This is a really good video. Probably the best I ever seen on the FE2. I owned this camera for 15+ years and I'm still learning how to use it. I really like the part on Double Exposure.
you're the best! thank you so much for getting the new and the old interested in film. i enjoy film and digital and hate to see either mode diminished--film by digital, and digital by smart phones.
thank you so much for actually showing the mechanics of loading and unloading film! This will be my first time taking pictures on film and at first I was pretty intimidated about messing it all up, but not anymore!
great explanation about double exposure. I didn't know about stopping down half the light for the 2nd exposure. I get my Fe2 boxed with manual tomorrow. apparently having only ever had 10 rolls of film through it. thank you. Subscribed.
With the Nikon SB-15 flash on TTL mode it is not necessary use a shutter speed of 250 or slower. You can use A mode or any shutter sped except M250 and B. The Nikon FG is the same.
Hi David, thanks for the video. I just want to ask, when I bought my FE2 for the first day, I asked a camera guy to load a roll of film for me, but when I start taking photos, I forgot the film has been advanced but not shooting. Then I pushed the advancing level hard until I heard a click. Right now the camera can still shoot and advance film, but I am worry about the possible damage i made to the camera. Have you heard of anything like this before?
I should add that the FE will automatically slow the shutter speed to 250 or slower (90 or slower with the FG) on TTL mode. You just need to avoid any mode but M250 and B on the FE (M90 and B on the FG). On the FG, TTL will not work with a film ISO greater than 400. I see a lot of misinformation on this. This is also true of the FE. The Nikon SB-15 was made specifically for the beginner and intermediate cameras of that era that had TTL and the SB-17 was made for the professional F3. The SB-15 manual is out on the web. This is where this is thoroughly explained. Not so much in the FE or FG manuals. These rules may be different for different flashes, but these were the ones Nikon wanted us to put on the hot shoe of these cameras. Automatic flash mode on the SB-15 is completely different. So, it's kind of confusing to call TTL "Auto Mode" b/c on the SB-15 and SB-17 flashes those modes are completely different. They use the light meter in the flash, not the meter in the camera like TTL mode.
I'm glad you like my comment. I do buy a high-end digital Nikon every 3 years or so and sell the old one. Always from Nikon's refurbished camera listings on their website. I only own one digital camera at a time. Most recently, I bought a Z-7, so I have a lot to explore there. But for my high school graduation I got a Nikon FG that I still have. I shoot more film than digital still. I have 3 Nikon FG's and even the one I've used a whole lot since '84 is still in great shape. I've never had one fail. I also have a real nice FE2. It's a better camera. It has a more sturdy body, I like the double exposure feature and the high shutter speed. I also have a Nikon FG-20. Those are my 5 film cameras and all I want. I don't have any AF film cameras and often shoot manual focus with digital cameras. I have the 24mm Nikon f2.8 lens (they still make this one and sell it new to this day, the 50mm Nikon/Nikor f1.2, the 85mm f1.4 Nikon/Nikor 85mm, a couple fog-free E series 50mm f1.8 lenses, and the Nikon/Nikor 28mm-85mm w/largest aperture 3.5 (for versatility, no bokah with this) and a Tameron wonderall 70-210m zoom, 3.5 max f, up to f32 fitted to an AIS mount. All in great shape and all I need. I often carry as many as 3 bodies for film shooting so I can use different ISO film and b/w. Sometimes 4 bodies. I think the FG is way underrated for what it delivers..... but I've had this gear set for a while and I know them well, so your GREAT review of the FE2 was very interesting to me. I like the exposure comp button on these cameras (except the FG-20 lacks it) for backlit situations. It works. A lot of people think it's useless. Anyway, I enjoyed watching both parts of your FE review. Thanks! By the way, that FG-20 delivers on sunny days. You can't step up or down, no exposure comp, no TTL, but in normal outside conditions, cloudy or sunny.... it delivers the same quality images as the FE.
Good video, just that at 6:00 mark the video skipped the most difficult part of loading film for me... so I don't know exactly how to insert the film...
Just get it attached to the film take-up spool and then, if you're having problems with it popping out, gently rest your thumb over the film tension sprocket (not the shutter) with no pressure -- just hold the film there so the sprockets and sprocket holes engage. That can help with the film loading.
