The Nikon FE2 is a great camera, I used mine for 15 years. With it I did Overland trips through Australia, South East Asia, India, China, Nepal to England, Europe and Africa. There where rough roads and no roads, getting bounced around in trucks and the back of utes, dust storms and humidity, Soldiers bashing my rucksack (with the camera in it) with there riffle buts. The Fe2 just kept on going
I had both FE2 & FM2 and they are absolutely the best cameras around. I kept my FM2; it has been neglected for over 30 years but I just put it in for refurbishment. I love the handling of the FE2 especially the old school analogue meter. Shooting slide film was perfection on the FE2!
This was the second camera I ever owned. (My first was a Minolta SRT 201 which my wife gave to me when we were dating and I then proposed to her the very next day. ) Anyway I bought the Fe2 as everyone said the glass was so great. They were not wrong. I also picked up a motor drive for it and the sound of the mirror going up and down was always recognizable as a Nikon. I still have the camera and the 24, 35, 50, 85, 105, and 200mm primes. Later on I picked up an F100 and still own that too. That camera has a max shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second. It’s a great SLR to play with, and many of the styling cues and layout of the camera feel like a modern DSLR camera. It also will take Nikon G lenses so you can get some pretty amazing shots with it. Finally I have been using a lot of the old Nikkor primes on the new Nikon Z6. If you can pick one up with the FTZ adaptor go for it. You register each lens so that you can use auto aperture, as with previous DSLRs, and you can use a feature they have added on the Z6 to quickly select the lens you want without having to dive into the menus. In addition you can use focus peaking which makes focusing so much easier. It makes MF glass fun again.
I know this is a 3 year video, but just getting back into film after 40 years. Bought the F100 and F3. Like the F3 for the lighter and smaller body but not really happy with the LCD. So found a near mint FE2 and will be giving it a go. Now I am film camera poor. Good vid.
Loved my Nikon FE back in the day. Now I have returned with a chrome Nikon FE , it’s well used but is fine. My main digital is a Fuji XT 4 and I’m convinced it’s because of its FE like experience 😎👍
Spot on review, I truly enjoyed. Excellent work. I cannot agree more on some of the things you said. I have been a big Olympus fan all most of my life, but then I got myself an FE2 and all changed. Mind you, I already had used an F4s, an F3 and the legend itself, i.e. the FM2. Fantastic cameras no doubts, but not enough to have me rethink what my film cameras system should be. As I said, I ended up having an FE2 and it al changed. It is the perfect camera for me; the 1/4000th shutter speed saved so many photoshoots. Battery has never been a problem. Extremely reliable, precise light meter. I like this camera so much I now have 2 FE2 and gave away the FM2 (that had me banned on a few Nikon internet groups... That is true lol) I am thinking about switching to Nikon for good, I'll miss Olympus (OM-1 and OM-4 especially) but I cannot have 2 systems, I gotta choose. FE2 already kinda did it for me. Thanks again, great channel.
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know of a way to get back into an instagram account..? I stupidly lost my account password. I love any help you can offer me
@Lee Howard thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now. Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
Great review! This is the holy grail camera for a creative person like me. Even if you install the MD-12 motor drive and the SB-15 flash unit, it is still a compact setup and offers unlimited possibilities to be a creative photographer. Also, I think it looks way more sexier than the F3 :) What a camera!
@@vwokili local deal (Ontario, Canada.) Guy was going to sell it for $60USD, but couldn't get it working, so gave it to me for free, and said if I could get it working easily, I could etransfer part of the money if I wanted to - honour system. I cleaned the battery contacts when I got home, and it fired right up, so I etransferred him 2/3rds of the previous cost, and we were both happy! Definitely not a repeatable deal, unfortunately 😅
@@jasonandrews7355 That's how I got my FE2 for such a cheap price. Buddy found it up in his grandfathers attic and didn't know anything about it so he put it up for $150 on FB Marketplace. Met up with him to take a look at it and the light meter wasn't working plus the shutter would lock up when you shot it. I offered him $100 and he agreed to the price since it was "broken" but I wanted to collect. Brought it home and put in fresh batteries and everything was working perfectly again as it should. Have been shooting it for 2yrs now and have never had an issue
Hey Mac, I love my FE2, I've been shooting with a lot this Summer, and I agree, it's the sweet spot for a 35mm SLR. Funny thing, I don't have the battery drain issue you do with your F3.
Congratulations on your increase of subscribers going from 100 to now over 11K. Personally I wish there was no internet, smart phones or digital cameras. I want things the way they were when I worked at Wolf Camera and bought my new F80/N80. I don't shoot like I use to but I remember shooting all manual... nearly all the time using an FA. My eyes were so "in tune" I didn't really use a light meter very often. You get to that place where you know the values and variables instantly. I miss that. I may pick up an FE2. I still have my F80 📷
Great vid! I really like my FE2. The two complaints I have about the camera, is that (1) the shutter advance sticks out to turn on and (2) the meter is not operable until you advance to the 1st frame.
@VeloRydr Yeah, I never had that issue with my Nikon F2A. That was why I got the MD-12 as the fix back then. The MD-12 was the must have accessory for a left eye dominant photographer!
BFS I still shoot with my F2A, and I really like it. I don’t think I could use it with a motor drive though. LoL Unlike the FE2, it’s great being able to shoot with the F2 with the advance lever tucked in. The FE2 shutter stays locked until you open the advance lever half way. It might not be that way with a motor drive attached to a FE2 though.
