<s>
The	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FM3A	I-Algorithm
is	O
an	O
interchangeable-lens	O
,	O
focal-plane	O
shutter	O
,	O
35	O
mm	O
film	O
,	O
single-lens	B-Algorithm
reflex	I-Algorithm
(	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
)	O
camera	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
was	O
the	O
successor	O
to	O
the	O
renowned	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FM2N	I-Algorithm
camera	O
of	O
1984	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
last	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
successful	O
,	O
semi-professional	O
line	O
of	O
Nikon	O
compact	O
35mm	O
film	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
other	O
members	O
were	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FM	I-Algorithm
(	O
released	O
1977	O
)	O
,	O
FE	B-Algorithm
(	O
1978	O
)	O
,	O
FM2	B-Algorithm
(	O
1982	O
)	O
and	O
FE2	B-Algorithm
(	O
1983	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
(	O
and	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FA	I-Algorithm
)	O
all	O
used	O
the	O
superficially	O
similar	O
(	O
but	O
not	O
identical	O
)	O
rugged	O
copper-aluminium	O
alloy	O
chassis	O
and	O
high-quality	O
Nikon	O
vertical	O
bearing-mounted	O
metal	O
shutter	O
and	O
ball-bearing	O
mounted	O
film	O
advance	O
,	O
but	O
with	O
improved	O
feature	O
levels	O
,	O
minor	O
external	O
controls	O
and	O
cosmetic	O
differences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
newer	O
low-budget	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FM10	I-Algorithm
and	O
FE10	O
,	O
while	O
named	O
similarly	O
,	O
are	O
completely	O
different	O
introductory-level	O
cameras	O
manufactured	O
by	O
Cosina	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
major	O
improvements	O
in	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
compared	O
to	O
the	O
FM2N	O
are	O
the	O
hybrid	O
electro-mechanically	O
controlled	O
aluminium-bladed	O
focal	O
plane	O
shutter	O
,	O
the	O
aperture	B-Algorithm
priority	I-Algorithm
auto-exposure	O
mode	O
,	O
the	O
match-needle	O
exposure	O
control	O
system	O
and	O
provision	O
for	O
through-the-lens	O
(	O
TTL	O
)	O
off-the-film	O
(	O
OTF	O
)	O
electronic	O
flash	O
automation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
other	O
words	O
,	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
merged	O
the	O
robust	O
mechanical	O
systems	O
of	O
the	O
FM2N	O
with	O
the	O
proven	O
,	O
reliable	O
electronic	O
exposure	O
controls	O
of	O
the	O
FE2	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3a	B-Algorithm
is	O
built	O
to	O
a	O
high	O
level	O
of	O
workmanship	O
and	O
material	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
's	O
film	O
transport	O
consists	O
of	O
high-strength	O
hardened	O
metal	O
gears	O
and	O
moving	O
parts	O
,	O
mounted	O
on	O
clusters	O
of	O
ball	O
bearings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
large	O
to	O
reduce	O
chances	O
of	O
vignetting	O
with	O
super-telephotos	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
800mm	O
,	O
and	O
uses	O
the	O
same	O
mechanism	O
found	O
on	O
Nikon	O
's	O
pro	O
F2	B-Algorithm
,	O
with	O
some	O
improvements	O
designed	O
to	O
further	O
reduce	O
effects	O
of	O
vibration	O
and	O
mirror	O
bounce	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
accepts	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
Nikkor	O
lenses	O
with	O
the	O
Nikon	B-Architecture
F	I-Architecture
bayonet	I-Architecture
mount	I-Architecture
that	O
support	O
the	O
Automatic	O
Indexing	O
(	O
AI	O
)	O
feature	O
(	O
AI	O
,	O
AIS	O
)	O
,	O
first	O
introduced	O
in	O
1977	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
chrome	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
was	O
often	O
sold	O
in	O
a	O
kit	O
that	O
includes	O
a	O
color	O
coordinated	O
chrome	O
finished	O
Nikkor	O
45mm	O
f/2.8P	O
lens	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
special	O
flat	O
"	O
pancake	O
"	O
lens	O
was	O
manually	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
,	O
but	O
contained	O
a	O
CPU	O
which	O
could	O
communicate	O
focal	O
distance	O
to	O
Nikon	O
's	O
later	O
autofocus	O
(	O
AF	O
)	O
camera	O
bodies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
