Hi, great video with clear explanations which are easy to follow. There is one thing that you didn't mention which I think is another advantage the FE has over the FE2 (and the same is true for the FM vs the FM2). There's a tiny button on the lens mount beside the aperture tab. When pressed it allows the aperture tab to be flipped out of the way, which in turn permits non-Ai lenses to be used. They don't operate in auto mode just manual and by using stop down metering. There are some great non-Ai lenses available which are usually 20-30% cheaper than their AI counterparts and having this feature means that someone on a budget can still get access to quality Nikkor glass for less money? Hope this helps.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel No problem, thanks for putting so much effort into creating a very informative video. PS. I called them non-Ai, I should have called them pre-Ai :)
UPDATE: The meter needle on the Nikon FE in this video started jumping around all willy-nilly a few months ago and as a result, I was getting unreliable and massively inaccurate exposures! After lots of googling and researching, I couldn't find anyone else reporting this issue. I examined the behavior of the needle with the lens off in an effort to isolate the problem and sure enough, when the lens was removed the meter stopped jumping around. When I moved the AI linkage on the camera body, the needle started jumping again. So I initially started "exercising" the ring on the camera body and then mounted a lens on it and started twisting the aperture ring back and forth like a crazy person. After doing this for a while, the erratic behavior of the meter went away completely! I hope this helps a Nikon F* series owner that may be experiencing this issue. Chalk up a win for the good guys!
Man this is such a thorough and well thought out video. I just purchased a nikon FE myself, and this will be my first classic film slr from nikon, as I transitioned from my nikon DSLR. I don’t see much reviews on the FE so I appreciate what youre doing here. Keep it up. Subbed!
Thank you for another excellent video Eric. I love your very thorough coverage of the features of this camera. I have just ordered a Nikon FE and it will be my first Nikon film camera. I have owned several Nikon DSLRs, but no Nikon film cameras until now. Looking forward to using this camera and having a little fun with a "new to me" Nikon camera.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much. This really helped me make my decision to purchase the Nikon FE. I spent months reading about film cameras and finally got my FE on ebay with a 50mm lens! I am SO excited! Thanks again! :)
I am thoroughly impressed with your perspective and down-to-earth explanations. Just got mine with a motor drive and speed light flash. Anxious to go out for a test drive.
Great video, Eric. I was gifted this camera and have enjoyed using it. You really covered all the features. I hope you will post more videos in the future. I noticed you haven’t been very active recently. I appreciate your clear, thorough, interesting videos!
This is a great video! I have been using one of these cameras for years, and I love the Nikon FE. I have shot a bunch of film on the FE. This video stands alone in how it precisely covers the features and characteristics of using the Nikon FE. Huge thumbs ups from a long user of a this camera.
I really appreciate this video, in particular how you describe how the two needles in the viewfinder work together. I ended up buying one and am so pleased I've done so.
Good evening. Great Video! Clear, and Concise without any rubbish which there's so much. You really know Your way around Classic Cameras. Not that I doubt your ability on Any other. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn from The UK. Keep up Your Good work and of course Keep Safe.
Great video. Very helpful. I just got a FE this week. A little more than $100. Paid $205 with an Ai 50mm f/1.4. Both camera and lens are in mint condition. A great purchase and I'm excited about using it. Picked up some glass as well. And bought an EM with series E 50mm and a 75-150mm series E. Just getting back into film. I was a Canon slr user, and still have a Canon 5D Mark III. But never owned a Nikon. I think I like them. Well done, thanks.
I bought my FE about 18 months ago and love it. Since then I have acquired a Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 ai s-c lens. It's all black, showing brass edges. Cool.
Excellent review and well made video! I actually bought one on Ebay today. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Greetings from a new subscriber in Sweden
I agree 100%. The Nikon AI-s glass is absolutely fantastic. In the age of autofocus they are less popular but when it comes to image quality they are still among the best.
I got an FE with my first pay packet. I do macrophotography of plants and small animals. The higher flash synch was helpful but even more so the fact that the K type viewing screen could be changed for a plain ground glass, with or without etched grid. The K type focussing aid blacks out in low lighting (even with full lens aperture) and it was not really possible to focus on the ground glass and recompose with a moving subject. I shot mainly colour slide but bought a second FE body (black finish) which was loaded with print film, colour or B/W, as suited.
