Nikon FM10

I'm trying to decide whether to replace my Canon FTb with a Nikon FM10. I
know that the FM10 has a reputation for being plasticky and cheaply built,
but my question is, is it _that_ bad, and from those who have handled and
used it, does it score well in terms of functionality, as a basic SLR? And
is it worth the price? (around $250 for the standard kit). Call me a luddite
but I am really only interested in manual exposure/manual film advance
camears, and the FM10 is the only SLR retailing at a price point that I can
afford. I have also heard that the FM10 kit comes with a substandard lens.
But I'm not too concerned about that as I'm hoping the Nikon name still
means something, and that, bad as it may be, I'm sure its no worse than the
equally plasticky Canon FD35-70mm 3.5-4.5 I'm using right now.

I've grown quite fond of the FTb's tank-like build and 2+ pound weight,
however my main gripe with it, other than the battery issue (although I've
found that a plastic o-ring around a relatively inexpensive hearing aid
battery works quite well), is that the microprism-only focusing screen makes
it very difficult and frustrating to focus accurately, especially for finely
detailed objects and in low light. And again I have doubts about the
efficacy of the aging CdS meter inside.

Thanks
Peter L.

wrote:
I'm trying to decide whether to replace my Canon FTb with a Nikon FM10. I
know that the FM10 has a reputation for being plasticky and cheaply built,
but my question is, is it _that_ bad, and from those who have handled and
used it, does it score well in terms of functionality, as a basic SLR? And
is it worth the price? (around $250 for the standard kit). Call me a luddite
but I am really only interested in manual exposure/manual film advance
camears, and the FM10 is the only SLR retailing at a price point that I can
afford. I have also heard that the FM10 kit comes with a substandard lens.
But I'm not too concerned about that as I'm hoping the Nikon name still
means something, and that, bad as it may be, I'm sure its no worse than the
equally plasticky Canon FD35-70mm 3.5-4.5 I'm using right now.

I've grown quite fond of the FTb's tank-like build and 2+ pound weight,
however my main gripe with it, other than the battery issue (although I've
found that a plastic o-ring around a relatively inexpensive hearing aid
battery works quite well), is that the microprism-only focusing screen makes
it very difficult and frustrating to focus accurately, especially for finely
detailed objects and in low light. And again I have doubts about the
efficacy of the aging CdS meter inside.


I'd rather go for a used FM or FM2.

Or, if you want the ultimate bright & accurate focussing screen, the
Leicaflex SL.
(Sorry, you did mention accurate focussing as a priority. Of the several
cameras I use, I call my Leicaflex "the focusser".)

Thanks for the advice, unfortunately as a rather impoverished college
student I'm afraid that might be quite out of my price range. My "dream"
camera is actually the relatively recent FM3a, but again at $600 just for
the body it is a little too pricey for me.

The reason I consider focussing to be a priority is that, it seems to me
that, for all the emphasis placed on good optics and fast lenses, the
ability to focus accurately and quickly often seems to be left by the
wayside. Consider that even a slight bit of misfocus would turn the fastest
and most expensive optics into a $20 Tokina. And of course the faster the
lens the truer this is.

For a photographer with all the time in the world to frame his shots, with
subjects willing to sit around and pose for as long as it takes, and willing
to expend rolls of film to bracket every shot to no end, focussing probablay
isn't much of an issue. But for a hobbyist like myself I value the ability
to capture ephemeral moments that may not necessarily wait around for you
(or your autofocus). I am especially a shutterbug for taking photos out of
moving trains and vehicles, which is why I'm looking to focus confidently in
a cinch.

PL

Or, if you want the ultimate bright & accurate focussing screen, the
Leicaflex SL.
(Sorry, you did mention accurate focussing as a priority. Of the several
cameras I use, I call my Leicaflex "the focusser".)

Other Nikon bodies to consider are the N8008s(F801s) and FE2. You should
easily be able to get an outfit on ebay for $250
The F801s has auto focus. both these cameras have TTL flash and a higher
flash syncalso interchangable focusing screens.
The FM10 is a very basic lightbox.

--
All outgoing emails are scanned with Norton Antivirus 2004
wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice, unfortunately as a rather impoverished college
student I'm afraid that might be quite out of my price range. My "dream"
camera is actually the relatively recent FM3a, but again at $600 just for
the body it is a little too pricey for me.

The reason I consider focussing to be a priority is that, it seems to me
that, for all the emphasis placed on good optics and fast lenses, the
ability to focus accurately and quickly often seems to be left by the
wayside. Consider that even a slight bit of misfocus would turn the
fastest and most expensive optics into a $20 Tokina. And of course the
faster the lens the truer this is.

For a photographer with all the time in the world to frame his shots, with
subjects willing to sit around and pose for as long as it takes, and
willing to expend rolls of film to bracket every shot to no end, focussing
probablay isn't much of an issue. But for a hobbyist like myself I value
the ability to capture ephemeral moments that may not necessarily wait
around for you (or your autofocus). I am especially a shutterbug for
taking photos out of moving trains and vehicles, which is why I'm looking
to focus confidently in a cinch.

PL

Or, if you want the ultimate bright & accurate focussing screen, the
Leicaflex SL.
(Sorry, you did mention accurate focussing as a priority. Of the several
cameras I use, I call my Leicaflex "the focusser".)

$20 Tokina? Whoa!

