Q:Nikon FM2 - Field-of-Depth Preview?
Ka Man Leung
I am considering to purchase a Nikon FM2 and I am wondering if
Field-of-Depth Preview is part of the FM2's features. While I am at it ,
I would love to hear your thoughts on the value (or uselessness) of such
a feature.
Also is it true that the FM2T has already been discontinued?
KM
Tony Galt
Yes it has depth of field preview. There is a little lever on the front of
the camera that you press toward the body. In my opinion, it works better
than the button found on Nikon F2/f3 bodies. I find it absolutely
indispensable. One could depend on the scale on lenses (if there is one!),
but seeing depth of field is much better for everyday work. I don't know
about the discontinuation of the titanium version, but I imagine there
are some good clean used ones out there. Have you taken a look at the FE2
(which you'd have to find used) -- it has an electronic shutter, and
aperture priority autoexposure if you want it, but is otherwise the same
thing more or less as an FM2. (That is what I have in this range of Nikon
bodies.)
Tony GAlt ga...@uwgb.edu
Marc Altmann
> I am considering to purchase a Nikon FM2 and I am wondering if
> Field-of-Depth Preview is part of the FM2's features. While I am at it ,
> I would love to hear your thoughts on the value (or uselessness) of such
> a feature.
Nikon's FM2 has a DOF Preview lever.
In my opinion, DOF Preview is a rather important feature not only for close-up photography.
Actually, I require it every third shot.
(BTW: The correct use of some filters require DOF preview, too.)
> Also is it true that the FM2T has already been discontinued?
Does T stand for titanium shutter?
--
MC3 (Marc Altmann)_______________________________________________________
Email: mct...@berlin.snafu.de Homepage: http://www.snafu.de/~mcthree
Dave Terry
While the FE2 is a great body, it differs not in features but in function.
Without a battery the FM2(n) will keep on firing at any speed not so the
FE2. The first is FE(lectronic)2 whereas the other is FM(anual)2.
--
...dave
TRASHd...@aloha.net
(remove TRASH from email address)
"Is it really true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste
funny?"
Jonathan Hurwitt
Marc Altmann <mct...@berlin.snafu.de> wrote:
> > Also is it true that the FM2T has already been discontinued?
>
> Does T stand for titanium shutter?
No. Titanium top and bottom plates.
Jonathan
Roddy Sharp
Sorry I can't answer directly on the FM2 but Depth Of Field (DOF)
preview is a feature I can't live without. i nearly didn't but a Canon
EOS 5 because a review said it didn't do DOF but a kindly shop assistant
showed me where Canon had hidden the feature so I did but one. I shoot a
lot of theatre work where speed is of the essence and having the right
bit out of focus is as important as heving the rest in focus so I use
DOF all the time.
David L. Glos
I'm not going to beat my chest about Nikon, as almost every significant player
has at least one camera worth owningl; it just depends upon your requirements.
However, the simple fact is, the FM2 is remains as one of the great MANUAL
cameras of all time. If you think a camera should have a motor drive, or TTL
flash, then there are plenty of other cameras to choose from. If you want a
camera that will be with you for life, work under almost any condition, and
even work without a battery, barring the light meter of course, then the FM2
is your kind of camera. I can speak from experience, having owned mine for 15
years. Over 500 rolls of film have been run through it, under conditions from
-20 to +120 degrees F, in the rain, snow and sunshine, and has NEVER missed a
beat; not a slow shutter speed, or hung mirror, or missed frame. NOTHING. And,
it has never seen a repair shop, even for a cleaning. I don't make a habit of
beating my equipment, but then again, I'm not anal about it either. Judging
from what I hear about most of the modern plastic/electronic cameras, form
Nikon, Cannon, and others, this kind of performance is almost unheard of.
BTW, I find the DOF preview to be very important, especially for environmental
portraiture. One of my favorite lenses is my 35/2.0 AIS Nikkkor, because of
its overall sharpness, and soft glowing out of focus areas. I like to use it
mainly between wide open and f5.6, and use the DOF lever to help me make that
decision. If you don't find a need for it fine, but don't speak for the rest
of us.
The FM2 does off a couple of items that were NOT common on cameras 20 years
ago. Namely, a 1/250 flash sync (my early model has a 1/200 sync), which is
very useful for outside fill work, and a 1/4000s top shutter speed. The latter
is mainly useful if you get stuck with faster film in the camera, and end up
shooting in bright light. The shutter is also all metal, where most of the
period were cloth. The only 'failure' that I have seen with one of these
shutters is was when a customer brought one into the These may not be
features to some, but I find them useful.
David Glos
In article <344CD6...@flash.net>, mlpi...@flash.net wrote:
>As you know by now, FM2 has DOF preview. In my opinion, the main
>utility of this feature is to provoke controversy in this newsgroup.
>
>Seriously, it is of some use for macro work. I find it of very little
>use for general photography, but I do use DOF scales on my lenses. So
>far as I know, the FM2T is still produced; at least it is still
>advertised by dealers.
>
>The FM2 is a much loved manual camera, but functionally it offers
>nothing that was not commonplace 20 years ago. In particular, it lacks
>TTL flash and the motor drive is a heavy, noisy, expensive addition. It
>is rugged and reliable and works without batteries, so it is popular as
>a backup camera in harsh conditions.
>
>MLP
Jerry Gitomer
Ah, but there is one big difference I noticed when looking for a
Nikon body -- I was able to buy an FE for considerably less than
I could an FM. I later realized that the buying public perceived
the FM and FM2 as being quite different and superior to the FE and
FE2 -- probably because the FM2 are still being manufactured.
I suspect what people don't realize is that the FE and FE2 were
replaced by newer Nikon electronic cameras while the FM2 was
continued since there are a number of people who want a fine
camera and don't want to carry around spare batteries :-).
Jerry
Lars Stormbom
Bill Wright wrote:
>
> >Ka Man Leung wrote:
> >>
> >>I would love to hear your thoughts on the value (or uselessness) of such
> >>a feature.
>
> It is a worthwhile feature. As somebody else posted, when
> you're shooting with small aperture _and_ low light, sometimes
> using the DOF preview darkens the viewfinder. But more often than
> not -- especially when you're in a hurry -- the preview is a
> blessing. When there's not enough light, you can still calculate
> DOF.
>
In my opinion the DOF-preview is not very usefull to determine the exact
range of 'sharpness' as this is very hard to do exactly. The dof-preview
is however very usefull to get the right amount of 'unsharpness' in
your background. Stopping down the lens is the only way to see this, no
program will prowide it for you.
And yes I am a happy owner of a FM2. I find it a very loveable creature,
all the things I need are there no more no less :)
Again this depends on what you are going to shoot....
The FM2 isn't F5 ,and definitely not EOS 1 ;-)
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