accessories	O
for	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
include	O
the	O
Nikon	O
MD-12	O
motor	O
drive	O
(	O
automatic	O
film	O
advance	O
up	O
to	O
3.2	O
frames	O
per	O
second	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
Nikon	O
MF-16	O
databack	O
(	O
sequential	O
numbering	O
,	O
time	O
or	O
date	O
stamping	O
on	O
the	O
film	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
various	O
compatible	O
Nikon	O
TTL	O
flashes	O
(	O
SB-15	O
,	O
SB-16b	O
,	O
SB-20	O
,	O
etc	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
aperture	B-Algorithm
priority	I-Algorithm
mode	I-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
batteries	O
continued	O
to	O
power	O
the	O
meter	O
,	O
but	O
are	O
also	O
utilized	O
for	O
shutter	O
timing	O
and	O
the	O
exposure	O
control	O
electronics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
's	O
metering	O
information	O
system	O
consisted	O
of	O
a	O
match-needle	O
system	O
using	O
two	O
needles	O
pointing	O
along	O
a	O
vertical	O
shutter	O
speed	O
scale	O
on	O
the	O
left	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
viewfinder	O
to	O
indicate	O
the	O
readings	O
of	O
the	O
built-in	O
60/40	O
%	O
centerweighted	O
silicon	O
photodiode	O
light	O
meter	O
versus	O
the	O
actual	O
camera	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
,	O
a	O
demand	O
arose	O
among	O
some	O
photographers	O
for	O
a	O
quality	O
manual-focus	O
alternative	O
to	O
the	O
35mm	O
autofocus	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
camera	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nikon	O
owners	O
began	O
to	O
demand	O
a	O
durable	O
,	O
precision-made	O
camera	O
with	O
the	O
AE	O
electronic	O
features	O
and	O
prized	O
construction	O
of	O
the	O
discontinued	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FE2	I-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
had	O
begun	O
to	O
skyrocket	O
in	O
value	O
on	O
the	O
secondhand	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nikon	O
responded	O
to	O
this	O
phenomenon	O
with	O
a	O
revival	O
of	O
their	O
classic	O
FM/FE	O
series	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
's	O
expensive	O
construction	O
and	O
conservative	O
design	O
were	O
not	O
intended	O
to	O
appeal	O
to	O
the	O
consumer-level	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
's	O
introduction	O
coincided	O
with	O
a	O
major	O
technological	O
revolution	O
in	O
photographic	O
technology	O
–	O
digital	O
imaging	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
photographers	O
,	O
professional	O
and	O
amateur	O
alike	O
,	O
switched	O
to	O
digital	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
a	O
huge	O
decrease	O
in	O
film	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
sales	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
sales	O
remained	O
steady	O
,	O
they	O
were	O
minuscule	O
in	O
volume	O
compared	O
to	O
Nikon	O
's	O
other	O
cameras	O
,	O
and	O
steadily	O
increasing	O
costs	O
forced	O
Nikon	O
to	O
announce	O
the	O
discontinuation	O
of	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
on	O
11	O
January	O
2006	O
,	O
leaving	O
only	O
the	O
expensive	O
and	O
heavily	O
electronic	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
F6	I-Algorithm
and	O
the	O
inexpensively	O
built	O
Nikon	B-Algorithm
FM10	I-Algorithm
in	O
Nikon	O
's	O
35mm	O
film	O
SLR	B-Algorithm
line	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
announcement	O
of	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
's	O
discontinuance	O
,	O
value	O
on	O
the	O
secondhand	O
market	O
of	O
the	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
camera	O
(	O
and	O
its	O
FM2	B-Algorithm
predecessors	O
)	O
appreciably	O
increased	O
,	O
this	O
is	O
especially	O
true	O
of	O
the	O
black	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2014	O
,	O
the	O
price	O
for	O
a	O
Mint	O
or	O
Near	O
Mint	O
FM3A	B-Algorithm
are	O
as	O
high	O
as	O
the	O
new	O
price	O
(	O
around	O
800	O
-	O
900	O
Euro	O
in	O
2001	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
makes	O
this	O
camera	O
to	O
be	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
price-stable	O
35mm	O
SLRs	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