That's one of my favorites that I own! Right next to my Yashica MAT 124g and my Argus C3. It's my first "professional" camera. Couple of Tokina lenses, though. Eventually I need to get a solid Nikon lens.
Thanks for a great photo explanation. When I shoot film I like the nikon d200. I'm im thinking of something different.i also like your background arrangement. Great lighting and setup.
I just love the analog Nikon cameras of this era, so much so I got an FM2. It is my ideal film camera for it has a very accurate electronic ightmeter and at the same time is mechanical. It means in case you run out of batteries, it will still work. Minus the light meter, of course. Thanks for the video.
Hi Eric I really enjoyed this video. I just ordered a FE on eBay, with a 50mm f/1.4 Ai-s lens and am so excited. It will be my first modern-era SLR (I have my dad’s 1941 Kodak 35 rangefinder camera, as well as his 1956 Edixa Mat Reflex C SLR camera.). Appreciate your walk-through of the FE’s features. I’m looking forward to using the match-needle, of all things! I’m fairly new to film photography. I have Nikon DSLR cameras, and my dad’s film cameras. Subscribed to your channel!
Thanks I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s a really fun camera to use. Check my comment in this video in case you get a “jumpy” meter needle. It’s an easy fix if it comes up.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thanks. I saw your needle comment. Good to know about the “fix”! Any recommendations on a B&W filter set, or will any brand work ok? Looks like it’s been a while since you posted a video. Taking a break from the rigors of making videos? 🤪
I like b&w filters personally. They strike a balance between quality and fairly good price. Good thing too is that a lot of the Ai-s lenses have a common 52mm filter size thread
That’s great! The FE is such an intuitive and satisfying camera to use because of their excellent build quality. Nikon is a great choice in general because there are so many Ai-S lenses from which to choose and they’re all great in terms of build quality and image quality. Enjoy!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I bought the FE today and need to go buy batteries. I've cleaned it up but there's dust inside so I may have to take it in for that. Looking forward to using this camera.
Great review. I do feel you ought to correct your comment about the double exposure procedure. You only have to hold the lever in for the very first part of the wind on which is really easy.
So many! The Nikon 28mm f2.8 ai-s is spectacular! Also the pancake 50mm f1.8 has very unique and classic rendering. The 85mm f2.0 ai-s is really nice and relatively inexpensive. 50mm 1.4 ai-s is incredible. Like I said, so many.
You do not have to keep your finger on the double exposure control lever past the initial movement of the wind on lever which makes it much easier to use than shown.
Amen to that! I’m all for simplicity which is why I enjoy film photography so much. I have literally worn out the battery on a DSLR just from fiddling with the menus and trying to learn how to operate it. Didn’t take a single photo!
Very Informative thinking of the FE as a an option......$239 for Mint condition with a 50mm lens .....thou I wonder if I could get a wider lens on it maybe a 28
That’s a bit of a premium price. It must be very mint! Hopefully it’s the 50mm f1.4 lens. The 28mm f2.8 aid is a superb lens. One of the best that Nikon has ever made!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Will keep both points in Mind 28mm / 2.8 & especially the Price even I feel a lil high thou yes Mint condition ....thank you so very Much :))
Excellent prime. After some research I'm still not sure how to use the tiny slide switch on some of the Nikkor lens. The switch locks the lens @smallest aperture, which I take it gives the most flexibility in auto exposure, but I don't really know the practicalities of the switch, thanks.
Hi the switch is for "newer" Nikons that have shutter priority or program modes. It's not used for cameras like the FE. You lock the aperture ring and the camera controls the f-stop from there.
Great to see another big fan of the Nikon FE, nice video. Also, all your cameras seem to in such good condition for their age! a bit of a collector? :D
Hah, yes I do like my cameras "Minty". It's just more satisfying to find an older camera that looks close to original condition. I find the FE to be just dead-simple and intuitive to use. It just gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on your subject.
