Talk:Nikon FM

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I don't understand -- how is this a "system", and why does this camera merit its own article? The camera seems to me a good example of a member of the Nikon F system. I recommend a single (and eventually longish) article about the Nikon F system, including all Nikon's F-mount cameras (including those branded Nikon, Nikkormat/Nikomat and Nikkorex, and whether for film or CCD) and the lenses for them. Hoary 08:13, 9 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Hoary, people that don't understand Nikons don't realize that Nikon had two completely separate model lines at the time (1977) a professional (Nikon F, F2) line and a semi-professional line (FM) of fixed-prism manual SLRs that spawned several successors both mechanically and electronically-controlled shutters (FM2,FM2n, FE, FE-2, FM3a). These cameras are all of high quality, but have significant internal differences. A single article about the Nikon F' system' would be impossibly large. -Tgo

It is wrong to call the Nikon compact F-series SLRs "professional" (or even, as contributer 4.240.247.238 calls them, "semi-professional") level cameras. While it is certainly true that many professional photographers did purchase and use Nikon compact F-series SLRs for their work, this is not a necessary AND sufficient condition to call a camera "professional" level. After all, working professional photographers have purchased and used point-and-shoot cameras in specific circumstances, but no one has ever called a PS a "professional" camera.

The Nikon compact F-series SLRs are rightly called "advanced amateur" level SLRs, because, by Nippon Kogaku's own standards, that was what they were. They may have been more ruggedly built and had more extensive accessory systems than advanced amateur SLRs from competing brands, but the compact F-series did not meet Nippon Kogaku's long-standing 150,000 minimum picture cycles before breakdown benchmark, were not moisture and dust-proofed, were not eligible for Nikon professional field services and did not have the interchangeable viewfinder heads of Nikon F-series professional level SLRs.

Contributer 4.240.247.238 is also wrong to say that the Nikon FM used "a proprietary Nikon-design [sic]" shutter. On Nikon's website, www.nikon.co.jp, Nikon engineer Kenji Toyoda says that "The Nikon FM adopted a square-type focal plane shutter called 'Copal CCS-M'."

References[edit]

Anonymous. “Nikon F3: Successor to Nikon F2 and F” pp 80-86. Modern Photography’s Photo Buying Guide '85. reprint from Modern Photography, June 1980.
Anonymous. Nikon SLRs (FA, FE2, FG, FM2, F3HP) advertisement. “Some of the world’s greatest photographic achievements haven’t been photographs.” pp 56-57. Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 12; December 1983. [The exact term used by Nikon Inc. (USA) in this advertisement to describe the level of the FA, FE2 and FM2 is "serious amateur."]
Anonymous. Nikon USA 11 January 2006 press release “Reshaping Nikon's Film Camera Assortment" http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=130907&TICK=NIKON&STORY=/www/story/01-11-2006/0004247596&EDATE=Jan+11,+2006 retrieved 22 February 2006 [The exact term used by Nikon Inc. (USA) in this press release to describe the serious non-professional photographer is "dedicated amateur."]
Toyoda, Kenji. "Nikon Family Cousins; Part 9: Nikon FM" http://www.nikon.co.jp/main/eng/portfolio/about/history/cousins/cousins09-e.htm retrieved 22 February 2006

Paul1513 18:13, 6 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Spelling mistake[edit]

A few minutes ago I corrected the mispelling of the word lens in the caption of the photograph accompanying this article. "Lense" is incorrect, as any competent English speaker would know. Some over zealous editor just reverted by change for some reason known only to him- or herself. Could somebody correct this please?

Lens compatibility[edit]

The writing here is a little confusing. I own an FM and I am wondering if I can put a non-AI lens on it, but cannot tell from the wording. I suppose I could buy one...--John Bessa (talk) 23:25, 12 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

The Nikon FM can take any lens from 1959 onwards, with the exception of the following:

* Invasive fisheyes (These require mirror lockup, something the FM doesn't have)

* Nikkor IX lenses

* G-series lenses. (These have no aperture ring)

* DX lenses. (The image circle will cause vignetting)

Hope this helps. NeoThermic (talk) 21:14, 13 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

corrections? shutter and diodes?[edit]

I believe that the titanium shutter came with the FM2, along with a higher maximum speed. That the FM is stainless-steel. Also, I thought that FM uses a silicon photodiode. The GaAsP would be the red LEDs in the viewfinder. I don't have references for either, though. Gah4 (talk) 23:59, 15 March 2018 (UTC)[reply]