The Official Nikon importer of Australia has information of about new Nikon Manual Focus SLR at:http://www.maxwell.com.au/photo/cameras/slr/FM3A.html.

It appears to be an updated FM2/FE2 hybrid.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel.nauticom@verizon.net), February 01, 2001

Answers

that's pretty slick.

:)=

-- rick oleson (rick_oleson@yahoo.com), February 01, 2001.

It looks like the Aussie site's jammed. :-(

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), February 02, 2001.

Similar news on the FM3A appeared and disappeared on the site of French magazine 'Chasseur d'Images', said to have been deleted under pressure of Nikon France who mistakenly sent them the news without a restriction on the publicationdate.

On the discussion forum is mentioned it will be an all metal body camera with full mechanical shutter speeds, but a hybrid shutter that will allow Aperture priority automatic (like the Canon F1n and Pentax LX), TTL flash metering and 3,5 fps with the MB-12 winder. On the picture that was shown on the Maxwell site it looked identical in bodyshape with the FE/FM/FE2/FM2 line.

The same happened with news on the two (!) Nikon D-1 successors, a 5.47 Megapixel model with maximum 3 fps and up to 9 consecutive shots, and a 2.74 Megapixel model with maximum 5 fps and up to 40 consecutive shots.

Info on the digital camera's, though limited as the disappeared pages of Maxwell.com were referred to, can be found at www.digitalkamera.de and at www.robgalbraith.com .

It appears the official announment will be on February 5th or 6th, so a few more night to sleep.....

Paul K

-- Paul K (photopp@casema.net), February 02, 2001.

Why all the excitement? It's just another box for holding the film and the lens the right distance apart.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), February 02, 2001.

There's word that the last F3HPs have been made. There's been a concern that the FM2n was going to disappear as well. Add to the mix the fact that Nikon has introduced a line of lenses that won't work on manual bodies and their newest AF SLRs won't meter with manual lenses and some of us were getting worried. No one expected a new high end manual focus SLR, so it's a pleasant suprise.

-- Geoffrey S. Kane (grendel.nauticom@verizon.net), February 02, 2001.

I managed to get this out of Maxwell in Australia...

In addition to what is mentioned above, the camera has: stepless aperture-priority auto (8 to 1/4000 sec) and mechanical (1 to 4000 sec) TTL flash with compensation to -1 EV (ie., fill flash) reading DX coded film cartriges from 25 to 5000 with manual override 14 mm eyepoint 3 screens are available, K3, E3 and B3 exposure comp +/- 2EV in 1/3 steps. AE lock button Viewfinder Info (exp comp, shutter, aperture and ready light) Dimensions (wxhxd) 142.5 x 90 x 58mm Weight 570g including battery.

Way cool!

-- Anth Plummer (anthplummer@bigpond.com), February 05, 2001.

Voici:

http://www.nikon.fr/Nikon_Web/site.nsf/photo_positionnement/FM3A.htm

-- (a.hunia@dlg.agro.nl), February 05, 2001.

And in Englsih: http://www.klt.c o.jp/Nikon/35mm/index_fm3a.htm. Cool camera!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), February 05, 2001.

And here's the new "normal" lens that goes with the FM3A: http://www .klt.co.jp/Nikon/Nikkor_Lenses/index3.htm (click on "45mm f/2.8 P"). Cool camera, even cooler lens!

-- Hoyin Lee (leehoyin@hutchcity.com), February 05, 2001.

List prices ware already announced:

FM3A chrome -- GBP 659.99 = ~ USD 840 FM3A black -- GBP 599.99 = ~ USD 885 45/2.8 -- GBP 329.99 = ~ USD 487

Here are list prices for FM2n for comparison:

FM2n chrome -- $745 FM2n black -- $770

So, new bodies seem to be reasonably prices. New lens, however, looks a bit pricy.

-- Alexander Grekhov (grekhov@wgukraine.com), February 05, 2001.

what do you think?... it's got mirror lock up, like the FM2n. That's enough to make this the best second body with a F100...just another box, my ass! (which is fairly unsubstantial)... t

-- txp120 (twm@mindspring.com), February 06, 2001.

Here is Nikon's press release

http://www.klt.co.jp/Nikon/Press_Release/fm3a.htm

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), February 08, 2001.

I got one yesterday (in india/grey). It's pretty cool. Apart from other things which you already know about, it's got a film confirmation window, a drop lock for flash, a lock so that you don't slip out of aperture priority mode, an film-anti-curl roller apart from the film pressure plate which stops the film from getting into shutters if you decide to leave the leader out when rewinding and a flash exposure compensation of 2 stops. It's not as good looking as a FM2n though. regards, anurag

-- anurag agnihotri (somoneuno@yahoo.com), July 31, 2001.