The FE series is closer to perfection than any SLR camera has ever achieved in my opinion. They are ALMOST flawless cameras, and if Nikon were to ever get back into making film cameras, I would love for them to build an FE4, which would only have a few changes from the FE. 1. Modern high speed electronic shutter, something like 1/8000 a la FM3a. 2. Swap the permanently mounted prism with the F3's HP prism. The 14mm eyepoint of the whole series is just a bit too short to have glasses on and see the whole viewfinder. Everything else is the same. Ergonomics, controls, the match needle meter + the metering logic, everything. Maybe add in matrix metering with the better processing power we have access to nowadays. The FE2 had a 'feature' where the first 2 shots were locked at 1/125th so if you left the cap on in auto mode it wouldn't do a 30 second shutter. Being that I like to do 'first of the roll' shots it'd be nice to have a way to switch that on and off. Maybe an LED to backlight the meter in dark scenes, and a mirror lockup. That's it. With those adjustments, I'm sure Nikon could cement themselves as THE modern film SLR to get, as much as Leica is THE rangefinder to get. I would get five - no, one for every room in the house to make sure I had it for the rest of my life, and would eagerly suggest it to anyone wanting a modern film SLR. Pair it up with the pancake 50mm f1.8 instead of the lackluster 45mm f2.8 that plagued the FM3a and I'm sure it'd get a lot of attention.
Great thought. I would buy at least one! I love the old school metering system in the film Nikons. I’ve NEVER had an improperly exposed photo from my F3. If you check out my F3 video you’ll see a night photo with ASA 100 film (Ektar?) and the lens stopped down. The F3 metered it without any other help for around 8 minutes and it came out perfectly exposed. Unbelievable!
Great video, thank you! Just wanted to ask how does one use auto exposure in aperture priority mode with non Ai lenses and how is the best way to use those lenses?
The hot shoe is not TTL on the FE; it only has one small extra contact and cameras which do support TTL flash have all three. The FA and FG, but not the FG-20,do support TTL, as does the FM3a. I think the FM2, FM2n andFE2 do as well, but I’m not certain about that.
Little known fun fact which in my opinion makes the FE a better value than the FE2 is that in auto mode most copies comfortably and accurately expose to 1/2000! Some copies, as does mine, accurately expose to 1/4000! I have tested mine a it does expose correctly to 1/4000. This is due to the analog circuitry which works more organically versus a digital circuit which tops out where a computer tells it to top out at. Nikon did not advertise on this because they couldn’t guarantee all copies would be accurate up to 1/4000 of a second.
Of course. I think that cameras were labeled “professional” because of the many system accessories available for them to include the faster motor drives (5 plus FPS) vs power winders (usually 2-3 FPS). If you look at my Nikon F3 video I cover the many professional accessories made for the F3 to include huge bulk film backs and a remote trigger with a 700 meter range!
You just mentioned about the depth of field lever and didn't explain much about it if i am not wrong... I noticed though, when I press it, it acts as an exposure lock lever... M
Yes that’s correct. The green needle indicates shutter speed and you then turn the aperture ring to match the black needle to it and you’ll have proper exposure. It’s a great system because it conveniently shows you your shutter speed and is very intuitive to just dial in the aperture.
My FE has a needle pointer-type indicator in the lower right quadrant of the viewfinder, and I can't seem to find anything about it in the manual or online. What does it indicate and how do I engage/disengage it?
Hi Elliot, so I took a really close look at my FE and did some google searches to include the FE owners manual and couldn't find any reference to a needle located on the right-bottom of the viewfinder. Does it move or react to light, shutter speed or aperture adjustments? And you have an FE not an FE2 or other Nikon, right?
I’m sorry to hear that! Unfortunately I have no qualifications as a camera technician. If it happened to me I would try to remove the battery or switching the camera to bulb just in case the meter is keeping the mirror locked (im sure you already tried this). I’m sorry I can’t be more help.
No the compact design of the FEx, FMx, FA etc didn’t include a removable finder. There are several Nikon and off brand right angle finders that slip over the viewfinder eyepiece allowing you to look down while framing your photos and will even magnify for critical macro focusing.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel thanks! I know this is a bit off topic, but it seems to me the only reflex with waist level finder similar to medium format cameras are the Nikon F1 2 or 3. Let me know if you know more about this. Thanks again, cheers.
Other 35mm cameras that have Waist level interchangeable finder options are the Canon A-1 and Minolta XK. There’s really not a lot of 35mm waist level options out there. Most major camera brands flagship models usually had a removable viewfinder that had a waist level option. There are some older cameras like the Topcon RE Super and the Wirgin Edina-Flex that have fixed waist level finders which look interesting also. I’ve seen them in passing but I don’t know anything about them really.