Does this camera in Aperture priority can expand shutter speed beyond 8 sec to several minutes or even hours in very dark conditions? And if it does that can you compensate for reciprocity using the exposure compensation dial?
Thank you so much for this video! It is super thorough and really gave me insight on my new fe2! I have a quick question though: the camera I got came with a Tamron 28-80 f3.5. I would like to get another lens, ideally a prime. What are you favorite nikon compatible lenses for this camera that you have used? Thanks!
Hello! Recently picked up fe2, everything was working fine, except the lightmeter. Battery contacts are clean, fresh batteries are installed properly, all shutter speeds are ok, but the black meter needle doesn't travel uper than 1/250. I've tried to set iso dial to 3200, but nothing changes. Test roll of film showed that meter is quite accurate, so the only problem is this black needle. What it can be? Is it repairable? Thanks!
Just bought an FE2 but not sure if the aperture is working. Whenever I adjust the aperture setting i don't see a change through the lens. Very confusing. Any idea what i'm missing?
The aperture will only stop down when you take a photo or use the DoF preview. Try setting the shutter speed to one second and aperture to f/16. Then look at the lens when you take a photo. The aperture should stop down.
Hi David, thanks for this. I bought a FE2, do you get the film advance level working perfectly over many rolls of films? I have got mine CLAed however it still keeps getting stuck when advancing the film. Any idea on how to resolve it?
Unfortunately no. The lens does not communicate aperture to the camera so if you do that the camera will always meter at f/1.4 and then expose at your selected aperture. So almost all of your photos will be severely underexposed.
I need some help with my camera. I can't see through the lense. I can't click to take a picture and I can't get the film advance lever to turn. Is my camera broken??
I had just replaced the batteries and made sure I had them in there correctly as I was watching your video. The shutter will release when I change the shutter speed to M250 but when I put it back to the automatic setting it locks up again. I read another post that you had suggested changing the shutter speed but it still locks up when I put it on automatic.
Is there film in the camera? If so, try rewinding it and then seeing if it will work. If there's no film, make sure that the shutter has been triggered as the film advance won't work until the shutter is triggered. If there is no film and the shutter is triggered (try firing it on M250), let me know and we'll take it from there.
Hello, I just got a Nikon Fe2 and everything seems to be working fine except the black needle on the light meter does not move from the bottom. I have even put in fresh batteries and advanced the film past 1. The automatic setting seems to be working fine but the black needle just does not move. Any suggestions on what I should or what the problem is?
Could be a couple things. If the shutter is working in "A" mode and the speeds are different (for instance if outside it's very fast and inside with your hand in front of the lens it's much slower, then the automatic mode is working) the issue is probably in the needle readout. If the shutter speed in "A" mode is the same regardless of lighting then either the batteries are in upside-down or there's an issue with the electronics. The needle would only tell you your shutter speed before the photo and isn't required for a proper exposure.
Hello! I just got a fe2 and i Was following your instructions correctly, until i couldnt move the lever which pulls the film in place, it just does not move. Is there anything that i could have forgotten/done wrong or is my fe2 broken?
Just to check, does the camera have batteries and did you for the shutter before advancing the film? If you don't have batteries, try using them camera on them mechanical shutter seeing and see if the mechanism works. Let me know how that goes.
@@DavidHancock It worked before, and the batteries are new. I was also able to take a few Photos with it. I suppose i must have locked the mechanism somehow. Also i cant see through the lense since the lever was not moving. Sadly none of your suggestions worked
Hi, I recently bought an FE2 from an individual on ebay. The seller is not a camera expert, never used the camera, and can't answer questions about it. The camera looks beautiful. However, I am encountering some problems trying to use it for the first time. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong, or if it is a problem with the camera. When I try to operate the film advance lever, it moves somewhat, then seems to hit a blockage. It does not move the full range of motion I see depicted in the manual, more like half of the range of motion. I saw in this video that the spool should rotate as you move the film advance lever. The spool in my camera does not move at all when I try to use the film advance lever. Also, when I press the shutter release button, the mirror flips up and stays up until I manually lower it with the lever inside the camera, normally behind the lens. I could very well be missing an obvious step? I hope so! Or if not, any suggestions for how to troubleshoot further? Thank you.
