My mom bought one back in 1976 I think. Someone dented the bumper on her truck, she bought the camera with the insurance money and then backed the truck into a tree and straightened out the bumper. It became the camera that was responsible for most of the family photos for the next 15-20 years. It became the camera I got my start in photography on in high school around 01, before digital was affordable for most people. Now my wife's in college focusing on photography and is using it for her darkroom class and I still use it for fun sometimes when I'm in the mood to shoot film. It's been nothing short of fantastic for the last 40+ years and I don't see that changing any time soon.
Thanks for your thorough review of the FE. I agree with your admiration for this camera, but I came to that appreciation from a different path than yours. I bought my FE new in about 1982. It was my first serious camera. I bought the 50mm f1.4 lens too, and later telephoto lenses from other manufacturers. I shot it a lot for several years, but went digital after a while. I kept the FE, still in mint condition, in my closet, unused since the mid-eighties. Recently, at a swap meet I found a very nice Nikon “F” with an FTn metering view finder and a sweet 50mm f/2 Nikkor lens. I got it cheap, just out of curiosity. I have had fun with it. This prompted me to take the FE out of storage. Wow, I was reminded about how nice the FE is, even compared to the grand-daddy of all SLRs, the “F”. The controls are smoother and more convenient on the FE and everything is more intuitive. The metering is very clever, as you suggested. The body fits into the hands better. The “F”, as wonderful as it is, is heavy, clunky and quirky by comparison to the sweet FE. I appreciate them both now, but for different reasons. I’m glad I kept the FE all these years. I’ll keep both cameras. I may get back into film again.
I mean... that's not surprising. The NIkon F was released in 1959. The FE was released in 1978. Almost 20 years apart. The only reason anyone would shoot the original F anymore is for the fun of it, and not because it was a gold standard in performance. The early 80's Nikon's were arguably the best manual SLR's ever produced. Nikon's last manual SLR, the FM3a, was made in the early 00's but it was basically an FE2 that could also shoot mechanically without batteries. (like an FE2 and FM2 hybrid).
I started in 1981 with the Canon AE1-P but moved to the Nikon Fe in 1984, over 200 cameras later and I still love and use the Nikon FE, great video and images.
@@pushingfilm I won an auction for a black FE in excellent condition with Nikkor 50mm 1.4, 24mm 2.8, 80-200mm, 55mm macro and Vivitar 90mm 2.8 for only $261!
I love my Nikon FE. My favorite is that you're able to see the aperture, shutter speed, and proper exposure all in the viewfinder. Great video about the FE.
My friends dad shot social events professionally around NYC w/ this so called "2nd tier" camera. In summer of '93 he helped me get one of my own. I learned how to properly use a camera being that the FE is mostly manual. I bought some lenses and dressed it up w/ a motor drive which makes it heavy but the balance and grip are just right for my hand. I used to lust after newer and seemingly more capable gear and recently bought an FE2 for the TTL flash control and higher shutter speeds but I'll never part w/ my FE. I keep color in one and black & white in the other. The automatic setting will keep the shutter open for hours if needed for extreme night photography. A feature I absolutely need in a camera. After nearly 25 years of living w/ it I can say this camera is deceptively robust and extremely flexible while being simple to operate. The FE turns 40 this year and is still highly regarded. A mark of brilliant design.
Good to hear! There's a lot of love for the FE out there and for good reason, the camera has definitely proven itself over the years and still going strong such as in this case. Thanks for sharing your experience.
A year ago I bought a mint (literally perfect and spotless) black Fe at my local camera store for 100$ body only. I also found a 50mm 1.8 E series lens for 25$ on eBay. I love the combination. As you said one of the nicest film cameras there is
I started in 1980 with a Ricoh KR-10, that's the original version with a small plate screwed to the body above the lens, pretty much where the light meter cell would go on (say) a Zenith. Now that old Ricoh had no features that the FE doesn't have and visa-versa. The features of both seem identical. Your video has settled my mind to get an FE in place of my current F90X, which is just too complicated to just pick up and snap off a shot. Thank you for this excellent video.
I have a non-working FE that I never bothered to get worked on. Based on this review I took it in to get refurbished and new seals, should be ready in a week. Mine is chrome.
Nice review! I usually hear people complain about FE's light meter that it's hard to see in the dark. But the you found its merit and it is undeniable.
I have the FE in black with beautiful brassing around the edges and a Helios 81H 2/50 lens that is almost as pancake-sized as this one. It is indeed a wonderful camera that feels just perfect, metal and "real"!
Nice vid and nice photo! I'm FE user as well and I love the needle indicator so much. I love the old Nikon logo, no model name on the front and the pure simplicity.
Hi Hashem, I am planing on buying an FE and thank you for this excellent review. I think I am extremely sold by your comments haha. I will tag you in IG when I got some decent shots out of it man. Best and thank you again!!
just purchased with 50mm 1.4 nikkor from japan. wow! what a little marvel. simple to use. I'll use it with some Ilford b/w film. A real gem of a camera and so discreet with a good pancake lens. noticed you had a voigtlander 40mm. I have one too. great stuff. keep up your balanced and oh so welcome reviews.
I had my heart set on an F3 to be my new daily driver but I think you've sold me on the FE, found a mint one with an Ai 50mm f1.4 and md-12 motor drive for $200 usd which seems reasonable and I think I'll buy it. Thanks for all the great info it's been very helpful. The f3 is more prestigious but I think the compactness and simplicity of this model will be more enjoyable in day-to-day life. Thanks!
A wonderful camera to own and use, have one myself that I bought from Japan (ebay) in near mint condition last year for 114$ AUD..then got a mint MD-11 motor drive from Japan also for 45$ AUD. love using mine,hard for it to get as much exercise as it deserves though as I try and take all my 35mm slrs out on a regular basis to make sure they all get used to keep them working properly.