No, you should rotate the shutter speed dial to "M90" for a manual at 1/90th sec shutter speed with no battery power necessary. "B" or bulb is also available.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I was hoping this was the case because I have an Nikon EM and when the batteries are out you can use the M90 setting but you can also leave it in auto and it will default to the highest shutter speed basically giving you two options of shutter speeds.
@@12macevedo When I take the batteries out of my FE the shutter just locks if I press the shutter release at any of the marked shutter speeds and won't close back unless I rotate the SS knob to M90 or B. It's good to have that second option on the EM at least.
Is it true that in A or aperture priority mode, the shutter can fire as fast as 1/4000th even though manually it only goes to 1/1000th? If so, that's a great hidden feature! But why is it a 'hidden' feature? The manual doesn't say it.
As far as I know, the FE maxes out at 1/1000 sec, even in auto mode. The FE2 has the 1/4000 sec faster shutter speed but it a known feature, not hidden. I've never know Nikon to have hidden features maybe with the exception of the super-long shutter speeds that cameras like the F3 FE, FE2 and others are capable of. These cameras can meter really long night exposures, even at or over an hour!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Hmm, interesting. This is why no one should believe what they read on the internet. According to Ken Rockwell, on his site about the FE, here is what he says, which then may not be true according to you. Read the last paragraph under the heading: Meter and Shutter Range The manual settings are fixed at full stops from 8 seconds to 1/1,000. The Auto mode also selects shutter speeds seamlessly, so if perfect exposure is 1/234 second or 3.1415926 seconds, that's what you'll get. Even though Nikon only specifies the Auto mode to cover the same range, in actuality the Nikon FE's Auto range covers from exposure times longer than an hour to about 1/4,000 of a second!
@@Caballeroshot yes, people will get more value for the money. i also have a FE. Mine has a "ring" sound when releasing the shutter, which i don't like. i'd rather pay a little more money for the FE2.
I recently got two Nikon FE cameras. One in silver and one in black. The one in black won’t fire a flash for some reason, but my silver one works perfect.
Hi, great video with clear explanations which are easy to follow.
There is one thing that you didn't mention which I think is another advantage the FE has over the FE2 (and the same is true for the FM vs the FM2).
There's a tiny button on the lens mount beside the aperture tab. When pressed it allows the aperture tab to be flipped out of the way, which in turn permits non-Ai lenses to be used. They don't operate in auto mode just manual and by using stop down metering.
There are some great non-Ai lenses available which are usually 20-30% cheaper than their AI counterparts and having this feature means that someone on a budget can still get access to quality Nikkor glass for less money?
Hope this helps.
Wow that’s a great tip. I’ll pin it to the thread so others can benefit. Thanks so much.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel No problem, thanks for putting so much effort into creating a very informative video.
PS. I called them non-Ai, I should have called them pre-Ai :)
So good! I always wondered what that button was for
UPDATE: The meter needle on the Nikon FE in this video started jumping around all willy-nilly a few months ago and as a result, I was getting unreliable and massively inaccurate exposures! After lots of googling and researching, I couldn't find anyone else reporting this issue. I examined the behavior of the needle with the lens off in an effort to isolate the problem and sure enough, when the lens was removed the meter stopped jumping around. When I moved the AI linkage on the camera body, the needle started jumping again. So I initially started "exercising" the ring on the camera body and then mounted a lens on it and started twisting the aperture ring back and forth like a crazy person. After doing this for a while, the erratic behavior of the meter went away completely! I hope this helps a Nikon F* series owner that may be experiencing this issue. Chalk up a win for the good guys!
Thanks so much. I appreciate it.
Have my original FE that my parents bought me in 1979, getting film next week thanks for the refresher course...James
You're very welcome. The Nikon FE is a very nimble and fun to use camera!
Man this is such a thorough and well thought out video. I just purchased a nikon FE myself, and this will be my first classic film slr from nikon, as I transitioned from my nikon DSLR. I don’t see much reviews on the FE so I appreciate what youre doing here. Keep it up. Subbed!
Thanks so much!
Thank you for another excellent video Eric. I love your very thorough coverage of the features of this camera. I have just ordered a Nikon FE and it will be my first Nikon film camera. I have owned several Nikon DSLRs, but no Nikon film cameras until now. Looking forward to using this camera and having a little fun with a "new to me" Nikon camera.