@@JP1050x Ditto, both my F2A and FE2 (all with motor drives) are in fully working condition. The MD-12 (no need to use the lever to release the shutter button) saved me from returning the FE2 because I'm a left eye dominant photographer. That film advance level kept poking me in the eye. Loved the F2A (my first camera) and I almost got that F2A feeling back when I held my D3 the first time, with a DSLR.
Great review! I'm with you on batteries. They are cheap and plentiful. If you run into battery issues, it's you're own fault. A true professional comes prepared.
Hi Mac... You should own the Nikon F4 that can shoot 1/8000th of second! It's your Pro body camera that needs to be in your collection... and the F5 and F6 in the F Series cameras. All these cameras are great but I absolutely love the Nikon FE2 over all the mention F Series I use to own or still have! I can't remember if you mentioned that if the battery were to die in the middle of a shoot! You can manually shoot it at 1/250th of second! It's why I love that Nikon FE2! I don't know how you can survive living in the Arizona heat with a sweater/hoodie! You are an animal! Hahahaha!
literally the only reason I don't want a battery in a film slr is cause it's so nice to never have to worry about charging or running out of juice. all mechanical is fun and untethered
Nikon FE will do 1/4000 sec in auto mode. According to Ken Rockwell website. I have tested it and have found it go go about 30 full seconds in pitch darkness in automode. Well past the 8 second feature
Personally, I set my ISO to what I'm shooting at (400 film pushed to 1600 = set at 1600) so I can still use the EV adjustment for individual shots that I want extra compensation for TTL flash metering.
if you want that style of camera, and lens mount, then the best would be the FM3A. does everything the FE2 does, has a full range of battery-less shutter speeds if you really have to take the shot, and has more advanced flash exposure.
I own 2 FM3As and both have the shutter stick issue and meter issue requiring a new circuit board (google it) which is expensive. So now these SUPER expensive cameras are manual only, no meter. Might as well go with the FM2 . 1/3rd the cost of the fm3a, meter works, and if the meter goes out and i'm manual only i'm not out $600-700.
I can't say that I own, or have tested every single SLR film camera out there, but in my humble opinion the FE2 is one, if not the best MF film SLR cameras(other than the FM3A) ever built. Some prefer the older FE because they can squeeze out 1 or 2 extra frames per film roll and because it allows for older lenses, forgetting about the FE2's 1/4000 max shutter speed (vs 1/1000) that allows you to shoot wide open on very bright days. TTL when using flash and Nikon has some excellent TTL flash units like the SB-15. Better electronics meaning less battery drain. Flash Sync at 1/250 vs 1/125. Manual 1/250 vs Manual 1/90 all which I think make up for those 'nitpicky' few extra frames per roll and older lenses(unless you are really old). The only thing I wish the FE2 had, is an illuminated exposure scale because the one it currently has, is a lttle hard to see under dim lighting. Also the ISO indicator is kind of hard to see, but it could be my aging eyes. Another nitpicky is that the film counter advances even if the camera is not loaded with film. Everything else I can live with. The camera is compact, but not too compact, light, but does not feel cheap. Since it has electronic components, you can't rough-house it like the FM2 which is all mechanical, but nevertheless it is not exactly fragile. Is it a Leica ? No of course not, Leica's are Rangefinder cameras with a whole different style of $hooting. Is it as enjoyable as a Leica ? I would say yes, yes and Yes !! The FE2 is a very enyoyable and simple camera to shoot with, that you can take practically anywhere. How does it compare with other manufacturer cameras which are also very popular ? Like I said, I don't own, or have had the luxury of testing even a fraction of those cameras, but I have shot with the Pentax K1000, Olympus OM-1N, Minolta SRT-202, Canon AE-1 and a few others and all I can say is that there is nothing like the FE2(in that price range). It's like having a precise sophisticated, well oiled machine in your hands that always seems to work. Nikon is not #1 for no reason(at least it was back then). The FE2 was my first semi-pro camera(circa 1987). The first iteration I had to sell due to hard times, but I purchased the camera again in 2002. Got it CLA'd and never looked back. I just wish film prices were the same as they were back then, otherwise, this camera would get a lot more use.
Hello! I've recently become interested in film photography, and am looking for a camera that is beginner friendly. I'm buying it second hand, and the Nikon FE2 is one that is available near me and within my price range. Would you say this camera is suitable for someone whose just starting out? i.e not too complicated with many settings and functions. Cheers!
Thanks! I own the F3 and really appreciate how well built it is. The shutter sounds amazing and the film advance lever is buttery smooth. I'm doing a review on the F3 video after next!
Great video! I agree with the approach - get more capabilities, coz you never know when you'll need them. I had very very basic SLR's when I just started using film. Some of them got broken, some got sold. I just got this FE2 delivered today and can't wait to shoot portraits wide open, which was never possible with 1/2000 on my Pentax ME Super.
I'm Irish and I/we say Nii Kon and Bo ca. I've heard one guy say Nick-on and I thought he was trying to be snobby. The former pronunciation seems natural. We do say disorientated and not disoriented. My Canadian Cousin drew my attention to this.
i found one of these at my grandparents house! I wish i could see it but the shutter curtain looks like someone stuck through it, so it doesn’t work :( I’m gonna try to fix it though!
I would go for the FM3a. Full mechanical camera with the option of electronic metering a exposure plus fantastic build. It Will work at all speads without battery.
