Nikon FE2 Shutter Dial replacement...

I finally replaced the shutter dial on my beloved Nikon Fe2. The original shutter dial was not malfunctioning or anything, but it had a deep scratch on it that for some reason aggravated me to the point that I wanted to change it. How I scratched it was that I was trying to turn the shutter-dial when it was set to 'A' for Automatic and my thumb nail put a relatively deep scratch on it.

It took me maybe a year to find the shutter dial assembly on eBay for the FE2. Most of the shutter dials selling there were for the FE, FM, or the FA. Finally a seller was selling a brand-new shutter dial assembly. I waited until the price came down $10, from $42 to $32. For that price I was willing to give it a try to relieve my aggravation. The only thing is that this was the entire shutter mechanism not just the dial, so I wondered if this job might be too complicated ?

It took me less than 5 minutes to unscrew the 3 tiny screws that held the scratched shutter dial. However, it took me about 2 hours to screw the new dial unto my camera(with frequent breaks) ! I have a Jeweler Screwdrivers set which helped, but I also had to use a magnifying glass so I could see what I was doing. Otherwise, it would have been impossible.

The big problem was trying to get those tiny screws into the tiny little holes on the shutter dial. You also had to push down on the shutter dial while you were screwing, or the screws would not fit into the the holes correctly. Meaning you would have to start all over !

I used tweezers to grab the screws making sure they were right-side-up, then gently inserting them into the holes. Then it was just a matter of screwing them down one by one. After screwing all the screws in place, I had to paint the top of the screws with a black magic marker, so they would disappear into the dial.

Some people complain about the price of cameras, but when you look at the Engineering that goes into these things plus the size factor, they are well worth it ! All I can say is that I am a happy camper now and I luckily didn't screw things up even worse than they were !

I've never looked at my FE2 close enough to realize the shutter speed dial was held on by external screws. Did you use any thread lock to keep them in place?

That's some dedication to hold out so long for a replacement part!

Eric Sande

You must have sharp thumbnails!

I sometimes stick these tiny screws to the end of the screwdriver with a spot of glue, making it easier to offer the screw up to the hole. Also I use a pair of high dioptre reading glasses rather than a magnifying glass.

I finally replaced the shutter dial on my beloved Nikon Fe2. The original shutter dial was not malfunctioning or anything, but it had a deep scratch on it that for some reason aggravated me to the point that I wanted to change it. How I scratched it was that I was trying to turn the shutter-dial when it was set to 'A' for Automatic and my thumb nail put a relatively deep scratch on it.

 

It took me maybe a year to find the shutter dial assembly on eBay for the FE2. Most of the shutter dials selling there were for the FE, FM, or the FA. Finally a seller was selling a brand-new shutter dial assembly. I waited until the price came down $10, from $42 to $32. For that price I was willing to give it a try to relieve my aggravation. The only thing is that this was the entire shutter mechanism not just the dial, so I wondered if this job might be too complicated ?

 

It took me less than 5 minutes to unscrew the 3 tiny screws that held the scratched shutter dial. However, it took me about 2 hours to screw the new dial unto my camera(with frequent breaks) ! I have a Jeweler Screwdrivers set which helped, but I also had to use a magnifying glass so I could see what I was doing. Otherwise, it would have been impossible.

 

The big problem was trying to get those tiny screws into the tiny little holes on the shutter dial. You also had to push down on the shutter dial while you were screwing, or the screws would not fit into the the holes correctly. Meaning you would have to start all over !

 

I used tweezers to grab the screws making sure they were right-side-up, then gently inserting them into the holes. Then it was just a matter of screwing them down one by one. After screwing all the screws in place, I had to paint the top of the screws with a black magic marker, so they would disappear into the dial.

 

Some people complain about the price of cameras, but when you look at the Engineering that goes into these things plus the size factor, they are well worth it ! All I can say is that I am a happy camper now and I luckily didn't screw things up even worse than they were !

 

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Sounds very satisfying!

You must have sharp thumbnails!

 

I sometimes stick these tiny screws to the end of the screwdriver with a spot of glue, making it easier to offer the screw up to the hole. Also I use a pair of high dioptre reading glasses rather than a magnifying glass.

This is a good idea. Actually, the screw driver I used to unscrew the three little screws came from a High-Precision Electrician's set which was magnetized. This caused a lot of problems when it came time to screw them back in because the magnetized screwdriver would pull the screw out. I had to switch to the Jewelers Screw Driver Kit which is not magnetized to screw those screws down. I do have one of those lighted high-dioptre reading glasses, but did not think about using them ?

Only peripherally relevant, but sharing anyway... Here's an FE2 shutter dial on my road bike:

Not 100% color accurate, but close enough for cycling. And one big bolt in the middle is much easier than three small screws around the periphery :-)

Available online if you absolutely must have one: Shutter Cap Bicycle Headset Cap by KustomCaps