@@DavidHancock Both seem to work properly in M250! I put in fresh batteries earlier today, before encountering the problem. I wonder if I didn't tighten the battery cover enough, or if my batteries (Amazon-brand LR44 batteries fresh from a pack) are duds.
I removed the battery cover, looked at the batteries to make sure they were in correctly, and put the batteries/battery cover back on. Now, I am able to use the film advance lever, and the mirror behaves properly, even when set to a different speed (not just M250), and even when set to A. However, the black needle does not move, it's just hanging out down in the red area at the very bottom on the left. Edited: I advanced the film again and now the black needle seems to work properly. I guess the film wasn't advanced enough before. Thanks for your help!
Hi, I read recently in an Olympus manual that it's best to leave the camera in bulb mode when not in use for long periods. Does this apply to all 35mm cameras? In particular this one, the FE2? Thanks in advance.
Hello I just bought an Nikon FE2 but im not sure if the light meter works how can I know that? The blend is not working it doesnt move can I take pictures with this condition of the camera? Thanks for your help!
So testing the light meter is pretty straight forward. This has to be done outside as indoors lighting may not have enough light to activate the shutter. Set your ISO to 400 and your lens aperture to 16. Point the lens at an object in full (NOT the sun itself, and don't have the sun in the frame) and the meter reading should indicate a shutter speed around 1/400 (from 1/250 th 1/500 is a-okay.) What do you mean that the blend isn't working?
In terms of interpreting what you see when you stop down the DoF lever? When you stop down the DoF lever, you'll see what is in focus increase, so it should just give you a rough idea of what will be in focus when shooting.
Hi David - I am just starting with film photography and purchased this camera! I'm admittedly completely clueless, which will become apparent with my question... in this video, you say to line up the needle with the shutter speed that the camera is suggesting. If you do this, what is the point of shooting in manual, if you are just listening to what the camera would do in auto? I'm sure I am completely misunderstanding, but would you mind helping me grasp this?
I totally get it. Manual is used to override the camera. So let's day that you have a really bright sky and a subject under a tree or awning. The bright sky will cause your camera to expose for the sky and underexpose your subject. So you can use manual to adjust the exposure upward (more light) to expose for the shaded area. You can also intentionally underexpose images to create low-key or dramatic looks. Or overexpose images for high-key or washed-out looks. Also, shooting manual can be very rewarding as it's harder to take a great photo and succeeding at a manual exposure is really a sign that you've started to understand how film works.
@@DavidHancock thanks so much for the insight! I understand all of that, as it is similar to digital. I guess my question is more...if you are in that situation you described with the sun or a backlit situation, do you want to position the needle at a lower shutter speed (so as to let in more light) than what the camera is suggesting? Around 9:00 in this video, you suggest matching the needle to what the camera is suggesting. That is what prompted my initial question. I hope this makes sense :)
I think in that scenario I intended to indicate you would meter off the pavement in the shaded area to find out the proper exposure for that lighting. That would be the easiest way to do it.
when manually setting your shutter speed, why would you also mess around with the ISO dial on the left? "matching the two needles" at 11:56on the video. have watched it five times and can't figure out the point....
This is a really good video. Probably the best I ever seen on the FE2. I owned this camera for 15+ years and I'm still learning how to use it. I really like the part on Double Exposure.
Thank you! The double exposure guide was a subscriber request for the video outline some years ago.
you're the best! thank you so much for getting the new and the old interested in film. i enjoy film and digital and hate to see either mode diminished--film by digital, and digital by smart phones.
Thank you!
thank you so much for actually showing the mechanics of loading and unloading film! This will be my first time taking pictures on film and at first I was pretty intimidated about messing it all up, but not anymore!
Thank you!
great explanation about double exposure. I didn't know about stopping down half the light for the 2nd exposure. I get my Fe2 boxed with manual tomorrow. apparently having only ever had 10 rolls of film through it.
thank you. Subscribed.
Thank you!
And that's a fantastic find, too. Lightly used FE2 bodies are very uncommon.
Very informative, thank you. I have just purchased a FE2 and very happy with it . I've subscribed
Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to make this fantastic video!
Thank you!
Thanks for the explanation!!
Thank you!
Im getting my FE 2 Next week, cant wait 🤗
Fantastic! It's a great camera.
Excellente vidéo, merci beaucoup !!! greetings from Switzerland
Thank you!
