Nikon FM2

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The Nikon FM2 is an advanced semi-professional, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (today Nikon Corporation) in Japan from 1983 to 2001. The FM2 originally used an advanced Nikon-design, vertical-travel, metal-bladed, bearing-mounted shutter with a (then unheard-of) speed range of 1 to 1/4000th second plus Bulb, plus a fast flash X-sync of 1/200th second. It had dimensions of 90 mm (height), 142 mm (width), 60 mm (depth) and a weight of 540 g. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black. The introductory US list price for the chrome body only (no lens) was $364. By 1988, it listed for $525; in 1995, it plateaued at $745 and remained there until discontinued. Note that SLRs usually sold for 30 to 40 percent below list price.

A Nikon FM2 with its original lens

The FM2 is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series SLRs and was built using the same material - copper aluminum alloy - as the earlier Nikon FM (introduced in 1977) and FE (1978) cameras. The Nikon FE2 and FA of 1983 also this silumin alloy construction and the limited production Nikon FM3A of 2001 continues to use it today (although the design of the housing differs from model to model).

1 Features
2 Design history
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Features

The FM2/FM2n is built to as standard of worksmanship unheard of in most 35mm or digital SLR cameras found today. It shares the reputation for reliability of its predecessor, the FM, and these two cameras are generally acknowledged as two of the most reliable cameras ever built (both in terms of operation under extreme conditions and in day-to-day reliability reports from repair shops and magazine surveys). It has an extremely strong body of copper silumin alloy. The FM2's film transport consists of high-strength hardened metal gears and moving parts, mounted on clusters of ball bearings. The modern vertical metal shutter utilizes precision tapered high-strength blades and oilless self-lubricating bearings. The mirror linkage and uses the same mechanism found on Nikon's pro F2, with some modern improvements designed to further reduce effects of vibration and mirror bounce. The camera features Nikon's famous close tolerance assembly and minimal space lubrication, meaning that it will reliably operate in temperature extremes of −40 °C to +50 °C. This worksmanship has a practical side - Nikons have accompanied more photographers to extreme environments - the summit of Mount Everest and the depths of the Saharan Desert - than any other SLR camera.

The FM2 accepts all lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount (introduced in 1959) supporting the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (introduced in 1977). The Nikon made AI lenses are the AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D, AF Nikkor, Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. Nikon’s most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G type (introduced in 2000) lacking an aperture control ring; and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount but will not function properly. IX Nikkor lenses (1996), for Nikon's Advanced Photo System (APS) film SLRs, must not be mounted, as their rear elements will intrude far enough into the mirror box to cause damage.

During the early 1980s, Nippon Kogaku manufactured approximately 70 manual focus Nikkor AI-S and Nikon Series E branded lenses. They ranged from a Fisheye-Nikkor 6 mm f/2.8 220° circular fisheye to a Reflex-Nikkor 2000 mm f/11 super telephoto. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses will work for manual focus only, of course.

Accessories for the FM2 included the Nikon MD-12 motor drive (automatic film advance up to 3.2 frames per second), the Nikon MF-16 databack (sequential numbering, time or date stamping on the film), and the Nikon SB-15 (guide number 82/25 (feet/meters) at ASA/ISO 100) and Nikon SB-16B (guide number 105/32 (feet/meters) at ASA/ISO 100) electronic flashes.

The FM2 is a mechanically (springs, gears, levers) controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control. It is operable without batteries and only needed batteries (two S76 or A76, or one 1/3N) to power the light meter. This consisted of an internal 60/40 percent centerweighted system linked to a center-the-LED exposure control system using vertically arranged +/o/– light emitting diodes (LEDs) on the right side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the meter versus actual camera settings. This metering system can be traced back to the Nikkormat FT (in the USA/Canada; called the Nikomat FT in the rest of the world) of 1965 and its center-the-needle system. The viewfinder also had Nikon’s standard interchangeable focus screen with various focusing options.

The major improvements in the FM2 compared to the FM were silicon photodiode light meter sensors, limited automatic dedicated electronic flash control and, most famously, a mechanically-timed vertical metal shutter (bearing mounted for reduced friction and extended life) reaching a top speed of an unprecedented 1/4000th second (plus X-sync to 1/200th second). This shutter was able reach such ultra-fast speeds because its ultra-strong shutter curtains had a travel time of 3.5 milliseconds, half of typical vertical travel, metal bladed focal plane shutters.

