What a great timing to see this review today! I just arrived Taiwan for a business/personal trip with my dad's FM2 in my carry on. He passed away exactly 5 years ago this date. I learned photography from him in the 80's using an MX before he got this FM2 later. A sticker with his hand-written name is still on the bottom plate of this black beauty which I will cherish for as long as I can!
Wishing you a great trip to Taiwan. Interestingly, the FM2 is an especially legendary and revered camera in Taiwan, as it was the standard model for schools and students learning photography. And since it's nearly bulletproof it's common to see younger people out and about with an FM2 around their necks around Taiwan. There's so much to see and explore in Taiwan. Great people and more natural beauty to see and enjoy than a lifetime could ever take in.
Thank you for sharing your poignant story. I just picked up an FM2 today as I also shoot an MX which I just passed down to my son who is learning manual photography. ❤
I find it amusing that we still today keep talking about how "electronic" cameras like the FE2 require batteries and that this is somehow a big or significant weakness. Exactly how much of a burden is it to carry a couple of SR44 batteries with you as backup? You would think people were having to carry a car battery or something equally ridiculous. This is a dream compared to current digital cameras where you always want to have a charged up spare with you or some kind of power supply to supplement your camera's power. The real question should how reliable are the electronics in the FE2? Well, I have had mine for a number of years and have had no issues. Same with my F3 and my FA. Having said that, I really do like the mechanical feel of my F2 Photomic. I don't have an FM2 (yet) but I imagine it feels a bit like the F2. Great review.
Totally agree with you about the blown out of proportion battery “issue”. As far as the possibility that the FM2 feels similar to the F2, I haven’t felt that way and I have both. That doesn’t mean I’m right, it’s just my take. I have the FE, FM2, F2 and F3. Although I don’t have the FE2, I suspect it doesn’t feel and operate much differently than the FM2. I tend to equate the F2 to the F3 since both are larger and pro bodies. However, the F2 is so robust, mechanical and heavy that it’s quite different than the F3 (to me).
The issue is not simply carrying spare batteries. The issue is that the FE2 and other battery dependent camera’s shutters are electronically controlled. That means if the electronics fail and are not serviceable (most aren’t) you now have a brick of a camera. Fully mechanical cameras (FM2/Leica M6, etc.) will continue to work and are serviceable because they’re just springs and gears.
@@drbubble33 I agree that when the electronics fail, an FE2 will be useless. However, my experience has been that if they don't fail after a couple of years, they will be good for some time. Given that these cameras are already over 40 years old, how likely is it they will fail now? In the case of any mechanical camera, it is still possible for them to fail in such a way that they are not worth repairing. I just feel that the older these get, the smaller the difference in reliability gets. Besides, are Nikon cameras from this era really failure prone? My FE2, FA, F3 and F4 don't seem to notice the passage of time. At my age (>60) all of these are likely to outlive me so the issue is really irrelevant.
@@davidjb9199 I think this may have been a significant factor back in the day for professionals requiring absolute reliability for paid work. Today we use this for pleasure and as a hobby so you are correct that the difference is small. For electronics failing - there is no timetable or guideline... it could simply fail tomorrow despite all the other battery dependant cameras not failing. Of course with the price they are today it is easy to simply buy another one so again no stress there. This also the reason I simply refuse to buy expensive older electronic cameras (e.g. XPAN). I bought the FM2N because I wanted a camera where I controlled the photo-creating conditions. Enjoy the photography!
I think you should also mention the fact that pre-Ai Nikkor lenses should not be mounted on the FM2 or FE2, because they do not have a folding Ai tab in the lens mount, unlike the older FM and FE. The pre-Ai Nikkor lenses can damage the Ai tab on the lens mount of the camera if mounted because the lens has not been machined to engage properly with the Ai tab. You can certainly have your pre-Ai lenses converted to Ai spec, then they'll mount and meter just fine.
The pre-ai cameras had this prong and after mounting the lens you had to turn the aperture ring to max and min to tell the camera which speed the lens had… Started with a Nikkormat FTn (built like a tank), but as soon as the FE appeared, I got one for Dfl 995,-. Later, I worked with both FE and FE2 cameras, in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Eventually, both were stolen, sadly. Both were a joy to handle, the ergonomics were unsurpassed. In 2009 I bought a D90, which I still use occasionally. Despite all the bells and whistles, I almost always used the D90 like a FE2: Aperture-priority, and using the shutter release as a focus-lock instead of choosing different AF fields. Lots of features left unexplored… What I also liked about the Nikon FM and FE series was their looks: they were just
When I finally moved to Nikon, I bought an FA. It was expensive and I babied it. I was going to the UK for my graduate program and was afraid of taking it so I bought a black FM2 and took that instead. I had the Nikkor 35 1.4 and 20 2.8. Having not shot manual in a while, I immediately fell back in the groove and took the best photos ever. Sadly, the FM2 was lent to a friend and was stolen. I replaced it with an F3. Last year, I began to shoot film again and found an estate sale deal with a black FM2 with a 24 & 35-105 and a Nikon Speedlight and filters etc. all for under $300. I have throughly enjoyed it again and have taken great family shots with it.
I have both the FM2n and the FE2. They are fabulous cameras. The FE2 has what I think is the best viewfinder display of any manual focus camera. I often say that the FE2 is basically the same as an FM3A for about 1/4-1/3 the cost. The FM2n is such a capable all manual camera.
@@AL3X2580 That’s why you buy an FM2 as well, just in case the FE2 has an electronics failure one day and can’t be repaired. Or, buy two FE2s. This is the approach I took with my F3. 😂
@@AL3X2580 Which nobody ever needs. I bought my first FM2 in 1990, first FE2 in 1996. I still own the FE2 and it is still clicking along happily. Usually the Ai-resistor or the mirror-mechanism developes problems with these cameras (had 6 over the years for several reasons: stolen and bought again, inherited etc.) but the shutter is bullett-proof, mechanically as well as electronically controlled, aluminum as well as titanium. And you always carry a battery anyway because you want a working lightmeter, regardless of the shutter.
The FM3A is the best of the FM2n and FE2, but even better yet, it's all mechanical with AE-L and flash compensation and the same needle meter as the FE2. It has Dx coding that can be over-ridden. The brilliant little film window on the back never leaves you guessing which film is loaded in this camera. Pinnacle of mechanical perfection.
These film cameras by Nikon are my favorites, along with the Olympus OMs. I like my old, brassed FM2n because it is just that - old, beat up, reliable, and not dependent on batteries. Your comments about wearing glasses and the view finder are important to we who wear spectacles, so that was much appreciated. Good review, and good to see you guys back with another review.
I purchased a chrome FE2 new in 1984, still in use today, and a black FE2 used in 1985, used by my daughter shooting B&W; fantastic, light cameras that are a joy to shoot with, and still reliable 40 years later!
My FE2 kept me company for almost 40 years and around the 🌎 world: all over Europe, Moscow, Usbekistan, Samarkand, Baikal Lake at -25° C, Japan, you name it, she's been there. My next camera will be an FE2 ... or maybe 🤔 an F3 hp, who knows, I'll still have some time to decide since she won't retire any time soon 🤙
I used 2 Nikon F's till the early 1980's w/ 24mm - 105mm as a photojournalist since 1968 :) When I decided to work as a freelance photog in the early 1980s I bought a Nikon FM & FE & 2-MD12's (I worked for a number of major large corporations)!!!!!! I made a boat load of money with these 2 cameras... As a pro freelance most of us who were working we may buy a new lens as needed but never had a reason to move to another camera when the new ones came out unless it had something that we needed :) At 71yo I have 2 Nikon Z cameras and 24mm & 85mm !!!!!!! Long live NIKON :) :) :) I enjoy Your Videos ThankYou for interesting subjects !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like hearing about the tools of the trade, as it was decades ago. Can I ask, which lens or lenses between 24 and 105 did you regularly use and which film? Thanks.
@@mynewcolour Hi,, The reason for choosing these two lenses was that they were different than most other photogs. (this is late 60's-70's) (I was, for a short period of time the only one shooting 35mm which was a Nikon F) a new breed (which i considered myself) used 35mm n 135mm lenses (this was Newspaper Photojournalism of the time) (My camera of choice came from looking at News Mags, remember it was the Vietnam War at that time)The older guys used a 50mm (IF they changed over to 35mm camera) The newspaper gave me a Rolei and bulb flash for my kit) The guy who hired me did not realize that my portfolio was from 35mm till they gave me the Rolei)or 80mm on Rolei,, but many were still using 4X5 Speed Graflex W/ a on camera Bulb Flash) Only later did I buy a 300mm lens in the late 70's :) :) :) Life was not easy for a young,(16yo) long haired kid... But why would You want easy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@johnyoung1606 Brilliant. Thanks for sharing, I’d not have guessed that answer in a million years. Just goes to show the merit of finding your own way.