Hey Mac, I really enjoyed your Video, thank you for that. I just wanna say something to the Battery Topic. Its not that people dont wanna carry Batterys, its a Question of maintaining. A mechanical Camera like my Nikon F2 and fm2 are most likely repairable because there are no electronic parts in it ,except for the Lightmeter. On electronically controlled Cameras, if an electronic part dies , the Camera is very likely gone. Electronic parts do have a lifespan,and the Cameras like the fe2 is about 40Years: If you buy one today, it can last you a decade or a Week, youll never know. So while camera prices rising, people may like to invest in a mechanical Camera.
LoL I do not know why modern film shooters have dread and phobias of carrying extra batteries???? I consider myself a serious amateur photographer. All throughout the 1990s my family travel all though Europe and the U.S on vacations. I used Canon A-1 and guess what my camera never went down due to batteries . Why? Before any long trip I put in a fresh 6v px 28 , had fresh in the package px 28 in my camera bag and a spare in my luggage hotel in case murphy's law struck. Never had a issue due to good planning in 10 years of summer travels thru Europe. Only once did the A-1 6 volt battery conk out, it was at St. Paul's Cathedral in London . Took a seat in a pew, got my spare battery out of my camera bag , put in the new spare battery and was back shoot more pictures in less than 5 minutes. 👍
Just read up, briefly, on the Nikon FM2. Looks like a great camera! If you can get a reasonable price on one, I say do it! To be honest, the camera body is the least important part of the film photography process (Composition, subject, lens, and film stock are way more important! A camera body just lets you mount a lens, meter, and open & close a shutter!)
You're right about the batteries lol. People get these silly romantic ideas of being stranded on a desert island and still being able to shoot a roll of film, like when has that actually happened? Just bring extra batteries like you would for any other electronic camera.
I think setting the camera ISO different than the actual film ISO is more about getting a certain look, rather than a workaround for exposure. As you say if you wanted to get an exposure other than that the cameras meter will give, exposure compensation is the way to go. At least you have flexibility to reset the exposure compensation if you wanted to take a shot at “correct” exposure.
Re. aversion to the reliance on batteries: It's not that they don't want to carry spares, it's the idea that the camera needs them for something other than the (optional) light meter. So if the electronics crapped out on your FE2, you'd be stuck with 1/250 and B. Not so on an FM2, which easily fetch $100 more as a result. Me? I'm with you. I'll carry an extra body in case of electronic fault. I only keep fully mechanical cameras around for fun and sentimental reasons. Now, on shutter speed. Why stop at 1/4000? Many Nikons following the FE2 would go to 1/8000, and one Maxxum would go up to 1/12,000. (Maxxum 9?) I did see your video on the N90s, which is another cracking good camera by good ol' Nikon.
My motto is spend more on the lens than the camera body...especially in film! If an XD7 saves you enough money to buy an AWESOME lens then I say do it!
I have a multitude of Nikons and I actually prefer the FE to the FE2. I shoot a lot of slide film and both of my FE2s had a tendency to overexpose Ektachrome and Fujichrome films, while the original FEs did not. With print film, the negatives and prints looked good.
@@LennyCooke636 It wasn't consistent. If it had been, I would have done my compensation with the ASA/ISO. It was easier to sell it and not be bothered.
I am more of a lens person than a camera fan. My favourites are the 50mm 1.4 non ai s-c lens and the legendary Nikkor- P auto105mm 2.5. A portrait photographer's dream.
Hey Mac, loving your videos and the channel. Was just wondering if you’ve shot an FA before? Think some others have mentioned it but you’re a fan of the FE2/F100 etc would be right up your street, I was going to buy an FE2 but got an FA for half the price (they’re not so popular here in the uk) and it’s got some awesome features, even matrix metering, not so useful for portraits like you mostly shoot but still handy to have, also has 1/4000 flash sync at 1/250 (same as fe2) plus shutter priority and program.
just found the channel and have been loving the vids! I do have a question. I'm looking to upgrade from point and shoots and my k1000. would you recommend just to go all in and get a a fe2 or even a f3hp ( i wear glasses and found one locally for 220 but with no lens) or would something similar to a minolta x700 do the trick?
I think a good lens is better than a great camera body! Buy the cheapest camera body you can (that has the features you like) and throw all the savings into a lens and LOTS of film! :)
There's no such thing as the "best" film camera (or any type of camera) ever made. That said, I have long been a big advocate of the Nikon FA for many reasons, including matrix metering, full aperture or shutter priority, Program or manual modes, top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec., 1/250 sec. flash sync speed, and the titanium shutter curtain. Speaking of the shutter curtain, after mine got unseated and destroyed due to my inattention, I went seeking a replacement. Wanted to try the F3, but I shoot film with strobes and that only syncs at 1/60 sec., so I went for the FE2. And I'm happy to report that it offers everything I want in a 35mm body. Other than the exposure metering display in the viewfinder and only aperture priority or manual modes, there are few differences from the FA, except for the FE2's silky smooth film advance. If the FE2 had autofocus capability I wouldn't hesitate to call it the best 35mm film camera ever made, but it doesn't. For that, I'd have to give my vote for the F100, which I prefer over my F4S, although I have yet to get my hands on an F5 or F6.
I heard about the FA auto everything camera. I also heard about the reliability issues. Maybe Nikon could have dealt with those issues eventually, but at the time, auto-everything cameras use to scare the heck out of Professional Photograpers. Even the Nikon F3 with its electronic shutter was frowned upon initially by the Pro's. The thing about these auto-everything cameras is that when something goes wrong, they are much harder to fix.
I’ve been using 4 or 5 different good consumer quality film slr’s the past few months in cloudy to to partly sunny conditions usually at f8-f16 at 250 or less iso with 400 color and b/w speed film. Usually non portrait shots. I don’t know if it is these settings or if my film is being developed overexposed. Anyways when I scan my negatives with Epson scan 2 Everything seems a little more than a bit overexposed. But then most of them look fine after I adjust with the light curve in Lightroom. I am also using a digitaliza scanning mask when scanning. Any input on this issue would be appreciated.
