) a lost cause. I will be sure to look into contacting Nikon.<br> Honestly, its just matter of wanting the camera to work right, more because I'd like it than for any really practical reasons. A lot of the time I just shoot sunny16 with my old, meter-less rangefinders and various oddities, and I have no shortage of functioning meters in my main system and even my other Nikons seem to be dead-bolts reliable, even though they are not exactly "pro" level bodies... Just seems I have bad luck with FM's :( It bugs me because I really like those cameras, I just... I don't know - think they're everything an SLR should be and nothing it shouldn't lol</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lachaine Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>I think you will find that Nikon itself can't do a thing for you, and that a reputable repair person will tell you it's not economically-repairable even when it's possible to repair it. It ends up costing more than just buying a replacement off the internet, because these cameras aren't really worth much. If it was me, I would just use it without the meter. At this point in time, it's use what works, shelf it to look at it, sell it for parts, or throw it in the garbage and get another similar camera if necessary.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael R Freeman Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Try Winball Camera Repairs in North York. I have never used him, but he has a good reputation and specializes in older Nikon cameras.<br> http://www.winballcamera.com/services.htm</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vilk_inc Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>i <em>have </em>used winball many times: F2, FM2, motor-drives, lenses... no competition when it comes to nikon. fantastic service--speed, quality, attention to detail...</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian_watson1 Posted July 31, 2011 Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Nikon would not service a manual lens for me so they likely will not tackle an FM. It is worth asking at Downtown Camera. They still appreciate film and cameras that use it.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gnashings Posted July 31, 2011 Author Share Posted July 31, 2011 <p>Michael, thank you very much, I will be sure to contact them - exactly what I was looking for. <br> Vilk - thanks for weighing in, much appreciated vote of confidence.</p> <p>Thanks everyone, you've been very helpful!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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