Thanks so much. I hope that you enjoy your “new” FE as much as I’ve enjoyed mine. It’s a fun camera to use and the AI-S glass is second to none.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much. This really helped me make my decision to purchase the Nikon FE. I spent months reading about film cameras and finally got my FE on ebay with a 50mm lens! I am SO excited! Thanks again! :)
I am thoroughly impressed with your perspective and down-to-earth explanations. Just got mine with a motor drive and speed light flash. Anxious to go out for a test drive.
Glad it was helpful! I really like the grip from the motor drive but I've had bad luck finding one that works properly. Hope you got a good one!
This is a Aprature priority and manual control camera and it can be used with out a battery and is got a back up shutter speed
Great video, Eric. I was gifted this camera and have enjoyed using it. You really covered all the features. I hope you will post more videos in the future. I noticed you haven’t been very active recently. I appreciate your clear, thorough, interesting videos!
This is a great video! I have been using one of these cameras for years, and I love the Nikon FE. I have shot a bunch of film on the FE. This video stands alone in how it precisely covers the features and characteristics of using the Nikon FE. Huge thumbs ups from a long user of a this camera.
Thanks so much for watching. I’m glad you found it helpful. I really like my FE. It’s one of my all time favorites.
I really appreciate this video, in particular how you describe how the two needles in the viewfinder work together. I ended up buying one and am so pleased I've done so.
The Nikon FE is one of the most intuitive and well thought out film cameras ever. I love using it.
Great walkthrough, I have had a FE for years and still learned a few. Thank you!
Good to know. Thanks!
Great review, very informative, engaging and to the point. I bought a FE and love it, thanks for the info
Good evening. Great Video! Clear, and Concise without any rubbish which there's so much. You really know Your way around Classic Cameras. Not that I doubt your ability on Any other. Many thanks and Kind regards Colyn from The UK. Keep up Your Good work and of course Keep Safe.
Hi Colyn, I'm glad you found it helpful!
Great video. Very helpful. I just got a FE this week. A little more than $100. Paid $205 with an Ai 50mm f/1.4. Both camera and lens are in mint condition. A great purchase and I'm excited about using it. Picked up some glass as well. And bought an EM with series E 50mm and a 75-150mm series E. Just getting back into film. I was a Canon slr user, and still have a Canon 5D Mark III. But never owned a Nikon. I think I like them. Well done, thanks.
Thanks
I bought my FE about 18 months ago and love it.
Since then I have acquired a Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 ai s-c lens. It's all black, showing brass edges. Cool.
I was looking at a Nikkormat recently. Haven’t pulled the trigger just yet. The FE is such a good camera. I enjoy it a lot every time I use it.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I have just ordered a Nikkor 105 2.5 ai s-c lens from Japan for £50.
Excellent review and well made video! I actually bought one on Ebay today.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Greetings from a new subscriber in Sweden
Enjoy your “new” camera and thanks for sub
Great camera! Pair it up with some vintage Nikon glass and you’ll be amazed to the image quality. Super fun and easy to use.
I agree 100%. The Nikon AI-s glass is absolutely fantastic. In the age of autofocus they are less popular but when it comes to image quality they are still among the best.
I got an FE with my first pay packet. I do macrophotography of plants and small animals. The higher flash synch was helpful but even more so the fact that the K type viewing screen could be changed for a plain ground glass, with or without etched grid. The K type focussing aid blacks out in low lighting (even with full lens aperture) and it was not really possible to focus on the ground glass and recompose with a moving subject. I shot mainly colour slide but bought a second FE body (black finish) which was loaded with print film, colour or B/W, as suited.
That's one of my favorites that I own! Right next to my Yashica MAT 124g and my Argus C3. It's my first "professional" camera. Couple of Tokina lenses, though. Eventually I need to get a solid Nikon lens.
Thanks for a great photo explanation. When I shoot film I like the nikon d200. I'm im thinking of something different.i also like your background arrangement. Great lighting and setup.
Thanks for this really well done video! I appreciate the preparation and care you put into this explanation.
Glad it was helpful! The FE is suck a well thought out and intuitive camera in practical use. I really enjoy it.
Very helpful! I enjoy your manner of delivery, and sticking to relevant points.
Thanks!
I just love the analog Nikon cameras of this era, so much so I got an FM2. It is my ideal film camera for it has a very accurate electronic ightmeter and at the same time is mechanical. It means in case you run out of batteries, it will still work. Minus the light meter, of course. Thanks for the video.