So I have a Nikon FM 2 ( in absolute mint condition) with a Nikon 50 mm f 1.2 lens. Plus a Vivitar Zoom lens 70-300 mm. Looking to sell. Any leads please? Thanks
I need a cheap way to have a high qauality webcam camera, so I was wondering which analoge camera s does have very high quality resolution. I want to buy a camera but only to use it as a webcam.
It is until the electronics fail or the batteries die and you're in a remote location unable to procure more. That's what happened to me! Even my back-up batteries were dead (bought a bad batch).
Mac Shoots Film honestly the FE2 does 90 percent of what the fm3a does. I’m just a huge camera nerd lol. I love the fact that it’s the last real Nikon mechanical SLR. The only 35mm camera with that hybrid shutter system that goes all the way to 1/4000. DX coding and the needle readout for the meter....it’s like Nikon took all the best features of their manual film cameras and crammed them all into a vintage body but in the early 2000’s when manual 35mm slrs were basically dead. It’s like the pinnacle of mechanical SLR’s to me (F2 users disagree of course lol) I pair mine with modern manual focus Zeiss and Voigtlander glass and it’s my favorite camera ever. BUT like I said you can do most of that with the FE2 as well, and at the end of the day it’s the photographer that makes the image :)
I have one of these it have great lenses and wanted to try them on my canon can anyone tell me what adapter do I need to get if any? Thank you great video!!
The Nikon FE2 is a great camera, I used mine for 15 years. With it I did Overland trips
through Australia, South East Asia, India, China, Nepal to England, Europe and Africa.
There where rough roads and no roads, getting bounced around in trucks and the back of utes,
dust storms and humidity, Soldiers bashing my rucksack (with the camera in it) with there riffle buts.
The Fe2 just kept on going
Me too, desert trips on the motorbike without ever any problem😊
Bought my FE2 in 1985. Still going strong!
I had both FE2 & FM2 and they are absolutely the best cameras around. I kept my FM2; it has been neglected for over 30 years but I just put it in for refurbishment.
I love the handling of the FE2 especially the old school analogue meter. Shooting slide film was perfection on the FE2!
This was the second camera I ever owned. (My first was a Minolta SRT 201 which my wife gave to me when we were dating and I then proposed to her the very next day. ) Anyway I bought the Fe2 as everyone said the glass was so great. They were not wrong. I also picked up a motor drive for it and the sound of the mirror going up and down was always recognizable as a Nikon. I still have the camera and the 24, 35, 50, 85, 105, and 200mm primes.
Later on I picked up an F100 and still own that too. That camera has a max shutter speed of 1/8000 of a second. It’s a great SLR to play with, and many of the styling cues and layout of the camera feel like a modern DSLR camera. It also will take Nikon G lenses so you can get some pretty amazing shots with it.
Finally I have been using a lot of the old Nikkor primes on the new Nikon Z6. If you can pick one up with the FTZ adaptor go for it. You register each lens so that you can use auto aperture, as with previous DSLRs, and you can use a feature they have added on the Z6 to quickly select the lens you want without having to dive into the menus. In addition you can use focus peaking which makes focusing so much easier. It makes MF glass fun again.
The FE2 was my third that replaced the FM; as a backup to my first camera (Nikon F2A).
Any lens or cameras u Dnt want or selling
I know this is a 3 year video, but just getting back into film after 40 years. Bought the F100 and F3. Like the F3 for the lighter and smaller body but not really happy with the LCD. So found a near mint FE2 and will be giving it a go. Now I am film camera poor. Good vid.
Loved my Nikon FE back in the day. Now I have returned with a chrome Nikon FE , it’s well used but is fine. My main digital is a Fuji XT 4 and I’m convinced it’s because of its FE like experience 😎👍
Spot on review, I truly enjoyed. Excellent work.
I cannot agree more on some of the things you said. I have been a big Olympus fan all most of my life, but then I got myself an FE2 and all changed. Mind you, I already had used an F4s, an F3 and the legend itself, i.e. the FM2. Fantastic cameras no doubts, but not enough to have me rethink what my film cameras system should be.
As I said, I ended up having an FE2 and it al changed. It is the perfect camera for me; the 1/4000th shutter speed saved so many photoshoots. Battery has never been a problem. Extremely reliable, precise light meter. I like this camera so much I now have 2 FE2 and gave away the FM2 (that had me banned on a few Nikon internet groups... That is true lol)
I am thinking about switching to Nikon for good, I'll miss Olympus (OM-1 and OM-4 especially) but I cannot have 2 systems, I gotta choose. FE2 already kinda did it for me.
Thanks again, great channel.
Yes this is a great channel and very enjoyable!! RS
Awesome content. I recently got an FE2 and am getting it ready. Did yoi eventually get the FM? Keep up the good work.
The honeycomb pattern was also to build up a air cusion between the curtains to lower the friction. Very clever!
I dont mean to be offtopic but does any of you know of a way to get back into an instagram account..?
I stupidly lost my account password. I love any help you can offer me
@Benson Kayden Instablaster ;)
@Lee Howard thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and I'm trying it out now.
Takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Lee Howard it did the trick and I now got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thank you so much, you really help me out !
@Benson Kayden Glad I could help xD
I also like the FE2. I have it as a back up to My F3 and a FM2N as a a backup to both.