I feel your love for the FE As i've said before in another video's comments, I borrowed a mates FE2 and the next week bought a FE I can't put it down I also have the D3s but I would grab the FE over it. Great shoots too by the way good to see Melbourne through someone else's eyes
Pushing Film It's good for you to mention the FE2; I have both and consider many of the changes get in the way of handling. In addition to those mentioned, the film speed and exposure compensation arrangement on the FE2 is a retrograde step: film speed setting should be much more difficult than setting exposure compensation as you do it only once. On the FE, you set it by pressing an unlock button first, and compensation is done with one hand only, but the FE2 has it the opposite way, so, making compensation is quite a bothersome operation, especially when you're photographing in the thick of it.
Pushing Film Another thing I find exasperating is how the meter system locks up in the FE2 before the frame counter reads 1. Judging by specifications only, the FE2 is indeed better. I wrote and article many years ago comparing them, and came to the conclusion: the FE2 is good on paper, but the FE is great in metal.
Good bit of kit mate I used to work with a FM2 over 12 yrs ago before going digital until recently I picked up a FE2 /50mm 1.8 pancake for $50 and its funny how it was about the same size as a Fuji xt-1 that I was trying out for a while.Would be amazing if Nikon re-tried the DF concept and made a Nikon digi body that is the same size as the FE series + well done showing images at the end to give beginners a better idea of image quality as that can be rare in gear reviews
The pre-AI lenses are easily modded. Plus, (in general) the AI and AI-S lenses are the better lenses. I'll take 1/4000th shutter, faster flash sync speed, faster no-batteries shutter speed. I would also take the FM2 over the FE. Has the 1/4000th shutter and ability to shoot every shutter without batteries. I'd take the F3 third. Then probably the FE. (and the FM3a would have to be the GOAT over all the above).
@@rfggibson that one actually is true, LOL. The FE can use pre-ai lenses. The FE2 cannot. (the FE2 is just the better camera though... shooting lenses from the late 60's would be cool... it wouldn't make me choose the FE over the FE2 though)
Great images you posted! I love my FE-it was gifted to me by someone with a 50mm f2 and motor drive. It just feels right when you hold it and shoot it-my favorite film camera hands down (and that's saying something, coming from a Minolta fan!). Love the channel too-subscribed!
The little "button" cells are so small and have such a long shelf life, there is no reason not to carry one or two, spare sets! Most of my friends that use these cameras have a tiny "pocket" sewn into the strap, and are thus never without spare batteries!
I recently got a bunch of photography equipment in one lot for free through Freecycle (look under freecycle.org) locally -- including a Nikon FE with four lenses and a Pentax ME Super with two lenses. I haven't shot 35mm since my days in high school (late 1970's on my old, long-gone, Nikon F (built 1965)) -- and I am very excited about both of these 35mm SLRs. So I have been watching all of the FE reviews on UA-cam -- and you are the first folks to talk about the exposure lock using the self-timer lever -- that's a great feature -- it's amazing that more FE posters out there do not know about it! Love your photos and your videos!
Excellent review man! Wonderful photos. This is he first film camera I purchased about 2 years ago with a Nikon 50mm 1.8 but I haven’t used it much since. I think it needs a CLA as the mirror slap has an annoying ring to it. You’ve inspired me to start using it again. I have heard wonderful things about the FM comparing it to a old Leica due to its total manual ability and no need for batteries.
Michael Falkous Thanks again! Nice, maybe it just needs some new seals and mirror foam? Definitely good to have a good film slr on hand when you need it 👌
Pushing Film thanks man I’ll have to look into it. I think it has something to with the mirror though as the sound is there when the camera is open too. I don’t know of any respected Nikon repairers so I’ll do some research. Your right though a good SLR is needed. I inherited two Pentax ILX’s and have read very good things about them so I will need to try one of those out too.
What is the Voigtlander attachment on the lens? I am assuming it is a Nikon lens. I've owned a FE since the late 70's, works flawlessly even today. Might consider the FM though.
@@rfggibson it is true. I have done for years. I've more than 2000 shots taken with my FE and Pre-AI lenses, and I used the onboard lightmeter of my FE body. it is nothing wrong if you don't know a few things, I don't know also everything in film photography and I learn everyday, even after shooting film for almost 15 years experience. but what is wrong is to be ignorant and deny it without knowing.
Great review and even better photos! You have some seriously great work The FE was my first film camera and I loved it. I primarily shoot rangefinders now, but have an FM2n for my slr
I wouldn't say it has improved my photography (only time and experience can do that), but I will say that, for me, it is better for the type of photography I do 90% of the time (primarily documentary). However, an SLR wins every time for close up work, portraits, and instances where exact framing is important. Just my opinion, everyone is different.
I have a Yashica fxd quartz with a 50mm f2 lens. This is my second favourite next to my FE.The main reason the FE is my top favourite is that I have a choice of 5 different lenses including 2 non ai which will all work on it.I also have a Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 ai s-c. I use the legendary Nikkor P-auto 105mm f2.5 on my FE both loaded with Kodak Trix and carry them both in the style of Don McCullin war photographer. The Yashica Fxd quartz is more of a holiday camera which my partner can use as well on the automatic setting loaded with colour print film. It is similar in size to the FE. If I could afford 4 different Contax/Yashica lenses for it it would be my preferred camera of all.
FE is fantastic, unbeatable in my mind with the exception of the FE2...I find the removal of the battery check light in the FE2 helps streamline the design personally. Fantastic video! Been looking forward to this review.
Oop...just noticed a mistake during the 1:53 scene. The FE2 does not need to be "woken up" to take a shot. It is identical to the original FE in that respect. The only thing that needs to be woken up is the meter.
ThisIsRyan Thanks mate! Yes, I think we can agree that all the Nikon F series cameras of those days were great. I agree on streamlining the design but also wish the FE2 didnt add the big model badge to the front (haha so picky right :D) Thanks for pointing out that it is the meter that needs to woken up, as I forgot to specify this. Glad you liked the review!
