The Nikai FMD is here seen next to the complicated Lumix GF1 for size comparison. The bigger camera of course is seen as being more professional.... I know it's a little extravagant, but I will consider it my Christmas present to myself: on a walk in town today I came past the pawn shop, and found this fantastic camera. It was £4.99, but I think it was well worth it, since it cheers me up.
... Despite looking to casual observers like a big, professional camera, thus boosting your macho value, the NIKAI FMD System camera is made of plastic, so it is not too heavy.
It looks like an SLR camera, but the pentaprism house is empty, thus saving weight. You actually look through the inconspicuous optical finder next to the prism house.
It looks like the lens is exchangeable, but it's not, which means you'll never get dust inside the camera.
The lens is the highly respected "OPTICAL LENS", which is plastic for weight savings, and is a 50mm "normal" lens. It is designed at a conservative F:6.3 maximum aperture, which means that unlike "fast" lenses, focusing is not critical, and therefore the lens is made "focus free", you can't change the focus at all. It has four aperture settings: "bright sun", "dull sun", "blue mountain", and "black mountain". I think.
Notice the fake lens element out front which makes it look like a professional "fast" lens. If you shoot in dull weather, use a tripod.
It has a built-in motor drive for the film. It is not fast, which means less battery drain, and it keeps your hands free to press the shutter.
It has no shutter speed settings, again making it super-easy for the photographer who likes to look like a pro, but does not want to know too much about cameras.
The camera uses "film", a little known non-digital technology, which means you can take and get your pictures developed without knowing anything about computers, and also the camera is immune to electronic interference and laser systems designed to seek out and blind digital cameras.
10 comments:
How very simple and easy to use - no computer necessary! Well done Eolake!
I look forward to seeing some images from this beauty. (I'm guessing it may be water-resistant, so another plus: no waiting for ideal weather!)
Actually, if you hurry, your full review may scoop dpreview. They seem behind the curve on this one...
Happy shooting!
Congrats on your new purchase! Sounds like an ideal tool for the liberty seeking photographist.
DPReview wanted to review them, but I threatened to sue them, since it's *not* a digital camera. I plan to corner the market on Google hits to Nikai FMD cameras.
... There you go, I'm already at the top of Google with this camera, an hour after I bought it! I rock.
Thanks, TTL. Yes, it's perfect. Your ignorant family thinks you're sooo professional, but media professionals fall on their ass laughing when they see you with it, so you can shoot them in peace.
Film? I always thought 'film' was a sightly oily layer in a swimming pool, or that hazy deposit on an auto windshield.
Does this camera use SD cards or Compact Flash memory cards?
Seriously - if it's that cheap, I'll have to buy a couple to hang around my neck so I can look like a tourist.
Wonder if it's available in the USA...
Awesome purchase! There's nothing so freeing in photography as a complete lack of features.
I bought it second-hand. Lord knows where it can be bought from new, if at all any longer.
A classic like this is not something you can just go and pick up on the main street, you know.
Eolake - in that case, I'm going to buy a HOLGA, spray paint it black and shoot an out-of-scale photo of it so it's as large as a Mini Cooper with me standing beside it.
Then, I'll have achieved professional status. :-)
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