The Nikon Pen/FG Review, (contains scenes of camera abuse)

[@scottw5791]

I’ve had my FG for 25 years and still love it. Not nearly as nice as my F2 or F3 but it still has a place in my heart

[@olitography]

Has it given you any issues

[@brandoboe]

Hey! The shutter falling apart just happened to me yesterday. There’s a groove you need to make sure is lined up with that shutter pin in order to put it back together properly. Then I put a tiny bit of super glue under that ring and screwed it back on. No problems.

[@olitography]

Thanks, yeah mine fell, Apart on location and the parts got lost instantly. Still a pretty big design flaw.

[@TomPark1986]

Its a pretty good camera. It was given to me so I went and shot a roll of portra 800. Got 20 great images from 1 roll.

[@CCfiftyeight]

I like the small one, it's not my favorite camera but I just like it! Together with the 50mm/1.8 E it is really wonderfully small and light! The complete opposite to my F2 or F90 (I don't even want to talk about the f100 with BG). I actually almost only use the E lenses that I have on the FG, especially the 50.😊

[@KevinBrown-iy3xl]

I really enjoyed this video, as with your others. Great content and images to show it's real and in the face of malfunctioning kit. Keep it up.

[@olitography]

Thanks Kevin, kit in the real world is always malfunctioning, seems odd nobody talks about it.

[@The_Hero_Is_Back]

Just gave you a "sympathy like" because the ISO dial on my EM died years ago and I've never gotten it fixed. Really like the shot where the lights are reflected all down the side of the car. Best one, I think.

[@olitography]

I’ll take a sympathy like

[@lensman5762]

Nikon EM was my first Nikon in 1979, along with the 50mm E, 100mm E , 35mm F2.5 E and 28 mm F2.8 E. Then came the Nikon FE,, and then Nikon FE2 and FM2 in the early 80s. These cameras I still have, plus a rare F3-P, F4s, F90X, and F80. I have always found the FM2 and FE2 highly reliable. Like the photos BTW.

[@olitography]

Thanks, I think I’m either unlucky or I’m doing something awful to these cameras.

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

Great results from the Nikon PEN 📷

[@olitography]

Nikon Pen is brilliant, might change the video name.

[@paultaylorphotography9499]

@@olitography 😂😂📷❤️

[@iNerdier]

Having used FM2, FE2 and FA, I've never had a single one fail and they're all 30-40 years old at this point. Worst I've done is forget to bring batteries.

[@robiulahmed]

Yeah, the dude is badly off the mark here, probably due to a bad one off experience.

[@olitography]

I’ve had Around 7 Nikon Fe Fm2 etc all failed in similar ways. All of it was related to build quality, the motor drives could rip the guts out of the wind on, the shutters would fail. The F2 I have has always been solid, but is more like a medium format camera in size and weight Mileage my may vary from manufacture with these old cameras, I’m just sharing my experience.

[@iNerdier]

@@olitography if you’re a heavy motor drive user have you tried the F-301? Ugly duckling in the family but auto-winding and much like its brothers in handling. Also dirt cheap to buy.

[@thissidetowardscreen4553]

Brilliant video! great photo shoot!

[@olitography]

Thank you

[@thomasfeimer1706]

"Really fragile, temperamental beast" isn't exactly how I'd describe the FM/FM2. Yeah, you can't literally pound a nail into a 2x4 with it like a Nikkormat, but as the Wikipedia page puts it: "Both Nikon's F2 and the Nikkormats were prized for their toughness and reliability. Nippon Kogaku wanted to distill these qualities into a new smaller and lighter design. Nippon Kogaku continued with their unusually high standard of workmanship for amateur-level SLRs. For the FM this meant the use of high-strength machined metal parts, hardened metal gears, a bearing-mounted film and shutter transport, and a camera assembled to precise tolerances. As a result, the Nikon FM is one of the most reliable 35mm SLR designs ever built." FM's and FM/2's were favorites of National Geographic photographers, who valued their lightness, durability, and reliability. Steve McCurry's famous "Afghan Girl" photo was captured with an FM2 and a Nikkor 105mm Ai-S f/2.5 lens.

[@olitography]

After years of assisting photographers and using them professionally, I came to that conclusion, best thing anyone ever used a Nikon for, was to stop a bullet.

[@northstar1950]

I much prefer my well used F yes it's heavy but it's worth it. I was kindly given an FG and the first time I used it the back flew open and I don't like the metering system.

[@olitography]

I can’t say ever really noticed the meter over another camera, was the F the one used in. Low up?

[@robiulahmed]

I wouldn’t describe the FM2n as neither fragile nor temperamental.

[@olitography]

I would,

[@robiulahmed]

@@olitography You’ve had one break?

[@antoninowoodystella4607]

I love the results as I Always do With your pictures. Which Lens have you used?

[@olitography]

Thank you, I think I used the Nikkor 28 and 50mm not sure exactly what the stops are models etc but can find out.

[@antoninowoodystella4607]

@@olitography you are very kind! Thank you. The stop thing doesn't matter.😎

[@spyratekodaks7494]

What film did you shoot?

[@olitography]

Tmax 400 and Portra 800

[@marksmith-nx8kg]

Um the fg works without batteries..that’s why it’s great!

[@olitography]

M90

[@mrstandfast2212]

Old and heavy or newer, light and fragile. Meet in the middle, buy a Nikon FE or FE2. Fab cameras. I've had my 2nd hand FE for 20+ years. Only replacement has been batteries.

[@olitography]

I do have an FE, it was the camera that started my Nikon curse, it spent more time being repaired than shot. it’s featured briefly in the pile of dead Nikon’s in the vid

[@mrstandfast2212]

@@olitography It's odd isn't it? Mine has been tediously reliable, though maybe that's the wrong adjective. A friend had an FG, it lasted about three rolls and died. I've an ancient FT which looks as though it belonged to a war photographer. Utterly reliable, but very heavy. Another great video by the way, keep 'em coming.

[@olitography]

Your experience does make me a little jealous, I always wanted to shoot with the FE, but the motor drive used to destroy the wind on. Then the shutter failed it was repair 5-6 times. After that I gave up and used the Pentax.

[@mrstandfast2212]

@@olitography I suppose it's somewhat flippant for me to compare the hobby usage of my Nikon to that of a professional who uses a camera as a tool of work. I've never even owned a motor drive for any camera. It's like comparing a car used by someone to cover 3000 miles per annum to a taxi driver using the same model. In terms of outright reliability, I've a Praktica MTL3 I bought circa 1988, and it's never failed since. In fact, when I soberly reflect on how many upgrades and 'better' cameras I've bought since, have I actually achieved anything other than spending money? As I mentioned before, do keep up your postings. They are most enjoyable due to their very individualist format.