Thank you for such an informative video! I just bought a Nikon FE and this was really helpful. What kind of strap are you using in the video? Love how minimalistic it is.
I was messing with mine while watching. The interesting thing on mine & I'm guessing all is that w/ no battery you can't even advance unless your set to m90. Good vid here. Oh heck. Just realized i hit the wrong letter in the search! Mine is a FG.....
Great video! I just bought a black FE and am excited for its delivery Question about the battery failing and then operating at 1/90 second. Can’t you use all the other manual shutter speeds too if the battery dies?
thanks for that video and input. Which exact lense versions you use? There seem to be a bunch of different versions, and I am interested of your opinion with your lenses.
I think i need to mention this. IF you're a left eye dominant. This camera (just like all nikon fm series) is completely unusable.. because you need to have the shutter advance lever in a position like at 01:50. otherwise the shutter won't fire... such a shame. this could've been a better camera than F3 (faster max shutter speed, better meter indicator, lighter body).. i never understood why nikon did this.
actually I'm left eye dominant yet I dont find it affects me at all...it just must be that some people's eyes are closer to the viewfinder than others and thats what causes the issue maybe?...perhaps some other viewers/commentors have an idea maybe.great little cam though.
holy crap! good point! i was just shooting with my F3 earlier and i had to push in the lever cuz it was hitting my face while looking down the VF, that would have turned off an FE.
In Auto mode the shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 of a second which would have been nice in Manual mode. Nevertheless if you’re shooting a 1.2 aperture then throw it in Auto to take advantage of the faster shutter.
Hi! Awesome review, got recently nikon fe and sb-30, can’t quite work out how to set is, if I set camera on auto, what should I set on the sb-30 is it aperture or just the power, like 1/8 or 1/32 of full power, would appreciate some help!
When the voigtlander lens costs 2 to 3 times the cost of the camera you expect great results. 40mm is the best focal length for quick Street and Walk around shots
hello, I've just gotten into film camera for a month and I'm using my friend's camera to shoot film before deciding if I really want to buy one for myself. I got a question about this camera, in the video you said that this is mostly manual, I googled information about this, and found out this was an aperture-priority camera. Does that mean I will have no control over the shutter speed after selecting the aperture? Thank you in advance.
muzikmine Yes, when you are using it in the "auto" setting this is the case. But the beauty of this camera is that you also have the option to go full manual and choose your shutter speed and aperture :)
if the battery dies, will I still be able to take photos like other full manual cameras (with the light meter of course), or the camera will restrict me to a certain point? Thank u, this helps a lot!
andre gale You can never really know for sure, that's the beauty of film 😁 But some films are known to have more latitude (eg portra) than others, while some other (especially slide films) might have as little as 5 stops.
The best review of a Nikon FE camera! Thank you! Just wanted to ask about the matt viewfinder if it can be replaced with a normal clear one? And how can you meter with non Ai lenses? Thanks again!
Thank you! I'm not too sure! But in Ken Rockwell's review that I read many years ago he spoke about some replacement/upgrade options including the one I changed to.
Harold clark thanks very much! I really like the AE1 too, both great cameras. The later AE1 Programme has shutter priority auto exposure, and the Nikon FE has Aperture priority instead. You might have a preference for one over the other, but the rest is just details 😁
Another great vid! I've been thinking about an SLR to step up from my practika LTL (with easier to find lens choices being one factor) and the FE might just be it.
Awesome camera, wanna get it someday. So far I'm using Canon A1, which honestly I don't much like and Kyiv-19- old soviet camera, kinda a Nikon rip-off with Nikon mount, pretty basic but for some reason feels really nice.
I just took an FE I got online years ago out of the dry cabinet for the first time in ages and the top video was yours. Great to see earlier reviews from years ago! Are you still shooting with it?
@@pushingfilm Really sweet combo! Next time you come to Japan I gotta take you on a tour around all the local hardoff's in the outskirts of Tokyo. I keep finding gems every week, specially in the junk box (easily fixable most of them with a simple tool kit and at prices between 100 and 1000 yen!)
The FG was a beginners model back in the day, successor to the Nikon EM so it carried some of its features like the shutter will fire at one shutter speed (i think 1/1000) until you reach frame 1, it will beep if you are under exposed (only in A mode), the build quality was not as good as these FE or FM cameras of the time and it is a bit smaller. The FG does not take Pre-AI lenses. For the price I would recommend the FE over FG anytime. I have both the FE and FG and I personally like the FE much better.
Although I prefer rangefinder style viewfinders I have to admit this little Nikon triggers my GAS! Gotta go browse eBay so thanks for the review and see ya! Oh and very nice pictures :)
Pushing Film cool, i want to get into film as a beginner, but i dont know where and what to start with. especiallt since im in budget. do you recommend any?
Jerico Tablizo our recommendation would be to start with a 50mm prime lens! It's a great starting point and the FE will let you work your way into learning about shooting in full manual. If you don't get one with your body, look out for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 which is easy to find separately at good prices 👍
I'm your new subscriber! One question: I'm about to purchase this body from a Japanese used camera store along with a lens. There are non-AI, AI, AI-s Nikkor lenses I can choose from and it's rather difficult for me to understand what the AI does. It looks like it has to do with exposure indexing but not 100% clear still. Can I use this FE body with non-AI lense just fine? I'm concerned that non-AI even means the light metre won't even work which would give me zero clue..
Thanks for the reply. I just got myself FE, can't wait to load my first film in 10 years! I find your content most on point with my interest at the moment and I really appreciate how you are putting in efforts to try many different films to demonstrate different results even though you must have a favourite film that you would just want to stick with. Very much looking forward to your new videos :) There is just one thing that I'm trying to understand about this camera. And it's the exposure lock. Basically, what difference does it make exactly? My understanding is that with the AE on, the needle will still move in the viewfinder to indicate how much your shutter speed is off but isn't that just a default behaviour when AE is off? For this very reason I don't use AE lock with my digital body in manual mode. So the question is, would there be any exposure difference with shots that expose to the shadow then re-compose VERSUS expose to the shadow, hold AE on, re-compose?
