If Nikon’s aim was to make a bare-bones camera, they succeeded. And the first of the line would be as simple as it gets – a compact, all-manual, fully-mechanical 35mm SLR called the Nikon FM. Their new cameras would not be whiz-bang automated-everything gizmos, but simple, compact, and finely made cameras specifically tuned for the advanced-amateur segment. They decided on a mid-position to create a camera that would make the amateur camera more pro-like. The latter choice brought with it the real possibility that they’d fail to sell their machines to new shooters, who often wanted flashing lights and fancy gimmicks. So when confronted with the task of developing a new line of cameras for amateurs, Nikon was faced with a choice – take a risk and follow the rest of the camera industry in developing a never-before-seen camera packed with lots of technology, or maintain the philosophy of reliability and professional-grade quality that had earned them their reputation. Sure, the brand produced the landmark F and the near-perfect F2, but these cameras represented an extreme refinement of existing technology rather than anything wildly innovative. The amateur market quickly grew to be the most lucrative in the camera industry, with every manufacturer stabbing at their piece of the pie.īut Nikon didn’t have (and arguably still doesn’t have) quite the innovative, risk-taking streak of some other companies.
#Nikon film camera 35mm professional#
This policy soon turned into a camera technology arms race which would birth multi-mode and electronic masterpieces such as the Canon A-1 and the Minolta XD-11, among others.Ĭonsumers responded to these shiny high-tech wonders with enthusiasm, and the world saw an explosion of consumer-oriented SLRs, compact rangefinders, and even more compact point-and-shoots that often featured more bells and whistles than their professional counterparts. Instead of making sparser, less-capable models for amateur shooters, manufacturers began utilizing the platform as a test-base for new technology.
#Nikon film camera 35mm series#
Although less-featured than the era’s F Photomic and F2 cameras, the Nikkormat series enjoyed popularity as a basic enthusiast-level camera through to the mid-1970s.īut the mid-70s brought with it a distinct shift in camera-making philosophy. That distinction goes to the Nikkormat FT, Nikon’s amateur body from the 1960s. But even though the FM was the first of the line, it wasn’t Nikon’s first attempt at an amateur body. The FM, in fact, was the very first of Nikon’s many advanced amateur bodies, an illustrious line of cameras which terminates beautifully with the made-in-2001 FM3a. Nikon history buffs will be quick to point out that it was the FM that preceded the FE. While cosmetically almost a carbon copy of the FE, the FM offers a distinctly different shooting experience. Just take away the FE’s electronics and you’ve got an FM, right? The two share the same chassis and external dimensions, the same general controls and core specification, and the same overall design. And there’s a very good reason for this similarity.īesides the FE’s electronic innards, the FM and the FE are basically identical. These first few paragraphs are a West Coast copy of the intro to James’ review of the Nikon FE.
Doesn’t this sound familiar? It should if you’ve been reading the site for a while. My camera’s loaded with film, it’s golden hour, and I’m shooting a classic 35mm film SLR, the Nikon FM.īut, hold on. I decide to make a trek down to my favorite taco truck, and get to work. The truth is that wherever you get one in the City of Angels, tacos are always a good choice. And better still is the street-side taco stand or truck, where the quality of taco seems to increase proportionally with the shabbiness of the vendor. A better choice would be a strip mall taqueria, where one can sit down and enjoy a taco while watching Liga MX soccer with the shop-owner’s relatives. Sure, there’s chain restaurants for those unwilling to sit on a dirty curb, but the thought of those places makes my Angeleno body shudder in disapproval. For days I’d been craving a taco, a dish so common in my home city that they may as well grow out of the soil. But here in Los Angeles, a city steeped in Mexican tradition, I want to pick the best taco. My eyes drifted from one storefront to the next, my stomach grumbling in the late spring heat.
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