Want a film camera - FE2 or FM2n?

[BeBu Lamar]

Orsetto,

I agree with you. I have 2 FM's and 1 FM2N. I don't notice the different in screen brightness. Don't have an FE2 but have an FE. I don't really care for the high shutter speed because whenever I shoot film today I only use slow speed film. High ISO is where digital really shines.

[ericphelps]

At my low skill late entry to photography level, I'd still feel comfortable standing up firmly for a Nikon FE. I bought it used from Roberts, $92 body only in excellent condition and used it heavily for a year.

 

I found it very light, in-hand friendly, with a clear viewfinder and on manual, easy to see and use the aperture and shutter speed dial. On Auto, it's even easier and faster.

 

Ken Rockwell has a great positive review of them, though he can get a bit gushy on cameras he likes, especially if he can compare it negatively to a Leica.

[glen_h]

Seems that the EL2 hasn't been mentioned much, so I will mention it.

 

Reasonably priced, uses AI lenses, and somewhat similar to the FM2 and FE2, though more like the FM or FE.

 

I also have an FE2 that I got from a Goodwill auction for a good price, which seems to work

fine, except that the meter is two stops off. I set the exposure offset to -2, and it seems to be

fine that way. Well, I just finished a roll in it, so I will find out if it works as well as I thought,

but it was fine for the last roll. I did get surprised when the battery died, though.

[Ed_Ingold]

Electronics may be minimal by current standards but if the quartz-timed shutter circuitry dies, it's a plus-size paper weight

My son's FM died years ago, yet my F3HP lives on. If it eventually dies, it still looks good enough to go on a glass shelf (with the Leicas).

[Brian1664876441]

You can use the screens for the FE2/FM2 in the FE- just use the exposure compensation dial to correct for the brighter screen, about 1/2 stop.

 

Years ago- I read that the FE2 puts a small drain on the battery. My experience- drop the battery out if you are not using it for a while.

 

Also- the fitted case for the F3, the CF-20, fits the FE/FM series cameras nicely, and provides a bit of a grip.

[mike_halliwell]

it still looks good enough to go on a glass shelf (with the Leicas).

It's the 'glamorous' nature of olde cameras that pushes the price up of these venerable workhorses...:(

 

They're tools like spanners, but with more moving parts.

 

I guess the same problem occurs with firearms....in places where they are allowed anyway.

 

I've got a happily working F60 for when clients want slides...

[glen_h]

My son's FM died years ago, yet my F3HP lives on. If it eventually dies, it still looks good enough to go on a glass shelf (with the Leicas).

 

Any camera can die at any time. The shutter on my FM locked up when it was a few months old, fixed under warranty.

 

Many old cameras are available for reasonable enough prices that I don't feel so bad when they fail.

 

I have an FT3 that I got used a few years ago, where the shutter locked up. I got another one, also for

a reasonable price, so it doesn't bother me much.

 

Some have sentimental value.

 

I now have a Canon Pellix (with a somewhat dusty mirror). My dad had one for some years, until

it was stolen out of the trunk of his car. So, I wanted it for family reasons, though it is also an

interestingly different camera.

 

Buy them, use them, and don't worry too much when they fail.

[orsetto]

The Nikon EL2 is a nice camera: the final revision of the original Nikkormat EL, with the name changed to Nikon, the meter updated to silicon blue, and a cog on the bottom to accept a flimsy, noisy, slow as molasses autowinder (impossible to find today in working condition). The Nikon FE is essentially an EL2 crammed into the smaller FM body shell: same viewfinder display, same AE metering, similar electronic shutter. The FE adds an interchangeable screen feature, accepts a better faster motor drive, and offers a couple minor conveniences when used with a Nikon flash unit. The EL2, being evolved from a camera that was quite premium when it debuted six years earlier, is larger, feels more solidly built, and sounds less tinny when fired.

 

The drawback of the EL2 is the same drawback of its mechanical sister Nikkormat FT3: scarcity, with a whiff of collectibility, boosts prices to where they aren't any cheaper today than the smaller more common FE/FM. The Nikon EL2 and Nikkormat FT3 were short-lived transitional models: popular long-running bodies that were updated in their final year of production with the then-new AI lens coupling. The FM swiftly overtook sales of the FT3 and the FE soon replaced the EL2. Camera dealer and eBay asking prices today for a Nikon EL2 are typically the same or more more than what a clean FE goes for: since theres no price advantage, the choice of EL2 vs FE is down to body size preference.

