The Nikon FM is a 100% mechanical camera. Yes, it does contain a built-in exposure meter, but when using this camera I find it faster to estimate the exposure using the exposure rule. If I require more accurate exposures then I’ll use either my trusty Gossen Digisix or my Pentax spot meter.

Gossen Digisix

I especially like the Nikon FM because of its small size and extremely rugged build. It fits comfortably in the palm of my hand and doesn’t stress my neck or shoulders when carried on a long day of shooting. The lenses I like to use with this camera include the Nikkor AIS 35mm f1.4 or the Nikkor AIS 50mm f1.2. These fast lenses let me shoot hand-held in fairly low light situations with my favorite black and white films: Kodak Tri-X or Ilford Delta 400.

Morning Walk — Holmes Run Park

The Nikon FM is fairly quiet as 35mm SLR cameras go, but this is only my unscientific opinion. It has a nice, solid feel to it when you trip the shutter. Its winding mechanism operates smoothly and overall the camera just feels good in my hands. It’s definitely a high-quality photographic instrument.

What I don’t like about the Nikon FM is its non-interchangeable focusing screens. It’s not the screen I don’t like; it’s the inability to easily clean out stray dust particles that bugs me most. Call me neurotic, but I like a clean, speck free screen when I look through the viewfinder.