First of all, there aren't any $20 Tokinas, unless you find them in yard
sales and pawn shops. Second, Tokina has a good reputation for build
quality and makes decent optics. You could do a lot worse than use any of
Tokina's AT-X series of lenses.

As for a sturdy MF camera, I'd suggest a clean used Nikon N2000. They are
available on eBay for $60-$80 all the time. Will do about everything an
FM3a will do (excepting DOF preview), and as for batteries, they can use AA
or AAA which should be available anywhere almost any time.

Doug

wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice, unfortunately as a rather impoverished college
student I'm afraid that might be quite out of my price range. My "dream"
camera is actually the relatively recent FM3a, but again at $600 just for
the body it is a little too pricey for me.

The reason I consider focussing to be a priority is that, it seems to me
that, for all the emphasis placed on good optics and fast lenses, the
ability to focus accurately and quickly often seems to be left by the
wayside. Consider that even a slight bit of misfocus would turn the
fastest and most expensive optics into a $20 Tokina. And of course the
faster the lens the truer this is.

For a photographer with all the time in the world to frame his shots, with
subjects willing to sit around and pose for as long as it takes, and
willing to expend rolls of film to bracket every shot to no end, focussing
probablay isn't much of an issue. But for a hobbyist like myself I value
the ability to capture ephemeral moments that may not necessarily wait
around for you (or your autofocus). I am especially a shutterbug for
taking photos out of moving trains and vehicles, which is why I'm looking
to focus confidently in a cinch.

PL

Or, if you want the ultimate bright & accurate focussing screen, the
Leicaflex SL.
(Sorry, you did mention accurate focussing as a priority. Of the several
cameras I use, I call my Leicaflex "the focusser".)

wrote:
But I'm not too concerned about that as I'm hoping the Nikon name still
means something, and that, bad as it may be, I'm sure its no worse than the
equally plasticky Canon FD35-70mm 3.5-4.5 I'm using right now.

The FM10 was not built by Nikon. The same camera in several different version
was sold as three different Nikons, an Olympus and several other names
including, without any finder the Voightlander (mispelled sorry) Bessa-L,
with a reangefinder as the Bessa-R and T and as an SLR with an M42 screw
mount.

Perosnaly, I'd stick with the Canon until it no longer functions. If you look
around at camera stores (are there any left?), flea markets, etc. You might
even ask your freinds and relatives. Canon sold over 1 million AE-1 and
AE-1P cameras they have to be somewhere.

Geoff.
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In article ,
wrote:

I'm trying to decide whether to replace my Canon FTb with a Nikon FM10. I
know that the FM10 has a reputation for being plasticky and cheaply built,
but my question is, is it _that_ bad, and from those who have handled and
used it, does it score well in terms of functionality, as a basic SLR?

Speaking as a former camera store owner and Nikon fanatic, I would not
recommend the FM10. Not made by Nikon, and not made well. You'd be
adapting to a different camera to little point.

If you want to go Nikon and can't afford an FM3, do look into an
example of the FM2. Quite a nice camera, and many were bought by
amatuers and have little use.

Or, find a clean FtbN QL, have it CLA'd and have a great mechanical
camera (with split screen focus) There are commercially made adapters
for the battery, or I've had good luck with the Wein cells.

wrote:
Thanks for the advice, unfortunately as a rather impoverished college
student I'm afraid that might be quite out of my price range. My "dream"
camera is actually the relatively recent FM3a, but again at $600 just for
the body it is a little too pricey for me.

Again, my advice is to look at used, though that involves some risks,
esp. if you can't check a camera out yourself.

On the other hand, prices of film and manual focus cameras have really
crashed in the last copuple of years: On a certain online auction site
you can get a Nikon FM and probably even a Leicaflex SL for less than a
new FM10.

The reason I consider focussing to be a priority is that, it seems to me
that, for all the emphasis placed on good optics and fast lenses, the
ability to focus accurately and quickly often seems to be left by the
wayside. Consider that even a slight bit of misfocus would turn the fastest
and most expensive optics into a $20 Tokina. And of course the faster the
lens the truer this is.

Though a fast lens also allows more accurate focus.
Again, with my favourite cameras, accurately focussing a f/2.0 or f/1.4
lens is (usually) no problem at all and is easier to do than with a
slower lens.
There are some cameras which I consider focussing "dogs", but my short
experience with a FTb isn't enough for me to rate it in any way.

From your description of your shots, I'd reccomend a wide-angle (35mm
or even 24mm) used with scale focussing + depth of field scale (in many
cases that would involve setting the hyperfocal).

Doug Robbins wrote:
As for a sturdy MF camera, I'd suggest a clean used Nikon N2000. They are
available on eBay for $60-$80 all the time. Will do about everything an
FM3a will do (excepting DOF preview),

That's a pretty big "except"!

and as for batteries, they can use AA
or AAA which should be available anywhere almost any time.

But why get a totally battery dependent camera? Just to save your thumb
some excercise?

wrote in message
...
Thanks for the advice, unfortunately as a rather impoverished college
student I'm afraid that might be quite out of my price range. My "dream"
camera is actually the relatively recent FM3a, but again at $600 just for
the body it is a little too pricey for me.


PL

You might want to take a look at the previous poster's first
suggestion...used FM's and FM2's are quite nice. If you're a starving
college student, you might want to seriously look at the FM because it is
one of the few Nikons with the flip-up meter coupling tab so you can use
both AI (including AIS, AF, AF-D, but not "G" or "DX") and non-AI (very
cheap used) lenses.

George