Edited March 17, 2020 by orsetto

[glen_h]

I got my EL2 five years ago for $46, with AI 50/2.0.

 

Nikon: Nikon EL-2 Price Guide: estimate a camera value

 

says $60 to $70 for body only, but you never know what you will find.

 

I am mostly buying cameras from the nearby Goodwill though either their own

auction or eBay auctions, saving the shipping charge. Also, I can usually return them

if they don't work.

 

My usual system is to bid low, on enough items, and eventually you will get

something. I didn't go looking for an EL2, but I saw it, and bid on it.

 

I have an FT3 from the same store, that was $50 with AI 50/1.8 lens.

 

The FT3 and EL2 might be just a little more fun to use, being the transition cameras

that they are. I don't think I would have paid more for them.

[Brian1664876441]

The EL2 uses Silicon PhotoDiodes- essentially the same metering and electronics of the FE.It's a full-sized camera, does not have interchangeable screens. Mine required a new variable resister ring, which is under the ASA/Compensation dial. The FT-3, last of the mechanical Nikkormats. The EL2 (and Elw) can take the "AW-1" autowinder, which lacked continuous fire ... Unless you hold down the DOF lever while firing. Learned that trick 42 years ago.

 

Back to everyone has a favorite. Some of us have, and have used, more Nikons than others. 60+, but I have not counted them for a while. Picked up two Questar-modified Nikon F cameras with mirror-up buttons, can lock up the mirror without wasting a shot.

 

For the OP- I suspect you really want that FM2n, and have the budget- go for it. It's an itch, easily scratched. My "20 year itch" was for a Nikon lens, a Nikkor-SC 5cm F1.5. It was an expensive itch. Ebay- the seller was relieved after I got the lens, let her know I was very happy. She paid off her car loan with the money.

[glen_h]

Nikon: 50mm (5cm) f1.5 Nikkor-S.C (BM, chrome) Lens Price Guide: estimate your lens value

[ben_hutcherson]

I have two EL2s-one black and one chrome(is anyone seeing a trend for how I buy cameras I like? :) ) . I like them, but haven't used either as much as I should have. They both work perfectly.

 

I thought I'd bought them last year, but went digging through Ebay and it seems as though I bought them in 2018.

 

One was just a body(black) and was $41. The other came with the stereotypical "bag of stuff" which is one of my favorite ways to buy a camera. It came with a 50mm f/2, a few off-brand lenses(actually one was the decently well respected Soligor 100mm f/2), and a winder that I've never even tried. It was $60.

 

I have two FEs, but one is dead for all intents and purposes. The dead one seems to have a dead short and will drain a battery in a few minutes(with it getting dangerously hot) with only occasional signs of life. The other works fine.

 

With as bullet proof as the Nikkormats seem, I also have an FT2 sitting here. The FT2 is a tweaked/updated FTN that takes an SR76 silver cell instead of a mercury PX25. Mine had battery corrosion that ate through the wire running to the battery compartment, and I've been unable to bring it back to life. Of course, mechanically it still works fine.

[Brian1664876441]

Nikon: 50mm (5cm) f1.5 Nikkor-S.C (BM, chrome) Lens Price Guide: estimate your lens value

I have the Leica Thread Mount version, same batch as DDD's- SN within about 15 of his. Also have the 13.5cm F4, same batch that he used in Korea.

 

Nikon: 50mm (5cm) f1.5 Nikkor-S.C (M39, chrome) Lens Price Guide: estimate your lens value

 

These days- I think the LTM version would get more than the S-Mount version.

 

Nikkor5cmF15_135_F4 by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

 

Nikkor5cmF15_Sonnar by fiftyonepointsix, on Flickr

 

DDD preferred the F1.5 over the F1.4 lens, the earlier lens has smoother out-of-focus regions. Maybe 300 made in Leica mount. The 13.5cm F4- maybe 600 made in Leica mount, very good lens.