Seong Lee Just to expand on Pushing Film's point. Ai means Automatic Indexing, where the coupling between the lens and camera automatically informs the exposure meter the maximum aperture of the lens: Nikon's Ai coupling system is actually a copy of Minolta's MC system. Fitting a non-Ai lens to an Ai camera would damage the camera's Ai coupling lever, so for the early Ai cameras such as EL2, FM, and FE, the lever can be locked away from harm to allow fitting of non-Ai lenses, but you lose the full-aperture metering function. For quite some years after the switch-over to Ai, Nikon offered a service to convert non-Ai lenses to Ai specifications, which was basically the substitution of a redesigned aperture ring, and they work correctly, so I would recommend getting Ai (including Ai-S) and Ai-converted lenses.
PLEASE visit and contact John White Tech's website @ www.aiconversions.com. his phone number _ (734) 662-1734 for information, conversion of Nikon lenses and other technicals aspects you must be familiar with before you use new and old lenses on your Nikon bodies. Great tech, excellent source for service and information. Highly recommended. I am one of his customers more than happy with what he does as converting Nikon lenses.
My mom bought one back in 1976 I think. Someone dented the bumper on her truck, she bought the camera with the insurance money and then backed the truck into a tree and straightened out the bumper. It became the camera that was responsible for most of the family photos for the next 15-20 years. It became the camera I got my start in photography on in high school around 01, before digital was affordable for most people. Now my wife's in college focusing on photography and is using it for her darkroom class and I still use it for fun sometimes when I'm in the mood to shoot film. It's been nothing short of fantastic for the last 40+ years and I don't see that changing any time soon.
What a great background story for a camera! 😁 Glad to hear it's still getting use
Thanks for your thorough review of the FE. I agree with your admiration for this camera, but I came to that appreciation from a different path than yours. I bought my FE new in about 1982. It was my first serious camera. I bought the 50mm f1.4 lens too, and later telephoto lenses from other manufacturers. I shot it a lot for several years, but went digital after a while. I kept the FE, still in mint condition, in my closet, unused since the mid-eighties. Recently, at a swap meet I found a very nice Nikon “F” with an FTn metering view finder and a sweet 50mm f/2 Nikkor lens. I got it cheap, just out of curiosity. I have had fun with it. This prompted me to take the FE out of storage. Wow, I was reminded about how nice the FE is, even compared to the grand-daddy of all SLRs, the “F”. The controls are smoother and more convenient on the FE and everything is more intuitive. The metering is very clever, as you suggested. The body fits into the hands better. The “F”, as wonderful as it is, is heavy, clunky and quirky by comparison to the sweet FE. I appreciate them both now, but for different reasons. I’m glad I kept the FE all these years. I’ll keep both cameras. I may get back into film again.
I mean... that's not surprising. The NIkon F was released in 1959. The FE was released in 1978. Almost 20 years apart. The only reason anyone would shoot the original F anymore is for the fun of it, and not because it was a gold standard in performance. The early 80's Nikon's were arguably the best manual SLR's ever produced. Nikon's last manual SLR, the FM3a, was made in the early 00's but it was basically an FE2 that could also shoot mechanically without batteries. (like an FE2 and FM2 hybrid).
I started in 1981 with the Canon AE1-P but moved to the Nikon Fe in 1984, over 200 cameras later and I still love and use the Nikon FE, great video and images.
mamiyapress Thank you, and that's amazing! 200 cameras is a big feat of experience
Out of the dozens of review videos I’ve seen, this was hands-down the best. I’m ordering a FE right now!
You wont regret the choice! 😁
@@pushingfilm I won an auction for a black FE in excellent condition with Nikkor 50mm 1.4, 24mm 2.8, 80-200mm, 55mm macro and Vivitar 90mm 2.8 for only $261!
I love my Nikon FE. My favorite is that you're able to see the aperture, shutter speed, and proper exposure all in the viewfinder. Great video about the FE.
raceface_m Yes! So streamlined. Thanks, we're glad you enjoyed it
My friends dad shot social events professionally around NYC w/ this so called "2nd tier" camera. In summer of '93 he helped me get one of my own. I learned how to properly use a camera being that the FE is mostly manual. I bought some lenses and dressed it up w/ a motor drive which makes it heavy but the balance and grip are just right for my hand.
I used to lust after newer and seemingly more capable gear and recently bought an FE2 for the TTL flash control and higher shutter speeds but I'll never part w/ my FE. I keep color in one and black & white in the other. The automatic setting will keep the shutter open for hours if needed for extreme night photography. A feature I absolutely need in a camera.
After nearly 25 years of living w/ it I can say this camera is deceptively robust and extremely flexible while being simple to operate. The FE turns 40 this year and is still highly regarded. A mark of brilliant design.
Good to hear! There's a lot of love for the FE out there and for good reason, the camera has definitely proven itself over the years and still going strong such as in this case. Thanks for sharing your experience.
A year ago I bought a mint (literally perfect and spotless) black Fe at my local camera store for 100$ body only. I also found a 50mm 1.8 E series lens for 25$ on eBay. I love the combination.
As you said one of the nicest film cameras there is
I like it because it has the slot on the back for the film box end to slide in as a reminder what film is loaded.
Love your videos! And i really like the pictures you take, great compositions, unlike a lot of other youtubers
Hey thanks so much! Really appreciate it
Awesome shots at the end, a very good review, thanks a lot!
Chen Saloner Thank you!
I have an FE already, but man just wanted to say your images at the end are AWESOME. Stunning work brother.
Thanks very much!