The FM2 is a great camera!
Hi Eric
I really enjoyed this video. I just ordered a FE on eBay, with a 50mm f/1.4 Ai-s lens and am so excited. It will be my first modern-era SLR (I have my dad’s 1941 Kodak 35 rangefinder camera, as well as his 1956 Edixa Mat Reflex C SLR camera.).
Appreciate your walk-through of the FE’s features. I’m looking forward to using the match-needle, of all things!
I’m fairly new to film photography. I have Nikon DSLR cameras, and my dad’s film cameras. Subscribed to your channel!
Thanks I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. It’s a really fun camera to use. Check my comment in this video in case you get a “jumpy” meter needle. It’s an easy fix if it comes up.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thanks. I saw your needle comment. Good to know about the “fix”!
Any recommendations on a B&W filter set, or will any brand work ok?
Looks like it’s been a while since you posted a video. Taking a break from the rigors of making videos? 🤪
I like b&w filters personally. They strike a balance between quality and fairly good price. Good thing too is that a lot of the Ai-s lenses have a common 52mm filter size thread
Really thorough and helpful information. I'm considering buying one and wanted to know more about the camera. Thank you.
That’s great! The FE is such an intuitive and satisfying camera to use because of their excellent build quality. Nikon is a great choice in general because there are so many Ai-S lenses from which to choose and they’re all great in terms of build quality and image quality. Enjoy!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I bought the FE today and need to go buy batteries. I've cleaned it up but there's dust inside so I may have to take it in for that. Looking forward to using this camera.
gave my FG and a coupla lenses to my neice, this looks like a perfect affordable upgrade replacement, nice tutorial on specs, thanks
Thanks a lot. Nice present for your niece too!
Great review! Thank you so much!
Great video. I always liked the FE, never bonded with the F3.
The FE is more intuitive to use than the F3 but I think the F3 is popular for its reputation and looks.
Great review. I do feel you ought to correct your comment about the double exposure procedure. You only have to hold the lever in for the very first part of the wind on which is really easy.
Great point! No way to "fix" the video tho. Your posted comment will serve as the correction. Thanks.
Excellent review. What would you reccomend for good lenses for this camera?
So many! The Nikon 28mm f2.8 ai-s is spectacular! Also the pancake 50mm f1.8 has very unique and classic rendering. The 85mm f2.0 ai-s is really nice and relatively inexpensive. 50mm 1.4 ai-s is incredible. Like I said, so many.
Cool video and beautiful family. Hope to post some of my own film camera reviews, soon!!!
Thanks so much. Glad you stopped by.
You do not have to keep your finger on the double exposure control lever past the initial movement of the wind on lever which makes it much easier to use than shown.
I still have all my old film cams. I shoot digi mostly these days but man I do miss the simplicity.
Amen to that! I’m all for simplicity which is why I enjoy film photography so much. I have literally worn out the battery on a DSLR just from fiddling with the menus and trying to learn how to operate it. Didn’t take a single photo!
Very Informative thinking of the FE as a an option......$239 for Mint condition with a 50mm lens .....thou I wonder if I could get a wider lens on it maybe a 28
That’s a bit of a premium price. It must be very mint! Hopefully it’s the 50mm f1.4 lens. The 28mm f2.8 aid is a superb lens. One of the best that Nikon has ever made!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Will keep both points in Mind 28mm / 2.8 & especially the Price even I feel a lil high thou yes Mint condition ....thank you so very Much :))
Extremely well done review.
Thanks so much!
Excellent prime. After some research I'm still not sure how to use the tiny slide switch on some of the Nikkor lens. The switch locks the lens @smallest aperture, which I take it gives the most flexibility in auto exposure, but I don't really know the practicalities of the switch, thanks.
Hi the switch is for "newer" Nikons that have shutter priority or program modes. It's not used for cameras like the FE. You lock the aperture ring and the camera controls the f-stop from there.
Great to see another big fan of the Nikon FE, nice video. Also, all your cameras seem to in such good condition for their age! a bit of a collector? :D
Hah, yes I do like my cameras "Minty". It's just more satisfying to find an older camera that looks close to original condition. I find the FE to be just dead-simple and intuitive to use. It just gets out of the way and lets you concentrate on your subject.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel absolutely agreed!