Love my FE2 great camera. Also, the FM2 is a great option.
That's a great looking camera!
Watching this videos January 5, 2021 at 7.95 thousand subs. Came a long from 100 and something
Thanks so much for taking the ride. Hopefully I've improved since this one. Tough to watch for me. 😂
The self deprecating humour is kind of unusual and rather brilliant :D
Well done. You make me miss the black FE2 I sold to buy my F3
I don’t own an FE2 but I am in love with my FM.
Great review! This is the holy grail camera for a creative person like me. Even if you install the MD-12 motor drive and the SB-15 flash unit, it is still a compact setup and offers unlimited possibilities to be a creative photographer. Also, I think it looks way more sexier than the F3 :) What a camera!
Mac, you're preaching to the converted, I love my black FE2. It's a great camera for travel.
Bill Smith FALSE. The silver FE2 is the best camera of all time. Only amateurs buy black cameras.
if you want shutter speed - go for the minolta dynax 9
1/12.000 sec
Just found you channel and this is the first video I've seen. Love your personality and down to earth thinking! Definitely subbing!
Trevor Moses Thanks for the kind words!
Picked an FE2 up for $40 yesterday! Pretty excited about that deal.
Where from?
@@vwokili local deal (Ontario, Canada.) Guy was going to sell it for $60USD, but couldn't get it working, so gave it to me for free, and said if I could get it working easily, I could etransfer part of the money if I wanted to - honour system. I cleaned the battery contacts when I got home, and it fired right up, so I etransferred him 2/3rds of the previous cost, and we were both happy!
Definitely not a repeatable deal, unfortunately 😅
@@jasonandrews7355 That's how I got my FE2 for such a cheap price. Buddy found it up in his grandfathers attic and didn't know anything about it so he put it up for $150 on FB Marketplace. Met up with him to take a look at it and the light meter wasn't working plus the shutter would lock up when you shot it. I offered him $100 and he agreed to the price since it was "broken" but I wanted to collect. Brought it home and put in fresh batteries and everything was working perfectly again as it should. Have been shooting it for 2yrs now and have never had an issue
The batteries (Energizer 357/303) in my FE2 lasted me 10 months of shooting. just to give other a point of reference
Never sold it or my FM2. I would still have my Nikkormat if our ferry didn’t sink in Thailand
Holy mama
Hey Mac, I love my FE2, I've been shooting with a lot this Summer, and I agree, it's the sweet spot for a 35mm SLR. Funny thing, I don't have the battery drain issue you do with your F3.
Congratulations on your increase of subscribers going from 100 to now over 11K. Personally I wish there was no internet, smart phones or digital cameras. I want things the way they were when I worked at Wolf Camera and bought my new F80/N80. I don't shoot like I use to but I remember shooting all manual... nearly all the time using an FA. My eyes were so "in tune" I didn't really use a light meter very often. You get to that place where you know the values and variables instantly. I miss that. I may pick up an FE2. I still have my F80 📷
NIKON FE2 camera only left me one ~~!!!
Among the Nikon film cameras...❤
Congrats on 100 subs man
Great vid! I really like my FE2. The two complaints I have about the camera, is that (1) the shutter advance sticks out to turn on and (2) the meter is not operable until you advance to the 1st frame.
VeloRydr it’s a great SLR! Took me awhile to get used to turning it on with the shutter advance lever!
@VeloRydr Yeah, I never had that issue with my Nikon F2A. That was why I got the MD-12 as the fix back then. The MD-12 was the must have accessory for a left eye dominant photographer!
BFS I still shoot with my F2A, and I really like it. I don’t think I could use it with a motor drive though. LoL Unlike the FE2, it’s great being able to shoot with the F2 with the advance lever tucked in. The FE2 shutter stays locked until you open the advance lever half way. It might not be that way with a motor drive attached to a FE2 though.
@@JP1050x Ditto, both my F2A and FE2 (all with motor drives) are in fully working condition. The MD-12 (no need to use the lever to release the shutter button) saved me from returning the FE2 because I'm a left eye dominant photographer. That film advance level kept poking me in the eye.
Loved the F2A (my first camera) and I almost got that F2A feeling back when I held my D3 the first time, with a DSLR.
BFS I’m left eye dominant too, and got used to the position of the FE2 advance lever. It’s still an annoyance though.
Great review! I'm with you on batteries. They are cheap and plentiful. If you run into battery issues, it's you're own fault. A true professional comes prepared.
Exactly! Thanks so much for watching!
Hi Mac... You should own the Nikon F4 that can shoot 1/8000th of second! It's your Pro body camera that needs to be in your collection... and the F5 and F6 in the F Series cameras. All these cameras are great but I absolutely love the Nikon FE2 over all the mention F Series I use to own or still have! I can't remember if you mentioned that if the battery were to die in the middle of a shoot! You can manually shoot it at 1/250th of second! It's why I love that Nikon FE2! I don't know how you can survive living in the Arizona heat with a sweater/hoodie! You are an animal! Hahahaha!
I definitely will be trying the f4 soon! Thanks so much for watching!
FE2 is the best camera ever made. I was always using an external exposure meter but with the FE2 i didn't have to.
literally the only reason I don't want a battery in a film slr is cause it's so nice to never have to worry about charging or running out of juice. all mechanical is fun and untethered
Nikon FE will do 1/4000 sec in auto mode. According to Ken Rockwell website. I have tested it and have found it go go about 30 full seconds in pitch darkness in automode. Well past the 8 second feature
Cool one! Keep it up! Awesome! The humor is great!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Personally, I set my ISO to what I'm shooting at (400 film pushed to 1600 = set at 1600) so I can still use the EV adjustment for individual shots that I want extra compensation for TTL flash metering.