I started in 1980 with a Ricoh KR-10, that's the original version with a small plate screwed to the body above the lens, pretty much where the light meter cell would go on (say) a Zenith. Now that old Ricoh had no features that the FE doesn't have and visa-versa. The features of both seem identical. Your video has settled my mind to get an FE in place of my current F90X, which is just too complicated to just pick up and snap off a shot. Thank you for this excellent video.
Nice! Really glad it helped 🙂
Just got mine at goodwill in perfect condition for $20 so excited to shoot with it!
Amazing! 😀 Congrats
I have a non-working FE that I never bothered to get worked on. Based on this review I took it in to get refurbished and new seals, should be ready in a week. Mine is chrome.
Good to hear! Hope you get some enjoyment out of it again
Great review, thanks. I was looking for an everyday 35mm and hunted down a gorgeous FE after watching your video. Love my FE . . .
That's awesome! hope you enjoy it
Well done video. Great pics! Love the FE!
You have some REALLY amazing photos at the end. Great work with the video, too!
Thanks so much! 😁
Nice review! I usually hear people complain about FE's light meter that it's hard to see in the dark. But the you found its merit and it is undeniable.
李思睿 Thank you! Yes it is a bit hard to see in the dark, but it's still worth it for the match needle metering :)
I have the FE in black with beautiful brassing around the edges and a Helios 81H 2/50 lens that is almost as pancake-sized as this one. It is indeed a wonderful camera that feels just perfect, metal and "real"!
Nice vid and nice photo!
I'm FE user as well and I love the needle indicator so much.
I love the old Nikon logo, no model name on the front and the pure simplicity.
Ayyyyyyy, it turned out really well! Well done dude!
Chigyver Thanks man, well done to you too sir :)
Got it love the Nikkormat EL version as well. Both great aperture priority
Great review and awesome shots!
Thank you!
We done with this review. It's a solid camera. Thanks for sharing.
Joe Lopez Thank you for watching!
Absolutely love the FE/FE2. My black FE2 with a 50mm f/1.8 and the F hood...that's my ride or die camera. Keep up the great content and videos!
dasfoldingfive Nice! That's a timeless combo. Thanks for your support :D
Awesome help, bro! Really well explained. Thank you.
Hi Hashem, I am planing on buying an FE and thank you for this excellent review. I think I am extremely sold by your comments haha. I will tag you in IG when I got some decent shots out of it man. Best and thank you again!!
also 11:39 its just a masterpiece man, how meta! Cheers
Really great review of one of my favorite cameras. I just love the match needle metering and wish the rest of my Nikons had it.
Erik Herrmann Sr. Thanks, yes the match needle meter is one of the best features!
just purchased with 50mm 1.4 nikkor from japan. wow! what a little marvel. simple to use. I'll use it with some Ilford b/w film. A real gem of a camera and so discreet with a good pancake lens. noticed you had a voigtlander 40mm. I have one too. great stuff. keep up your balanced and oh so welcome reviews.
Tadeusz12 That's awesome! Congrats on the purchase. And thank you 😁 yes, a big fan of the pancake lens here
Tadeusz12 Hello! Where exactly in japan did you purchase your FE?
I had my heart set on an F3 to be my new daily driver but I think you've sold me on the FE, found a mint one with an Ai 50mm f1.4 and md-12 motor drive for $200 usd which seems reasonable and I think I'll buy it. Thanks for all the great info it's been very helpful. The f3 is more prestigious but I think the compactness and simplicity of this model will be more enjoyable in day-to-day life. Thanks!
A wonderful camera to own and use, have one myself that I bought from Japan (ebay) in near mint condition last year for 114$ AUD..then got a mint MD-11 motor drive from Japan also for 45$ AUD. love using mine,hard for it to get as much exercise as it deserves though as I try and take all my 35mm slrs out on a regular basis to make sure they all get used to keep them working properly.
catey62 That's great! Glad to hear that other people enjoy this model too.
Great review and photos!
Roman Schatz Thank you very much!
awesome review and great photos!
Your photos are amazing !
Amaury Benoist Thank you!
I feel your love for the FE
As i've said before in another video's comments, I borrowed a mates FE2 and the next week bought a FE I can't put it down
I also have the D3s but I would grab the FE over it.
Great shoots too by the way good to see Melbourne through someone else's eyes
Adrian Meiners Thanks mate! Yeah I always think they should design a Dslr with the same form factor and build quality of the FE...
these are just insanely good pictures ! also a great video. just get a fe2 my self. keep up the content ! cheers
FB .edits Thanks very much! Glad you enjoyed.
Just ordered one from eBay. So looking forward to restarting my film career.
Pushing Film It's good for you to mention the FE2; I have both and consider many of the changes get in the way of handling. In addition to those mentioned, the film speed and exposure compensation arrangement on the FE2 is a retrograde step: film speed setting should be much more difficult than setting exposure compensation as you do it only once. On the FE, you set it by pressing an unlock button first, and compensation is done with one hand only, but the FE2 has it the opposite way, so, making compensation is quite a bothersome operation, especially when you're photographing in the thick of it.
Seele2015au That's true! I didn't like the way they rearranged those dials
Pushing Film Another thing I find exasperating is how the meter system locks up in the FE2 before the frame counter reads 1. Judging by specifications only, the FE2 is indeed better. I wrote and article many years ago comparing them, and came to the conclusion: the FE2 is good on paper, but the FE is great in metal.
Seele2015au Well said!
Good bit of kit mate I used to work with a FM2 over 12 yrs ago before going digital until recently I picked up a FE2 /50mm 1.8 pancake for $50 and its funny how it was about the same size as a Fuji xt-1 that I was trying out for a while.Would be amazing if Nikon re-tried the DF concept and made a Nikon digi body that is the same size as the FE series + well done showing images at the end to give beginners a better idea of image quality as that can be rare in gear reviews
Nikon Zfc
Great shots!!
Another good thing about the FE is you can use pre AI lenses, the FE2 lost this ability.
