Nikon FE2 Instructions Video Manual 1: Interface and Layout

[@user-gy5xl9jy9d]

I just found my dads old fe2 and I’m so excited to use it

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! They're great cameras.

[@nadirimyers6643]

C M saaaaaame girl. I just found out how to open it and that It doesn’t need to charge. Learning new things 😂

[@stella-bk3st]

i have an FE and have been tryig to find info about the double exposure forEVER! this video was super helpful in tons of ways

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@WillmaticNYC]

My first film slr I got last year (KEH all black for about $99 i think). Paired with a Nikon Series E 50mm F1.8. Love it. Keep making awesome videos.

[@DavidHancock]

Very nice pair. The Series E 1.8 is really underrated. They're great lenses.

[@JamesJohnsonthe4th]

Great video! This is probably my favorite film camera.

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! And this is a great camera to have as your favorite.

[@benswanepoel]

Thank you! just got mine in from Japan a few days ago. Feels solid.

[@DavidHancock]

Nice! They are and they're great cameras to shoot with.

[@aerozg]

Just got an FE2 and i am absolutely in love with it. Everything works mechanically, the light meter also works fine. Light seals seem to be fine as well, although i might try and replace them in the near future. When i take the lens off and try to clean fhe mirror there are some dark crumbs that keep falling out, and i seem to have gotten some of that gunk on to the damn focus screen. I think these gummy crumbs come from the foam on the left side. Can this foam be replaced as well? What about the focusing screen, can it be taken out and cleaned? Thank you for these videos, very handy!

[@DavidHancock]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJnYmqSMpNR1pZo and kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipfOYYafZqepp5o The first is for cleaning the focusing screen and the second for the mirror bumper and light seals. If the bumper is shot, so are the light seals.

[@aerozg]

@@DavidHancock than you again, very very helpful. I ordered a light seals replacement kit and a brand new K2 focusing screen from an eBay seller in Japan. Hope i don't ruin this beautiful camera!

[@andrelambert_]

This video came in just the right time! I'm in need of a new SLR (been using a Fujica ST 701) and I just found a black FM2 in excellent shape with a 50mm 1.4 for $150. Can't wait to pick it up!

[@DavidHancock]

That's a GREAT price for that kit. Nice find!

[@VicTheVicar]

I got the original FE. I wasn't aware that the electronics was more fragile on the original. It's in very good condition and I'm the second user. A Canon-based wedding photographer near where I live sold her dads camera to me for about $35. It's a great backup for my Nikon F3HP. The only problem that I've had with the FE was that during the first roll the mirror stayed up as long as I had pressed the shutter button in aperature priority mode, but now it acts normally. Also the recoil from the mirror, when it's put back into the viewing position is quite noticable.

[@VicTheVicar]

Is the FE really ten years older? I think that the FE came out '77/78 and the FE2 in '82/83 and was discontinued just a few years later. The FM2, however, was manufactured for quite a while. The FE has interchangeable screens. The foam was slightly sticky at first but I removed the worst bits of it. Also, the fact that the mirror stayed up when the shutter button was pressed only happened in Auto-mode and not when I had set the speed manually. But as I said, it was only the first roll and I've put maybe ten rolls through it now. Maybe some old dust interfered with the electronics or something. Thanks for making these videos! I'm already looking forward to part 2

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! Part 2 is just finished rendering and I'm going to upload it shortly. I think that ten years or so passed from when the FE was introduced to when the FE2 left production, but I don't know the FE production dates off the top of my head. Sometimes cameras that haven't been used in a while seem to need to have their 'circuitry woken up,' as I call it. I see it a LOT with Canon A-series bodies, especially AE-1 units, where they don't respond correctly and the meter doesn't operate properly until a fresh battery has been in place for a few minutes. It might just be that the capacitors need to charge up or something.

[@enissamiri7989]

I have a question, I just got new batteries and a film roll in my camera, and I noticed that the black pin didn't move, so I advanced to the 1st frame and took my first shot and the black pin went up, which means that the batteries work I believe. Now after I took the first picture the black pin went all the way down. Do I need to advance to the second frame in order to make that black pin rise up?

[@DavidHancock]

The black pin will respond when the film advance lever is popped out slightly and the red dot underneath it is visible.

[@zukaaisme]

i have a question. when i set my shutter speed to 125,60... basically anything that’s not A or M250 after taking the “shot” i have a black screen in the viewfinder. maybe you know why? thanks

[@DavidHancock]

Do you have fresh batteries in the camera?

[@govindan]

Thank you David

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@stephaniedubiel4763]

Just bought an FE2 used and my film rewind crank dial came loose when removing my first roll of film. I think I've repaired it now but the spring door or film rewind knob does not catch and pops upward much easier. Is this an issue? Or once finished shooting a roll can I ensure I have rewound the film significantly before opening the film door by ensuring the pin is in down position?

[@DavidHancock]

Hmm. Sounds like there may be something that isn't fully in place. Next time you have no film in the camera, open the back and remove the knob and lever part again. Make sure to leave the post in place. Do not remove the post as they're a pain to get back in. Next, use a flat-head screwdriver or the like and put it between the fork tines in the post (these are the pair of bits that lock into the film cassette inside the camera.) You'll need to hold the forks like that to have enough force to tighten the knob properly. Next, screw the knob and lever assembly back in and tighten it until you get some resistance while holding the fork in place. That SHOULD fix the issue.