@@mynewcolour Almost exclusively TRI-X 400ASA HC110 developer we often would push the film (sometimes a lot) We never used a meter (eyeball a scene and adjusted for changes) light meter till about 15yo and later when shooting color for clients in the 80's I think about the fact that,, "I Saw in B&W (Light and Shadow)" Also the darkroom was our Photoshop of the time :) :) :)
Great review/comparison. I have both these cameras but sadly the shutter on my fE2 was damaged and I got the FM2 as a replacement. I personally loved the needle meter of the FE2 and think I’ll might need to get another fE2 for the needle meter alone.
These are such objects of beauty! Great design and engineering driven by utility. They say Leicas are design masterpieces but I feel these are no less of an iconic design. These cameras almost represent the ideal Film Vintage SLR look.
@@milesian1 Yes Leica is great for certain kind of photography but not for everything. The price premium is just too much. Nikon is just so good and affordable that you can build a very good system without breaking the bank
The FE2 is an incredible camera, right along with the FM2 and the F2. The black versions are even more impressive to look at. Then the question is asked to a Nikon devotee, 'what is a Leica?' Just kidding, the are all great tools in our hands. I have the FE2, black with motor drive and what an incredible machine it is. And what is remarkable is that many cameras today look like the FM/FE. My Sony A7R3 has the same basic look and is just as incredible as the FE2.
Yeah if I think about it, since the market demand for film cameras is so small, no company on earth is going to put all the massive financial resources together that it took Nikon to build all the processes and generations of craftsmen to develop such sophisticated mechanical film cameras again, so it's a kind of sweetness to being alive right now in the narrow window of time when these unbelievably complex handmade creations are still plentiful and even inexpensive. As time reduces their numbers and make their existence more and more improbable, these will just be increasingly special and unique art-making machines.
I used to be a Canon shooter for so long, but when I moved back to film I fell in love with Nikon, in fact I love my FM3a more than my Leica M3. The FM3a is very similar in function to the FE2 that I bought her an FE2 and she loves it and been shooting for a couple of years and still on the same batteries. But we use the CR1/3N battery because you only need one. Beautiful video again, thank you, I am sure my blood pressure and heart rate dropped while watching this 😊
Two of my favourite cameras. Own an FM2n, FM3a, FA, and really regret trading in my FE2. Just a brilliant industrial design. That first frame quirk applies to the FA as well.
I bought my black FE new in 1982, before the FE2 came out, and still have it - I didn't think it worth changing for the extra offered by the FE2. It was interesting to be reminded of the marketing differences between the two models - I remember choosing the FE above the FM because I knew I was not a perfectionist (I was 16) and specifically wanted the AE feature. I had considered the OM10, ME Super and AE-1programme as alternatives before choosing the FE and over 40 years of ownership and use have shown I made the right choice for me. Oh, and I've never had a problem with losing battery power - the FE at least uses tiny amounts and the batteries last a long time. My father later had an FM2n but I didn't like it as much as my FE.
Great video! I've owned both, buying the FM2 30 years ago after my FE2 was stolen. The FM2 is a tank and because it is mechanical, it was commonly used as a backup camera by photo journalists.
Very interesting and complete review of the FM/FE family of cameras. What is interesting (but by no means unique) is that many parts are interchangeable between the FM/FE, FM2/FE2 and FM3a such as screens and film back doors. The FM3a, which was a combined FM2 and FE2 (both mechanical and Automatic incorporated in the same body) had a much better focusing screen, which could be retro-fitted to the older bodies. And the film door has a window for checking what film is loaded, which can also be mounted on the older cameras. All this is just like the Leica R4-R7 series of cameras, which had the same basic body design and (almost lazy) backward compatible upgraded parts. For me the FE, FE2 and FM3a exposure meter with match-needle design is so much more intuitive and useful than the FM/FM2 with the 3 diodes, as you can see how far off you are from perfect exposure, allowing you to quickly ratchet aperture or shutter speed to get to where you need to be. So the ultimate camera is the FM3a.. Then again the FE will still take pre-ai lenses so that might just be the ultimate Nikon manual focus camera.. Keep up the good work guys, your vidoes are fantastic!
I had two FE's. I liked the needle metering better. I used a Sunpak 411 flash based on guide numbers for more reliable exposures. With auto flash and transparency film, different backgrounds were troublesome. Thank you for reminding me of how much I enjoyed shooting slides with my Nikon FEs. Normally I carried two FE's with a 35 f/2 and an 85 f/2. Those were the good old days. I loved Kodachrome.
I think battery anxiety is overstated with these Nikon models, Olympus definitely are battery hogs but mitigation of spare batteries is easy. Match needle , as long as you can see it is the most analog exposure method , it is the most visual exposure compensation method, dialing in any plus/minus is right there in the viewfinder, its much more intuitive than the plus/minus green/red led for me . Having aperture priority when you need to be quick is a major plus too , so FE/2 for me. I remember when the FE2 was recently our of production , its entirely the case that they were very expensive on the used market and mostly heavily used, a testament that I think makes the FE2 the best ever classic film SLR.
You've earned my subscription! I took an FM2 in trade a few years ago on another deal and it has been sitting on my shelf. When I get home, I'll get it out and run it. I'm a big fan of mechanical cameras, maybe because that's what I grew up with. I just bought a F2AS that should be delivered this week. I have a fair collection of Nikkor vintage glass, as well as a few AF lenses for my digital Nikon cameras. That 45mm pancake immediately caught my eye! I said (out loud) "What is that?!?" Now I'll have to have one. I was less aware of the FE2, but will need to check them out. That body style (the F series) works for me as it is the quintessential analog SLR look. The cameras pair well with the winder, which looks really good on them. It adds some bulk and noise, but is a handy accessory. I also noticed the Voigtlander in the inventory. I have only one of these lenses, a 27mm f/2 Ultron in Fuji X-mount. It has electronics, so it presents its settings to the camera. I don't mind that it is manual focus and it is a very good lens. Well done and I really appreciate the depth of your reviews. I also love how you intersperse the information with photo walk-abouts and share the images.
I greatly preferred the match-needle exposure indicators of the FE & FE2, so I sapped my FM2 for an FE2 (which was a favourite camera for many years.) I'm a D3S & D3X shooter in 2023.
Two beautiful cameras. I have the original FE and FM. I don’t know which one I prefer. I love the match needle of the FE but the FM is fully functional without a battery, minus the meter of course, which isn’t an absolute necessity. The shutter on my FM is lovely, pretty quiet and smooth. Both cameras are a joy to use. I’d love to own a Leica some day but I don’t know that it would give me any more joy than my Nikons.
Great video as always guys :) The analog Nikons are some of the cameras i have used the most over the years, and while i never actually got myself the FM2, i have the FE2 ( also sold one ) as well as the FM3a and the F2. While the FM3a is a favorite overall even including the other brands i use, the FE2 is actually a camera i really like using too. For the price you can get it for its such a handy camera, with so much features packed into it, always felt very reliable and the Lr44 batteries are so easy to get and tend to last a long while as well as long as you remember to put the rewind lever i the right place ;) I even considered a chrome FM2 pr the titanium one just to have tried the FM2, but having the FM3a it would be a bit redundant...but in this hobby its not a word we follow and act upon as we should which can be hard on the wallet at times ! My personal favorite lens combinations for both the FE2 and the FM3a are the 28mm f2,8 Ai-s , the 20mm f3,5 Ai-s and the Voigtlander 58mm f1,4 lens you also used in the video. Another lens worth mentioning that i dont use as much but is a beautiful combo too is the 105mm f2,5 Ai-s. Thank you for another nice watch, looking forward to your next :) /regards Martin PS, thank you for the Olympus Zuiko lens suggestions a while ago. Using the OM-4ti with the Zuiko 55mm f1,2 a lot lately and its a fun combo to use as well as the other lenses i got for it.
Another excellent episode! I always get excited when I see a new one posted. Again job well done Max. I have a Nikon S3 rangefinder (which I really love) and you can definitely see the roots of their rangefinders incorporated in their FM2 and FE2 (in fact the Nikon F from 59 used the rangefinder body).
Just a couple of details I prefer on my OM1n (the OM1 was probably the inspiration for the FM2). Its meter has a (beautiful) switch, so no risk of accidental exposure by half-pressing. Also the meter is a swinging needle which lets you know how much +/- your exposure is visually, without having to work from 'correct' exposure to find out as on the Nikon digital display. I've had this camera a LONG time, having narrowed my purchase choice down to a battle between the OM1n and the FM2. The Nikon shutter is impressive but wasn't enough to sway me.
A few years ago I bought the FE2 over the FM2. Aside from price, I preferred the FE2 for the visual clarity of match-needle metering (over digital symbols which I would forever forget what they meant), plus the option of aperture priority for faster shooting as an extra tool in addition to my Olympus OM1n. The electronic shutter on aperture priority is stepless too. I can’t argue about the solid robust feel it has, it’s a pleasure to use.
