Nikon: No Con (Nikon FM2N)

Member Name: devevre

Product:	Nikon FM2N
Date:	31/01/03 (926 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: hardy, robust, indestructible..., shutter speed of 1/4000sec, fully manual

Disadvantages: hard to find

The Nikon FM2n first made an appearance in my life last year and I've never looked back. Although I've had many automatic cameras, and used many other types of SLR, it is certainly the best camera I have ever worked with.

Being fully manual means that you can control every aspect of your photography. Most SLR cameras are now partially automatic, but the Nikon FM2n is so manual that it would work with no batteries at all (although the light meter wouldn't function as it depends on the battery). My feeling is that a fully manual camera helps the photographer to understand the process better. I think that it is important to be forced to understand the workings of your camera, and then when you do, the results are always better than when you rely on luck with a point-and-click.

The FM2n is known for its excellent build quality. The FM2n has been taken to the Antarctic and to deserts. It is virtually indestructible. Which is why they are still around, having stopped being produced in the 1990s. They are used in good art colleges to teach the photographic process. Everyone I know has loved theirs. They are quite hard to find in second-hand stores because they are so loved that nobody wants to get rid of them. However the internet has made finding them much easier. There is also a wonderful Malaysian site on the FM2n, which can be found at<a href="http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwa res/classics/nikonfmseries/fm2n/ fm2manual">http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/h ardwares/classics/nikonfmseries /fm2n/fm2manual</a>. You can explore the technical details here, because they are too detailed to go into here. The FM2n has an amazing top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec, for example.

Let's face it, an SLR does not fill the same function as a digital or automatic camera, and it should not be expected to. The results are not instant, and the photographic process is not as easy. But using the FM2n is much more rewar
ding and, in the end, produces much better photographs.

The FM2n is an excellent camera. It has a wide fan base of people who love them. If you don't know much about using an SLR and want to learn, you can learn how everything works. It is simple enough to use without knowing much. Yet, on the other hand, an expert photographer would be able to adjust the settings to create professional results.

Where many semi-automatic cameras make the choices for you, the FM2n allows you to adjust the settings so that your photograph is EXACTLY as you want it to be. Why let your camera make crucial choices for you, when you could control them fully with an FM2n?

Although they are not cheap, I have never regretted buying my FM2n. And, like many people once they've bought one, I would never consider buying anything but the FM2n again. Although apparently I won't need to since they last forever.....

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