NIkon FE2 question?

[michelle_fiori]

I have had the FE2 for a number of years, but have really only

recently started to get into taking pictures again. Too much work, no

play. I would like to learn more about taking pictures indoors. I

have a 1 year old and I need to be able to go into a situation

knowing what f-stop/shutter speed combo to use for the lighting that

I have. I recently bought a speedlight (SB-15) so I do have a flash

if I need one, but I prefer not to use it. I have never been a point

and shoot person so I do understand the basics, but could always use

pointers. Any good ideas for books or manuals for older cameras or

suggestions in general?

 

thanks, Michelle

[gabriel_roca]

Hi there,

 

The FE2 is one of the better pro-level mauel cameras Nikon ever made. Fantastic. I had one and lost it at the trade center on September 11th. It's sorely missed.

 

Anyway, if you go to barnes & noble's website, you should be able to find a paperback copy of a detailed manual for the FE2. Just enter "Nikon FE-2" in the search parameters, it should give you something.

 

Cheers.

[jim schwaiger]

A prime portrait length lens is ideal for indoor low-light photography. A 50mm/1.8 is cheap, but an 85mm, 105mm, or 135mm may give a more pleasing perspective for head shots.

 

I'd put the flash away and use a window that doesn't have direct sunlight coming in. Ideally you want soft natural light and you may need to setup a reflector on the dark side of the subject (white posterboard/crumpled aluminum foil).

 

A meter is obviously the easieat way to get the correct exposure, and the ambient light can change significantly on cloudy days, so rules of thumb are tough to come by. An incident/reflected light meter may be worth investing in.

[todd peach seattle, washi]

<i>

. . . learn more about taking pictures indoors. . . .I need to be able to go into a situation knowing what

f-stop/shutter speed combo to use for the lighting that I have.</i>

<p>

For most indoor photos without a flash, your starting point is usually aperture wide open (e.g. f/1.8) and shutter speed set to 'auto'. You may very well switch to manual or some other setting, but that's a good starting point.

<p>

Depending on the typical lighting in your home, you may select a higher speed film to facilitate indoor photos without a flash. My current favorite is Fuji Press 800 (CZ-135-36). I find it's a good combination of price / speed / quality.

[ed_alban]

With regards to books or manuals or suggestions, here's a site that has tons of info on the FE2. Happy reading.

 

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfeseries/fe2/index.htm

[todd peach seattle, washi]

Expanding a bit: if at all possible, take notes somehow as you explore your 'available light' photography (using the light that is available). Scratching down a few notes on a notepad (e.g. 'frames 1-5 f/2 at 1/60th (auto)') or via a little microcassette recorder will help you learn what's working for you and what's not. You compare your results to your notes and then you judge if you like the effect.

 

As you learn about light, you'll probably start to think about how various parts of your home work for photography. For instance, my kitchen has a central island and a fair amount of track lighting. It's pretty good light in there for photography with an 800 speed film if I don't mind the 'warm' color of the light. One side of my living room has a big sliding glass door. Even though I live 'in the forest', the light in front of that door is pretty nice; it's 'big and soft'. If I had a one year old to photograph, I might try to 'arrange' some toys on the carpet there and get down on his / her level for photos in that nice light. Look around you; what do you have to work with in your home?

[michelle_fiori]

Thank you all so much for the help. I plan on shooting a few rolls of film this weekend and I will definitely write down what I do. I have a 105mm lens and also a 50mm that I switch between depending upon my mood, but I primarily use the portrait lens inside the house. I'll let everyone know how it goes whenever I get the film developed.

 

thanks again, Michelle

[mskovacs]

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<IMG SRC="http://www.members.shaw.ca/mike-kovacs/Emily_Popup.jpg">

 

<P>I can't believe that nobody has mentioned the golden rule: the slowest handheld shutter speed = 1 / focal length (round how you please, usually up)

 

<P>Unless you shoot 800 speed (or faster), you're likely to find yourself using your 50mm more indoors. I'm assuming you have the 105 f/2.5, which is a little on the slow side indoors to get a decent shutter speed of 1/125. The f/1.8 model is probably almost in the zone, although you'll still need the faster shutter speed.

 

<P>With a 50, you can go down to 1/60, maybe 1/30 if you take care.

 

<P>That said, the 105 produces beautiful head and shoulder type portraits such as my daughter Emily. Better practice your focusing...these little kids ARE FAST!!!

 

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[penforhire]

I love my FE-2. Use the Aperture priority auto setting for point-n-shoot times and switch back to manual or use the tricky-to-rotate exposure compensation ring for the remaining shots. I'm suprised nobody has yet told you, "F8 and be there!" (at least for print film).

[gordon_checknita]

Use the exposure lock button or shoot in manual mode if the background is bright. Get in close to the subject so the 60/40 center weighting is completely covered by your subject or at least tilt the camera down to elliminate the effect of a bright background. Then lock the exposure with the lock button or set the same meter settings in manual mode. Reframe, focus and shoot.