That makes A LOT of sense! Thanks for sharing that!
True that
if you want that style of camera, and lens mount, then the best would be the FM3A. does everything the FE2 does, has a full range of battery-less shutter speeds if you really have to take the shot, and has more advanced flash exposure.
I own 2 FM3As and both have the shutter stick issue and meter issue requiring a new circuit board (google it) which is expensive. So now these SUPER expensive cameras are manual only, no meter. Might as well go with the FM2 . 1/3rd the cost of the fm3a, meter works, and if the meter goes out and i'm manual only i'm not out $600-700.
I can't say that I own, or have tested every single SLR film camera out there, but in my humble opinion the FE2 is one, if not the best MF film SLR cameras(other than the FM3A) ever built. Some prefer the older FE because they can squeeze out 1 or 2 extra frames per film roll and because it allows for older lenses, forgetting about the FE2's 1/4000 max shutter speed (vs 1/1000) that allows you to shoot wide open on very bright days. TTL when using flash and Nikon has some excellent TTL flash units like the SB-15. Better electronics meaning less battery drain. Flash Sync at 1/250 vs 1/125. Manual 1/250 vs Manual 1/90 all which I think make up for those 'nitpicky' few extra frames per roll and older lenses(unless you are really old).
The only thing I wish the FE2 had, is an illuminated exposure scale because the one it currently has, is a lttle hard to see under dim lighting. Also the ISO indicator is kind of hard to see, but it could be my aging eyes. Another nitpicky is that the film counter advances even if the camera is not loaded with film. Everything else I can live with. The camera is compact, but not too compact, light, but does not feel cheap. Since it has electronic components, you can't rough-house it like the FM2 which is all mechanical, but nevertheless it is not exactly fragile. Is it a Leica ? No of course not, Leica's are Rangefinder cameras with a whole different style of $hooting. Is it as enjoyable as a Leica ? I would say yes, yes and Yes !! The FE2 is a very enyoyable and simple camera to shoot with, that you can take practically anywhere.
How does it compare with other manufacturer cameras which are also very popular ? Like I said, I don't own, or have had the luxury of testing even a fraction of those cameras, but I have shot with the Pentax K1000, Olympus OM-1N, Minolta SRT-202, Canon AE-1 and a few others and all I can say is that there is nothing like the FE2(in that price range). It's like having a precise sophisticated, well oiled machine in your hands that always seems to work. Nikon is not #1 for no reason(at least it was back then). The FE2 was my first semi-pro camera(circa 1987). The first iteration I had to sell due to hard times, but I purchased the camera again in 2002. Got it CLA'd and never looked back. I just wish film prices were the same as they were back then, otherwise, this camera would get a lot more use.
FE2 is so well made material and functional wise. It’s just butter..
It's an amazing camera!
Hello! I've recently become interested in film photography, and am looking for a camera that is beginner friendly. I'm buying it second hand, and the Nikon FE2 is one that is available near me and within my price range. Would you say this camera is suitable for someone whose just starting out? i.e not too complicated with many settings and functions. Cheers!
Me to, no idea what to choose.
Go for it! Not too hard at all.
@@MacShootsFilm Thanks!
very nice video. i got to say, my favourite 35mm film camera is the Nikon F3. keep up the good work :)
Thanks! I own the F3 and really appreciate how well built it is. The shutter sounds amazing and the film advance lever is buttery smooth. I'm doing a review on the F3 video after next!
Mac Shoots Film no but which is better I’m trying to get one and not sure if it’s fe2 or f3 I own F2 I want accurate autoexposure
Just getting into film, and my dad found one of these unused at home that seems to be functional. Lucked out
The self timer functions as a mirror lock up helping to minimise camera shake at long exposure settings.
Great video! I agree with the approach - get more capabilities, coz you never know when you'll need them. I had very very basic SLR's when I just started using film. Some of them got broken, some got sold. I just got this FE2 delivered today and can't wait to shoot portraits wide open, which was never possible with 1/2000 on my Pentax ME Super.
I'm Irish and I/we say Nii Kon and Bo ca. I've heard one guy say Nick-on and I thought he was trying to be snobby. The former pronunciation seems natural. We do say disorientated and not disoriented. My Canadian Cousin drew my attention to this.
i found one of these at my grandparents house! I wish i could see it but the shutter curtain looks like someone stuck through it, so it doesn’t work :( I’m gonna try to fix it though!
Definitely worth fixing! Happy New Year!
I would go for the FM3a. Full mechanical camera with the option of electronic metering a exposure plus fantastic build. It Will work at all speads without battery.
The price for FM3a went nuts. It costs three times as much as the FE2 and it does not offer that more.
Hey Mac,
I really enjoyed your Video, thank you for that. I just wanna say something to the Battery Topic.
Its not that people dont wanna carry Batterys, its a Question of maintaining.
A mechanical Camera like my Nikon F2 and fm2 are most likely repairable because there are no electronic parts in it ,except for the Lightmeter.
On electronically controlled Cameras, if an electronic part dies , the Camera is very likely gone.
Electronic parts do have a lifespan,and the Cameras like the fe2 is about 40Years:
If you buy one today, it can last you a decade or a Week, youll never know.
So while camera prices rising, people may like to invest in a mechanical Camera.