 

The OP should be happy I did not suggest getting a Nikon SP... The FM2n and SP are about the same size.

[orsetto]

Those with patience and a knack for eBay BS can score a Nikon EL2 body for $40, with lens $60-$70, but only if you happen to browsing when a seller posts an auction-style listing with low opening bid. Most EL2 bodies are Buy It Now or higher opening bid, often from Japan, at prices comparable to an FE. And if you want one from a seller with golden reputation who guarantees it works perfectly, the price will skew higher than lower.

 

The best way to score a cheap original FE or FM is thru a bundle deal, as ben_hutcherson mentioned. Many eBay bidders and Goodwill shoppers have an aversion to camera kits in a large camera bag, so theres less competition: if you have a sharp eye and can see the contents of the bag are worth the shipping fee, you can often nab an FE or FM with Nikkor 50mm plus generic tele zoom and wide angle lenses, filters and other accessories for about a C-note, give or take. This is less likely with the EL2, but common with the previous Nikkormat EL and ELW versions.

 

The weak spot of electronic shutter Nikons (and the meter prisms of most F and F2 configurations) is the resistor ring that senses ISO, aperture and shutter settings for the meter circuit. If this is failing or failed, the camera will be buggy. Ditto corroded or broken battery compartments. Repair is not cost effective: its cheaper to just replace a buggy EL or FE with another working example. At this late date, condition is typically binary: if an EL or FE wroks well when you buy it, it will probably stay that way, if its defective on arrival, send it back because it ain't worth repairing.

[ben_hutcherson]

The best way to score a cheap original FE or FM is thru a bundle deal, as ben_hutcherson mentioned.

 

I hate to tip my hand too much :) , but this has been a favorite way for me to buy cameras on Ebay for years.

 

Often times, the stereotypical bag full of a few off-brand lenses or low end Nikons sells for the same as a better presented body only. You'll often get the obligatory pack of lens tissues, blower brush, and some store brand or off brand UV or Skylight filters(and occasionally some better filters). There's also often some typical gimicky 80s accessories like cheap close-up lenses, star filters, vignette filters, or other odds and ends. Don't forget too that almost every lens in the bag will have a "cap keeper"(an elastic band around the barrel with a string attached to the cap, usually by a self adhesive plastic disk).

 

It is a BIT of a gamble, since many of them truly are untested and may have hidden problems like corroded batteries or water damage.

 

Quite often, though, you get a dusty camera that actually was rarely used. Many times these were sold to folks who just wanted a "good camera" and they might have seen 2 rolls every year on summer vacation and a 3rd roll that lasted from about Halloween to Easter until they were retired for something autofocus maybe or more likely a digital P&S-if they were used that much. Of course there are exceptions that were used a lot more, but most are truly the camera equivalent of "a little old lady drove it to church every Sunday." Don't be surprised if you even find a partially exposed roll of film still in the camera!

[bgelfand]

not four AA batteries which last about one vacation day in the F100.

 

Ed,

 

Either you have a large film budget or you need to purchase better batteries. I just checked my records. In my F100, I usually got between eight and ten rolls of film per battery change using alkaline batteries. I am not sure how many rolls from lithium batteries, but much more.

[Ed_Ingold]

I specifically referred to "vacation" photography. I shot over 200 rolls of film in 21 days on that European trip, mostly with the F100, and changed batteries nightly. That was the last time I traveled with film less than 2" wide.

[bgelfand]

I specifically referred to "vacation" photography. I shot over 200 rolls of film in 21 days on that European trip, mostly with the F100, and changed batteries nightly. That was the last time I traveled with film less than 2" wide.

 

OK, large film budget. At retail, that would be well over $1,000 just for film; then there is the processing charges. Wow! The 84 batteries you used would have been less than $50.

[Albins images]

Ditto the Nikon F and F2: too many potential "gotchas" with the various meter prism incarnations, and occasional little trouble spots in the bodies that can be hideously expensive to repair. Legendary, inspiring tools to use if you know how to find a good one, but a minefield for newbies.

Great post @orsetto , a little up the thread! Loved this quote, because it also much reminded me of collecting Blue Note jazz records o_O:rolleyes:

Anyway: this thread did make me want to undust and rediscover some hidden (dust covered) treasures from the shelve..

