How To Find Model Of Nikon Camera

Hello all, First of all dont kill me, im just an apprentice photographer, not really into the gadget side of it all.
Regardless of that I was extremely excited when my father cleared out his study room and found this gem, an old nikon he bought in his twenties, thats nearly xx-30 years ago. I have no thought what model it is, what its capable of.
Sure i have a nikon dslr, but i have no idea about their slrs, merely what model is this ? Its actually really moldy and needs cleaning. how much would that toll me, and is that really worth it? Information technology has a 55mm lens which really needs a clean up as well. in the box the original flash is still with information technology, didnt manage to take pictures.
is this something worth refurbishing?
besides this might audio dumb merely... i cant become the back to open, and i cant figure out how... non sure if theres whatsoever motion-picture show still in it...
It'south a Nikon FM (notice that the serial number on the back begins with "FM"), a 35mm transmission-focus, manual-exposure pic camera made between 1977 and about 1984. It is fully mechanical in operation except for the lite meter, which requires two SR44 batteries that become into a compartment on the lesser of the camera. Without batteries, you can still take pictures, since the camera as a fully mechanical shutter, but you lot'll take to figure out the exposure yourself. It's an splendid camera, capable of using any of Nikon'south manual-focus AI or AI-S lenses (such every bit the 55mm macro that you have mounted on information technology).
To open up information technology: Come across the blackness rewind knob on the top left of the camera, with the curving arrow pointing to the left? There is a small lever on the elevation of the camera next to this knob (visible in the pic above, the arrow seems to point at information technology). Pull this lever back, and while holding it back, pull up on the film rewind lever. The back should popular open. Information technology may be mucilaginous if information technology's been sitting in a box for years.
My offhand gauge is that sending this photographic camera out for a thorough cleaning would probably exist almost as expensive as buying another one, considering how much the prices of film gear take dropped in the last decade. If it'southward but dirty on the outside, then you might be able to make clean it upward yourself plenty to endeavor it out. The "mold" isn't visible (to me, at least) in your pictures, so I'chiliad not sure what you mean when y'all say it's moldy.
Yous can find an instruction manual for this camera hither:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/nikon/nikon_fm/nikon_fm.htm
Looks a lot like a Nikon FM, probably 30 years onetime ,but I accept trouble making out the serial number in the photo posted. Await at the series number on the back just below the movie advance/shutter cocking lever. If so, needs button batteries for the light meter. Fully manual, focus, shutter speed and aperture set manually, after consulting a light meter. A solid consumer SLR in its mean solar day. The lens might exist worth more than the body, but no much in either event. This camera is a perfect student camera if the shutter works.
To see if in that location is film in the photographic camera, mover the rewind lever on the left top to see if there is resistence. Moving the stutter lever should motion the rewind lever is there is film in the photographic camera. Y'all tin can probably find a pdf copy of the manual on line by googling "instruction manual nikon fm"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_FM
This database can give y'all an idea of the lens' date of manufacture. http://world wide web.photosynthesis.co.nz/nikon/serialno.html
Ebay, or www.keh.com might give you an idea of the value of the body or lens. See besides used departments at B&H or Adorama.
If you want to mess with film, it is a wonderful tool for instruction as you will learn what shutter speed and aperture do and the relationship with the bachelor light. Otherwise, I suggest you get something digital.
Accept fun!
Before you open it, cheque whether in that location's film in it by folding out the crank on the rewind knob and turning the knob several rotations in the direction of the arrow. If in that location's picture in information technology, you'll feel increasing resistance equally the spool within the canister takes upwardly slack. (End before information technology gets difficult to turn - you lot don't want to put too much force into it.) If at that place's picture show, wind it back into the canister by first pressing the small round button in the bottom plate of the camera, which will click in, signifying that the resistance on the take-up spool has been released, and then wind it with the crank back into the canister. That way you lot tin open the dorsum of the camera without ruining whatever photos were already on the film.
It'south a very nice camera if you're interested in manual shooting. It'southward also a really sharp lens that can shoot macro. You can employ the lens on your DSLR.
If the camera and lens are but dusty yous tin clean them with a moistened q-tip and a toothpick (used advisedly) for the corners. Annihilation on the inside, try to become out with a blower. If in that location's black mucilaginous crap on the mirror it means the foam bumper has deteriorated and when you open the back, check for intact black foam in the grooves on the camera body side that the back plate edges fit into. Those two types of foam usually demand to exist replaced eventually, and you can have that washed for you or go a kit to do it yourself on eBay. For the lens, check whether it has scratches on the drinking glass or fungus (which looks like tiny spider veins on the glass inside the lens), which you can't actually exercise anything about, and whether there is oil on the aperture blades that would keep them from moving freely, which can exist cleaned.
That is an FM.
In 1977, Nikon introduced auto indexing (AI) and was converting their lenses into AI. The first 2 SLR bodies with AI were the FM and (Nikkormat) FT3. I bought my first Nikon camera that yr including an FT3 and a 43-86mm/f3.5 AI lens. I still own that lens and the Iron I bought in the post-obit year, 1978; the same yr the Fe was introduced.