Damn from 100 to 92k. 👏 hard work and results 🐮
LoL I do not know why modern film shooters have dread and phobias of carrying extra batteries???? I consider myself a serious amateur photographer. All throughout the 1990s my family travel all though Europe and the U.S on vacations. I used Canon A-1 and guess what my camera never went down due to batteries . Why? Before any long trip I put in a fresh 6v px 28 , had fresh in the package px 28 in my camera bag and a spare in my luggage hotel in case murphy's law struck. Never had a issue due to good planning in 10 years of summer travels thru Europe. Only once did the A-1 6 volt battery conk out, it was at St. Paul's Cathedral in London . Took a seat in a pew, got my spare battery out of my camera bag , put in the new spare battery and was back shoot more pictures in less than 5 minutes. 👍
You’re just great ,man.i just love your videos.btw I am planning to buy an fm2.should I or should I not? Please give me some of your opinions 📷
Just read up, briefly, on the Nikon FM2. Looks like a great camera! If you can get a reasonable price on one, I say do it! To be honest, the camera body is the least important part of the film photography process (Composition, subject, lens, and film stock are way more important! A camera body just lets you mount a lens, meter, and open & close a shutter!)
The dealer has agreed to sell it for 143 dollars .should I go for it ?
You're right about the batteries lol. People get these silly romantic ideas of being stranded on a desert island and still being able to shoot a roll of film, like when has that actually happened? Just bring extra batteries like you would for any other electronic camera.
I think setting the camera ISO different than the actual film ISO is more about getting a certain look, rather than a workaround for exposure. As you say if you wanted to get an exposure other than that the cameras meter will give, exposure compensation is the way to go. At least you have flexibility to reset the exposure compensation if you wanted to take a shot at “correct” exposure.
Like an old FM2, is a titanium shutter. And it's quite accurate.
Re. aversion to the reliance on batteries: It's not that they don't want to carry spares, it's the idea that the camera needs them for something other than the (optional) light meter. So if the electronics crapped out on your FE2, you'd be stuck with 1/250 and B. Not so on an FM2, which easily fetch $100 more as a result. Me? I'm with you. I'll carry an extra body in case of electronic fault. I only keep fully mechanical cameras around for fun and sentimental reasons.
Now, on shutter speed. Why stop at 1/4000? Many Nikons following the FE2 would go to 1/8000, and one Maxxum would go up to 1/12,000. (Maxxum 9?) I did see your video on the N90s, which is another cracking good camera by good ol' Nikon.
pick up an f5. 1/8000 shutter and HSS flash.
Gottta agree though the fe2 for its time is a badass camera
Hi :) I’m new to film cameras. Im wondering if you absolutely need to put a battery in the camera for it to work
Great camera but Minolta XD7 is cheaper alternative which is also great!
My motto is spend more on the lens than the camera body...especially in film! If an XD7 saves you enough money to buy an AWESOME lens then I say do it!
I have a multitude of Nikons and I actually prefer the FE to the FE2. I shoot a lot of slide film and both of my FE2s had a tendency to overexpose Ektachrome and Fujichrome films, while the original FEs did not. With print film, the negatives and prints looked good.
I think there is an Over/Under exposure compensation dial on the FE2 so why no use it ?
@@LennyCooke636 It wasn't consistent. If it had been, I would have done my compensation with the ASA/ISO. It was easier to sell it and not be bothered.
Classic style: OM4ti all the way... aperture priority, better glass, multi-spot metering and flash sync up to 1/2000.
I used penatax and I m currently using nikond3300.. I m try relearn using film camera. I m really want find Nikon f the first one
It’s one of the best! I also like the Nikon F100.
I love the f100! Such a brilliant camera!
You forgot to mention the double exposure switch 😝
DOH!
I am more of a lens person than a camera fan. My favourites are the 50mm 1.4 non ai s-c lens and the legendary Nikkor- P auto105mm 2.5.
A portrait photographer's dream.
Glass absolutely over body. Once glass is sorted, finding a camera that I like driving makes it much more enjoyable fore me.
Ditto on the 105/2.5
Hey Mac, loving your videos and the channel. Was just wondering if you’ve shot an FA before? Think some others have mentioned it but you’re a fan of the FE2/F100 etc would be right up your street, I was going to buy an FE2 but got an FA for half the price (they’re not so popular here in the uk) and it’s got some awesome features, even matrix metering, not so useful for portraits like you mostly shoot but still handy to have, also has 1/4000 flash sync at 1/250 (same as fe2) plus shutter priority and program.
There is also another feature, the double exposure lever! Best camera
love what you said at the start!
just found the channel and have been loving the vids! I do have a question. I'm looking to upgrade from point and shoots and my k1000. would you recommend just to go all in and get a a fe2 or even a f3hp ( i wear glasses and found one locally for 220 but with no lens) or would something similar to a minolta x700 do the trick?
I think a good lens is better than a great camera body! Buy the cheapest camera body you can (that has the features you like) and throw all the savings into a lens and LOTS of film! :)
There's no such thing as the "best" film camera (or any type of camera) ever made. That said, I have long been a big advocate of the Nikon FA for many reasons, including matrix metering, full aperture or shutter priority, Program or manual modes, top shutter speed of 1/4000 sec., 1/250 sec. flash sync speed, and the titanium shutter curtain. Speaking of the shutter curtain, after mine got unseated and destroyed due to my inattention, I went seeking a replacement. Wanted to try the F3, but I shoot film with strobes and that only syncs at 1/60 sec., so I went for the FE2. And I'm happy to report that it offers everything I want in a 35mm body. Other than the exposure metering display in the viewfinder and only aperture priority or manual modes, there are few differences from the FA, except for the FE2's silky smooth film advance.
