Skip the Leica Hype: Why a Cheap Nikon FM Is Your Film Entry Point

The Leica M6 is a beautiful object and a terrible first film camera. The Nikon FM gives you a fully mechanical, all-manual body with a mature lens ecosystem for a fraction of the price, which means you can shoot two dozen rolls before deciding whether film is actually for you rather than just aesthetically appealing on your shelf. If you're picking up film between commercial jobs to reset your eye, start with something you won't feel sick about dropping on a location scout.