First available in 1982, the Nikon FG is a compact, consumer-grade 35mm SLR. It functioned in Nikon's line-up as a baby brother of sorts to the more professional FE model. As their cheapest SLR at the time of release, Nikon's FG was intended for use by amateurs who wanted to deepen their knowledge of photography. This is made apparent by the inclusion of a speaker that screams at the user if they try to use incorrect settings (thankfully this can be turned off). The FG has manual, aperture priority, and program (full-auto) exposure modes. It accepts all AI and AI-S F-mount lenses, but non-AI lenses will not meter or mount properly.
The shutter on the FG is electronic, and requires two 357 button batteries in order to fire. In case you run out of batteries, the camera can still fire at 1/90th and bulb. Shutter speeds between 1 second and 1/1000th are available, and the selection dial is one of the best I've ever experienced on a 35mm camera. The dial is large, and hangs off the front of the camera for easy adjustment. In conjunction with the shutter dial, the internal light meter is one of the nicest I've seen; leagues better than the more expensive F3's meter. All of the shutter speeds are displayed on the focus screen, with a solid red LED next to the speed you currently have selected. Next to the speed the camera thinks you should use, a red light will blink. It's super intuitive and way nicer than a match-needle or over/under LED meter system.
One of the perks of the FG is that it's totally tiny! Its diminutive size is accentuated when the camera is paired with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 E lens, as seen above. Thanks to its plastic build, the FG is also lightweight and easy to carry around all day. If you want the camera to be even comfier, there exists an optional plastic grip that attaches to the front of the camera. The build does feel a bit on the cheap side compared to other cameras in its league; I don't think this camera could handle too many drops or other mishaps.
Besides the somewhat cheapy build, there isn't a lot to complain about with the Nikon FG. My personal gripe is that it can't perform multiple exposures, but that probably wont bother most people. The shutter is kinda loud and sounds like a dying robot. The camera is not modular like more expensive 35mm cameras (no interchangeable focusing screens or viewfinders), but most beginning photographers wont care about that. The FG gets the basics right, for a price that shouldn't set you back more than $125 with a lens. I highly recommend the FG for photography students who are taking their first darkroom course.
I took my FG out with me on a few bike rides to test it out. Below are some pictures I made with it. I used a 50mm f/1.8 E lens and Arista 400 film.
