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Nikon
FM10
Ideal camera for the beginning photographer By
Nelson Tan
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Difference between mechanical and manual camera The FM10 is a mechanical camera. It is also a fully manual camera. A mechanical camera does not depend on batteries to function. In this case, the FM10 only requires batteries for the built-in meter to function. The shutter fires regardless of whether a battery is available. This is invaluable when you're stuck in a situation where you cannot replace the exhausted batteries, or the batteries do not function due to the cold weather. A manual camera is one where you have to set the aperture and shutter speed settings yourself. The meter can suggest the combination, but the act of changing the settings is still done by the photographer. Some purist photographers actually prefer manual cameras because it gives them the sense of being in control of the camera. Other modes like Program mode, or Aperture or Shutter Priority robs you of some sense of control, so to speak. In the manual mode, since you have to adjust the settings yourself, you are more inclined to use your own judgement, and make adjustments when you think the camera is wrong. The Manual mode is especially suited for budding photographers, to develop their keen sense of understanding lighting conditions. However, because of the ease and simplicity of using modern automatic cameras, it is easy to be lured into the easy way out of trusting the camera's built-in meter blindly. Here are some of the features of the FM10, which makes it especially suitable for beginning photographers…
Manual mode only As mentioned previously, the FM10 only has one mode, which is Manual. Manual mode means that the camera's built-in meter reads the scene in the viewfinder, and will suggest whether the current combination of aperture and shutter speed settings will give a properly exposed picture. In the FM10, underexposure is indicated by "-". If the picture is over-exposed, the sign "+" appears in the viewfinder, and "o" indicates correct exposure. Any camera's built-in meter can be fooled. It does not know what the situation looks like, or how you want it to look in your image. It simply reads the amount of light entering the camera and if it is too bright, it is overexposing. If it is too dark, it is underexposing. For majority of the scenes, the camera will suggest a reading that gives you correctly exposed images. However, in 10-20% of the scenes, the camera will give a reading that will not render the scene as you saw it. Those situations that contain too much reflective surface (such as a white wall or snow), or black and dark surfaces (eg. black wall or charcoal), will lead to a greyish looking picture unlike the scene you saw. Using manual mode trains you to spot such situations, and understand how light and a light meter works. Once you mastered the skill of understanding exposure, you would be able to avoid mistakes in exposure in tricky situations. Of course, some would claim that you could do the same using other modes. But Manual mode is the most tedious mode to use, and will lead to you being more observant to the changes in settings. It is learning the hard way, and will probably benefit you quickest and you can be sure whatever you learnt will be stuck in your mind for life !!
Depth of field preview This feature is often left out of many modern cameras, even in the highly specified ones. The depth of field preview enables you to actually see the depth of field of the aperture settings. Without this feature, you have to set a aperture and guess whether the depth of field would be sufficient to keep your subject in focus. When you activate the depth of field preview, the aperture closes down to the set aperture and the viewfinder becomes dimmer due to the smaller opening. However, you can now see how much depth of field you have. Although the viewfinder may look dimmer, you can make out which area is in focus and which is not. This feature is useful if you like to do closeup work, since the depth of field is very critical. Professional bodies like the Nikon F series and the F90X has this feature, but most other cameras lack a depth of field preview button. Self-timer Self-explanatory. The self-timer feature enables you to take your own picture. It is fully mechanical, and the countdown time is approximately 10 seconds. It is also useful when you forget to bring the camera release, as it enables you to trigger the camera without touching it. Multiple exposure Again, this feature is lacking in many other camera bodies (even highly priced models). Multiple exposure button enables you to make many exposure on the same frame. When the multiple exposure lock is engaged, you can cock the shutter without advancing the film. This allows you to make multiple exposures on the same frame without moving the film. There is no limit to how many exposures you can make on the film, provided the lever is engaged. Useful for those times you want to superimpose the moon on a scene. ISO speed sensitivity The FM10 has a wide ISO settings for film. The ISO settings is fully manual, so you have to make sure you dialed in the correct speed setting of the film before commencing the shoot. It ranges from ISO 25 to ISO 3200. Even for the advanced users, it is more than sufficient. It is the very rare occasion that you exceed ISO 3200. The wide ISO range means that you can virtually use any type of film available in the market, from the ultra-fine Kodak Ektar 25 to the super-coarse B/W Kodak T-Max 3200P. Perfect for your experiments with film. Shutter speed settings The shutter speed range is nothing to rave about. It goes from 1 second to 1/2000 sec, and has the usual Bulb mode for long exposures. The top speed of 1/2000 sec is more than sufficient in 99% of the cases. Firstly, you seldom need more than that speed to freeze the subject. Secondly, the light level is rarely that high to achieve a higher shutter speed than that ! The lowest shutter speed of 1 second is admittedly a bit wanting, especially if you do night scenes frequently. But usually night photography is a trial and error process, and light meters that go beyond one second usually underexposes due to reciprocal failure of the film. So it is not as bad as it seems !! Try night exposure with several timings, and you'll end up with very pleasantly surprising results. Screw-in socket for cable release In this age where almost every camera demands a special electronic cable release, it is comforting to see a usual screw-in mechanical cable release on the FM10. The advantages of the conventional mechanical cable release over the electronic type are that it is cheaper and it is more reliable. The FM10 has the socket for cable release in the shutter release button. Just screw a cable release into it and you're in business. Nikon F mount The Nikon F mount has been around since 1950s. Since that time, the Nikon F mount has remained virtually unchanged, except that it has been modified to accept autofocus functions and electronic connections. Almost every Nikon lens that had been made since 1950 can be used on the Nikon FM10. This is the chief advantage of getting a Nikon body. The older lenses of other manufacturers cannot be fitted on the newer AF bodies. Even the older AF lenses couldn't be used on the newer AF bodies. For Nikon, the lenses defy being obsolete by remaining faithful to the same mount. So just grab any Nikon lens and you will be able to fit it to any Nikon body (with the exception of a few exotic lenses), regardless of whether the body and lenses are autofocus or manual focus. The wide range of Nikon lenses are unparalleled by any other camera makers. Camera/Lens Package The Nikon FM10 comes as a package deal. The FM10 body, together with a 35-70mm lens and a 70-210 lens, is sold at a list price of $648. You should get a better deal by shopping around. This package should see you through most of the photographic situation that you meet as a budding photographer. You may wish to get a flash, a camera bag and a cleaning kit. The entire outfit should not cost more than $800. Shortcomings The FM10 seems plasticky compared to other cameras. Of course, the other cameras will cost much more, so the comparison is not exactly fair. Nobody seemed to have dropped it on the floor before (and I don’t intend to), so I wouldn't know how well it would stand up to such a impact. However, it is indeed very light, weighing in at a feather 420g without batteries. Should suit those photographers who like to stroll around the streets, capturing the candid shots. Another dislike would be the lack of information in the viewfinder.
The Nikon
FE10 and FM2
The FM10 may not be the most rugged camera around, but it is certainly very good value for money. It has a reasonable price tag, and it has all the necessary features without the bells and whistles. Manual cameras are the ideal platform for beginning photographers, since you get to the basics of exposure techniques. Most importantly, you have access to the wide range of Nikon lenses available. A body only holds the film for exposure. The lens will determine the quality of the image. And Nikon lenses are amongst the best lenses money can buy. So if you are a budding photographer looking for a camera system to start off with, do give the Nikon FM10 some serious consideration.
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