Nikon FM2/FM2n Film Camera Review

Nikon FM2 is one of Nikon’s longest-living SLRs — this camera (the “n” and the original variant) remained in production for 19 years!

The FM2’s 100% mechanically-powered titanium honeycomb shutter can reliably sync with flash speeds up to 1/250s and fire at a bullet speed¹ of 1/4,000s when needed. Launched in 1982, this was the fastest shutter in a production camera.

FM2 and FM2n were Nikon’s minimalist SLR masterpieces and the second-to-last Nikon’s fully mechanical camera line. Springs, gears, outstanding design, high-quality assembly, and premium materials.

The FM series was Nikon’s midrange, meaning some premium features, like a more accurate finder (found on Nikon F2), are missing. Not all FM2n’s had the characteristical honeycomb shutter (which may or may not be what you’d want from this camera — more on that below).

In this review: Technical specifications. The titanium honeycomb shutter. Build quality. FM2 in use: design and ergonomics. How much does a Nikon FM2 cost, and where to find one. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships!¹ — 1/4,000s shutter should be able to capture a flying bullet at slower velocities based on what this Digital Camera World article describes.

Technical specifications.

Nikon FM2’s top shutter speed of 1/4,000s was the fastest on a production camera at launch; it featured a 1/200s flash sync speed. An unmarked Nikon FM2n update was introduced in 1984 with a flash sync speed of 1/250s.

This fully mechanical camera takes two LR44 button batteries (accessible with a quarter or a dime coin from the bottom plate). The batteries are only needed to operate its center-weighted 60/40 through-the-lens meter (FM2s are otherwise fully functional without batteries). The meter works with the film ISO range of 12-6,400 with ⅓ stops in between.

The finder on FM2s has 93% coverage and 0.86x magnification with a 50mm lens (i.e., you can comfortably shoot with both eyes open). It shows shutter speeds and an aperture window with illuminated meter feedback (+, 0/“correct,” and -). The focus screen is interchangeable.

My FM2n copy measures 142.5mm × 90mm × 60mm (5.6” × 3.5” × 2.4”) and weighs 548g.

These cameras come in all-black and chrome trims. The FM2/T used titanium for the top and bottom plates.

Nikon FM2 cameras take AI/AI-S lenses and newer, except the modern G glass and lenses without an aperture ring.

The titanium honeycomb shutter.

The FM2’s 1/4,000s shutter speed was the fastest of any production camera when it launched in 1982. An intricate metal curtain design was assembled from thin, chemically etched titanium plates. The honeycomb pattern ensured that the metal sheets were light enough to sufficiently reduce inertia and strong enough to withstand long-term operation in temperatures ranging from −40℃ to +50℃ (-40℉ to 122℉).

Titanium is an expensive material because it’s difficult to refine and hard to process. It’s very strong, which means it can be made thinner and lighter than other metals. But for Nikon, this shutter design was a temporary solution.

Aluminum is much cheaper and easier to work with than titanium, but the company could not guarantee reliable operation with this material. The connection between the curtain plate and the arm that drives it would explode during the initial tests (source). It took Nikon seven years to replace the expensive titanium curtains with new, strengthened aluminum designs (in the 1989-onward FM2n models, source). Until then, all the cameras (FM2 and FM2n) used the honeycomb shutters.

The FM2n version reviewed in this article (produced between 1986 and 1989) is the best of both worlds. It has a fast 1/250s flash sync and that special, pricey (for Nikon) shutter. The design produced during these years was also easier to repair due to the (slightly) simplified assembly.

(Somewhat counter-intuitively, the premium FM2/T variants, which used titanium for the top and bottom plates, had aluminum shutter curtains.)

While the new aluminum shutter curtains are just as reliable as the earlier titanium ones, they do not feature the organic-looking honeycomb design.

Build quality.

Nikon’s FM2 cameras come with mid-tier features but use the same materials and build quality as the top-tier products. All the parts fit perfectly together and are made to last many years.