The FE series is closer to perfection than any SLR camera has ever achieved in my opinion. They are ALMOST flawless cameras, and if Nikon were to ever get back into making film cameras, I would love for them to build an FE4, which would only have a few changes from the FE. 1. Modern high speed electronic shutter, something like 1/8000 a la FM3a. 2. Swap the permanently mounted prism with the F3's HP prism. The 14mm eyepoint of the whole series is just a bit too short to have glasses on and see the whole viewfinder.
Everything else is the same. Ergonomics, controls, the match needle meter + the metering logic, everything. Maybe add in matrix metering with the better processing power we have access to nowadays. The FE2 had a 'feature' where the first 2 shots were locked at 1/125th so if you left the cap on in auto mode it wouldn't do a 30 second shutter. Being that I like to do 'first of the roll' shots it'd be nice to have a way to switch that on and off. Maybe an LED to backlight the meter in dark scenes, and a mirror lockup. That's it.
With those adjustments, I'm sure Nikon could cement themselves as THE modern film SLR to get, as much as Leica is THE rangefinder to get. I would get five - no, one for every room in the house to make sure I had it for the rest of my life, and would eagerly suggest it to anyone wanting a modern film SLR. Pair it up with the pancake 50mm f1.8 instead of the lackluster 45mm f2.8 that plagued the FM3a and I'm sure it'd get a lot of attention.
Great thought. I would buy at least one! I love the old school metering system in the film Nikons. I’ve NEVER had an improperly exposed photo from my F3. If you check out my F3 video you’ll see a night photo with ASA 100 film (Ektar?) and the lens stopped down. The F3 metered it without any other help for around 8 minutes and it came out perfectly exposed. Unbelievable!
Great video, thank you! Just wanted to ask how does one use auto exposure in aperture priority mode with non Ai lenses and how is the best way to use those lenses?
I’ve never owned a non-ai lens so I’m not really sure. I think they can be converted to ai but I’m not familiar with the process.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I see, thanks anyway.
Very informative, thankyou
The hot shoe is not TTL on the FE; it only has one small extra contact and cameras which do support TTL flash have all three. The FA and FG, but not the FG-20,do support TTL, as does the FM3a. I think the FM2, FM2n andFE2 do as well, but I’m not certain about that.
Thanks!
well made video sir!!! /Greetings From Sweden
Thanks so much for watching. You live in one of the most beautiful countries in the world!
Little known fun fact which in my opinion makes the FE a better value than the FE2 is that in auto mode most copies comfortably and accurately expose to 1/2000! Some copies, as does mine, accurately expose to 1/4000! I have tested mine a it does expose correctly to 1/4000. This is due to the analog circuitry which works more organically versus a digital circuit which tops out where a computer tells it to top out at. Nikon did not advertise on this because they couldn’t guarantee all copies would be accurate up to 1/4000 of a second.
Wow that is a fun fact. Now I want to know if my copy can reach 1/4000. Thanks for sharing!
Great video!
Thanks for another great video!
Glad you like them!
Semi professional? In the UK, one of the leading broadsheet photographers had one as standard kit.
Of course. I think that cameras were labeled “professional” because of the many system accessories available for them to include the faster motor drives (5 plus FPS) vs power winders (usually 2-3 FPS). If you look at my Nikon F3 video I cover the many professional accessories made for the F3 to include huge bulk film backs and a remote trigger with a 700 meter range!
You made me purchased a Nikon FE from eBay!!!..🤭🤭🤭
Thanks! You will enjoy it just like i do mine
@@FilmPhotographyChannel
I can't wait!!!
I still need to wait for a week before it reaches to me.. 🤭🤭🤭
Thanks .. great video!!..👍🏼😊
You just mentioned about the depth of field lever and didn't explain much about it if i am not wrong... I noticed though, when I press it, it acts as an exposure lock lever... M
Recently I bought the Nikon FE, my only doubt is that in manual mode, do I have too match the both needles while composing particular subject?
Yes that’s correct. The green needle indicates shutter speed and you then turn the aperture ring to match the black needle to it and you’ll have proper exposure. It’s a great system because it conveniently shows you your shutter speed and is very intuitive to just dial in the aperture.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Thank You.
My FE has a needle pointer-type indicator in the lower right quadrant of the viewfinder, and I can't seem to find anything about it in the manual or online. What does it indicate and how do I engage/disengage it?
