Where Can I Ge A Nikon Fm2 Repaired

If you currently own or are interesting in buying a Nikon FM2n, you'll want to know most the three common issues that I've institute with these cameras.

As previously noted, I'thou a big fan of the Nikon FM2n. I've owned v and have whittled downwards to just two black FM2n'south. I've been shooting on them for over a decade and take put thousands of rolls through them; from weddings, concerts, political rallies and merely out drinking with friends. While my income and art depend on these cameras, I'll be the first to tell you, they're non perfect!

My vanquish one-time F2sb and even my cheap old Pentax K1000's are more than mechanically and electronically dependable despite CLA's all effectually. That being said, I've only had 3, very solvable, simply critical issues with the FM2's that I've endemic.

TITTANIUM SHUTTER

The first issue I want to talk well-nigh is with the FM2 and early FM2n's. Ironically, information technology's what they're famous for; the titanium shutter.

While I've heard bully praise for Nikon's early and long time adoption/implementation of calorie-free weight, durable titanium shutter curtains, the FM2 seems to have missed the memo.

Two of the outset FM2's I owned were models that featured that fabulous honeycomb shutter and they failed with little employ in the early 2010'due south. For i, the FM2, since I advocate buying from reputable retailers instead of rando's on eBay, I returned it to whence it came and there was no real harm done. For the other, an FM2n in near mint condition when purchased, I went with a full shutter replacement since its warranty was up. Set the old girl back to zero and all. Just what kind of shutter did my early FM2n receive? Aluminum (as pictured above.) And it's worked beautifully always since.

From what I empathise, all FM2'south and some early FM2n'south take the titanium shutter. The titanium shutter is strikingly unique looking and easy to spot when opening the pic door. I don't have a photo of the titanium honeycomb shutter because I got rid of the ones I had! Just yes, it has a honeycomb pattern stamped in it. Looks like bumblebees made it!

Newer FM2n's and any FM2 with failed titanium shutters in the last, oh, decade or so, have been bestowed with aluminum shutters every bit I've read. Why? Because even Nikon realised that titanium, in the case of this particular body, for reasons beyond my knowledge or interest, but didn't work. And then if you own a working FM2 or FM2n that contains titanium, be conscientious and consider an aluminum shuttered back-upwardly or upgrade of your existing camera pre-emptively while the service is nonetheless available (is it yet available?). I have endemic three aluminum shutter FM2n's and haven't had any issues with their less glamorous innards. My communication on the topic is not even to purchase FM2's or FM2n's with titanium shutters.

APERTURE INDEXING TAB

The second issue first arose right before a wedding. Amazingly Lev at BP-ES repaired my FM2n in but two days, in time for my shoot. Anyhow, the Auto Indexing Tab, which is located on the lens mount of the photographic camera, started to stick.

This gives bad meter readings and promotes confusion during a fast paced shoot. And since and so, I've seen the sticking AI tab occur on three FM2n's I've owned, over fourth dimension and with use, after full CLA'south.

Remove your lens and find that little black plastic rectangle that sticks off of the ring around the lens mount. That's the AI Tab; the feature that replaced the earlier, more cute, less elegant and reliable crab-claw-and-pivot rig that y'all detect on pre-AI bodies and lenses.

I once disassembled information technology and found that under the lens mountain of the FM2 is a string that attaches to the inner office of that AI tab and the string is tensioned by a jump. Equally you lot close your lens downwards, the string pulls the tab along the circumference of the lens mount to follow the respective AI Tab on your lens. The bound keeps the two tabs in exact contact, thus feeding the aperture position to the meter. Information technology'due south a very basic mechanism that isn't THAT much more clever than the crab claw rig, but it's a hell of a lot more meaty and modern looking.

On the FM/Atomic number 26, the AI Tab and ring were made of metal. Merely on the FM2 and FE2, they are plastic. The problem with plastic, too existence ugly, is that it binds. And so the mechanism seems to need more lubrication than its first iteration on the FM. I have lubricated the AI mechanism myself a couple times past rubbing graphite into the parts that touch on. However, it'south peradventure all-time to pay a friendly repair tech to show you how to do it rather than gamble this oneself. I just like to empathize what I'm paying people to practice!

Anyhow, when the AI Tab no longer springs back and forth rapidly, the responsiveness of your light meter is afflicted. Sometimes, the meter simply responds to aperture changes a little slower and it's difficult to fifty-fifty notice the problem but it volition just worsen.

You can learn nigh the relationship of the AI tabs by switching on the FM2's light meter with the lens removed, your mitt out of the path of the mirrorbox and running the AI tab back and forth with your finger. You'll see that the meter reading changes even though you have not changed the SS or the amount of light entering the photographic camera.

LIGHT METER POWER

Finally, the third problem happened to me while I was writing my last web log about NEW products that you tin can still buy for moving picture Nikons. The lite meter on one of my FM2n's just abruptly stopped responding. I pulled the advance lever to the standby position, pressed my shutter release one-half mode and bam! No light meter.

I tried connecting one of my MD-12 motordrives and pressing information technology's shutter release half way. Just yet, no die. What this told me is that the trouble was not the on/off switch simply either the meter brandish or the power to the meter. I did a little reading and very quickly constitute that a number of people had this problem and that nigh of the time it had been resolved past simple work done under the bottom plate.

I removed the lesser plate past unscrewing the 3 tiny screws that hold information technology in place. In that location were no signs of corrosion anywhere, everything looked very make clean as it should be. Using my multi-meter, I tested the blue wire which comes off the battery box and to the motordrive terminals. I plant that power was not getting from one cease of the short, one-half inch or less wire, to the other end. At to the lowest degree not consistently. Unlike places on the battery box that I touched while holding the other side to the cease of the wire, resulted in current or no current.

So I just removed the battery cover and, using alcohol because DeOxit wasn't available, I cleaned the battery cover as well as the threads to the cover and box. I got ALOT of blackness oily fabric out of those threads. I put the batteries back in, screwed on the cover and tested the meter again. It was Live!

When I get a run a risk, I'll apply some DeOxit all around the battery box. I too GENTLY pulled upwardly on the negative contact prong at the bottom of the battery box to ensure a tight fit of the classic A76/LR44 batteries. I re-installed the bottom plate and then checked more than carefully with a lens and different settings. All good. This isn't an issue I've had with any other camera, though I accept always as a first response to electronics problems, performed this procedure. Yet I get the impression that this happens with some frequency to the FM2n. Maybe it has to exercise with loading all that graphite into the lens mount! Who knows?

And so my FM2n's soldier on! Yeah, in that location are plain more complicated things that can go wrong with the FM2n or any classic camera and of course replacing the light seals is critical too! Simply like I said, these three seem near common with and unique to this model, occurring in spite of necessary, regular maintenance. Also, luckily, these three problems are easily addressed by any competent repair tech (though shutter replacement, if necessary, is somewhat plush).

Hopefully you detect my feel useful in getting a dusty forgotten FM2n working again or for when 1 of these issues occur on the FM2n that you're currently running.

Accept you encounter any other bug with the FM2n? Got a solution? Let me know in the comments section.

Thank you for reading and happy shooting!

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