chuck909 Posted January 9, 2019 Share Posted January 9, 2019 How much other Canon equipment does the OP have? If he has more than a couple of lenses, I'd say +1 for another A1. Otherwise, barring budget constraints, a newer Nikon would be a great choice. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Thanks for all the replies! I had a om1n and hated it and the idea to get another A1 is a good thought however since I sold my FD lenses I wanted to try something now and was going to buy a Nikon f3hp however I actually ended up getting a Nikon fm3a a few days ago. I know it uses a needle meter which I specifically said I didn't want however in use I actually quite like it so far and the build quality is top notch! It came with a 50mm f1.4 ai lens which is ok but seems a bit wierd wide open so I might sell and grab the f2 as that seems sharper 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruslan Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Nikon fm3a Very good, I'd say the best choice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 Very good, I'd say the best choice! So far so good! My only issue is I find it quite difficult to hold, I think I'm going to look for a grip for it. Other than that I'm really like it so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_hutcherson Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 So far so good! My only issue is I find it quite difficult to hold, I think I'm going to look for a grip for it. Other than that I'm really like it so far! I don't have an FM3a(prices are still too high on them, and an F6 is a higher priority for me now) but have all of the other FM and FE series cameras. The FM3a is a bit of a cross of an FE2 and FM2n, and I have multiple examples of both of those. You might look for an MD-12 motor drive. It gives you a nice sized vertical grip, along of course with powered film advance. They're not super expensive-I think I paid $25 for the last one I bought. Unfortunately, of the "FM sized" bodies, the FA was the only one to get a small(removable) "palm swell" type grip. What version specifically of the 50mm f/1.4 do you have? In general, I find both the AI and AI-s version to be pretty decent wide open, although they come into their own around f/2.5 or f/2.8. The earlier Nikkor-S version is a bit of a different animal, with a lot of spherical aberration and fairly low contrast wide open and really wants to be used at f/4 or smaller. If you stuck random transparencies in front of me, I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference between the Nikkor and the Canon FD mount 50mm f/1.4(both breech lock and nFD, both of which I've also used extensively). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 I don't have an FM3a(prices are still too high on them, and an F6 is a higher priority for me now) but have all of the other FM and FE series cameras. The FM3a is a bit of a cross of an FE2 and FM2n, and I have multiple examples of both of those. You might look for an MD-12 motor drive. It gives you a nice sized vertical grip, along of course with powered film advance. They're not super expensive-I think I paid $25 for the last one I bought. Unfortunately, of the "FM sized" bodies, the FA was the only one to get a small(removable) "palm swell" type grip. What version specifically of the 50mm f/1.4 do you have? In general, I find both the AI and AI-s version to be pretty decent wide open, although they come into their own around f/2.5 or f/2.8. The earlier Nikkor-S version is a bit of a different animal, with a lot of spherical aberration and fairly low contrast wide open and really wants to be used at f/4 or smaller. If you stuck random transparencies in front of me, I doubt I'd be able to tell the difference between the Nikkor and the Canon FD mount 50mm f/1.4(both breech lock and nFD, both of which I've also used extensively). It's the ai lens with the blue f16 marking and that's all I could tell you ahah, I'm not very well up on Nikon lenses Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_hutcherson Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 What is marked around the front ring of the lens? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 What is marked around the front ring of the lens? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick D. Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Looks nice:) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruslan Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 So far so good! My only issue is I find it quite difficult to hold Cause it is classics, like a classic 1950s' Alfa Romeo, which isn't easy to drive. :rolleyes: It was my dream camera. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 Cause it is classics, like a classic 1950s' Alfa Romeo, which isn't easy to drive. :rolleyes: It was my dream camera. I'd rather have an Alfa 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 It came with a 50mm f1.4 ai lens which is ok but seems a bit wierd wide open so I might sell and grab the f2 as that seems sharper. - Nope! The f/1.4 50mm Nikkors are actually sharper when stopped down to f/2. However, there is a difference in bokeh, if such nuances matter to you. Also, the beefier build-quality of the f/2 lens narrows the weight difference between it and an Ai-S f/1.4. The extension of both lenses is much the same, and they both take a 52mm filter. BTW, I put two different samples of 50mm f/2 Nikkor up against an Ai-S 50mm f/1.4, and an Ai f/1.4. The f/1.4 lenses were marginally the winners at f2 and, as expected, there was absolutely no difference between the Ai-S and AI f/1.4 versions; since they both have the same optical formulation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 - Nope! The f/1.4 50mm Nikkors are actually sharper when stopped down to f/2. However, there is a difference in bokeh, if such nuances matter to you. Well thank you very much for clearing that up! I guess I can focus on looking for a 35mm lens now Also, the beefier build-quality of the f/2 lens narrows the weight difference between it and an Ai-S f/1.4. The extension of both lenses is much the same, and they both take a 52mm filter. BTW, I put two different samples of 50mm f/2 Nikkor up against an Ai-S 50mm f/1.4, and an Ai f/1.4. The f/1.4 lenses were marginally the winners at f2 and, as expected, there was absolutely no difference between the Ai-S and AI f/1.4 versions; since they both have the same optical formulation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 12, 2019 Author Share Posted January 12, 2019 Well thank you very much for clearing that up! I guess I can focus on looking for a 35mm lens now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henricvs Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 I have just tried an F3HP for the first time. Before using this SLR, I thought the Olympus OM4T was the best viewfinder I had used in this SLR genre. I am really enjoying the F3HP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_hutcherson Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 The F3HP does have a well deserved reputation for having a great viewfinder, but I also think that everyone who likes it also deserves a look through the non-HP finder. It-obviously-lacks the eye relief(I think it's 19mm vs. 25mm on the HP), but at .8x magnification rather than .75x on the HP. This means that the image is bigger, and to my eye actually a tiny bit brighter. Both are great, and as a glasses wearer I appreciate the extra eye relief of the HP version. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo_papandreou1 Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 90% mag for the HP + DK17m. If you have prespbyopia it also works in lieu of a correction lens. I repeat myself but the magnifying eyepiece is the best $40 you can spend on compatible Nikon cameras, provided you don't need the eye relief. It works on the F100 too but you have to remove it in order to pop open the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayfieldxcv Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 The F3HP does have a well deserved reputation for having a great viewfinder, but I also think that everyone who likes it also deserves a look through the non-HP finder. It-obviously-lacks the eye relief(I think it's 19mm vs. 25mm on the HP), but at .8x magnification rather than .75x on the HP. This means that the image is bigger, and to my eye actually a tiny bit brighter. Both are great, and as a glasses wearer I appreciate the extra eye relief of the HP version. I don't suppose you have any experience with the 24mm f2 ais? A friend is selling for the same price as the f2.8s seem to be going for but I've heard mixed reviews on the flare and distortion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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