Hi Elliot, so I took a really close look at my FE and did some google searches to include the FE owners manual and couldn't find any reference to a needle located on the right-bottom of the viewfinder. Does it move or react to light, shutter speed or aperture adjustments? And you have an FE not an FE2 or other Nikon, right?
Hi Errik,
In my FE, mirror is locked in upper position and film advance is stuck as well.
Maybe you what to do ... .
I’m sorry to hear that! Unfortunately I have no qualifications as a camera technician. If it happened to me I would try to remove the battery or switching the camera to bulb just in case the meter is keeping the mirror locked (im sure you already tried this). I’m sorry I can’t be more help.
Can you change the viewfinder? Specifically, can you mount a Nikon waist level finder on FE like F1 or F2 or F3? Thanks.
No the compact design of the FEx, FMx, FA etc didn’t include a removable finder. There are several Nikon and off brand right angle finders that slip over the viewfinder eyepiece allowing you to look down while framing your photos and will even magnify for critical macro focusing.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel thanks! I know this is a bit off topic, but it seems to me the only reflex with waist level finder similar to medium format cameras are the Nikon F1 2 or 3. Let me know if you know more about this. Thanks again, cheers.
Other 35mm cameras that have Waist level interchangeable finder options are the Canon A-1 and Minolta XK. There’s really not a lot of 35mm waist level options out there. Most major camera brands flagship models usually had a removable viewfinder that had a waist level option. There are some older cameras like the Topcon RE Super and the Wirgin Edina-Flex that have fixed waist level finders which look interesting also. I’ve seen them in passing but I don’t know anything about them really.
Thank you very much!!!
The two Nikon cameras that you got and the lenses that are on them you would need over £1.500 or so to buy them if you had the money
Hello, when the batteries run out and you have the camera in aperture priority will the shutter default to the highest shutter speed of 1/1000?
No, you should rotate the shutter speed dial to "M90" for a manual at 1/90th sec shutter speed with no battery power necessary. "B" or bulb is also available.
@@FilmPhotographyChannel I was hoping this was the case because I have an Nikon EM and when the batteries are out you can use the M90 setting but you can also leave it in auto and it will default to the highest shutter speed basically giving you two options of shutter speeds.
@@12macevedo When I take the batteries out of my FE the shutter just locks if I press the shutter release at any of the marked shutter speeds and won't close back unless I rotate the SS knob to M90 or B. It's good to have that second option on the EM at least.
Is it true that in A or aperture priority mode, the shutter can fire as fast as 1/4000th even though manually it only goes to 1/1000th? If so, that's a great hidden feature! But why is it a 'hidden' feature? The manual doesn't say it.
As far as I know, the FE maxes out at 1/1000 sec, even in auto mode. The FE2 has the 1/4000 sec faster shutter speed but it a known feature, not hidden. I've never know Nikon to have hidden features maybe with the exception of the super-long shutter speeds that cameras like the F3 FE, FE2 and others are capable of. These cameras can meter really long night exposures, even at or over an hour!
@@FilmPhotographyChannel Hmm, interesting. This is why no one should believe what they read on the internet. According to Ken Rockwell, on his site about the FE, here is what he says, which then may not be true according to you. Read the last paragraph under the heading:
Meter and Shutter Range
The manual settings are fixed at full stops from 8 seconds to 1/1,000.
The Auto mode also selects shutter speeds seamlessly, so if perfect exposure is 1/234 second or 3.1415926 seconds, that's what you'll get.
Even though Nikon only specifies the Auto mode to cover the same range, in actuality the Nikon FE's Auto range covers from exposure times longer than an hour to about 1/4,000 of a second!
The FE is most certainly 1/1000th fastest. The shutter used on the FE would not support 1/4000th.
I consider my FM as a poor mans Leica M3
the shutter sound of fe is not very nice
Compared to what? It's a $100 camera
@@Caballeroshot yes, people will get more value for the money. i also have a FE. Mine has a "ring" sound when releasing the shutter, which i don't like. i'd rather pay a little more money for the FE2.
I recently got two Nikon FE cameras. One in silver and one in black. The one in black won’t fire a flash for some reason, but my silver one works perfect.
Hmm I wonder if there’s some corrosion internally that prevents the flash from firing?
Great video!
Thanks!