The pre-AI lenses are easily modded. Plus, (in general) the AI and AI-S lenses are the better lenses. I'll take 1/4000th shutter, faster flash sync speed, faster no-batteries shutter speed. I would also take the FM2 over the FE. Has the 1/4000th shutter and ability to shoot every shutter without batteries. I'd take the F3 third. Then probably the FE. (and the FM3a would have to be the GOAT over all the above).
Absolutely not true
@@rfggibson that one actually is true, LOL. The FE can use pre-ai lenses. The FE2 cannot. (the FE2 is just the better camera though... shooting lenses from the late 60's would be cool... it wouldn't make me choose the FE over the FE2 though)
Those shots are sooo good. I especially like the B&W. :-D
Thanks Jen!
Nice review, nice photos!
Davy Mike Thanks!
Amazing and fully comprehensive review Hashem! Great work, so proud of you 😊 favourite part was obviously 13:05 😂
Sarah Ruhullah Thanks as always. Haha yes I thought you'd like that :D
This was a super helpful video, good work.
I'm curious where you got your strap, it's lovely!
Dee Cozzy Thanks! It's by Tap & Dye, check out their website 😃
Thanks so much! :)
Great images you posted! I love my FE-it was gifted to me by someone with a 50mm f2 and motor drive. It just feels right when you hold it and shoot it-my favorite film camera hands down (and that's saying something, coming from a Minolta fan!). Love the channel too-subscribed!
Yes it's a great all rounder... and thanks so much! 😁
The little "button" cells are so small and have such a long shelf life, there is no reason not to carry one or two, spare sets!
Most of my friends that use these cameras have a tiny "pocket" sewn into the strap, and are thus never without spare batteries!
I recently got a bunch of photography equipment in one lot for free through Freecycle (look under freecycle.org) locally -- including a Nikon FE with four lenses and a Pentax ME Super with two lenses. I haven't shot 35mm since my days in high school (late 1970's on my old, long-gone, Nikon F (built 1965)) -- and I am very excited about both of these 35mm SLRs. So I have been watching all of the FE reviews on UA-cam -- and you are the first folks to talk about the exposure lock using the self-timer lever -- that's a great feature -- it's amazing that more FE posters out there do not know about it! Love your photos and your videos!
Great find(s) and I hope they serve you well! Amazing how so many of those older models have still held up over the decades! Thanks for you support 😁
Excellent review man! Wonderful photos. This is he first film camera I purchased about 2 years ago with a Nikon 50mm 1.8 but I haven’t used it much since. I think it needs a CLA as the mirror slap has an annoying ring to it. You’ve inspired me to start using it again. I have heard wonderful things about the FM comparing it to a old Leica due to its total manual ability and no need for batteries.
Michael Falkous Thanks again! Nice, maybe it just needs some new seals and mirror foam? Definitely good to have a good film slr on hand when you need it 👌
Pushing Film thanks man I’ll have to look into it. I think it has something to with the mirror though as the sound is there when the camera is open too. I don’t know of any respected Nikon repairers so I’ll do some research. Your right though a good SLR is needed. I inherited two Pentax ILX’s and have read very good things about them so I will need to try one of those out too.
Sorry I just noticed you said mirror foam and not light seal foam. Duh! I’ll check out. Cheers
Michael Falkous no worries! Good luck with it
All Fe go “ping”!
Your pictures are pretty cool, matey.
Emil Thank you!
What is the Voigtlander attachment on the lens? I am assuming it is a Nikon lens. I've owned a FE since the late 70's, works flawlessly even today. Might consider the FM though.
Hey, it's just the lens "hood" included with the voigtlander 40mm Ultron lens
Your shots are great!
Thank you!
Great vlog and agree 100% btw fantastic Pier Closed shot - a classic!
Thank you!
Whats the best lens u combine with nikon fe ?
Mostly the Voigtlander 40mm Ultron!
on FE body you can use also Pre-AI lenses and it gives you exposure, but FE2 you can't use Pre-AI lenses
Not true
@@rfggibson
it is true. I have done for years. I've more than 2000 shots taken with my FE and Pre-AI lenses, and I used the onboard lightmeter of my FE body.
it is nothing wrong if you don't know a few things, I don't know also everything in film photography and I learn everyday, even after shooting film for almost 15 years experience. but what is wrong is to be ignorant and deny it without knowing.
Great review and even better photos! You have some seriously great work
The FE was my first film camera and I loved it. I primarily shoot rangefinders now, but have an FM2n for my slr
777millertime777 Thanks very much! Glad to hear that. Do you feel like shooting with a rangefinder helped you improve your photography?
I wouldn't say it has improved my photography (only time and experience can do that), but I will say that, for me, it is better for the type of photography I do 90% of the time (primarily documentary). However, an SLR wins every time for close up work, portraits, and instances where exact framing is important. Just my opinion, everyone is different.
777millertime777 Makes sense, Its a bit hard working around parallax sometimes
I have a Yashica fxd quartz with a 50mm f2 lens. This is my second favourite next to my FE.The main reason the FE is my top favourite is that I have a choice of 5 different lenses including 2 non ai which will all work on it.I also have a Nikkormat ft2 with a 50mm f1.4 ai s-c.
I use the legendary Nikkor P-auto 105mm f2.5 on my FE both loaded with Kodak Trix and carry them both in the style of Don McCullin war photographer.
The Yashica Fxd quartz is more of a holiday camera which my partner can use as well on the automatic setting loaded with colour print film.
It is similar in size to the FE.
If I could afford 4 different Contax/Yashica lenses for it it would be my preferred camera of all.
FE is fantastic, unbeatable in my mind with the exception of the FE2...I find the removal of the battery check light in the FE2 helps streamline the design personally.
Fantastic video! Been looking forward to this review.
Oop...just noticed a mistake during the 1:53 scene. The FE2 does not need to be "woken up" to take a shot. It is identical to the original FE in that respect. The only thing that needs to be woken up is the meter.