The top and bottom plates on my copy are made of brass. You can see some of its dull golden glow below the paint in the spots where it rubbed off. The film door also has spots with paint missing, but the metal underneath this part is hardened aluminum (copper-aluminum-silicon or copper-silumin alloy), the same material Nikon FE cameras were made from.

Nikon’s double-shaft winding mechanism and multiple ball bearing connections are some of the most prized yet invisible features in these cameras. They ensure smooth, reliable operation regardless of how forcefully or gingerly you like to push your lever.

The engineers and the fabricators did a fantastic job with FE2s. No matter how scuffed these cameras may look, they are very easy to trust, even after forty years of use and storage.

FM2 in use: design and ergonomics.

I appreciate how light this full-frame SLR is despite all the metal components. With some effort and a pancake lens, it can fit in a (large) jacket pocket, though it is not the smallest SLR I’ve used.

The film advance winder is indeed very pleasant; it makes a zipper-like sound every time it’s pushed. Just under its base is a small plastic lever that you can pull while advancing to make a deliberate double exposure.

It’s possible to advance film and hold an FM2 with just the right hand, though it is a little tricky. The cameras of this age have not yet been implementing ergonomic grips.

The viewfinder on FM2 is large and comfortable. Its 0.86x magnification factor makes shooting with a 50mm lens with both eyes open especially pleasant. The image in the finder and your free eye’s view is about the same scale, which is enough for the brain to perceive them as a single scene.

The finder’s 93% coverage hides a bit of the view around the edges — the first sign of this camera’s lower standing compared to Nikon’s pro-line SLRs (e.x., the F2, which has 100% coverage). I also found that the shutter speeds and the aperture numbers inside the finder view may be difficult to read in dim light.

The light meter’s indicator lights show “-” for underexposure, “o” for correct exposure, and “+” for overexposure. “+o” and “o-” lights imply a half-stop over-/underexposure. The lights are easy to read in all conditions; however, they aren’t particularly helpful if you’re looking to deliberately over- or underexpose your scene by a set number of stops.

One aspect of note for new Nikon film shooters is the film door lock. To load/unload your film, pull the small plastic lever on the side of the film rewinder crank and lift it up from the camera body. Pulling the crank further up will meet a bit of spring resistance until the back pops open.

The Nikon FM2n is the only film camera in my collection that could handle my recent outlandish experimentation with film. While testing if I could push Ilford HP5+ to ISO 100,000, I needed the fastest shutter speed possible to counter the film’s extreme sensitivity, which this camera delivered in spades.

The highest ISO the camera’s meter would accept is 6,400 — four stops slower than 100,000. I used that difference to calculate my exposures — which is when an actual value readout (instead of the simplified +/o/- lights) would’ve been helpful.

Nikon FM2 is a fast manual film camera. You can change the shutter speed and aperture without lifting the eye from the finder: the shutter dial can be pushed with the right index finger while the left hand rests on the lens’ aperture ring. You need both hands to operate this camera effectively, but it’s quicker than most manual SLRs and rangefinders, thanks to its ergonomic controls layout.

FM2’s power switch is another feature often found on Nikon cameras but rarely on others. To turn the camera on and unlock the shutter button, you’ll need to pull the film advance lever a couple of degrees until it clicks.

Older cameras, like the F2 and the FE, would continue to draw battery power while in this position. However, FM2 used a newer system, similar to the one used by Nikon’s famous underwater camera. The lever on FM2 still unlocks the shutter button, but the light meter will not turn on until the shutter button is half-pressed. After a short delay, the meter turns off to preserve battery power. Thanks to this improvement, the camera can remain unlocked (lever out) indefinitely without depleting the charge.

How much does a Nikon FM2 cost, and where to find one.

Nikon FM2 cameras were sold as mid-tier, but they were never cheap. They were introduced in 1982 for $364 or $1,190 in today’s dollars (chrome body, no lens). Two years later, they sold for $525 ($1,595). A premium FM2/T was listed for $1,120 in 1997 or $2,200 in 2025 bucks.

Today, Nikon FM2/FM2n cameras sell for an average of $300-500, depending on condition, and $500-700 for the FM2/T (titanium) version.

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Nikon FM2 camera purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!