Nikon FM2 (FM2n) film SLR review

A review of the Nikon FM2 (FM2n) film SLR for professional wedding and portrait photography.

I have an FM2n, in mint condition. I have owned it from new and love it. It is probably my favourite camera body, not the best mind you, that accolade I still reserve for the Nikon F100, but the FM2 is probably the camera I find most satisfying to use and it faces stiff competition from my Hasselblad 501CM and Hasselblad Xpan II.

Wedding photography

The FM2 isn't suited to my style of reportage wedding photography. For reportage wedding photography it is too slow, and for classical wedding photography - well there are the two Hasselblads, each with their unique advantages.

Portrait photography

The FM2 is well suited to studio portrait photography and portraiture in general, providing you don't need to work real fast - no motor drive or autofocus.

Skiing

I use my FM2 for skiing. Yes, while everyone else on the slopes uses a digital compact, and a few even cart around digital SLRs in rucksacks, I pack the FM2 body in one ski jacket pocket, and a Nikkor 50mm f1.8 manual focus lens in the other jacket pocket together with an ambient light meter and a filter or two! I use Hoya, Cokin and BW filters.

To take a photo I have to laboriously fit the lens, select a filter, take an ambient light meter reading (I don't tend to use the centre weighted meter on the FM2) and reel off some exposure bracketed shots. If that sounds tedious, rest assured I think it's wonderful and can't think of a better way to spend the day than skiing with my wife and shooting mountain landscapes. I only shoot black and white in the mountains when skiing, the way I figure it there are only three colours, white, grey and blue sky. With a minus blue filter the sky goes black and then it is just about the snow and rock and the clouds. I use Ilford Delta 100 and Delta 400 film and print using a Durst M 605 classic diffusion enlarger. The 605 classic is wonderful and covers all negative formats up to 6x7.

Very Ansel Adams.

Now most wives would not have the patience for my ski photography, but Caroline is very good, mainly because she dislikes skiing and is glad of the breaks and the picturesque coffee stops. For Caroline skiing is about lazy mornings, long slow breakfasts in the hotel, pre-ski shopping for anything which delays skiing and then how little skiing can we do before demanding a coffee stop. Photography is regarded as a necessary evil required to ensure ample supply of cappuccino.

The last purely manual Nikon - whats not to like?

The aluminimum shutter of the FM2n will manage 1/4000 sec and flash sync at 1/250 second and it will do this without a battery at all shutter speeds. It is unlikely you will need to fall back on this amazing capability though because the simple centre weighted TTL meter takes so little power the battery seems to last forever.

Frostbitten

Should you be crazy enough to take such a beautiful camera to somewhere very cold, like skiing in the Swiss alps, you will be able to take as many photographs as you like however frozen and inactive your batteries become. The same can't be said for your hands of course which become freezing cold and numb with alarming speed so the experienced Nikon FM2 alpine skier now makes sure his ski gloves come with extra inner gloves which remain on at all times to enable hands, FM2 and skis to work in perfect harmony, well work anyway. I also find it improves ones language no end.

And another thing

The manual film advance lever makes my hair tingle, it is just so hands on. The only camera which has this beaten is the Hasselblad 501 - what a whoosh! Of course you can't take a 501 skiing. No thats not true because I have. What's it like to ski with? Big.

With a depth of field lever, a timer and bulb settings, the FM2n has everything you are likely to need for 35mm landscape photography with the possible exception of a panoramic field of view - for that you will need a Hasselblad Xpan. I have one of these too and sometimes take it sking in place of the FM2.

The FM2 will take a huge range of lenses, apart from the G lenses without the aperture ring and of course the DX format so old lenses need never get left on the shelf.

Here is the part of the Nikon FM2 specification which matters to me. All the information is taken from my instruction manual for the FM2:

• Compatible lenses: Most Nikon F bayonet mount lenses that support the
  Automatic Indexing (AI) feature introduced in 1977 and have an aperture ring

• Shutter speed: 1/4000 sec - 1 sec plus bulb

• Self timer: 10 sec delay

• Viewfinder: 93% frame coverage

• Focusing screen: Split-image microprism (Type K2 fitted as standard, also takes
  matte type B and matte with vertical/horizontal etchings type E)

• Automatic film advance: With MD-12 attachment

• Multiple exposure: Yes

• Flash synchronisation: 1/250 sec using hot shoe or PC terminal

• Metering: TTL center weighted

• ISO range: 12 - 6400

• Power source: One 3V lithium, or two 1.55V silver-oxide, or two 1.5V alkaline-manganese

• Dimensions: 142 x 90 x 60mm / 5.6 x 3.5 / 2.4 in

• Weight: Body 540g / 19oz