Please Help ME! (All Fe users/ex-users come here)

I know that the slowest marked shutter speed is 8 seconds. I was

wondering if I the camera had any unmarked shutter speeds beyond this.

I did a test just now and I found that the shutter would stay open

for longer if I set it in aperture priority. Are these longer

exposures accurate? I know the fm3a has up to 30 sec of unmarked

shutter speeds.

Does the Fe also?

<em>A secret feature for night photography is that in A mode

the FE will time perfect exposures as long as several MINUTES,

and draw only 11mA from the button cells while doing it. </em><a

href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/fefm.htm" target="_new"><em>--kenrockwell.com</em></a><em><br>

</em><br>

I would have guessed 30 seconds. I gave one as a gift to my

mother but dont remember it well.<br>

<br>

Hope this helps,

I use an FE, and have tried long auto exposures. The shutter was open for a few minutes, don't know exactly how long, but it was at least 3 or 4.

Forgot to mention. The exposure was dead-on.

Very interesting!... does this work for the FE2 as well??

I'm a little curious how the exposure can be dead on without recipricity failure correction. (print film?)

 

My F3HP will also do long exposures although I don't trust it. If its a really long exposure like star trails, I use the T mode to save on batteries anyway. I don't think the FE/FE2/FM3A have this feature. I seem to recall complaints that the FM3A still uses battery power in bulb mode which is a little suprising if B is a mechanically driven speed.

The exposure system knows nothing about reciprocity failure. This information is usually in the film maker's data sheet, so you'll have to handle the exposure manually, or work out a way to cheat using the ISO setting (almost said ASA and betrayed my age), or select a film that doesn't need compensation for reciprocity failure. Or, as I do, bracket when you can. The FE, FE2, and FA all have this extended capability. Probably others in the Nikon AE category as well.

The exposure was dead on because (a) I was using print film and (b) I set the ISO speed lower to account for reciprocity.

<em>Very interesting!... does this work for the FE2 as well??

--Colin Carron<br>

</em><br>

Yes: Im not sure what the limits or accuracy is. As before

I would have thought 30 seconds. I just tested my FE2 and in a

bathroom lit only with a 4 watt night light. The exposure time was

3 min. 30 sec. half way between f/8 and f/11. The range of use exposures probably varies with film speed, lens maximum aperture and light level (EV range). In this case my camera was set to ISO 200.<br>

<br>

<em>"I use the T mode to save on batteries anyway. I don't

think the FE/FE2/FM3A have this feature." -- Mike Kovacs<br>

</em><br>

Yes and no: you have to use a locking cable release.<br>

<br>

The FE2 has a mechanical X speed of 1/250th and a mechanical

"B" shutter speed. The FE has 1/90th (lower than X but

quite suitable) and "B." The F4(s) has a mechanical

"T" but not "B." The F5 burns batteries all

night.<br>

<br>

Hope this helps,