Nikon FE2

Hello everyone. I have several different cameras in all categories, but i do

not have a Nikon. Recently Ive been intrigued by the nikon FE2. I dont know

much about the Nikon system, so I just wanted to know if anyone had any

recommendations. Im looking for a mostly manual film Nikon.

 

much appreciated

 

-cristina

that was my last film camera before I switched to digital; a great camera-I used it for 20 years without a single problem. enjoy it. regards, cb :-)

The FE2 is an aperture-preferred automatic exposure SLR. It can also be set manually but the shutter is electronically controlled. It doesn ot function without a battery. The FE2 has a limited number of interchangeable focusing screens. The viewfinder is not removable. The most important electronic feature is TTL flash control. Metering is center weighted. There are boith winders and motors which attach to the bottom of the FE2. The later FA had a rudimentary form of matrix metering but was not thought to be as sturdy as the FE2. Nikon made, until recently, a model called the FM3A. The FM3A combined features of the FE2 with features of the FM series so that the shutter would fire without battery power but autoatic exposure was available when needed or wanted. The FM3A is so expensive that it might cause the prices for older FE2 cameras to go up. The FM2 and FM2N do not have the automatic exposure feature of the FE2 and as such are "more manual."

If you can find a nice one that is working at a reasonable price, grab it. One of Nikon's best designs, at least from the enthusiasts view point.

Fantastic camera - it was my very first SLR. Well built and compact enough to fit into a jacket pocket.

 

As I recall, you can fire it if the battery dies. But you only get one shutter speed. The good news is that the batteries last a long time, and you can easily carry a spare.

Maybe you should look at the FM series. They're all manual -- the battery only powers the meter. If your battery dies (you should carry spares, no matter what camera you have), all shutter speeds work -- they're mechanical.

 

That said, I used an FE2 for many years and would prefer it to an FM (I love aperture-preferred auto). I always carried extra batteries, which can last a long time. Without batteries, you lose metering and get a single shutter speed (1/90 sec., IIRC).

'It doesn ot function without a battery.' - wrong, as others have said it has the mechanical backup speed setting.

 

A really great camera, I used them for backup for years (professionally) and they were 100% reliable. Don't worry about the batteries - they are literally only pence/cents and last a very long time; pop new ones in once a year and you will never have a problem (unless you leave the wind on lever cocked when unused, which leaves the camera switched on).

The FE2 is one of the best Nikon cameras ever, in my opinion. I used a couple of these for many years.

 

Have fun!

 

Jarle

Agreed -- FE2 is a very good camera.

 

The mechanical "back-up" shutter speed is 1/250, by the way, should you be without battery.

 

Jeff mentioned the other ones I'd consider in this 'family' of small, ruggedly built, manual focus Nikon film bodies.

A very good camera. I would never part with mine.

 

Russ

FE2 - still my main camera even though I've added F100 and D70s. It's like a stick-shift Jeep

- light, durable, quick, and all-terrain. 24, 35, 85, and 135 fast AI/AIS primes give excellent

image quality. I still prefer tto set the aperture on the lens, than on a control dial.

The battery thing is way overblown. As I recall, the battery lasted a very long time. And it was small enough to just keep a spare in my bag.

I second every thing positive said about the FE2.

Used mine for 17 years in tandem with an FM2. Still use them with 20/24, 50 and 105. The winder MD12 fits both and really makes them comfortable to use (and it uses AA batteries available nearly everywhere). Great travel cameras, not too heavy, almost bulletproof and can accept most Nikkor lenses without problem. Neither has ever let me down whatever the demands. Thoroughly recommended.