Nikon FG and E series lens, metering?

[vincent_fung]

Hi

 

I just bought a mint condition Nikon FG with a E series 50mm f1.8 lens for $35

at a garage sale. This is my first film camera. Is this a good deal?

 

I am wondering if this lens will meter with this camera? TTL?

 

Also, will a SB-23 flash work with this camera?

 

Thanks

[vincent_fung]

I forgot to add, I also have a 50mm 1.8 AF lens. Will there be a difference if I put this AF lens on my FG?

[vincent_fung]

I forgot to add again, since I bought this camera for such a low price, does this mean this is a bad camera? Is the FG any good? Can I take good film photos with this camera?

 

Thanks

[trygve_thorsen4]

The Nikon FG is an excellent budget priced SLR.

I think your deal is good.

The camera will meter with all lenses produced after ~1977(?) but the lens must have an aperture ring if you use M or A modes. (Others may go in detail on this or do a seach). It is TTL metering on both light metering and flash metering, henze the SB-23 will work in both TTL and (flash) M mode on the FG.

Your AF 50mm will also work on this camera, but personally I would just stick with the E series for a nice, lightweight manual focus kit.

 

I would change batteries in the camera and run a slide film as a test just to check that everything is working properly.

 

Have fun!

[vincent_fung]

Here is the e series 50mm that came with the camera

So I can use the aperture ring for A mode right?<div></div>

[bwcombs]

Change the battery, load some film and shoot away. See what happens. The FG is a great

little camera, and the 50mm f/1.8 E Series lens is pretty sharp and a great match for the FG.

 

The SB-23 will work on this body in standard TTL mode as well as manual.

[Rich B NYC]

The FG is a great little camera. Especially when combined with the lighter Series E lenses.

 

I had one for about a year but really disliked not being able to preview depth of field. Since the camera wasn't aimed at the pro or serious amateur, Nikon probably felt that it was unnecesary. Boo on them.

 

Rich

[mike_willis1]

I have been using an FG since 1986, same camera and it has taken a beating. I have three of them in my collection, add a MD14 motordrive and really becomes easy to hold.

 

The flash sync speed on the FG is 1/90, the SB15 is a perfect match as flashes go. I also have used the Sunpak Auto 266D with great results too.

 

Yes the flash circuitry is TTL on the FG. A lightning bolt on the right side display in the viewfinder will light up when the flash is ready. Immediately after taking a shot if the lightning bolt is flashing, that means the previously shot image is most likely going to be underexposed.

[charles_miller]

Vincent,

 

The FG is a nice little starter camera, and I apprecite mine for it lightness and reliability.

 

I keep mine in the trunk of my car along with 28mm AIS, 50mm AI, and 75-150 E lenses. Since the maximum shutter speed is pretty slow, I also take along a 52mm one-stop neutral density filter so I can shoot fast film in bright light if I need to. Since the FG is the camera that always goes with me, it has taken a fair percentage of excellent shots.

 

I also take along an SB-20 flash, and it works OK in the TTL mode. But, since it doesn't do balanced fill flash, it tends to give people that broiled look that no one finds flattering. For instance, the FG flash accuracy bears no comparison to the balanced fill flash of my N90s and SB-28. But that is to be expected.

[robert_marotz]

Another vouch for the FG. I got my FG (body only) for $53 on ebay and was very pleased with it. I had one before that but it had a few major issues (light meter out of whack, shutter problems), though I chalked that one up to simply being a lemon, as my newer one is great.

 

The camera is lightweight, has a pretty decent meter in it, the screen is decent (I did not find the F3's to be much better in use), and despite being a little cheaper in construction, is still quite robust.

 

E Series glass is plenty good, and on the used market, you can get quite a few good E series lenses for very cheap.

 

Run some cheap film through it to test all the functions out and make sure everything is working properly...then have fun!

[mfophotos]

Don't forget that Google is your friend:

<a href="http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/emfgfg20/fg/index.htm"> FG on mir.com</a>

[conrad_hoffman]

The FG is a great inexpensive camera. It will work with all series E and all AiS lenses. AFAIK, all series E lenses have all the AiS lugs, divots, and linear aperture features- only the build quality and coatings vary. It will work with all Ai lenses, though there may be slight exposure issues if the program mode is selected. You got a good deal, but note one thing- the FG lives by its battery. If the battery goes dead, the camera will lock up and you'll think it's broken because it doesn't happen very often. Always carry spare batteries!

[tom_schneider]

The FG can eat batteries - a common problem reported with some, though not all, of these cameras. Dead batteries, however, do not leave you high and dry, as there is a manual shutter mode that defaults to 1/90 of a second. Saved me - I learned that camera batteries that you buy in Glacier National Park "may" be dead right off the shelf! My pictures turned out great anyway. I wish I could find such a deal.