 

Albin | AlbinOnInstagram (@_roadjazz_) • Instagram photos and videos

[Brian1664876441]

Unjamming a Nikon F2, a "Likely Place to Look"

 

I got lucky with a Black '71 Nikon F2. I have a lot of F and F2 bodies, many with working meters. Two- were jumpy, I used TV Tuner Cleaner on them.

 

It's easier to fix a mechanical camera than an electronic one, which was a different thread in the classic camera forum.

[Ed_Ingold]

At retail, that would be well over $1,000 just for film

Not in 2001. Besides it was not a vacation, per se, but a job to document an orchestral tour. It was not the cost of the batteries, but the chance of running out of juice at inopportune moments. I may have used NiMH batteries, which had slightly less capacity than ordinary AAs. I do recall having a separate rolling suitcase for chargers, cables and voltage adapters. Besides photography, I was also recording the concerts in buildings erected before structural steel was invented, much less electricity.

 

I face much the same problem today, but have better and (much) larger batteries at my disposal. Now I'm searching for the best way to carry WiFi with me for streaming. At least I have no need for a duffle bag full of film or tape.

[orsetto]

Unjamming a Nikon F2, a "Likely Place to Look"

 

Thanks for that excellent bit of info! Curious what type of "needle tip pliers" you used to remove the motor clutch: they'd have to literally have needles for tips (the clutch retainer holes are tiny, the distance between them about a millimeter). I found an ancient brass single-piece spring-locked spanner whose flat tips I filed into needles: the only thing I use it for is removing F/F2/Nikkormat self timer levers and F2 motor drive cogs. Hard to avoid marring the tiny spanner holes.

 

Contact cleaner and other tricks will work for some types of worn resistor in F/F2 meter heads, but if the track is really worn its a goner. The gold evaporated resistor of some F2 meters (and several other Nikon cameras) is more durable, but when it does die, its totally dead and tricks will rarely revive it. Some dedicated Nikon repair guys offer their own rebuilt or newly-made replacements, for a price. The F prisms, esp the sought after plain non-metering version, are prone to desilvering and separation, which makes for ugly viewing and can't be perfectly repaired. The faster F2 shutter speeds can be wrecked to the point of not working at all (self-capping) if the camera was left wound and put in a closet for 20 years, or used carelessly with the motor drive. F/F2 are great, love 'em both, but the pickings available today aren't as good as they were ten years ago: some deals still around, but you need to test thoroughly upon buying. Trouble with finder optics, shutter or meter can resist inexpensive DIY solutions.

Edited March 18, 2020 by orsetto

[Brian1664876441]

Thanks for that excellent bit of info! Curious what type of "needle tip pliers" you used to remove the motor clutch: they'd have to literally have needles for tips (the clutch retainer holes are tiny, the distance between them about a millimeter). I found an ancient brass single-piece spring-locked spanner whose flat tips I filed into needles: the only thing I use it for is removing F/F2/Nikkormat self timer levers and F2 motor drive cogs. Hard to avoid marring the tiny spanner holes.

 

.

 

I use a fine-nose, craftsman needle-nosed pliers. Been using these for at least 15 years now. They are narrow enough to remove the retaining ring around the shutter release of the Nikon F and Nikon S2.

 

 

From my thread on the Minolta Hi-Matic 9 shutter and viewfinder cleaning-

 

https://cameraderie.org/threads/minolta-himatic-9-flood-cleaning-shutter-and-cleaning-viewfinder-also-applies-to-the-7-7s-and-11.50150/

[Mary Doo]

Much simpler to just get an F100 for a few bucks from eBay. ;):D

[Albins images]

Much simpler to just get an F100 for a few bucks from eBay. ;):D

True true .. but the same arguments uttered for the F801 apply here obviously..

This whole 'back to film' movement probably isn't about 'simpler'. It is about a mindful retro experience I suppose.

The "CLICK! swoosh" of a F100 doesn't help enough there ;)

..Personally I'm very happy still with my 7 years old (!!) D800 .. film camera's still collecting dust … but I do collect jazz records, which could be taken as a sure sign that I understand the mindful retro experience.