I recently traded in my fe2 and a lens for an fm2n I was just in such a frustrating loop for 6 months having it “repaired” and it was just unfortunately so unreliable so with it being mostly fixed I just decided to get rid of it in the hopes that the fm2 won’t give me as many issues. Aperture priority is amazing I usually prefer that mode to full manual but I do love the meter readout on the fm and fm2 it’s quicker to use than the needle meter on the fe2 for me and it’s less information to look at while still being just as useful.
Another stunningly beautiful and thorough review gentlemen!!! This one was such a treat, as I recently returned home from Japan and finally found the coveted Titanium version that you spoke of, for a quite reasonable price :). The one thing I'd maybe add to you closing when discussing the difference in cost between FM and FE models is that there are not many technicians left that will/can repair the FE models. And even if they can, parts can be so scarce that you have to buy a working donor body to harvest the electronics from. In fact, it was the sole purpose for my search for the perfect FM model, after my late Grandfathers Mint FE was deemed non-repairable without buying a donor, and many hundreds of dollars for the repairs. One of the last Nikon trained servicemen in Canada, and he told me "keep it in a display case to remember him, and buy and FM to shoot with." I think the longevity of fully mechanical cameras is more so what is driving the cost of this one and other mechanical cameras up these days. Cheers!
Max, very nice video on these great cameras. After graduating from the university, I started my first "full-time" job in early 1979. After accumulating some paychecks, I decided to purchase a new FE2 in silver. But after a very short time, I returned the FE2 to the camera shop and traded it in for an FM2N in black. I still have this camera today and it is in perfect condition, along with the MD-12 motor drive. I would share a photo of my FM2N but can't figure out how to attach a photo to this comment. Anyway, looking forward to your next video. Steve (New York).
I had an original FM with a motor drive that did a whole 3.5 frames per second. I loved that as a backup body to my F2 AS. Or where I needed little bit of extra speed over manual winding. If you want to talk about a Nikon design surviving what seems like forever. Consider the 55mm f2.8 AIS micro nikkor. It had a production run of 43 years and in that time the design and materials were completely unchanged. It was made from 1979 to 2022.
This was an awesome video with highly detailed analysis! I enjoy this type of video instead of others doing “why” do you need this videos! CHEERS from the US!
Just stumbled upon this review. Good one. I also own a FM2 chrome. Note that mine starts with the serial 7036. Older version of FM2 with titanium shutter.
This was a great video. I didn't need to watch it since I already own a Nikon FM, FM2, and FE2, however, your videos are always informative and entertaining. This one was no exception. I also own an Olympus OM-1 and OM-2n. I really enjoy using the OMs. For some reason I find them easier to focus than the Nikons. The NIkons are simply an absolute joy to use and when I head out to photograph my first film camera choice is any of the Nikons.
My two favorite Nikon bodies, but I couldn't use them. I'm left eye dominant and the power switch was in the film advance lever. If the power was on the lever was at 45 degrees and poked me in the right eye or bridge of the nose so I bought a Canon A1 instead. 😢
I'm also left-eye dominant (but right-handed -- cross dominance). I learned to shoot with my right eye just because it makes everything so much easier (except the learning curve). There's nothing wrong with the Canon A-1 (or F-1 for that matter)! ;)
I already expressed my admiration for this lovely video but I think this point deserves it's own comment: The fact that the FE2 activates the lightmeter after frame 1 is reached is presented a bit upside down. On the flipside this feature prevents the camera from keeping the shutter open for up to 30 s (in A-mode it may expose longer than the 8s you can set on the dial) three times when you have the lens cap on and try to desperately advance to frame 1 while e.g. you are trying to capture a fast-paced sports event. This is the reason why Nikon implemented it that way: Shutter mechanically fires at 1/250 s untill the first frame is reached.
Thank you for the reviews! Excellent! You mentioned when making blank shots (after putting film in the FE2) with the shutter speed dial set to "A," the shutter will fire at 1/80 sec. until the frame counter reaches "1." So does the Nikon F3! Looking forward to (hoping for) a review of the Canon New F-1 (Canon's third and last F-1 from the seventies/eighties).
Great review as always! I was looking to get the FM (the FM2 is a bit pricey) for night shooting because of the lit up light meter, but ended up deciding on the FE because the auto feature really is handy for not only night shooting but if I need to shoot faster. And I like the fact that it can still be used without batteries. Although it is harder to see, the light meter in the FE seems a superior system to the FM. I’m also a fan of the exposure compensation dial which is not offered in the FM (or FM2).
I have both cameras in relatively Mint condition. The FE2 was my first semi-pro SLR camera which I purchased as a gift to myself when I graduated from College way back in 1987. I always lusted for the FM2, because I noticed that it was the favorite backup camera for professional photographers. I din't have the FE2 long, when I fell on hard times and had to sell it. It was only after the Digital Revolution came around in the early 2000's, that I was able to replace my FE2 and purchase an FM2 while I was at it. The FM2 came from a Police Dept Forensic Lab so it was in great condition. It came with a databack which I removed because I could not find the sync cable for it and it made the camera too bulky. The FE2 also came in great condition, but I had to get a CLA($200 !) to get it back to snuff. I rarely shoot film anymore, but those two cameras are like my Security Blanket. I just can't part with them. I might be burried with them like 'King Tut' to take with me into the after-world. As far as which one I like the best ? Well I think I like shooting with the FE2 slightly better due to Aperture Priority and the smooth-as-silk shutter. The FM2 has better metering. Usually out of a 36 exposure roll, the FM2 meters 85% or more frames correctly. I get about an 80% hit rate with the FE2, but then again, it could also be photographer-error, who knows ?
I got on the FM train in 1978 after it came out, later moving up to the FM2 when introduced, and ending up with an FE2. Frankly, I prefer the more exacting information regarding exposure provided on the FE/FE2series. I suspect that the electronically governed shutter speeds on the FE series are less likely to fall off-spec over time like an all mechanical FM will. When I first bought the FM, I had Nikon update my pre-AI NIkkor lenses to the AI mount. One of my subjects was moving stream locomotives, so I traded up from the MD-11 to the MD-12, which allows the camera to be powered from the drive battery pack instead of the internal camera battery with the MD-11. Overall, I prefer the FE2 over all others, and I still have it. These models may not be as tough as an F3, but I do not beat on my cameras, so that's not important for me. Interestingly, I do not think I have ever used the auto-exposure metering on the FE2.
Being a left eye shooter, did you have any handling issues with the frame advance lever needing to be extended to take a picture? Was it jabbing you in your forehead? Great video, as always! Thank you.
Great vid. But you only ever talk about Yoshi Mitani as credit for designing Om/XA etc...but there are so many other great cameras and designers but no one ever mentions them. Leica M6, Minolta TC-1, Pentax MX etc... It seems not much information is online about who designed these, Yet Mitani always gets glorified for Olympus.. If you know who made these other cameras please include them. We'd be interested in watching. Thanks
This is the thing - those designers were never lionised the way Maitani-san was. Apparently it isn’t/wasn’t a very Japanese thing to do to highlight an individual over the company and its products. Arguably the fact so much is known about Maitani-san these days is due to him being featured as ‘the genius behind Olympus’ in their late 70s/early 80s ad campaigns at the request of Olympus USA, something Japanese head office actually resisted against initially. Of course, the fact that Maitani-san had designed not one but four quite ground breaking camera designs that were all quite different puts him in quite the special league. Even Oskar Barnak really only had the one basic design (albeit a very groundbreaking one) he worked to continually improve over a sadly shortened life. Obviously Maitani-san had a team of engineers working under him, all contributing, but you do get the sense that the Pen, Pen F, OM-1 and XA were products of one person’s very clear and distinct vision. Presumably if Nikon or Canon etc had an individual like that guiding their designs, we would have heard about them by now surely, but I suspect they had a more team-oriented and design-by-review process. Nikon in particular were back then a very conservative company, they didn’t do radical. This is just an educated guess, of course, but finding any names associated with the design of any Nikon - beyond Giorgetto Giugiaro for the styling of the F3, F4 and F5 - is mighty tough.
NIce review. From a time when Nikon (IMHO) were at the peak of their powers. I don't have either of these camera,s but I do have an F3 hp that I bought in the late eighties and which I cherish very much.
As always a highlight for me about your videos are the photos you guys take; for me, in quality far above other RUclipsrs who also review gear. Thank you.
great!! I've used leica for ten years now and the FM2 with a 45 2.8 pancake lens is the first SLR I truly enjoyed using after buying one! Amazing viewfinder, beautiful body design! Hope you get to review the FM3a, which seems to be the ultimate SLR!
