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Nikon FM3a

The Nikon FM3a is one of the last film cameras that Nikon built and, as such, it is the culmination of decades upon decades of camera design. While several Nikon cameras can lay claim to the best film camera made by Nikon, the FM3a remains a strong case.

The FM3a was introduced in 2001 and enjoyed a production run until 2006. It was aimed at the advanced amateur and professional market, for users who had demanding and sophisticated needs of their 35mm SLR. The FM3a takes all the best features of the Nikon FM2 and FE2 and combines them into a single camera. For starters, the FM3a has an electro-mechanical shutter. When in manual mode, the shutter is entirely mechanical and operates without battery power; however, the camera can be put into aperture priority mode where the shutter is electronically governed, allowing automatic exposure settings to be made. The FM3a also boasted an improved focusing screen that performed better with wide aperture lenses as well as slower telephoto lenses. The camera also features TTL (through-the-lens) OTF (off-the-film) flash metering. One other nifty addition on the FM3a is the fill-flash compensation button; by holding in a small button on the camera, the camera will automatically under expose flash by 1 stop.

The FM3a also shares several features present in the previous FM2/FE2 cameras, such as a vertically-traveling metal shutter, top speed of 1/4000th, self-timer that also triggers mirror lock up, depth of field preview, and a multiple exposure switch. If you are a fan of the FM, FE, FM2 or FE2 then the FM3a is the camera of your dreams.

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Your happy place with a Nikon FM3a

We're going to do a visualization exercise today. We want you to close your eyes. Get comfortable. Take a deep breath. Clear your thoughts.

Now, call to mind the Nikon FM2. It's a beautiful camera; so well designed. You love it's all-mechanical nature. That swift, sure click of its shutter. The way it feels in your hands. The complete lack of fear you have regarding loss of battery power. This is happiness in camera form. Hold an image of the FM2 in your mind.⁠

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Now we want you to envision the Nikon FE2. You love this camera, too. From it's electronic precision and sophistication, to its equally ergonomic bliss, it rivals the FM2 in design brilliance. Feel the sense of assuredness you get from clicking the shutter speed dial to its Aperture Priority mode. It makes you happy. ⁠Not a worry in sight.

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Now picture yourself in your happy place. You're there, the sun is shining, a light breeze ruffles your hair. You smell spring on the air. The familiar weight of the FM2 is hanging on your right shoulder. The comfortable heft of the FE2 is on your left shoulder. But wait... something is amiss. There are two cameras but you can only use one. You have to choose, but picking one necessitates the neglect of the other. A cloud passes in front of the sun, a shadow of unhappiness darkens your mood, just a bit. If only all this camera perfection could be combined into one camera and you didn't have to know the pain of choosing.⁠ If only...

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Now, open your eyes. You see a Nikon FM3a. There is no need to daydream any more. That happiness is here. And it is in good hands. Yours.

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Nikon FM3A

How often do you see one of these beauties? The Nikon FM3A was the successor to the FE/FM line...heck, it was the pinnacle of that line, and if you have ever owned an FE2 or FM2 you know that that is really saying something.

The FM3A essentially combined all the best features of both of those cameras.
Automatically metered aperture priority shutter? ✔️
Full manual mechanical shutter? ✔️
Multiple exposures? ✔️
1/4000 top speed? ✔️
Depth of field preview? ✔️

...the list goes on. Let us take a moment to focus on the hybrid shutter mechanism. It was no small feat for Nikon to build a shutter that could be both electronically and mechanically driven. Not only that, but to do it without increasing the size of the camera body. They essentially fit two shutter modules into the space previously occupied by one. It is an incredible achievement and remains so to this day.

Sneaky pro tip: holding down the flash exposure compensation sets the camera's flash automatically to -1 stop making it an instant fill flash mode.