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Nikon FM w Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.8 lens - $200 (Schertz)
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Released in 1977, the FM was the replacement for Nikkormat FT3, which had been introduced only a few months prior. It introduced an entirely new compact, but rugged, copper-aluminum alloy (duralumin) chassis that would become the basis for Nikon's highly successful range of compact semi-professional SLR cameras.
These cameras provided a lower-priced alternative to Nikon's professional F-series cameras, such as the Nikon F2. They were all-new successors to the Nikkormat F- and EL-series of amateur-level SLRs, but despite the lower price-point they continued Nikon's reputation for high-quality construction, impressive durability and measured technical innovation.
The FM proved to be a remarkably long-lived and reliable camera. Over the next twenty-nine years Nippon Kogaku would use the same chassis and basic design philosophy (with some modifications) for the FE (introduced in 1978), FM2 (1982), FE2 (1983), FA (1983) and the limited-production FM3A of 2001.