Hi Max. Glad to see you and Jules look great. You still look like a gentleman. You have kept up the standards and dare i say your video is so well put together and the music was a good accompaniment. I recently purchased both a Nikon F3 and FM2n in black as back up cameras to my Leica ( i purchased my Leica after seeing your M-A video). I’d like to mention a small point. Handheld the Nikon SLRS don’t seem to give good sharpness at lower shutter speeds compared to the Leica when handheld. For the F3 the minimum speed for good sharpness seems to be 1/125 and for the FM2n its 1/250. I surmise because the internal vibrations of the shutter are more than the leica which if handheld can give acceptably sharp images at 1/8. You are right Max, the Nikon FM2n is so solidly built no wonder it was used by the Army. Hope Greg is well and doing what he loves.
Excellent review of two classic cameras, but as another commenter has pointed out you cannot use pre-Ai lenses with either of these cameras. If you do you run the risk of breaking the aperture tab and damaging the camera. It's the reason why I sold my FE2 and FM2n while keeping my FE and FM as I have some nice pre-Ai glass which can be used on the FM and FE (using stop down metering).
Great review Max! I really do love my FE2. In my humble opinion it’s as good as it gets when it comes to compact manual focus SLRs. I think I do prefer the FE2 slightly over the FM2 due to its incremental metering vs metering in full stops (or half stops depending on the lens mounted). The FE2 is my current very favorite street SLR. It truly provides all I need out there in such a beautifully compact package and outside of build quality I think both cameras are superior to the F3. Really enjoyed this video!
I have an FE and a FE2 and the mirror slap when you take a shot is a little stronger on the FE. The improvement you mentioned on the FE2 is indeed effective but that slap and the vibration you get on the FE when you press the button is exactly why I prefer the FE to the FE2 but sometime I miss the 1/4000 of the FE2
Great content. I don't think you mentioned the one flaw of the FE cameras over the FMs. That needle metering system is hard or even impossible to see in low light situations where as the red LEDs in the FMs are super easy to read in all conditions. Just found the FEs slowed me down for this reason.
Wonderful video! I'm just getting into film photography and bought a couple FE2s. I'm learning how to totally strip them down to the individual shutter blades and clean and rebuild them. They should last for a long long time! PS I love the way you whisper while explaining this stuff lol
What an outstanding video! I thoroughly enjoyed this look at both cameras, both of which I have. Just subscribed and am looking forward to many more videos and hearing your thoughts on these wonderful cameras.
I have several FM2s and an FE. Really looking forward to watching this 30+ minute review. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally push me over the edge to get an FE2.
Also consider looking into the FA. I haven't owned an FM2, but have two FA and one FE2 bodies and especially love the FA. If you shoot aperture priority, I find the metering of the FA to be superb.
Nice review as always! I had an FM2 for a while but really didn't like the viewfinder - I found I was moving my eye off-centre to see the metering LEDs on the edge and it sometimes caused framing issues in my images. I've always wondered was it just me but your mention of not being able to see the metering needle well on the FE2 seems similar. GIven the choice I'd choose an FE2 though - a match needle is much more intuitive for metering than plus / minus LEDs and having aperture priority available is never a bad thing. When batteries last months or even years an electronic shutter really isn't the Achilles heel it's sometimes made out to be!
Great review, nice Nikon camera’s. I like more the more versatile F3, F4 and F6 camera’s. Specially the F4 has currently a excellent price/performance ratio. If you afraid that old camera’s break in the near future because of electronics, get a fully mechanical camera such as a Nikon SP. This has no battery, no light meter so less to go wrong.
Thanks lads for a great review very extensive I love these 80's Nikon's so much so that I have an example of everyone of them FM to FM3a FE's included for me the best slr's ever made elegant great in the hand feel built to last a lifetime use them with AI and ais lenses if film makes a comeback will Nikon do as Leica and reissue them ?Hate to think what they would cost new today keep up the good reviews lads
Very very very nice video. Thank you so much for presenting and talking about these veterans. Now I'm getting used to and learning on the Fuji X-T3 but I'd like to try the classic fully manual and this is probably my choice. Thank you very much and good luck...greetings from the Czech republic
Not the M6, that thing has a zinc top plate and when it corrodes, it blisters and bubbles. The better comparison is FE2 similar to M7 and FM2 an MP or the new M6 reissue, which is all brass. The FM3A is another level of Mechanical Perfection.
I bought a Nikon FM to back up my F2A and then traded it in for the FE2 to complement my manual F2A and to gain TTL flash. I had to use a MD-12 (with MR-3 release button) as well since I'm a left eye dominant photographer.
Two classic Nikon cameras. This was a treat. I would love to see you do an episode on the original Canon F1 and the Canon EF, two more film classics from the 70's.
I own and love these cameras since the nineties until today, when I'm still carrying a FE2. Modern classics! Your presentation was spot on and one if not the of the best I have seen so far about them. I just had one short moment of giggles when you showed it first equipped with one of the best (Voigtländer 1.4/58) follwed by one of the worst normal-lenses (Nikkor 2.8/45 P) I ever had on my Nikons. If I start an argument here it's intentionally. 😂 Even a humble 1.8/50 Ais (Pancake) easily beats the overhyped 45 P and this is one of the few times I even agree with Ken Rockwell. I still, have the pictures from my D800e as a proof under my belt and feel well prepared. 😊 And one more thing: The shutterspeed-indicator in the finder of your FM2 isn't properly adjusted. My first FM2 looked the same with the numbers slightly hanging, when I received it brand new in autumn of 1990. A competent repairmen can fix this. I had this minor flaw rectified under warranty.
Thank you for another thoughtful video that is pure joy to watch! I also shoot left-eye and wear glasses. Do you find that having to shoot with the winder pulled out to unlock the shutter interferes with getting your eye sufficiently close to the viewfinder? For this reason I favor the F3 and EL2, even though heavier, because both can be shot with winder fully folded. Thank you!
My FE2 kept me company for almost 40 years and around the 🌎 world: all over Europe, Moscow, Usbekistan, Samarkand, Baikal Lake at -25° C, Japan, you name it, she's been there. My next camera will be an FE2 ... or maybe 🤔 an F3 hp, who knows, I'll still have some time to decide since she won't retire any time soon 🤙
Its a very good review although I never liked the FE/FM-series very much. The motor drive often had issues, the release is triggered with a metal pin which springs upwards. The viewfinder is narrow with short eyepoint - which makes it impossible to get a full overview if the user wears glasses. The F3 HP is way better; the FA with MD-15 a cheaper midprice alternative without the shortcomings of the FM/FE.
Great video - thanks. I have the FE (not FE2) which belonged to my father and some of my favourite images of my grandchildren have been taken with it - beautiful film images…not clinically “perfect” :- )
The joke is that all of todays cameras must have a battery to operate so these legendary Nikons are a must have in any photographers kit with a couple of rolls of film, Always handy to have the camera around in the odd case you don't have your digital camera charged up or have issues with your memory card. Film is not dead! Long live film!!
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What a great timing to see this review today! I just arrived Taiwan for a business/personal trip with my dad's FM2 in my carry on. He passed away exactly 5 years ago this date. I learned photography from him in the 80's using an MX before he got this FM2 later. A sticker with his hand-written name is still on the bottom plate of this black beauty which I will cherish for as long as I can!
Welcome to Taiwan
Wishing you a great trip to Taiwan. Interestingly, the FM2 is an especially legendary and revered camera in Taiwan, as it was the standard model for schools and students learning photography. And since it's nearly bulletproof it's common to see younger people out and about with an FM2 around their necks around Taiwan.
There's so much to see and explore in Taiwan. Great people and more natural beauty to see and enjoy than a lifetime could ever take in.
Thank you for sharing your poignant story. I just picked up an FM2 today as I also shoot an MX which I just passed down to my son who is learning manual photography. ❤
I find it amusing that we still today keep talking about how "electronic" cameras like the FE2 require batteries and that this is somehow a big or significant weakness. Exactly how much of a burden is it to carry a couple of SR44 batteries with you as backup? You would think people were having to carry a car battery or something equally ridiculous. This is a dream compared to current digital cameras where you always want to have a charged up spare with you or some kind of power supply to supplement your camera's power. The real question should how reliable are the electronics in the FE2? Well, I have had mine for a number of years and have had no issues. Same with my F3 and my FA. Having said that, I really do like the mechanical feel of my F2 Photomic. I don't have an FM2 (yet) but I imagine it feels a bit like the F2. Great review.
Totally agree with you about the blown out of proportion battery “issue”. As far as the possibility that the FM2 feels similar to the F2, I haven’t felt that way and I have both. That doesn’t mean I’m right, it’s just my take. I have the FE, FM2, F2 and F3. Although I don’t have the FE2, I suspect it doesn’t feel and operate much differently than the FM2. I tend to equate the F2 to the F3 since both are larger and pro bodies. However, the F2 is so robust, mechanical and heavy that it’s quite different than the F3 (to me).
The issue is not simply carrying spare batteries. The issue is that the FE2 and other battery dependent camera’s shutters are electronically controlled. That means if the electronics fail and are not serviceable (most aren’t) you now have a brick of a camera.
Fully mechanical cameras (FM2/Leica M6, etc.) will continue to work and are serviceable because they’re just springs and gears.