Information technology is easy to tell that it is an FM because the FM and FE have a wink sync speed of 1/125 sec, slower than the 1/200 or 1/250 sec in the subsequent FM2, FE2, and FM3A. Even so, the Atomic number 26 has the aperture-priority auto mode while the FM is all mechanical. The 1/125 sec flash sync and the lack of the auto mode identifies that it is an FM.
Unfortunately, movie and processing is very expensive in these days. It can be fun to shoot a few rolls of moving picture or maybe develop some blackness and white film, but it volition price some money.
The FM differs cosmetically from the FE by having a chromed finger-guard around the shutter release. The FE has a black-finished one. That's about the only mode to tell them apart at a altitude. However we tin can clearly read the letters "FM" on the back of the OP's photographic camera. It's also quite an early on FM with a knurled finger-guard that I believe could be used to lock the release. Afterward ones were smooth and didn't turn, similar the FE shown higher up, but still chrome plated rather than blackened.
At present there's a PDF transmission for the FM posted here. Doubtless if Nikon get wind of information technology they'll need its removal.
PS. That'due south a overnice 55mm f/3.5 micro-Nikkor lens attached besides. One of the sharpest lenses Nikon ever made. And so happy shooting if you decide to use the camera!
Y'all have an early model Nikon FM (serial number 'FM 2xxxxxx' series) with the knurled lock collar around the shutter release and s/n starting with a '2'. The manual link that Craig Dickson posted above is the proper one for your camera. The link that Rodeo Joe posted is for the later Mk.Ii model of the FM (serial number 'FM 3xxxxxx' serial) with the polish collar around the shutter release and s/north starting with a '3'.
Regardless, the only important functional departure between the two is that on the earlier model the knurled shutter lock must be turned to the red index marker for proper synchronization with the Doc-11 or Physician-12 motordrive (see folio 12 in the manual). For normal operation the collar is aligned with the black index mark.
As Rodeo Joe noted, the Micro-Nikkor 55mm i:3.v lens attached is an first-class marco (close-up) lens and well worth servicing to clean it upwards. It is also compatible with your Nikon DSLR, although to what extent will depend on what DSLR y'all are using.
That's a dazzler! One of the best always Nikons IMO. Awesome lens too.
The neck strap is a style that was ubiquitous in the eighty's. One upshot to be aware of with that way of strap is presented by the large metal snaps that are hooked onto the camera body. Over time, those big snaps tin can scratch or ding the camera or other items in your camera pocketbook. I had ane almost exactly similar yours on my black FE torso, and it attached with the very aforementioned kind of hooks. The hooks wore away the blackness finish on the corner edges of the camera body exposing the brass underneath.
You might wish to buy an teaching manual for your "new" FM camera. There's lots of them bachelor before long on eBay for very nominal prices (e.g. "Buy it Now" - $5.99). The manual volition be of use as yous're learning to use the camera.
The prices of film and development varies, I'm sure, depending on your location. I'm still able to obtain film processing (both slides and negatives/prints) at relatively low prices in my surface area. This is at a "pro-quality" lab - ($10.00/slides develop and mounts; $6.50/Negative processing).
I think you'll savour your FM camera, digital photography is at a stage of development that surpasses film in most areas, but film has a quality that many still enjoy/prefer. Photography should exist, in my opinion, fun - and film can still be fun!
Jim
You must take a very cool dad!
That's easy, an original FM and I did not need to see the FM in the series number. The FM was a terrific, all manual camera. The FM was improved over the years, culminating in the FM3A which notwithstanding commands a premium toll ($400 to even $700) used depending on the condition.
I'm non seeing any sign of mold in the photos. Where are you seeing mold? Anything on the exterior of the body y'all can endeavor gently wiping off with a clammy cloth (not soaking wet, but damp). You can make clean the exterior glass surfaces of the lens very carefully with lens cleaning paper from a camera store (not the kind used for eyeglasses, information technology can scratch) or a clean white cotton T-shirt. Exist very, very gentle. If there is mold inside the camera or inside the lens, that's a bigger problem.
Somebody said film is expensive. Not necessarily truthful. Film is not as cheap equally it in one case was but you tin still buy color print film for effectually $3 a curlicue. Processing with prints can run anywhere from around $10 up.
Some one-60 minutes labs will process a curlicue of film and scan JPGs to a CD with no prints for around $six. This provides a fairly inexpensive way to practice shooting film and you end upwards with files that you lot can email or post online, plus yous still have the negative if y'all capture an boggling image that you want to get printed.
hello, I would like to ask u what camera is this?
That is a Nikon F with a plain prism. Offhand, I call up it's from roughly 1964 or '65-I'm too lazy to look up the S/Northward at the moment, but it's earlyish(6.7 million SN) and marked "Nippon Kogakua" on the top right.
Great camera! This was Nikon's get-go SLR, and arguably i of the most pregnant cameras in the history of photography.
Ok, thank u very much, approximately his value is..?
If I were ownership(and I've bought a decent number of Fs recently), I'd probably pay in the $125 range(assuming there's not an engraving or the like and everything works correctly). The condition looks quite expert, and the hurting prism version seems to bring the biggest prices these days.
ok, considering i have full set of lenses for this photographic camera with original cases....thanks