Wieland wrote:
"What will Pentax do to beat the FM3A??????"
REPLY:
Certainly nothing. Nikon is possibly the only one among the large camera companies
with a market for such a camera in anything other than the smallest series.
a) There are more manual focus Nikon lenses out there than anything else. This
provides a potential market.
b) Nikon was traditionally the most conservative of all the large manufacturers
(changed the last two decades). Hence, they have a large conservative customer base.
c) Nikon is also the only one (for the reasons above) of the major companies that
still have a reasonable volume production line for manual focus cameras of this type.
Hence, theres no need for total retooling for upgrading the FM cameras. This may hold
the price on a reasonable level.
Wieland:
"THE WORLD IS WAITING!"
REPLY:
Probably not. Olympus still sell one of the best ever mechanical SLR's; the OM-3 but
it sells only in minute numbers in spite of a a complete line of manual focus lenses
still available. This is a niche market; a market Nikon nearly own when we talk about
volume.
Also, the OM-3 sells for 50% more of the electronic OM-4. Some posted that a Takumar
lens made now would cost over $1000 (but still only offer 60's optics).
Wieland:
"The Nikon users are in heaven. What about us? I don't need a computer with motor, I
want a
REAL CAMERA(tm)."
REPLY:
We still have the LX which is frankly far superior to the FM3a in all respects.
The FM3A do indeed make sense right now. Particularly because all the high-tech
customers, Nikon F5 and F100, will most likely go digital early. Those who will stick
to film, for whatever reasons, are most likely dominated by conservative users who
possibly prefer conservative cameras. And besides, by having such a camera Nikon can
exploit the huge number of manual focus lenses out there by providing a camera that
fit and suit those lenses.
My biggest concern with these cameras is that they don't offer precise metering
options and readouts, and only offer shutter speeds in one stop increments. This makes
them more suitable for print film in my opinion and less useful for manual operation,
ironically. Personally, I need 1/3 stop accuracy, and in order to get that I need
spotmetering and shutterspeed increments in smaller steps than one stop. Ironically,
the best manual camera I've seen is the Z-1p. For the knowledgable photographer it
ofers unsurpassed manual control. If you compared it to the FM3A, you have to trade
manual control on the latter for batteryless operation. If sombody offered the manual
posibilities of the Z-1p with a mechanical shutter, I'll certainly be in heaven.
However, I wonder if a mechanical shutter with 1/3 stop accuracy exist. If so, to what
cost and how long does it stay precise?
Pål
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