Mr. Pat Hathaway, Photo Archivist
Historic Monterey, California • (831) 373-3811
Nikon FM2 Review, Kodak Film & Flea Market Cameras
Posted by Pat Hathaway | August 26, 2026
The coffee is black, the marine layer has settled heavily over the Central Coast, and my kitchen table is currently covered in broken plastic. Big Boy Dan is pacing around my kitchen, convinced he is the next great tycoon of the analog photography world.
Dan’s Swap M
eet Hustle
Dan read an article this morning about the massive resurgence in analog photography. Apparently, he saw the latest survey data confirming that Kodak has officially overtaken Fujifilm as the most-used film brand among photographers this year. You can read the breakdown of the current analog market over at Digital Camera World if you want the actual statistics, but Dan took this news as a sign to go on a spending spree.
He showed up at my door at 7:00 AM with a cardboard box full of corroded 1990s point-and-shoot cameras he bought at a swap meet. He thinks the vintage camera market is a gold rush and expects me to clean the battery acid out of a dozen plastic toy cameras so he can flip them online. I handed him a rag, some vinegar, and told him to get out of my darkroom. I fix mechanical tools, not plastic paperweights.
Mechanical Superiority and the Nikon FM2
To escape the smell of battery corrosion and Dan’s scheming, I retreated to the gear safe. If Dan wants to talk about cameras that actually hold their value and command respect, he needs to look at the mechanical titans of the 1980s. I pulled out my legendary Nikon FM2.
For those who don’t know, the FM2 is a purely mechanical masterpiece. It boasts a titanium honeycomb shutter that can fire at a blistering 1/4000th of a second without a single battery. The internal light meter might require a tiny coin cell, but the camera itself will keep shooting even if an EMP goes off. The experts over at Fstoppers regularly rank it as one of the best film cameras you can buy, precisely because it forces you to understand exposure without holding your hand.
Foggy Coastlines and Tri-X Grain
I loaded the FM2 with a fresh roll of Kodak Tri-X 400, grabbed a prime 50mm f/1.4 lens, and hiked down to the rocky bluffs. There is a therapeutic rhythm to shooting a fully manual camera. You look at the light, adjust the aperture ring, set your shutter speed, and focus with the split-prism screen. It is entirely screen-free, intentional, and quiet.
Shooting black-and-white film in the thick coastal fog is an exercise in capturing subtle tonal shifts. Without the distraction of color, you are forced to look at the geometry of the cypress trees and the contrast of the crashing waves. For a great deep dive into why mastering black-and-white composition makes you a better photographer, check out the educational archives at PetaPixel.
I processed the roll in HC-110 developer last night. The negatives are razor-sharp, with that beautiful, aggressive Tri-X grain structure that digital sensors still can’t quite replicate organically. I’ve scanned the best frames and uploaded the high-resolution files straight to the California Views Gallery Hub. Take a look at what real Japanese engineering can do when paired with classic silver halide.
Comments
BigBoyDan: Pat, half of these point-and-shoots just need a new door latch. You’re leaving money on the table. The internet loves the plastic aesthetic!
JudgeRoy: A Nikon FM2 is a serious photographer’s tool, Patrick. I am glad you refused to enable Daniel’s foolish flea market scheme. The coastal scans possess excellent contrast and composition.
California Views
Preserving California history through photography and archival research.
