C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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slr-35mm
The Nikon FM2 (1982) is a fully mechanical manual-exposure 35mm SLR that became one of the most enduring and respected film cameras ever made. Its vertical-travel titanium honeycomb shutter reaches 1/4000s - exceptional for a mechanical shutter in 1982 - and syncs with flash at 1/200s, later revised to 1/250s in the FM2n (1984). The meter uses silicon cells and requires two LR44 batteries to operate, but the shutter fires across its entire mechanical range without any battery at all, making the FM2 reliable in extreme cold, remote locations, and situations where electronics fail. It was produced continuously until 2001, an almost 20-year run, testifying to how completely the design met professional and advanced-amateur needs.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The definitive all-mechanical Nikon - a titanium-shuttered workhorse with a 1/4000s top speed and near-indestructible build.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Nikon F |
| Years | 1982-2001 (FM2n from 1984) |
| Shutter | 1s - 1/4000s + B, mechanical titanium vertical focal-plane |
| Flash sync | X: 1/200s (FM2) / 1/250s (FM2n) |
| Meter | Center-weighted silicon TTL, EV 1-19 |
| Modes | Manual |
| Viewfinder | 93% coverage, 0.86x |
| Battery | 2x LR44 / SR44 (meter only; shutter fully mechanical) |
| Weight | 540 g |
Nikon introduced the FM2 in March 1982, alongside the electronic FE2, as the all-mechanical option in a newly refreshed consumer SLR lineup. The FM2 replaced the original FM (1977) and shared its essential mechanical architecture but added the new titanium honeycomb shutter that allowed the 1/4000s top speed - a world first for a mechanical shutter at the time. In 1984 Nikon released the FM2n, which revised the shutter to achieve 1/250s flash sync (up from 1/200s) and made minor cosmetic changes. A titanium-body variant, the FM2/T, was introduced in 1994. Production of all FM2 variants ended in 2001 when the FM3a (combining full mechanical operation with optional AE) succeeded it. The FM2 was adopted as standard equipment by photojournalism programs and professional photographers worldwide throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
The FM2 occupies a singular position in 35mm SLR history: it is the camera that proved a manual, fully mechanical design could remain competitive - and preferred - through two decades of autofocus revolution. Its combination of 1/4000s shutter, full mechanical operation, compact dimensions, and F-mount compatibility made it the instrument of choice for photographers who valued control and reliability over automation. The FM2 is one of very few film cameras that professional photographers continued to choose new well into the digital era, buying the last production units in 2001 as a known-good tool rather than out of nostalgia.
Nikon F mount. AI and AI-S lenses provide full meter coupling. Non-AI lenses require modification or stop-down metering; the FM2 does not have the AI-S indexing slot needed for shutter-priority on bodies like the FA, but it supports the full AI lens range for manual metering. Signature pairings: Nikkor AI-S 50mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.8, 28mm f/2.8 AI-S, 105mm f/2.5 AI, 135mm f/2 AI-S. The MD-12 motor drive (3.2 fps continuous) is the correct winder; the MF-16 data back fits the FM2n. The SB-15 and SB-24 Speedlights provide TTL flash.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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