@@drbubble33 I agree that when the electronics fail, an FE2 will be useless. However, my experience has been that if they don't fail after a couple of years, they will be good for some time. Given that these cameras are already over 40 years old, how likely is it they will fail now? In the case of any mechanical camera, it is still possible for them to fail in such a way that they are not worth repairing. I just feel that the older these get, the smaller the difference in reliability gets. Besides, are Nikon cameras from this era really failure prone? My FE2, FA, F3 and F4 don't seem to notice the passage of time. At my age (>60) all of these are likely to outlive me so the issue is really irrelevant.
@@davidjb9199 I think this may have been a significant factor back in the day for professionals requiring absolute reliability for paid work. Today we use this for pleasure and as a hobby so you are correct that the difference is small. For electronics failing - there is no timetable or guideline... it could simply fail tomorrow despite all the other battery dependant cameras not failing. Of course with the price they are today it is easy to simply buy another one so again no stress there. This also the reason I simply refuse to buy expensive older electronic cameras (e.g. XPAN). I bought the FM2N because I wanted a camera where I controlled the photo-creating conditions. Enjoy the photography!
I own a FM2n since 1988 - and is has already got the new shutter blades. Reliable till today. Wouldn't want to miss it.
I think you should also mention the fact that pre-Ai Nikkor lenses should not be mounted on the FM2 or FE2, because they do not have a folding Ai tab in the lens mount, unlike the older FM and FE. The pre-Ai Nikkor lenses can damage the Ai tab on the lens mount of the camera if mounted because the lens has not been machined to engage properly with the Ai tab. You can certainly have your pre-Ai lenses converted to Ai spec, then they'll mount and meter just fine.
The pre-ai cameras had this prong and after mounting the lens you had to turn the aperture ring to max and min to tell the camera which speed the lens had…
Started with a Nikkormat FTn (built like a tank), but as soon as the FE appeared, I got one for Dfl 995,-. Later, I worked with both FE and FE2 cameras, in the ‘80s and ‘90s. Eventually, both were stolen, sadly. Both were a joy to handle, the ergonomics were unsurpassed.
In 2009 I bought a D90, which I still use occasionally. Despite all the bells and whistles, I almost always used the D90 like a FE2: Aperture-priority, and using the shutter release as a focus-lock instead of choosing different AF fields. Lots of features left unexplored…
What I also liked about the Nikon FM and FE series was their looks: they were just
When I finally moved to Nikon, I bought an FA. It was expensive and I babied it. I was going to the UK for my graduate program and was afraid of taking it so I bought a black FM2 and took that instead. I had the Nikkor 35 1.4 and 20 2.8. Having not shot manual in a while, I immediately fell back in the groove and took the best photos ever. Sadly, the FM2 was lent to a friend and was stolen. I replaced it with an F3. Last year, I began to shoot film again and found an estate sale deal with a black FM2 with a 24 & 35-105 and a Nikon Speedlight and filters etc. all for under $300. I have throughly enjoyed it again and have taken great family shots with it.
I have both the FM2n and the FE2. They are fabulous cameras. The FE2 has what I think is the best viewfinder display of any manual focus camera. I often say that the FE2 is basically the same as an FM3A for about 1/4-1/3 the cost. The FM2n is such a capable all manual camera.
No manual shutter tho.
@@AL3X2580 That’s why you buy an FM2 as well, just in case the FE2 has an electronics failure one day and can’t be repaired. Or, buy two FE2s. This is the approach I took with my F3. 😂
@@AL3X2580 Which nobody ever needs. I bought my first FM2 in 1990, first FE2 in 1996. I still own the FE2 and it is still clicking along happily. Usually the Ai-resistor or the mirror-mechanism developes problems with these cameras (had 6 over the years for several reasons: stolen and bought again, inherited etc.) but the shutter is bullett-proof, mechanically as well as electronically controlled, aluminum as well as titanium. And you always carry a battery anyway because you want a working lightmeter, regardless of the shutter.
The FM3A is the best of the FM2n and FE2, but even better yet, it's all mechanical with AE-L and flash compensation and the same needle meter as the FE2. It has Dx coding that can be over-ridden. The brilliant little film window on the back never leaves you guessing which film is loaded in this camera. Pinnacle of mechanical perfection.
I have a mint condition FM2n and an FE. Both give excellent results. Two of my favorite cameras 📷
These film cameras by Nikon are my favorites, along with the Olympus OMs. I like my old, brassed FM2n because it is just that - old, beat up, reliable, and not dependent on batteries. Your comments about wearing glasses and the view finder are important to we who wear spectacles, so that was much appreciated. Good review, and good to see you guys back with another review.
Love the FM2, but still prefer my F2.
P.S. you should try a yellow filter to get some contrast into those B&W images.
I purchased a chrome FE2 new in 1984, still in use today, and a black FE2 used in 1985, used by my daughter shooting B&W; fantastic, light cameras that are a joy to shoot with, and still reliable 40 years later!
Nikon FA, F100, FE2 user. I love the FE2, beautifully made, operates faultlessly.
So true. Thanks for your comment. 🙏🏻
The FM2n made me fall in love with Nikon and AI-S lenses ! Great camera
Film or digital, the FE2 is my all-time favorite camera.
My FE2 kept me company for almost 40 years and around the 🌎 world: all over Europe, Moscow, Usbekistan, Samarkand, Baikal Lake at -25° C, Japan, you name it, she's been there. My next camera will be an FE2 ... or maybe 🤔 an F3 hp, who knows, I'll still have some time to decide since she won't retire any time soon 🤙
I used 2 Nikon F's till the early 1980's w/ 24mm - 105mm as a photojournalist since 1968 :) When I decided to work as a freelance photog in the early 1980s I bought a Nikon FM & FE & 2-MD12's (I worked for a number of major large corporations)!!!!!! I made a boat load of money with these 2 cameras... As a pro freelance most of us who were working we may buy a new lens as needed but never had a reason to move to another camera when the new ones came out unless it had something that we needed :) At 71yo I have 2 Nikon Z cameras and 24mm & 85mm !!!!!!! Long live NIKON :) :) :) I enjoy Your Videos ThankYou for interesting subjects !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I like hearing about the tools of the trade, as it was decades ago. Can I ask, which lens or lenses between 24 and 105 did you regularly use and which film? Thanks.
@@mynewcolour Hi,, The reason for choosing these two lenses was that they were different than most other photogs. (this is late 60's-70's) (I was, for a short period of time the only one shooting 35mm which was a Nikon F) a new breed (which i considered myself) used 35mm n 135mm lenses (this was Newspaper Photojournalism of the time) (My camera of choice came from looking at News Mags, remember it was the Vietnam War at that time)The older guys used a 50mm (IF they changed over to 35mm camera) The newspaper gave me a Rolei and bulb flash for my kit) The guy who hired me did not realize that my portfolio was from 35mm till they gave me the Rolei)or 80mm on Rolei,, but many were still using 4X5 Speed Graflex W/ a on camera Bulb Flash) Only later did I buy a 300mm lens in the late 70's :) :) :) Life was not easy for a young,(16yo) long haired kid... But why would You want easy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@johnyoung1606 Brilliant. Thanks for sharing, I’d not have guessed that answer in a million years. Just goes to show the merit of finding your own way.
@@mynewcolour Almost exclusively TRI-X 400ASA HC110 developer we often would push the film (sometimes a lot) We never used a meter (eyeball a scene and adjusted for changes) light meter till about 15yo and later when shooting color for clients in the 80's I think about the fact that,, "I Saw in B&W (Light and Shadow)" Also the darkroom was our Photoshop of the time :) :) :)
After watching this, I realised how much I love my little FM, and that it totally deserves that CLA. 🙂
Great review/comparison. I have both these cameras but sadly the shutter on my fE2 was damaged and I got the FM2 as a replacement. I personally loved the needle meter of the FE2 and think I’ll might need to get another fE2 for the needle meter alone.
These are such objects of beauty! Great design and engineering driven by utility. They say Leicas are design masterpieces but I feel these are no less of an iconic design. These cameras almost represent the ideal Film Vintage SLR look.
Yes, and the Nikkor lenses are right up there with Leica glass. Just don't tell the Leica devotees.
@@milesian1 Yes Leica is great for certain kind of photography but not for everything. The price premium is just too much. Nikon is just so good and affordable that you can build a very good system without breaking the bank
The FE2 is an incredible camera, right along with the FM2 and the F2. The black versions are even more impressive to look at. Then the question is asked to a Nikon devotee, 'what is a Leica?' Just kidding, the are all great tools in our hands. I have the FE2, black with motor drive and what an incredible machine it is. And what is remarkable is that many cameras today look like the FM/FE. My Sony A7R3 has the same basic look and is just as incredible as the FE2.