If the FE2 had autofocus capability I wouldn't hesitate to call it the best 35mm film camera ever made, but it doesn't. For that, I'd have to give my vote for the F100, which I prefer over my F4S, although I have yet to get my hands on an F5 or F6.
Dj Toman spot on! Also, bought a f100 not too long ago. Love it! Just made a video about it! 😬
Well there you go - One more subscriber !
Thanks so much!
Have batteries in my F3hp for about two years now and I shoot all the time.
the FE also does 4000th, but in auto mode. considering you make use of the exposure lock, i assume you use auto... in which case, voila.
Shh, that's a secret. They can hype over the FE2 but let's keep the original to ourself. :P
I’m on year 2 with the original batteries in my F3. I always get a year or so out of LR44s in my SLR cameras
Joe Lopez what brand do you use? I’d like to use them for my new FE2.
@@willf.5403 Usually Energizer brand, I buy them in sheets on ebay or amazon
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FO97DCU
Love my FE2, however my film advance lever is stuck!
mine is broken too!
Siobhan Murphy Try changing out your batteries, it worked for me.
@@bb3866 That's how we get such good deals when people sell their Fe2's cuz they're "broken" lol new batteries and done
The FE2 is realy great. The only downside i think, is the missing auto exposure lock. So i'm gonna move to the F100 as well.
@Hannes Wasn't the Self Timer level also served as the memory lock?
Yes it did. Move it towards the lens.
Why would you chose it over the FA? just curious
I heard about the FA auto everything camera. I also heard about the reliability issues. Maybe Nikon could have dealt with those issues eventually, but at the time, auto-everything cameras use to scare the heck out of Professional Photograpers. Even the Nikon F3 with its electronic shutter was frowned upon initially by the Pro's. The thing about these auto-everything cameras is that when something goes wrong, they are much harder to fix.
I’ve been using 4 or 5 different good consumer quality film slr’s the past few months in cloudy to to partly sunny conditions usually at f8-f16 at 250 or less iso with 400 color and b/w speed film. Usually non portrait shots.
I don’t know if it is these settings or if my film is being developed overexposed.
Anyways when I scan my negatives with Epson scan 2
Everything seems a little more than a bit overexposed. But then most of them look fine after I adjust with the light curve in Lightroom.
I am also using a digitaliza scanning mask when scanning.
Any input on this issue would be appreciated.
So I have a Nikon FM 2 ( in absolute mint condition) with a Nikon 50 mm f 1.2 lens. Plus a Vivitar Zoom lens 70-300 mm. Looking to sell. Any leads please? Thanks
message me
@@victoriaivey7993 hi! Details already shared regarding camera. I am in the Indian state of Goa.
@@uditpatwardhan ok. Which part of the country are you in?
@@uditpatwardhan I am in Goa. So how do we do this?
@@uditpatwardhan rajeshmehta1212@gmail.com
Right now I use d3
It's a remarkable camera
I was expecting to see more people here after watching Civil War
YES! Next Question... 😂
Those batteries are so small and cheap. Very easy to carry and they last forever. Just like you said. It doesn't need to run without 🔋
No. The FM3a is. But the FE2 is certainly up there.
I need a cheap way to have a high qauality webcam camera, so I was wondering which analoge camera s does have very high quality resolution. I want to buy a camera but only to use it as a webcam.
I really hope you're joking. You can't plug a film camera into a computer. :P
@@mikafoxx2717 You havent heard of the new digital film strips that you can put in old slrs?
@@VashStarwind Those are expensive, destructive, or have an insane crop factor.
@@mikafoxx2717 hahah
Personally, I love the FE2 and do not wish for the FM3a. I also have 2xF100 and an FA.
Haha so true about the batteries, lol buy more batteries!
So you get your focus first then you slap on your ND filter. Where there’s a will , there’s a way.
On the super dark ND filters I do. :)
Yes.
It is until the electronics fail or the batteries die and you're in a remote location unable to procure more. That's what happened to me! Even my back-up batteries were dead (bought a bad batch).
It’s a bit more expensive but I love my fm3a.
I REALLY want a fm3a, but those things are going up in price so fast!
Mac Shoots Film honestly the FE2 does 90 percent of what the fm3a does. I’m just a huge camera nerd lol. I love the fact that it’s the last real Nikon mechanical SLR. The only 35mm camera with that hybrid shutter system that goes all the way to 1/4000. DX coding and the needle readout for the meter....it’s like Nikon took all the best features of their manual film cameras and crammed them all into a vintage body but in the early 2000’s when manual 35mm slrs were basically dead. It’s like the pinnacle of mechanical SLR’s to me (F2 users disagree of course lol) I pair mine with modern manual focus Zeiss and Voigtlander glass and it’s my favorite camera ever.
BUT like I said you can do most of that with the FE2 as well, and at the end of the day it’s the photographer that makes the image :)
no batteries means less electronics on old cameras ,less likely to break or less to break on them .. = more reliable camera ..
A l'époque j'avais préféré le Canon AV-1, ce sont tous des bons appareil.
( Dieu te cherche, Clic sur le Smiley)
Fe2 or f3 ?
FE2
Want.
Hit me up
Hello here i am
I have one of these it have great lenses and wanted to try them on my canon can anyone tell me what adapter do I need to get if any? Thank you great video!!
I think so
I came here because Lisa Blackpink has it.
blackpink in yuh areah
0:28 omg 💔💔💔💔💔
@Cain Remy Really ?! seriously?!
Why would it be oke in dirty water?
Yes it is.
I have a minty FE2 for sale.
Sure you don't to spend some time with FM2N