With the Nikon SB-15 flash on TTL mode it is not necessary use a shutter speed of 250 or slower. You can use A mode or any shutter sped except M250 and B. The Nikon FG is the same.
Thank you!
Hi David, thanks for the video. I just want to ask, when I bought my FE2 for the first day, I asked a camera guy to load a roll of film for me, but when I start taking photos, I forgot the film has been advanced but not shooting. Then I pushed the advancing level hard until I heard a click. Right now the camera can still shoot and advance film, but I am worry about the possible damage i made to the camera. Have you heard of anything like this before?
If it works, you lucked out. Definitely don't force the film advance again, though. That can't strip the advance gears.
Good work.
Thank you!
I should add that the FE will automatically slow the shutter speed to 250 or slower (90 or slower with the FG) on TTL mode. You just need to avoid any mode but M250 and B on the FE (M90 and B on the FG). On the FG, TTL will not work with a film ISO greater than 400. I see a lot of misinformation on this. This is also true of the FE. The Nikon SB-15 was made specifically for the beginner and intermediate cameras of that era that had TTL and the SB-17 was made for the professional F3. The SB-15 manual is out on the web. This is where this is thoroughly explained. Not so much in the FE or FG manuals. These rules may be different for different flashes, but these were the ones Nikon wanted us to put on the hot shoe of these cameras. Automatic flash mode on the SB-15 is completely different. So, it's kind of confusing to call TTL "Auto Mode" b/c on the SB-15 and SB-17 flashes those modes are completely different. They use the light meter in the flash, not the meter in the camera like TTL mode.
I'm glad you like my comment. I do buy a high-end digital Nikon every 3 years or so and sell the old one. Always from Nikon's refurbished camera listings on their website. I only own one digital camera at a time. Most recently, I bought a Z-7, so I have a lot to explore there. But for my high school graduation I got a Nikon FG that I still have. I shoot more film than digital still. I have 3 Nikon FG's and even the one I've used a whole lot since '84 is still in great shape. I've never had one fail. I also have a real nice FE2. It's a better camera. It has a more sturdy body, I like the double exposure feature and the high shutter speed. I also have a Nikon FG-20. Those are my 5 film cameras and all I want. I don't have any AF film cameras and often shoot manual focus with digital cameras. I have the 24mm Nikon f2.8 lens (they still make this one and sell it new to this day, the 50mm Nikon/Nikor f1.2, the 85mm f1.4 Nikon/Nikor 85mm, a couple fog-free E series 50mm f1.8 lenses, and the Nikon/Nikor 28mm-85mm w/largest aperture 3.5 (for versatility, no bokah with this) and a Tameron wonderall 70-210m zoom, 3.5 max f, up to f32 fitted to an AIS mount. All in great shape and all I need. I often carry as many as 3 bodies for film shooting so I can use different ISO film and b/w. Sometimes 4 bodies. I think the FG is way underrated for what it delivers..... but I've had this gear set for a while and I know them well, so your GREAT review of the FE2 was very interesting to me. I like the exposure comp button on these cameras (except the FG-20 lacks it) for backlit situations. It works. A lot of people think it's useless. Anyway, I enjoyed watching both parts of your FE review. Thanks! By the way, that FG-20 delivers on sunny days. You can't step up or down, no exposure comp, no TTL, but in normal outside conditions, cloudy or sunny.... it delivers the same quality images as the FE.
Good video, just that at 6:00 mark the video skipped the most difficult part of loading film for me... so I don't know exactly how to insert the film...
Just get it attached to the film take-up spool and then, if you're having problems with it popping out, gently rest your thumb over the film tension sprocket (not the shutter) with no pressure -- just hold the film there so the sprockets and sprocket holes engage. That can help with the film loading.
Does this camera in Aperture priority can expand shutter speed beyond 8 sec to several minutes or even hours in very dark conditions? And if it does that can you compensate for reciprocity using the exposure compensation dial?
I don't think so.
Thank you so much for this video! It is super thorough and really gave me insight on my new fe2! I have a quick question though: the camera I got came with a Tamron 28-80 f3.5. I would like to get another lens, ideally a prime. What are you favorite nikon compatible lenses for this camera that you have used? Thanks!
Thank you! For a good first prime, check out the Nikon 50mm f/1.8. Either the Nikkor or Series E will be a-okay. Both are great lenses.