Yeah if I think about it, since the market demand for film cameras is so small, no company on earth is going to put all the massive financial resources together that it took Nikon to build all the processes and generations of craftsmen to develop such sophisticated mechanical film cameras again, so it's a kind of sweetness to being alive right now in the narrow window of time when these unbelievably complex handmade creations are still plentiful and even inexpensive. As time reduces their numbers and make their existence more and more improbable, these will just be increasingly special and unique art-making machines.
I used to be a Canon shooter for so long, but when I moved back to film I fell in love with Nikon, in fact I love my FM3a more than my Leica M3. The FM3a is very similar in function to the FE2 that I bought her an FE2 and she loves it and been shooting for a couple of years and still on the same batteries. But we use the CR1/3N battery because you only need one.
Beautiful video again, thank you, I am sure my blood pressure and heart rate dropped while watching this 😊
Two of my favourite cameras. Own an FM2n, FM3a, FA, and really regret trading in my FE2. Just a brilliant industrial design. That first frame quirk applies to the FA as well.
Finally, something new from my fave Film Channel on YT since 2016 here. I once had the FE2, but sold it.
I bought my black FE new in 1982, before the FE2 came out, and still have it - I didn't think it worth changing for the extra offered by the FE2. It was interesting to be reminded of the marketing differences between the two models - I remember choosing the FE above the FM because I knew I was not a perfectionist (I was 16) and specifically wanted the AE feature. I had considered the OM10, ME Super and AE-1programme as alternatives before choosing the FE and over 40 years of ownership and use have shown I made the right choice for me. Oh, and I've never had a problem with losing battery power - the FE at least uses tiny amounts and the batteries last a long time. My father later had an FM2n but I didn't like it as much as my FE.
Great video! I've owned both, buying the FM2 30 years ago after my FE2 was stolen. The FM2 is a tank and because it is mechanical, it was commonly used as a backup camera by photo journalists.
Very interesting and complete review of the FM/FE family of cameras. What is interesting (but by no means unique) is that many parts are interchangeable between the FM/FE, FM2/FE2 and FM3a such as screens and film back doors. The FM3a, which was a combined FM2 and FE2 (both mechanical and Automatic incorporated in the same body) had a much better focusing screen, which could be retro-fitted to the older bodies. And the film door has a window for checking what film is loaded, which can also be mounted on the older cameras. All this is just like the Leica R4-R7 series of cameras, which had the same basic body design and (almost lazy) backward compatible upgraded parts. For me the FE, FE2 and FM3a exposure meter with match-needle design is so much more intuitive and useful than the FM/FM2 with the 3 diodes, as you can see how far off you are from perfect exposure, allowing you to quickly ratchet aperture or shutter speed to get to where you need to be. So the ultimate camera is the FM3a.. Then again the FE will still take pre-ai lenses so that might just be the ultimate Nikon manual focus camera.. Keep up the good work guys, your vidoes are fantastic!
I had two FE's. I liked the needle metering better. I used a Sunpak 411 flash based on guide numbers for more reliable exposures. With auto flash and transparency film, different backgrounds were troublesome. Thank you for reminding me of how much I enjoyed shooting slides with my Nikon FEs. Normally I carried two FE's with a 35 f/2 and an 85 f/2. Those were the good old days. I loved Kodachrome.
I think battery anxiety is overstated with these Nikon models, Olympus definitely are battery hogs but mitigation of spare batteries is easy.
Match needle , as long as you can see it is the most analog exposure method , it is the most visual exposure compensation method, dialing in any plus/minus is right there in the viewfinder, its much more intuitive than the plus/minus green/red led for me .
Having aperture priority when you need to be quick is a major plus too , so FE/2 for me.
I remember when the FE2 was recently our of production , its entirely the case that they were very expensive on the used market and mostly heavily used, a testament that I think makes the FE2 the best ever classic film SLR.
You've earned my subscription!
I took an FM2 in trade a few years ago on another deal and it has been sitting on my shelf. When I get home, I'll get it out and run it. I'm a big fan of mechanical cameras, maybe because that's what I grew up with. I just bought a F2AS that should be delivered this week. I have a fair collection of Nikkor vintage glass, as well as a few AF lenses for my digital Nikon cameras.
That 45mm pancake immediately caught my eye! I said (out loud) "What is that?!?" Now I'll have to have one.
I was less aware of the FE2, but will need to check them out. That body style (the F series) works for me as it is the quintessential analog SLR look. The cameras pair well with the winder, which looks really good on them. It adds some bulk and noise, but is a handy accessory.
I also noticed the Voigtlander in the inventory. I have only one of these lenses, a 27mm f/2 Ultron in Fuji X-mount. It has electronics, so it presents its settings to the camera. I don't mind that it is manual focus and it is a very good lens.
Well done and I really appreciate the depth of your reviews. I also love how you intersperse the information with photo walk-abouts and share the images.
The FM2 was a fantastic camera. Very compact and minimalist yet tough. Had the one in all black. Very well designed.
I greatly preferred the match-needle exposure indicators of the FE & FE2, so I sapped my FM2 for an FE2 (which was a favourite camera for many years.) I'm a D3S & D3X shooter in 2023.
Complete and comprehensive! Great job! I have always been an avid amateur photographer, and I was through those years. You captured the story well!
Two beautiful cameras. I have the original FE and FM. I don’t know which one I prefer. I love the match needle of the FE but the FM is fully functional without a battery, minus the meter of course, which isn’t an absolute necessity. The shutter on my FM is lovely, pretty quiet and smooth. Both cameras are a joy to use. I’d love to own a Leica some day but I don’t know that it would give me any more joy than my Nikons.
Amazing cameras. I treasure my FM3A. I dont have the 45mm P but I do have the Japan Only 50mm f1.8 AIS pancake and it rocks.
Great combo.
Great video as always guys :) The analog Nikons are some of the cameras i have used the most over the years, and while i never actually got myself the FM2, i have the FE2 ( also sold one ) as well as the FM3a and the F2. While the FM3a is a favorite overall even including the other brands i use, the FE2 is actually a camera i really like using too.
For the price you can get it for its such a handy camera, with so much features packed into it, always felt very reliable and the Lr44 batteries are so easy to get and tend to last a long while as well as long as you remember to put the rewind lever i the right place ;)
I even considered a chrome FM2 pr the titanium one just to have tried the FM2, but having the FM3a it would be a bit redundant...but in this hobby its not a word we follow and act upon as we should which can be hard on the wallet at times !
My personal favorite lens combinations for both the FE2 and the FM3a are the 28mm f2,8 Ai-s , the 20mm f3,5 Ai-s and the Voigtlander 58mm f1,4 lens you also used in the video. Another lens worth mentioning that i dont use as much but is a beautiful combo too is the 105mm f2,5 Ai-s.
Thank you for another nice watch, looking forward to your next :)
/regards Martin
PS, thank you for the Olympus Zuiko lens suggestions a while ago. Using the OM-4ti with the Zuiko 55mm f1,2 a lot lately and its a fun combo to use as well as the other lenses i got for it.
Very well done! I am just beginning my search for one of these. Seems like prices are going up.
Another excellent episode! I always get excited when I see a new one posted. Again job well done Max. I have a Nikon S3 rangefinder (which I really love) and you can definitely see the roots of their rangefinders incorporated in their FM2 and FE2 (in fact the Nikon F from 59 used the rangefinder body).
Just a couple of details I prefer on my OM1n (the OM1 was probably the inspiration for the FM2). Its meter has a (beautiful) switch, so no risk of accidental exposure by half-pressing. Also the meter is a swinging needle which lets you know how much +/- your exposure is visually, without having to work from 'correct' exposure to find out as on the Nikon digital display. I've had this camera a LONG time, having narrowed my purchase choice down to a battle between the OM1n and the FM2. The Nikon shutter is impressive but wasn't enough to sway me.
A few years ago I bought the FE2 over the FM2. Aside from price, I preferred the FE2 for the visual clarity of match-needle metering (over digital symbols which I would forever forget what they meant), plus the option of aperture priority for faster shooting as an extra tool in addition to my Olympus OM1n. The electronic shutter on aperture priority is stepless too. I can’t argue about the solid robust feel it has, it’s a pleasure to use.
I recently traded in my fe2 and a lens for an fm2n I was just in such a frustrating loop for 6 months having it “repaired” and it was just unfortunately so unreliable so with it being mostly fixed I just decided to get rid of it in the hopes that the fm2 won’t give me as many issues. Aperture priority is amazing I usually prefer that mode to full manual but I do love the meter readout on the fm and fm2 it’s quicker to use than the needle meter on the fe2 for me and it’s less information to look at while still being just as useful.
Another stunningly beautiful and thorough review gentlemen!!! This one was such a treat, as I recently returned home from Japan and finally found the coveted Titanium version that you spoke of, for a quite reasonable price :).
The one thing I'd maybe add to you closing when discussing the difference in cost between FM and FE models is that there are not many technicians left that will/can repair the FE models. And even if they can, parts can be so scarce that you have to buy a working donor body to harvest the electronics from.
