Introducing my new baby – the Nikon FM2n! =D

When we were at Namdaemun Market in Korea, we came to know that one of the row of shops was famous for photography equipment. There you could find a large range of digital compacts, dSLRs and even vintage film cameras. Initially I didn’t want to spend any more on camera gear due to budget constraints but as soon as I held the FM2n, I knew I wanted one. The camera was selling for about USD$300 (Inclusive of a Nikkor 50mm f/1.4), which although slightly more expensive than your typical eBay price, was in almost-mint condition. So, I forked out the remaining USD (Which was my emergency cash and belongs to my dad, haven’t return the money yet =P ) I had and took it home to Malaysia.

For the past week I’ve been shooting with the Provia 100F & Ektar 100. The shots turned out to be good although some were out out-of-focus. It is my first time handling a f/1.4 lens and frankly I’m quite surprised how shallow the depth-of-field could be!

Although the results could be replicated in most SLRs, shooting with the FM2n is more about the experience than the result. Being a fully manual camera, it forces you to think about every aspect of the shot – be it the depth-of-field, composition or exposure. To be able to take the shots quick, you need to think on your feet and get used to the knobs. Perhaps the hardest feature for me is the manual focus as many time I’ve found myself struggling to get the perfect focus. As they say, practice makes perfect and for that reason the FM2 will be my main camera for awhile.

Nikon FM2n

Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AI-S

Fujifilm Provia 100F (Xpro)

Kodak Ektar 100

(First photo shot with the Desire HD 😉 )