Hello! Recently picked up fe2, everything was working fine, except the lightmeter. Battery contacts are clean, fresh batteries are installed properly, all shutter speeds are ok, but the black meter needle doesn't travel uper than 1/250. I've tried to set iso dial to 3200, but nothing changes. Test roll of film showed that meter is quite accurate, so the only problem is this black needle. What it can be? Is it repairable? Thanks!
May likely be an issue with the needle, only, which is the best case. Does it do this if you're outside in full sun?
What about exposure locking? How does that quite work?
IIRC, that happens when you half-depress the shutter button and as long as you hold it down before taking a photo then the exposure settings are held.
Just bought an FE2 but not sure if the aperture is working. Whenever I adjust the aperture setting i don't see a change through the lens. Very confusing. Any idea what i'm missing?
The aperture will only stop down when you take a photo or use the DoF preview. Try setting the shutter speed to one second and aperture to f/16. Then look at the lens when you take a photo. The aperture should stop down.
Hi David, thanks for this. I bought a FE2, do you get the film advance level working perfectly over many rolls of films? I have got mine CLAed however it still keeps getting stuck when advancing the film. Any idea on how to resolve it?
Thank you! Do you mean that the film advance lever does not automatically return?
hello !! The lenses you are using is a 50mm 1.4 non ais, can you use it with aperture priority mode? without using the depth of field preview Botton?
Unfortunately no. The lens does not communicate aperture to the camera so if you do that the camera will always meter at f/1.4 and then expose at your selected aperture. So almost all of your photos will be severely underexposed.
I need some help with my camera. I can't see through the lense. I can't click to take a picture and I can't get the film advance lever to turn. Is my camera broken??
I can help troubleshoot. Do you have batteries installed, are they new, and are they installed correctly?
I had just replaced the batteries and made sure I had them in there correctly as I was watching your video. The shutter will release when I change the shutter speed to M250 but when I put it back to the automatic setting it locks up again. I read another post that you had suggested changing the shutter speed but it still locks up when I put it on automatic.
I just got my fe2 and the film advance knob only moves a little bit but doesn’t move enough to advance the film, is there any way I can fix it?
Is there film in the camera? If so, try rewinding it and then seeing if it will work. If there's no film, make sure that the shutter has been triggered as the film advance won't work until the shutter is triggered. If there is no film and the shutter is triggered (try firing it on M250), let me know and we'll take it from there.
Hello,
I just got a Nikon Fe2 and everything seems to be working fine except the black needle on the light meter does not move from the bottom. I have even put in fresh batteries and advanced the film past 1. The automatic setting seems to be working fine but the black needle just does not move. Any suggestions on what I should or what the problem is?
Could be a couple things. If the shutter is working in "A" mode and the speeds are different (for instance if outside it's very fast and inside with your hand in front of the lens it's much slower, then the automatic mode is working) the issue is probably in the needle readout. If the shutter speed in "A" mode is the same regardless of lighting then either the batteries are in upside-down or there's an issue with the electronics. The needle would only tell you your shutter speed before the photo and isn't required for a proper exposure.
Hello! I just got a fe2 and i Was following your instructions correctly, until i couldnt move the lever which pulls the film in place, it just does not move. Is there anything that i could have forgotten/done wrong or is my fe2 broken?
Just to check, does the camera have batteries and did you for the shutter before advancing the film? If you don't have batteries, try using them camera on them mechanical shutter seeing and see if the mechanism works. Let me know how that goes.
@@DavidHancock It worked before, and the batteries are new. I was also able to take a few Photos with it. I suppose i must have locked the mechanism somehow. Also i cant see through the lense since the lever was not moving. Sadly none of your suggestions worked
@@yourfavmma If the shutter isn't working in the manual shutter speed setting, it will need a professional repair.
@@DavidHancock Ok, thank you!
Hi, I recently bought an FE2 from an individual on ebay. The seller is not a camera expert, never used the camera, and can't answer questions about it. The camera looks beautiful. However, I am encountering some problems trying to use it for the first time. I am not sure if I'm doing something wrong, or if it is a problem with the camera.
When I try to operate the film advance lever, it moves somewhat, then seems to hit a blockage. It does not move the full range of motion I see depicted in the manual, more like half of the range of motion. I saw in this video that the spool should rotate as you move the film advance lever. The spool in my camera does not move at all when I try to use the film advance lever.
