Your favorite Nikon camera body for use with vintage manual focus lenses

Started Aug 21, 2022 | Discussions thread
Rol Lei Nut Veteran Member • Posts: 6,110
Re: Your favorite Nikon camera body for use with vintage manual focus lenses

Nikon FM: my first "real" SLR (previously I'd used my parent's Pentax Spotmatic). Basic, simple, indestructable. Mine still has a deep dent with a piece of embedded Cordura, the result of trowing a backpack containing the camera down a waterfall while canyoning...

Only real drawback is the top speed of 1/1000, sorted in the more prestigious FM2 model.

Nikon F2A: I dreamed about having one for a decade. When I finally got hold of a used one, I only took boring pictures with it. Why? Nothing wrong technically, it handled beautifully, but I just wasn't inspired when using it , despite it being a dream come true.

Nikon F (+FTn): an ergonomic mess! The Photomic's sharp edges got stuck in every bag I used and it tended to come off easily by itself, the winding lever loved to get tangled up with the strap loops, the shutter button was uncomfortable to reach, the lenses needed to be indexed after mounting, the fully removable back required a third hand when changing film, and, and and... BUT, I took some of my best pictures with it (unlike the F2A) and loved using it.

Nikon FE2: my first concession to modernity (autoexposure). Complete, does everything well, compact, nice camera. I just don't love it.

If I shoot film again, I'll dig out the F + FTn and let inspiration and creativity flow, despite the odd curse when the winding lever gets tangled in the strap rings again...

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