Nikon FG, a hidden treasure of a vintage film camera

The Nikon FG is the best kept secret for a well featured camera at a bargain basement price. This camera is far more advanced than its older brother, the Nikon EM. This was Nikon's REAL first camera with programed auto exposure, aperture priority and manual exposure modes.
#Nikon FG camera#

[@deldridg]

Great vid and thank you. Back in '94 I took a Nikon FG and 50 rolls of film on a 500km mountain hike/climb in the Himalayas with a Tamron SP 28-135. That duo caught every scene and not a single frame was exposed incorrectly in often difficult light - snow, high contrast etc., and in extremely low temps, down to -60C. 50 perfect rolls of film - incredible. Back in around 2015 the little Nikon was tested and had perfect exposures before being stored until yesterday, when I picked it up for the first time in almost 10 years. I can't wait to put some rolls through it and capture my world today. Cheers from Sydney - Dave

[@waltpierluissi2301]

Just Great, my name is Walter and I will be 65 in Oct. I have a Nikon Shooter since my grandpa gave me my first Nikon back in 1978 , it was a Nikon FM and I used this camera through all my University and more into the mid 90's. It was such a JOY.... But in the late 90's I did jump into Digital Photography with Nikon too.... Today I do have my Nikon D500, also my Nikon D750 and recently I purchased my first mirrorless Nikon Z50.... Today I am feeling a little nostalgic and thanks to your review of the FG, I'm going to get me one, I still have my old Nikkor's AI lenses from the 80's that still works and take great pictures. My Grandpa had a Nikon F and also a Leica M1.... Nikon is been in my family since the 50's... Well, I think that the FG, based on your review, will be a decent acquisition for me to ease my nostalgia!!!!

[@Pokertyme2009]

A very good and thorough video on the FG. I've had this one since new in the early '80's. It began having shutter problems so I had it overhauled and glad I did.

[@ToastyZach]

The FG is great. And you can find them for pretty dang cheap. I got one for $25 at a thrift store because they thought it was broken. The batteries were dead and the shutter curtain was stuck up. As soon as I paid for it I flipped it into M90 and the curtain dropped immediately. I fired the shutter and walked out. Later on I couldn't help but feel like I scammed them lol.

[@randallstewart1224]

I bought an FG in the later 1980s as a back-up body, but after never using it, I resold it. After educating myself on its features and quality, I bought another FG around 2010. They really are very special and nice little cameras. I generally do not beat up my cameras, so whatever lesser durability it may have compared to my F3 isn't an issue for me.

[@alexcarrillo5510]

You forgot to mention of the winder & Motor Drive the MD-14 unit in which it very Awkward to use as it had a camera grip but NO Shutter Button on the Drive unit, and as you had to move your Index finder back to camera body to fired the shutter

[@matthewTobrien]

Great info on this camera! I just picked one up on FB Marketplace here in Omaha for $50! It has a Tokina 35-105mm lens, but I’d love to get a quality Nikon 35mm lens. Do you have a recommendation? E series? The more expensive Nikkor line?

[@randallstewart1224]

The problem with Series E lenses today (2024) is that the good ones cost just as much as their better and more durable Nikkor alternatives. The "good ones" are the 50mm, 100mm, 75-150mm zoom. The 28mm is horrible. The rest are okay - nothing special. All the Series E lenses are not multi-coated from a time when nearly all lenses were multi-coated. Sort of a screw you from Nikon. The bodies are basically plastic, not as durable, but then practically all new lenses today re as well. Apart from price, the advantage of the Series E lenses for some is their lighter weight, and for the 50mm, smaller size. A nice Series E 35mm 2.5 runs $50-90. A Nikkor AI/AI-s 35mm 2.8, about $100. The excellent 35mm 2.0 AI/AI-s, about $150 and up.

[@markteague8889]

@@randallstewart1224I’ve always seemed to find the E-series lenses to be a good value. The first generation 50mm prime lens had an entirely plastic body, but the later generations produced from the early 80s onward are fine. Camera lenses are like telescopes in the sense that they are buckets for catching photons and focusing them into a specific plane. The bigger the bucket (or glass) the more they can capture. The E-Series are made of smaller glass (diameter wise). Ya’ get what ya’ pay for; but with that being said, I wouldn’t turn any of the E-Series lenses down.