ThisIsRyan Thanks mate! Yes, I think we can agree that all the Nikon F series cameras of those days were great. I agree on streamlining the design but also wish the FE2 didnt add the big model badge to the front (haha so picky right :D) Thanks for pointing out that it is the meter that needs to woken up, as I forgot to specify this. Glad you liked the review!
Nice camera, great review and even better pictures!
I'm more of an FM2n man, myself :)
Arm Head Thanks! Love the FM2 series too 😁
Thank you for such an informative video! I just bought a Nikon FE and this was really helpful. What kind of strap are you using in the video? Love how minimalistic it is.
Thanks, and glad you thought so! I'm using a strap from Tap & Dye, I'm a big fan of them and still use them on other cameras years later now 😁
I was messing with mine while watching. The interesting thing on mine & I'm guessing all is that w/ no battery you can't even advance unless your set to m90. Good vid here. Oh heck. Just realized i hit the wrong letter in the search! Mine is a FG.....
I don't get how you can get more shots out of your rolls due to faster shutter speed for the first shots. Can someone pls explain? Thanks!
Hey, if you check out Ken Rockwell's review of the FE, he explains in far better detail than I could here :-)
@@pushingfilm thanks!
I just buy one FE on ebay from Japan ...can't wait ! :-) thank for this review !
Emmanuel Bergère congrats! And thank you 😀
Great video! I just bought a black FE and am excited for its delivery
Question about the battery failing and then operating at 1/90 second. Can’t you use all the other manual shutter speeds too if the battery dies?
Not with the FE. I believe the FM will do that. Maybe bulb will work though?
Nice photos!
What lenses were or were used in these photographs?
Mostly voigtlander 40mm f2
thanks for that video and input. Which exact lense versions you use? There seem to be a bunch of different versions, and I am interested of your opinion with your lenses.
I currently like using the Nikon 28mm Ai-S, and the Voigtlander 58mm 1.4 Nokton :-)
What a cool camera. Going to get one if I find a good offer on eBay. Thanks for that nice review. What do you use for a camera strap?
Alexandra Fasciano Thank you, it's a strap by Tap and Dye
I think i need to mention this. IF you're a left eye dominant. This camera (just like all nikon fm series) is completely unusable.. because you need to have the shutter advance lever in a position like at 01:50. otherwise the shutter won't fire... such a shame. this could've been a better camera than F3 (faster max shutter speed, better meter indicator, lighter body).. i never understood why nikon did this.
Benfica é o Melhor That's a fair point we weren't aware of, thanks for mentioning it.
actually I'm left eye dominant yet I dont find it affects me at all...it just must be that some people's eyes are closer to the viewfinder than others and thats what causes the issue maybe?...perhaps some other viewers/commentors have an idea maybe.great little cam though.
holy crap! good point! i was just shooting with my F3 earlier and i had to push in the lever cuz it was hitting my face while looking down the VF, that would have turned off an FE.
GODDAMN those r legendary shots.
In Auto mode the shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 of a second which would have been nice in Manual mode. Nevertheless if you’re shooting a 1.2 aperture then throw it in Auto to take advantage of the faster shutter.
nice work!
Hi! Awesome review, got recently nikon fe and sb-30, can’t quite work out how to set is, if I set camera on auto, what should I set on the sb-30 is it aperture or just the power, like 1/8 or 1/32 of full power, would appreciate some help!
When the voigtlander lens costs 2 to 3 times the cost of the camera you expect great results.
40mm is the best focal length for quick Street and Walk around shots
hello, I've just gotten into film camera for a month and I'm using my friend's camera to shoot film before deciding if I really want to buy one for myself. I got a question about this camera, in the video you said that this is mostly manual, I googled information about this, and found out this was an aperture-priority camera. Does that mean I will have no control over the shutter speed after selecting the aperture? Thank you in advance.
muzikmine Yes, when you are using it in the "auto" setting this is the case. But the beauty of this camera is that you also have the option to go full manual and choose your shutter speed and aperture :)
if the battery dies, will I still be able to take photos like other full manual cameras (with the light meter of course), or the camera will restrict me to a certain point? Thank u, this helps a lot!
muzikmine It will restrict you to 1/90th of a second shutter speed, this is the main difference between this camera and mechanical ones like the FM2
Please, could you share how you transfer 35mm film frames into your PC? What device, tools, or system do you use to scan the negatives? Thank you.
beautiful photos
Nice shots. Are those SOOC or have they been modified post?
Joe Lopez Most are straight film scans.. and some have had colour correction, contrast changes, or slight cropping/straightening.
My question might be silly...
In the part that you talk about the AEL, how do you know that your film isn't going to handle that dynamic range?
andre gale You can never really know for sure, that's the beauty of film 😁 But some films are known to have more latitude (eg portra) than others, while some other (especially slide films) might have as little as 5 stops.
The best review of a Nikon FE camera! Thank you! Just wanted to ask about the matt viewfinder if it can be replaced with a normal clear one? And how can you meter with non Ai lenses? Thanks again!
Thank you! I'm not too sure! But in Ken Rockwell's review that I read many years ago he spoke about some replacement/upgrade options including the one I changed to.
Ok, thanks. What about the lens that's on the camera? I just saw it's a Voigtlander f2. What focal length is it?
How does one set the type of film being used? 200.400 etc?
Very good review. How would you compare the Nikon fe to the canon ae1? I've just subscribed
Harold clark thanks very much! I really like the AE1 too, both great cameras. The later AE1 Programme has shutter priority auto exposure, and the Nikon FE has Aperture priority instead. You might have a preference for one over the other, but the rest is just details 😁
Another great vid! I've been thinking about an SLR to step up from my practika LTL (with easier to find lens choices being one factor) and the FE might just be it.
Yarko Petriw good choice! Glad you like it
👍👍👍Actually the ASA or ISO tops out at 4000. There is one more stop past 3200 check the instruction manual page 9. 👍👍
Awesome camera, wanna get it someday.