[@DodoKing187]

hello david, I'm very new to the nikon world and curious about you mounting this 50mm SC on that Ai lens certified body, I love the SC lenses and recently got a FE2 is there anything I have to look out for when mounting those SC lenses on "Ai bodies"?!

[@DavidHancock]

The S.C. lens I have was factory-converted to AI, so it's been no issue. Just make sure that you do not mount an NAI lens. If the camera-facing side of the aperture ring is flush, it will risk damaging the camera. Before investing in lenses for Nikon, it's a good idea to come up to speed on the different iterations of the F mount. That will help protect your cameras and make sure that you don't buy the wrong lens or a useless lens for your body. (For instance, G lenses will not work on this camera except wide-open.)

[@DodoKing187]

thank you very much for the information, I'll read up some more on the nikkor lenses I guess :)

[@mariathithuthaonguyen9667]

Thanks so much for this!

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you!

[@nicolaslocatelli_CH]

Good afternoon, If I have a 200 ISO film, how should I adjust the exposure compensation ? And if I use a 1600 ISO film after that ?

[@DavidHancock]

Simply set the ISO dial to the speed you'd like to use (for the entire roll, you can't switch mid-roll) and then change it when you put in a new roll.

[@Boneless_Chuck]

Very helpful video, thank you. I am new to Nikon and not sure what lenses to buy for my FE2. You mentioned AI and you mentioned F series (of which there are numerous). Can you provide a pointer in the right direction for me, please?

[@DavidHancock]

Thank you! AI is a type of F mount. All the Nikon lenses from the film SLR era and into the digital era are F. There are variations on the F lenses, Pre-AI (also call NAI, which means before auto indexing or non-auto indexing) which this camera CAN use but only in stop-down metering. Then came the AI lenses. Those are manual focus and work ideally on this camera. After AI there are many variations, some of which work and some of which don't. There are some good charts online that show which lenses work on different Nikon bodies. In general, stick with the AI lenses and you'll be good.

[@Boneless_Chuck]

@@DavidHancock Thank you for taking the time to make a very helpful reply. I am grateful.

[@willf.5403]

I love my new FE2! The only things is that sometimes there is a 'chime' or 'ring' sound when i press the shutter. David, have you heard of this with F models before?

[@DavidHancock]

Oh that's interesting. I haven't. Can you tell where it originates from? Is it inside the camera or in the mirror box? Or somewhere else?

[@willf.5403]

David Hancock yes, I believe it is the mirror. Perhaps I need new foam for mirror dampening. After some internet sleuthing, consensus says this is something that is known to happen with F cameras. No negative affect unless the noise bothers you. We shall see...

[@DavidHancock]

That would make sense. While you're at it, it's worth replacing all the light seals. I have a video on how to replace light seals with cotton yarn. It shows how to do it on a Minolta, but the process is the same. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipfOYYafZqepp5o

[@willf.5403]

David Hancock perfect, thank you so much.

[@yoepvh9250]

Hey, I know this comment is three years old, but if you're still wondering: it's the counterweight of the shutter. The sound is normal and harmless

[@xpltacy]

How to add settings?

[@Dieseleafe]

The shutter blades on my FM2 jammed. To get the shutter mechanism repaired set me back £100. That said like the FE2 it's a stunning camera, possibly one of the few cameras around that's worth repairing.

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, it's definitely worth repairing. I have a place that will unjam the shutter curtains for $80 or replace the shutter mechanisms for $120, but it's an expensive fix.

[@connarcomstock161]

Lol, Deadpool.

[@DavidHancock]

:D

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

The only problem I have with this video is that it makes me want the camera. No, dammit, no; I have too many Pentax film cameras already, and I do not need a whole new ecosystem to go lens-chasing in. My wife will brain me with a frying pan if I buy one more, and the jury will rightfully acquit. Clearly the designer's intent for total electronic failure was for the shooter to go Sunny 16 with 200ASA film (technically 250, but how often was that made?).

[@DavidHancock]

Yeah, there's no need to get another ecosystem. I had, at one point, 11 different systems (I'm down to about six.) It's AWFUL. I kept saying "I want to use X camera for Y thing but I only have Z lens in a different mount." Ultimately, I'm going to et down to Pentax K, M42, and 67, of course; Sony Alpha; and Olympus OM. I just have to push out all these Canon FD, Nikon F, Mamiya, and other videos to get there.

[@hoorayforpentax3801]

Yes, but for someone who does what you do, having multiple systems is part of the game. Speaking of "Pentax K", I await with bated breath your review of that eponymous camera.

[@10eleven-media]

Hahaha wade wilson. Nice.

[@DavidHancock]

I didn't put it there. :D Seriously though, I didn't.

[@10eleven-media]

David Hancock I believe you and that makes it even better.

[@10eleven-media]

David Hancock great video by the way. I have a Nikon FE. I'm thinking of switching to a canon P for a more manual and rangefinder feel as I use sunny 16. Any chances you have one laying around for a video? Keep up the great content man.

[@xpltacy]

JK

[@DavidHancock]

:D