Also, when I press the shutter release button, the mirror flips up and stays up until I manually lower it with the lever inside the camera, normally behind the lens.
I could very well be missing an obvious step? I hope so! Or if not, any suggestions for how to troubleshoot further? Thank you.
Hmm. Do you have batteries in the camera? Does the shutter and film advance mechanism work properly if you use it in M250?
@@DavidHancock Both seem to work properly in M250! I put in fresh batteries earlier today, before encountering the problem. I wonder if I didn't tighten the battery cover enough, or if my batteries (Amazon-brand LR44 batteries fresh from a pack) are duds.
I removed the battery cover, looked at the batteries to make sure they were in correctly, and put the batteries/battery cover back on. Now, I am able to use the film advance lever, and the mirror behaves properly, even when set to a different speed (not just M250), and even when set to A. However, the black needle does not move, it's just hanging out down in the red area at the very bottom on the left.
Edited: I advanced the film again and now the black needle seems to work properly. I guess the film wasn't advanced enough before.
Thanks for your help!
Hi, I read recently in an Olympus manual that it's best to leave the camera in bulb mode when not in use for long periods. Does this apply to all 35mm cameras? In particular this one, the FE2?
Thanks in advance.
Good question and I don't know the answer to that. It certainly won't hurt.
Hello I just bought an Nikon FE2 but im not sure if the light meter works how can I know that?
The blend is not working it doesnt move can I take pictures with this condition of the camera?
Thanks for your help!
So testing the light meter is pretty straight forward. This has to be done outside as indoors lighting may not have enough light to activate the shutter. Set your ISO to 400 and your lens aperture to 16. Point the lens at an object in full (NOT the sun itself, and don't have the sun in the frame) and the meter reading should indicate a shutter speed around 1/400 (from 1/250 th 1/500 is a-okay.)
What do you mean that the blend isn't working?
Great video. Could you tell me how to read the dof preview?
In terms of interpreting what you see when you stop down the DoF lever? When you stop down the DoF lever, you'll see what is in focus increase, so it should just give you a rough idea of what will be in focus when shooting.
My Nikon fe2 mirror keeps getting stuck and I can't take pictures is there anything I can do to fix this problem
That probably will require professional service.
Hi David - I am just starting with film photography and purchased this camera! I'm admittedly completely clueless, which will become apparent with my question... in this video, you say to line up the needle with the shutter speed that the camera is suggesting. If you do this, what is the point of shooting in manual, if you are just listening to what the camera would do in auto? I'm sure I am completely misunderstanding, but would you mind helping me grasp this?
I totally get it. Manual is used to override the camera. So let's day that you have a really bright sky and a subject under a tree or awning. The bright sky will cause your camera to expose for the sky and underexpose your subject. So you can use manual to adjust the exposure upward (more light) to expose for the shaded area. You can also intentionally underexpose images to create low-key or dramatic looks. Or overexpose images for high-key or washed-out looks. Also, shooting manual can be very rewarding as it's harder to take a great photo and succeeding at a manual exposure is really a sign that you've started to understand how film works.
@@DavidHancock thanks so much for the insight! I understand all of that, as it is similar to digital. I guess my question is more...if you are in that situation you described with the sun or a backlit situation, do you want to position the needle at a lower shutter speed (so as to let in more light) than what the camera is suggesting? Around 9:00 in this video, you suggest matching the needle to what the camera is suggesting. That is what prompted my initial question. I hope this makes sense :)
I think in that scenario I intended to indicate you would meter off the pavement in the shaded area to find out the proper exposure for that lighting. That would be the easiest way to do it.
@@DavidHancock thanks so much David!
The lens you're using in this FE2 seems to be a Non-Ai 50mm 1.2, how is that possible ? They don't accept these lenses without modification.
If I recall, that lens had been factory modified.
when manually setting your shutter speed, why would you also mess around with the ISO dial on the left? "matching the two needles" at 11:56on the video. have watched it five times and can't figure out the point....
That was just me fiddling with the ISO dial. When I say match the needles, I'm talking about the two needles in the viewfinder.
What about flash?
That should be covered within the first few minutes. There's an index in the video description that might help you find that.