So far I'm using Canon A1, which honestly I don't much like and Kyiv-19- old soviet camera, kinda a Nikon rip-off with Nikon mount, pretty basic but for some reason feels really nice.
Nice review and great shots, How is that Voigtlander 40mm lens? ( as opposed to the Nikon 35mm 2.8)
Personally have only used the Nikon 35mm E series, but the voigtlander is great... small size with perfect handling, and great overall iq.
I just took an FE I got online years ago out of the dry cabinet for the first time in ages and the top video was yours. Great to see earlier reviews from years ago! Are you still shooting with it?
Nice! I sure am. It's loaded with some Lomo 13 ISO black and white film at the moment, with the Voigtlander Nokton 58mm 1.4 lens on it :-)
@@pushingfilm Really sweet combo! Next time you come to Japan I gotta take you on a tour around all the local hardoff's in the outskirts of Tokyo. I keep finding gems every week, specially in the junk box (easily fixable most of them with a simple tool kit and at prices between 100 and 1000 yen!)
@@alexabian That sounds awesome :-D
Great video, thank you
In the post, purchased two days ago.
congrats!
Some really nice pictures at the end. You have a Flickr?
DOOT DOOT Thanks! Not one that I've used in recent years, just instagram (@exaframe)
I respect your impression , do you have any experience of the Nikon FG.?
Harold clark Thank you! Not personally experienced with that particular model.
The FG was a beginners model back in the day, successor to the Nikon EM so it carried some of its features like the shutter will fire at one shutter speed (i think 1/1000) until you reach frame 1, it will beep if you are under exposed (only in A mode), the build quality was not as good as these FE or FM cameras of the time and it is a bit smaller. The FG does not take Pre-AI lenses. For the price I would recommend the FE over FG anytime. I have both the FE and FG and I personally like the FE much better.
Although I prefer rangefinder style viewfinders I have to admit this little Nikon triggers my GAS! Gotta go browse eBay so thanks for the review and see ya! Oh and very nice pictures :)
Thanks! Good luck with the hunt, it does seem like the price continues to go up for these gems
Recently I bought the Nikon FE, my only doubt is that in manual mode, do I have too match the both needles while composing particular subject?
That's right! You can of course intentionally mismatch the needles though to ignore the meter's suggestion.
I saw a Nikon FE on Craigslist today $150. Im going to pass its to high right? Looks super clean tho!
My Man Flint if it's in good condition and includes a lens that's not too bad :)
It's very nice of course, but I'd say the Olympus Om2n (along with it's incredible range of lenses) is the better (comparable) product.
What type of lens are you using?
Jerico Tablizo the main lens is a Voigtlander 40mm SL-II
Pushing Film would you suggest buying the body of the fe first if you cant find a listing with the lens? Thanks
Jerico Tablizo Yes, this lens is not very common... usually it is easier to start with a Nikon brand lens
Pushing Film cool, i want to get into film as a beginner, but i dont know where and what to start with. especiallt since im in budget. do you recommend any?
Jerico Tablizo our recommendation would be to start with a 50mm prime lens! It's a great starting point and the FE will let you work your way into learning about shooting in full manual. If you don't get one with your body, look out for the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 which is easy to find separately at good prices 👍
I like behind the scene lol ....made me laugh!
SC Sydney Haha thanks!
What type of films u used in these amazing pictures?
Hey, it was a big variety of many films used over many years. Some main ones you see are Kodak Ektar, Portra, HP5, Pan-F, Fuji C200, and Pro-Image.
Hey there hashem, whats the Camera Strap you are using? I currently looking for a clean new strap for my fe2.
Hey! Strap is by Tap & Dye
I'm your new subscriber! One question: I'm about to purchase this body from a Japanese used camera store along with a lens. There are non-AI, AI, AI-s Nikkor lenses I can choose from and it's rather difficult for me to understand what the AI does. It looks like it has to do with exposure indexing but not 100% clear still. Can I use this FE body with non-AI lense just fine? I'm concerned that non-AI even means the light metre won't even work which would give me zero clue..
Seong Lee FE should work with both Ai and non Ai lenses, as opposed to the FE2!
Thanks for the reply. I just got myself FE, can't wait to load my first film in 10 years! I find your content most on point with my interest at the moment and I really appreciate how you are putting in efforts to try many different films to demonstrate different results even though you must have a favourite film that you would just want to stick with. Very much looking forward to your new videos :)
There is just one thing that I'm trying to understand about this camera. And it's the exposure lock. Basically, what difference does it make exactly? My understanding is that with the AE on, the needle will still move in the viewfinder to indicate how much your shutter speed is off but isn't that just a default behaviour when AE is off? For this very reason I don't use AE lock with my digital body in manual mode. So the question is, would there be any exposure difference with shots that expose to the shadow then re-compose VERSUS expose to the shadow, hold AE on, re-compose?
Seong Lee Just to expand on Pushing Film's point. Ai means Automatic Indexing, where the coupling between the lens and camera automatically informs the exposure meter the maximum aperture of the lens: Nikon's Ai coupling system is actually a copy of Minolta's MC system. Fitting a non-Ai lens to an Ai camera would damage the camera's Ai coupling lever, so for the early Ai cameras such as EL2, FM, and FE, the lever can be locked away from harm to allow fitting of non-Ai lenses, but you lose the full-aperture metering function. For quite some years after the switch-over to Ai, Nikon offered a service to convert non-Ai lenses to Ai specifications, which was basically the substitution of a redesigned aperture ring, and they work correctly, so I would recommend getting Ai (including Ai-S) and Ai-converted lenses.
PLEASE visit and contact John White Tech's website @ www.aiconversions.com. his phone number _ (734) 662-1734 for information, conversion of Nikon lenses and other technicals aspects you must be familiar with before you use new and old lenses on your Nikon bodies. Great tech, excellent source for service and information. Highly recommended. I am one of his customers more than happy with what he does as converting Nikon lenses.