Nikon FM3A + Ai Nikkor 50mm F1.4

The first manual camera I ever owned was a 
Nikon FM3A.
It was the ultimate culmination of Nikon's FM series with manual exposure
and the FE series with aperture priority.
It's a hybrid camera with a mechanical control and an electronic shutter.
The most noticeable visual difference from the FM2 and earlier models
is that the logo on the FM3A is italicized.


With this camera,
I learned the difficulty of manually adjusting the shutter speed, aperture,
and focus, and the essence of photography.

At the time, my senior colleague recommended the AI Nikkor 50mm F1.4,
which became my companion.
I enjoyed experimenting with different apertures
and how they changed the look of the images.
I learned that photography is about footwork with the standard 50mm focal length.

Below are some photos taken with this combination, though they are not really "examples."




Matsushima from the ferry
FILM : PRO400H


FILM : NATURA1600




Okunoshima
FILM : PRO400H

Mechanical cameras feel like they're built to last a lifetime. They have a charm
and appeal that digital cameras don't, and this is one of the cameras I cherish
and hold onto carefully.
Since there's no aperture value listed,
it might not be very helpful as a reference,
but I hope it conveys some of the atmosphere.
Film photography is so enjoyable because the impression
changes depending on the film used.

While there's a trend of attaching vintage lenses to mirrorless cameras
to enjoy their unique character,
I sincerely hope that the culture of film photography continues for a long time.