The improved titanium-bladed shutter from the Nikon FE2 was adapted to the FM2 in 1984 and X-sync increased to 1/250th second. The new camera was renamed the Nikon FM2n (New FM2 in the Japanese market), but remained marked FM2. The only external differences were the red 250 setting on the shutter speed dial and the N serial number prefix. Advances in metallurgy proved the suitability of high-strength aluminum as a substiute for the expensive titanium used in the shutter, and was adopted for the FM2n in 1989. The only way to identify the different versions is to inspect the shutter—the early FM2n had honeycombed shutter blades and the late FM2n had smooth blades.

In 1993, a special ultra-durable version of the FM2n called the FM2/T was released and sold in parallel with the regular FM2n. The "T" stood for titanium, which was the material used for the top and bottom plates along with the camera back. The Nikon FM2/T listed for $1120 and was discontinued in 1997.

[edit] Design history

The 1970s and 1980s were an era of intense competition between the major SLR brands: Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Pentax and Olympus. Between circa 1975 to 1985, there was a dramatic shift away from heavy all-metal manual mechanical camera bodies to much more compact bodies with integrated circuit (IC) electronic automation. In addition, because of rapid advances in electronics, the brands continually leapfrogged each other with models that had new or more automatic features. SLR camera manufacturers were attempting to expand from the high-end professional and semi-professional market to the growing consumer and snapshooter markets. The latter desired an affordable, yet full-featured 35mm camera, but were intimidated by the need to learn the intricacies of operating a traditional SLR.

Against this backdrop, the FM2 may have seemed an anachronism, yet it sold very well. It was a reliable, durable mechanical camera in a time of ever-increasing electronic automation, and often, less durable construction. The FM2 was not designed for budget-minded snapshooters who would never bother to learn to utilize shutter-speeds and aperture settings, but rather was intended to appeal to serious photographers who demanded a tough, rugged camera. Nippon Kogaku believed that advanced photographers were not interested in every possible automated bell and whistle, but rather in high quality and precision worksmanship.

The FM2 remained in limited production until 2001, long after many other more complex electronic designs from the 1980s had not only left the market, but become inoperable. Time has proven the FM2 to be very tough and reliable and it is regarded as one of the best built and rugged mechanical 35mm cameras of all time.

[edit] References

"Nikon MF/AF Bodies - Lens Compatibility" http://www.nikonlinks.com/unklbil/bodylens.htm retrieved 3 January 2006
Anonymous. "Nikon FM2: Fastest Shutter and Sync" pp 77-79. Modern Photography's Photo Buying Guide '85. reprint from Modern Photography, September 1982.
Anonymous. "Modern Photography's Annual Guide '84: 48 Top Cameras: Nikon FM2" p 92. Modern Photography, Volume 47, Number 12; December 1983.
Anonymous. "Top Cameras for '89: Modern picks 40 of the finest: Nikon FM2." p 38. Modern Photography, Volume 52, Number 12; December 1988.
Anonymous. Nikon Full Line Product Guide, Spring/Summer 1994. Melville, NY: Nikon Inc., 1994
Anonymous. "Popular Photography: 51 2001 Top 35mm & APS Cameras: FM2n" p 141. Popular Photography, Volume 64 Number 12; December 2000.
Comen, Paul. Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon Classic Cameras; F, FE, FE2, FA and Nikkormat F series. First Edition. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1996. ISBN 1-883403-31-6
Kolonia, Peter and Dan Richards. "53 35mm SLRs & 78 Top AF Point-And-Shoots Compared!!!" pp 93-103. Popular Photography, Volume 59 Number 12; December 1995.
Peterson, B. Moose. Magic Lantern Guides: Nikon Classic Cameras, Volume II; F2, FM, EM, FG, N2000 (F-301), N2020 (F-501), EL series. First Edition. Magic Lantern Guides. Rochester, NY: Silver Pixel Press, 1996. ISBN 1-883403-38-3
Stafford, Simon and Rudi Hillebrand & Hans-Joachim Hauschild. The New Nikon Compendium: Cameras, Lenses & Accessories since 1917. 2004 Updated North American Edition. Asheville, NC: Lark Books, 2003. ISBN 1-57990-592-7