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Tech · Nikon · 1982

Nikon FM2

A fully mechanical shutter to 1/4000 that fires without a battery. The used SLR built to outlast its owner.

35mm film SLRs still worth buying used — #1

Overall

8.3

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Durability (9.4), weakest on Value (7.0), a 2.4-point spread. The 8.3 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Nikon FM2 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Nikon FM2: Performance 8.6, Value 7.0, Durability 9.4, Ease of use 8.2, Design 8.4.PerformanceNikon FM2 — Performance 8.6 out of 108.6ValueNikon FM2 — Value 7.0 out of 107.0DurabilityNikon FM2 — Durability 9.4 out of 109.4Ease of useNikon FM2 — Ease of use 8.2 out of 108.2DesignNikon FM2 — Design 8.4 out of 108.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Shutter
Mechanical, 1 s to 1/4000 s, B
Flash sync
1/200 s (FM2n: 1/250 s)
Metering
Center-weighted, LED readout
Power
Two SR44 cells, meter only
Mount
Nikon F (AI)

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • You want a camera that keeps shooting if the battery dies in the cold
  • You might move to Nikon digital later and want lenses that carry over
  • Bright-sun shooting with fast film, where 1/4000 lets you open the aperture

Skip it if

  • You want the camera to set exposure for you
  • The premium over a K1000 or AE-1 Program is money you'd rather spend on film

Every shutter speed on the FM2 is set mechanically, so the battery only runs the light meter. With dead cells the camera still fires at every speed, and you meter by the sunny 16 rule or a phone app. Repair shops consider it one of the toughest manual SLRs ever made, and its titanium-bladed shutter reaches 1/4000, unusual for a mechanical body.

The later FM2n raised flash sync to 1/250 and is the more common version. The quickest way to tell them apart is the sync speed marked on the shutter dial, since serial-number rules have exceptions. Either is a good buy, and the difference only matters with flash outdoors.

The meter shows three LEDs, minus, circle, and plus. It is quick to read but gives no numbers, which some beginners find vague next to a needle.

The FM2’s reputation shows up in its price. It costs noticeably more than a Pentax or Canon of the same era, and more again for a black body. That premium buys a camera repair shops still service readily, so a body with a dated CLA receipt is the one to hold out for.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.