Nikon's compact program SLR — the FG, electronic, program/aperture-priority/manual, Nikon F, 1982.
The Nikon FG, introduced in 1982, was a compact entry-level 35mm SLR that added programmed automatic exposure to the small-body line begun with the EM. It sat at the affordable end of Nikon's manual-focus range in the early 1980s, aimed at newcomers and enthusiasts wanting automation. It used the Nikon F bayonet mount, part of the long-lived Nikon lens system.
This is an electronically controlled 35mm SLR on the Nikon F mount, with a vertical-travel focal-plane shutter that is electronically timed, offering speeds to 1/1000 second plus B, with a mechanical backup speed. Metering is centre-weighted TTL with a silicon cell; exposure modes are programmed automatic, aperture-priority automatic and manual, making it the first compact Nikon with full program. As an electronic body it depends on battery power for its automatic and metered speeds.
The FG suits beginners, students and travellers who want a small, light SLR with program automation as well as manual control and access to Nikon lenses. It offers more control than the simpler EM while staying compact. It also supports through-the-lens flash automation with the matching flashgun, which was advanced for a body at this level.
On the used market, being electronic it needs a working battery for auto and metered use, though a mechanical backup speed exists. Test the meter and exposure modes, check the shutter, inspect the prism for haze, and look for perished light-seal and mirror-damper foam, which are common on this era. Try advance and rewind. It uses standard 1980s cells rather than mercury batteries. AI and AI-S F-mount lenses meter fully; program mode works best with AI-S optics.