In fact, it was the sole purpose for my search for the perfect FM model, after my late Grandfathers Mint FE was deemed non-repairable without buying a donor, and many hundreds of dollars for the repairs. One of the last Nikon trained servicemen in Canada, and he told me "keep it in a display case to remember him, and buy and FM to shoot with." I think the longevity of fully mechanical cameras is more so what is driving the cost of this one and other mechanical cameras up these days. Cheers!
Max, very nice video on these great cameras. After graduating from the university, I started my first "full-time" job in early 1979. After accumulating some paychecks, I decided to purchase a new FE2 in silver. But after a very short time, I returned the FE2 to the camera shop and traded it in for an FM2N in black. I still have this camera today and it is in perfect condition, along with the MD-12 motor drive. I would share a photo of my FM2N but can't figure out how to attach a photo to this comment. Anyway, looking forward to your next video. Steve (New York).
Another wonderful and educational video
RS. Canada
Excellent as usual. Thank you! Would you guys consider reviewing the Canon F1? Thank you and all the best!
That camera almost made me switch to Canon from Nikon. Beautiful camera body!
I had an original FM with a motor drive that did a whole 3.5 frames per second. I loved that as a backup body to my F2 AS. Or where I needed little bit of extra speed over manual winding.
If you want to talk about a Nikon design surviving what seems like forever. Consider the 55mm f2.8 AIS micro nikkor. It had a production run of 43 years and in that time the design and materials were completely unchanged. It was made from 1979 to 2022.
Yeah interesting about the 55mm micro AIS, I suppose if we include the ZFC, the FM / FE design still effectively lives on?!
I just bought the FM2 so the timing of this is video is perfect for me. I love the quality of these videos that you put out, outstanding!
This was an awesome video with highly detailed analysis! I enjoy this type of video instead of others doing “why” do you need this videos! CHEERS from the US!
My first SLR was the FE. Then FE2, F601, F90 and F100. Now I have my dad’s EM and D500, but still use the F100 some times.
Just stumbled upon this review. Good one. I also own a FM2 chrome. Note that mine starts with the serial 7036. Older version of FM2 with titanium shutter.
Nikon built great analog camera back then, I still have my FM - great little camera.
Could you do more review on the lens nikon 45mm f2.8?
Sure, maybe at some point. In the meantime, you could take a look at our Talking Cameras episode with Bellamy Hunt. He also discusses this lens a bit.
This was a great video. I didn't need to watch it since I already own a Nikon FM, FM2, and FE2, however, your videos are always informative and entertaining. This one was no exception. I also own an Olympus OM-1 and OM-2n. I really enjoy using the OMs. For some reason I find them easier to focus than the Nikons. The NIkons are simply an absolute joy to use and when I head out to photograph my first film camera choice is any of the Nikons.
My two favorite Nikon bodies, but I couldn't use them. I'm left eye dominant and the power switch was in the film advance lever. If the power was on the lever was at 45 degrees and poked me in the right eye or bridge of the nose so I bought a Canon A1 instead. 😢
I'm also left-eye dominant (but right-handed -- cross dominance). I learned to shoot with my right eye just because it makes everything so much easier (except the learning curve).
There's nothing wrong with the Canon A-1 (or F-1 for that matter)! ;)
I already expressed my admiration for this lovely video but I think this point deserves it's own comment: The fact that the FE2 activates the lightmeter after frame 1 is reached is presented a bit upside down. On the flipside this feature prevents the camera from keeping the shutter open for up to 30 s (in A-mode it may expose longer than the 8s you can set on the dial) three times when you have the lens cap on and try to desperately advance to frame 1 while e.g. you are trying to capture a fast-paced sports event. This is the reason why Nikon implemented it that way: Shutter mechanically fires at 1/250 s untill the first frame is reached.
Always a pleasure to watch your classy episodes. Especially for me a dedicated Nikon shooter. Vielen danke.
Thank you for your kind feedback. Really appreciate it.
Thank you for the reviews! Excellent! You mentioned when making blank shots (after putting film in the FE2) with the shutter speed dial set to "A," the shutter will fire at 1/80 sec. until the frame counter reaches "1." So does the Nikon F3!
Looking forward to (hoping for) a review of the Canon New F-1 (Canon's third and last F-1 from the seventies/eighties).
Another great review Max and Jules. Can you also review Voigtlander Vitomatic series. Thanks
Great review as always!
I was looking to get the FM (the FM2 is a bit pricey) for night shooting because of the lit up light meter, but ended up deciding on the FE because the auto feature really is handy for not only night shooting but if I need to shoot faster. And I like the fact that it can still be used without batteries. Although it is harder to see, the light meter in the FE seems a superior system to the FM. I’m also a fan of the exposure compensation dial which is not offered in the FM (or FM2).
I have both cameras in relatively Mint condition. The FE2 was my first semi-pro SLR camera which I purchased as a gift to myself when I graduated from College way back in 1987. I always lusted for the FM2, because I noticed that it was the favorite backup camera for professional photographers. I din't have the FE2 long, when I fell on hard times and had to sell it. It was only after the Digital Revolution came around in the early 2000's, that I was able to replace my FE2 and purchase an FM2 while I was at it.
The FM2 came from a Police Dept Forensic Lab so it was in great condition. It came with a databack which I removed because I could not find the sync cable for it and it made the camera too bulky. The FE2 also came in great condition, but I had to get a CLA($200 !) to get it back to snuff.
I rarely shoot film anymore, but those two cameras are like my Security Blanket. I just can't part with them. I might be burried with them like 'King Tut' to take with me into the after-world. As far as which one I like the best ? Well I think I like shooting with the FE2 slightly better due to Aperture Priority and the smooth-as-silk shutter. The FM2 has better metering. Usually out of a 36 exposure roll, the FM2 meters 85% or more frames correctly. I get about an 80% hit rate with the FE2, but then again, it could also be photographer-error, who knows ?
I got on the FM train in 1978 after it came out, later moving up to the FM2 when introduced, and ending up with an FE2. Frankly, I prefer the more exacting information regarding exposure provided on the FE/FE2series. I suspect that the electronically governed shutter speeds on the FE series are less likely to fall off-spec over time like an all mechanical FM will. When I first bought the FM, I had Nikon update my pre-AI NIkkor lenses to the AI mount. One of my subjects was moving stream locomotives, so I traded up from the MD-11 to the MD-12, which allows the camera to be powered from the drive battery pack instead of the internal camera battery with the MD-11. Overall, I prefer the FE2 over all others, and I still have it. These models may not be as tough as an F3, but I do not beat on my cameras, so that's not important for me. Interestingly, I do not think I have ever used the auto-exposure metering on the FE2.
Being a left eye shooter, did you have any handling issues with the frame advance lever needing to be extended to take a picture? Was it jabbing you in your forehead? Great video, as always! Thank you.
Great vid. But you only ever talk about Yoshi Mitani as credit for designing Om/XA etc...but there are so many other great cameras and designers but no one ever mentions them. Leica M6, Minolta TC-1, Pentax MX etc...
It seems not much information is online about who designed these, Yet Mitani always gets glorified for Olympus.. If you know who made these other cameras please include them. We'd be interested in watching.
Thanks
This is the thing - those designers were never lionised the way Maitani-san was. Apparently it isn’t/wasn’t a very Japanese thing to do to highlight an individual over the company and its products. Arguably the fact so much is known about Maitani-san these days is due to him being featured as ‘the genius behind Olympus’ in their late 70s/early 80s ad campaigns at the request of Olympus USA, something Japanese head office actually resisted against initially. Of course, the fact that Maitani-san had designed not one but four quite ground breaking camera designs that were all quite different puts him in quite the special league. Even Oskar Barnak really only had the one basic design (albeit a very groundbreaking one) he worked to continually improve over a sadly shortened life. Obviously Maitani-san had a team of engineers working under him, all contributing, but you do get the sense that the Pen, Pen F, OM-1 and XA were products of one person’s very clear and distinct vision. Presumably if Nikon or Canon etc had an individual like that guiding their designs, we would have heard about them by now surely, but I suspect they had a more team-oriented and design-by-review process. Nikon in particular were back then a very conservative company, they didn’t do radical. This is just an educated guess, of course, but finding any names associated with the design of any Nikon - beyond Giorgetto Giugiaro for the styling of the F3, F4 and F5 - is mighty tough.
NIce review. From a time when Nikon (IMHO) were at the peak of their powers. I don't have either of these camera,s but I do have an F3 hp that I bought in the late eighties and which I cherish very much.
As always a highlight for me about your videos are the photos you guys take; for me, in quality far above other RUclipsrs who also review gear. Thank you.
great!! I've used leica for ten years now and the FM2 with a 45 2.8 pancake lens is the first SLR I truly enjoyed using after buying one! Amazing viewfinder, beautiful body design! Hope you get to review the FM3a, which seems to be the ultimate SLR!
