FM3a

Some hobbyist photographers can’t help taking pictures of their own cameras. I fell victim to this impulse more than once myself, with the picture above of my Nikon FM3a one instance of it. I bought this camera via ebay in the May or June of 2008. I think it cost me somewhere in the region of £350. According to the seller it had formerly been the property of the British Army. Whoever had owned it had ‘modified’ it by taking out the standard-issue focussing screen and wedging in a different one that wasn’t made for the camera and didn’t fit properly. It took me a little while to work out why the viewfinder image looked so odd, and to order and install a replacement ‘K3’ screen.

When I learned that the FM3a was often sold in a kit with the Nikkor 45 mm f/2.8P lens, I resolved to get one. Most of those kits, however, had included the chrome-finished variant of the body & lens, and I wanted the all-black version. In the end I managed to acquire such a unit by ordering from a vendor in Japan – though that set me back nearly as much as the camera itself had done. In any case, a different lens, an 85mm f/2 AI-s, is shown in the picture. I now have five AI-s lenses. The strap is a green fake leather one that had hitherto belonged to some binoculars I’d bought in a junk-shop.

Thanks to its retro styling, no few people have been surprised to learn this is a 21st century device. The FM3a was made between 2001 and ‘06, and has been reckoned “the last great mechanical film SLR”. I haven’t used that many other cameras so can’t properly judge such a claim, but it is an excellent thing that has been a joy to use. At present, though, it’s out of action. The last time I used it there was evidence of a light-leak, so its seals need re-doing. And I daresay it’s overdue a CLA.