Hi Max. Glad to see you and Jules look great. You still look like a gentleman. You have kept up the standards and dare i say your video is so well put together and the music was a good accompaniment. I recently purchased both a Nikon F3 and FM2n in black as back up cameras to my Leica ( i purchased my Leica after seeing your M-A video). I’d like to mention a small point. Handheld the Nikon SLRS don’t seem to give good sharpness at lower shutter speeds compared to the Leica when handheld. For the F3 the minimum speed for good sharpness seems to be 1/125 and for the FM2n its 1/250. I surmise because the internal vibrations of the shutter are more than the leica which if handheld can give acceptably sharp images at 1/8. You are right Max, the Nikon FM2n is so solidly built no wonder it was used by the Army. Hope Greg is well and doing what he loves.
Excellent review of two classic cameras, but as another commenter has pointed out you cannot use pre-Ai lenses with either of these cameras. If you do you run the risk of breaking the aperture tab and damaging the camera.
It's the reason why I sold my FE2 and FM2n while keeping my FE and FM as I have some nice pre-Ai glass which can be used on the FM and FE (using stop down metering).
Great review Max! I really do love my FE2. In my humble opinion it’s as good as it gets when it comes to compact manual focus SLRs. I think I do prefer the FE2 slightly over the FM2 due to its incremental metering vs metering in full stops (or half stops depending on the lens mounted). The FE2 is my current very favorite street SLR. It truly provides all I need out there in such a beautifully compact package and outside of build quality I think both cameras are superior to the F3. Really enjoyed this video!
I have an FE and a FE2 and the mirror slap when you take a shot is a little stronger on the FE. The improvement you mentioned on the FE2 is indeed effective but that slap and the vibration you get on the FE when you press the button is exactly why I prefer the FE to the FE2 but sometime I miss the 1/4000 of the FE2
Greetings from the UK! What a brilliant channel this is. Beautifully filmed reviews, well edited and very informative oh and great review photos too.
Great content. I don't think you mentioned the one flaw of the FE cameras over the FMs. That needle metering system is hard or even impossible to see in low light situations where as the red LEDs in the FMs are super easy to read in all conditions. Just found the FEs slowed me down for this reason.
After many years watching your channel I'm still waiting for a review of the canon f1 new (last version) from ypu guys
Beautiful cameras. I have a nice silver FE/black FM duo, but I still want an FE2😄
Get one - mine hasn't disappointed me in almost 40 years
I loved the FM2's. Beautiful cameras. The shutter speed dial of the FE2 looks like it was taken directly off an F3.
Wonderful video! I'm just getting into film photography and bought a couple FE2s. I'm learning how to totally strip them down to the individual shutter blades and clean and rebuild them. They should last for a long long time!
PS I love the way you whisper while explaining this stuff lol
What an outstanding video! I thoroughly enjoyed this look at both cameras, both of which I have. Just subscribed and am looking forward to many more videos and hearing your thoughts on these wonderful cameras.
I have several FM2s and an FE. Really looking forward to watching this 30+ minute review. Maybe you’ll be the one to finally push me over the edge to get an FE2.
Also consider looking into the FA. I haven't owned an FM2, but have two FA and one FE2 bodies and especially love the FA. If you shoot aperture priority, I find the metering of the FA to be superb.
Nice review as always! I had an FM2 for a while but really didn't like the viewfinder - I found I was moving my eye off-centre to see the metering LEDs on the edge and it sometimes caused framing issues in my images. I've always wondered was it just me but your mention of not being able to see the metering needle well on the FE2 seems similar. GIven the choice I'd choose an FE2 though - a match needle is much more intuitive for metering than plus / minus LEDs and having aperture priority available is never a bad thing. When batteries last months or even years an electronic shutter really isn't the Achilles heel it's sometimes made out to be!
Great review, nice Nikon camera’s. I like more the more versatile F3, F4 and F6 camera’s. Specially the F4 has currently a excellent price/performance ratio. If you afraid that old camera’s break in the near future because of electronics, get a fully mechanical camera such as a Nikon SP. This has no battery, no light meter so less to go wrong.
Thanks lads for a great review very extensive I love these 80's Nikon's so much so that I have an example of everyone of them FM to FM3a FE's included for me the best slr's ever made elegant great in the hand feel built to last a lifetime use them with AI and ais lenses if film makes a comeback will Nikon do as Leica and reissue them ?Hate to think what they would cost new today keep up the good reviews lads
Very very very nice video. Thank you so much for presenting and talking about these veterans. Now I'm getting used to and learning on the Fuji X-T3 but I'd like to try the classic fully manual and this is probably my choice. Thank you very much and good luck...greetings from the Czech republic
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for your kind comment.
Careful - do not let my FE2 overhear you calling her a veteran ... 🤬
Love mine. The Leica M6 and M7 of SLRs
Not the M6, that thing has a zinc top plate and when it corrodes, it blisters and bubbles. The better comparison is FE2 similar to M7 and FM2 an MP or the new M6 reissue, which is all brass. The FM3A is another level of Mechanical Perfection.
I bought a Nikon FM to back up my F2A and then traded it in for the FE2 to complement my manual F2A and to gain TTL flash. I had to use a MD-12 (with MR-3 release button) as well since I'm a left eye dominant photographer.
Great video - as always! Top review of every camera that you cover!!
Two classic Nikon cameras. This was a treat. I would love to see you do an episode on the original Canon F1 and the Canon EF, two more film classics from the 70's.
The Canon EF is one of my favorite all-time film cameras.
@@RhettAnderson I've acquired one in beautiful condition off of eBay and am looking forward to running my first roll of film through it.
@@KirkDurstonquest It's magnificent.
I own and love these cameras since the nineties until today, when I'm still carrying a FE2. Modern classics! Your presentation was spot on and one if not the of the best I have seen so far about them. I just had one short moment of giggles when you showed it first equipped with one of the best (Voigtländer 1.4/58) follwed by one of the worst normal-lenses (Nikkor 2.8/45 P) I ever had on my Nikons. If I start an argument here it's intentionally. 😂 Even a humble 1.8/50 Ais (Pancake) easily beats the overhyped 45 P and this is one of the few times I even agree with Ken Rockwell. I still, have the pictures from my D800e as a proof under my belt and feel well prepared. 😊 And one more thing: The shutterspeed-indicator in the finder of your FM2 isn't properly adjusted. My first FM2 looked the same with the numbers slightly hanging, when I received it brand new in autumn of 1990. A competent repairmen can fix this. I had this minor flaw rectified under warranty.
Thank you for another thoughtful video that is pure joy to watch! I also shoot left-eye and wear glasses. Do you find that having to shoot with the winder pulled out to unlock the shutter interferes with getting your eye sufficiently close to the viewfinder? For this reason I favor the F3 and EL2, even though heavier, because both can be shot with winder fully folded. Thank you!
Thanks for your comment. No, I did not encounter any problems with that. Interesting point though.
Yes, absolutely the film advance lever hit me in the head or hit my glasses. So I use canon cameras instead.
Hence, the MD-12 is (almost) a must of the left eye dominant photographer.
Great review as always. Makes me want to repair my FE so I can take it back out on the streets!
Love that Voigtlander lens with the scalloped focus ring like the pre-AI lenses had.
I remember falling in love with the FM. My classic camera from the day. Hopefully prices won't go up after this video.
Black FM2 best looking camera ever made ❤
I shoot with a nikon F3 and F2 , with I love but I've always wanted one of the FM or FE models
Finally Nikon on this channel! Love your videos. Have thought about making a video about FA? Very underrated device in my opinion.
My FE2 kept me company for almost 40 years and around the 🌎 world: all over Europe, Moscow, Usbekistan, Samarkand, Baikal Lake at -25° C, Japan, you name it, she's been there. My next camera will be an FE2 ... or maybe 🤔 an F3 hp, who knows, I'll still have some time to decide since she won't retire any time soon 🤙
Its a very good review although I never liked the FE/FM-series very much. The motor drive often had issues, the release is triggered with a metal pin which springs upwards. The viewfinder is narrow with short eyepoint - which makes it impossible to get a full overview if the user wears glasses. The F3 HP is way better; the FA with MD-15 a cheaper midprice alternative without the shortcomings of the FM/FE.
FM3A for the win.
times 2. one for backup
Great video - thanks. I have the FE (not FE2) which belonged to my father and some of my favourite images of my grandchildren have been taken with it - beautiful film images…not clinically “perfect” :- )
Still have mine. The best 35mms ever made
Love your style. You have a great way of making video content. Such a pleasure watching you guys
Love these cameras. Prefer the shutter sound on other Nikons tbh though it's got too much of a sharp crack like a machine gun but hey, what do I know
The joke is that all of todays cameras must have a battery to operate so these legendary Nikons are a must have in any photographers kit with a couple of rolls of film, Always handy to have the camera around in the odd case you don't have your digital camera charged up or have issues with your memory card. Film is not dead! Long live film!!
Many thanks!
Шедевр классики!!! У меня таких 3 шт
I have a copy of each. Great cameras.