Hey, it's a fully manual camera. Not really a weakness, but it is not for everyone. Know who you are as well as your own personal photographic limitations. An out standing manual camera. towing company

None . .

Hey, it's a fully manual camera. Not really a weakness, but it is not for everyone. Know who you are as well as your own personal photographic limitations. An out standing manual camera. towing company

None . .

comme on! from 1978 until today both my FE's look and perform like new, what more can you ask?
Lets see if todays DSLR will last this long. any bets?

none and I sure wont be the one to belittle such ingenering marvels.

my first manual nikon was the little EM, this little jewel has revived the essence of photography in me. its only after years of careless digital photography and much spending, that I whent back to basic and started anew. The little EM has been so good that I followed Rockwell's advice and optained not one but two mint nikon FE.
its not that the EM was incompetent in anyway, just that the FE is much smoother and feels a tad better in my hands. i shoot them in auto therfore both EM and FE perform equaly well. sure some will say but the FE has EX comp, DF preview, faster sync. true but all this wont keep a good photog from snapping a winner shoot on either of these nikons.

Customer Service

forget it you can get an other for 50 buks on ebay, keep your change for film and process.

Similar Products Used:

FE2, FM3a, EM

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Well, I guess everyone has gushed about their FE. Okay, time for some reality. I purchased my first used one some time ago, Sent it in for a CLA, it needed an FRE, an obscure glass-encased part under the ISO dial. I'm told that the part is (gasp!) 'somewhat fragile'. Really? this camera is supposed to be so incredibly robust and reliable. Hah. I was also told by the repairperson that one of these cameras can have no visible damage and have a bad FRE. Okay, second FE I purchased FE numero two, had it CLA'd by a reputable repairperson, I received it, put a roll of film through it, the scans actually looked good. The next time I took it out, gee, wouldn't you know, the shutter seems to be ignoring the meter, it's going off at the same speed no matter the light conditions. I've send it back to be repaired, maybe it will work then; And this one looks close to new, too. I tell ya, I own a Pentax Spotmatic SP II. The meter is a little off, but the darn thing works.

She worked for her previous owner since 1972, for me since 1976. In her 37 years of existence, she has never ever skipped a beat. She still works today and I'm sure will still work in 37 years more.
She is mechanical strenght reincarnated, with electronics impervious to cold, heat, water and dust.
She is NEVER off on lighting, except when the photographer makes mistakes; and is - therefor - a great & patient teaching camera.
I wonder what will eventually kill her. Probably the failure of some obscure inner piece, that the techies don't have a replacement for anymore; much like a human eventually comes down with a broken hip or a heart failure...
Anyway, that's what killed hers sister FMie.

NONE

Now, this is one amazing camera. I got mine second hand in 1976, together with the AI 50 mm. f/1.4 and the AI 28 mm. f/2 lenses, that I still use on occasion.
I am looking forward to use those on my next full frame DSLR, especially the 50 mm.
Although the FE is collecting dust since the turn off the millennium, I KNOW that if I were to take her out of the cabinet today, attach the MD-12 motor-drive and load a roll of film, she would happily shoot off frames like I had never abandoned her.
This camera (unlike the FM I bought 2 years later) has never ever seen the inside of a Nikon repair shop in 35 years.
When combined with the MD-11 motor drive she used to eat light meter batteries for breakfast, but then - even without battery - you could set her to M90, guess aperture, and keep shooting.
This camera never misses a beat.
Over 35 years, she has been dropped, beaten, rained upon, taken to the beach, the Peruvian jungle, tossed around on the back of bicycles, mules and 4x4's and she is still alive and kicking.
As you can realize, I LOVE my FE, it's such a petty she has been overtaken by time. However, I still look through the viewfinder from time to time, even if it were only to remind me what a viewfinder is REALLY supposed to look like.
Let's be honest, the one thing we've lost with the arrival of digital, are those beautiful 100%, bright views that we took for granted when we still used fine pieces of craftsmanship like the FE.

Customer Service

NUP NEVER NUNCA

Similar Products Used:

Praktica LTL, Nikon FM, Nikon D1x, Nikon D200, Nikon D40

Durability, reliability, lightweight, can do with little maintenance. "AUTO" feature, B,... Cheap! Excellent starters camera, capable of good to very good results. Excellent back-up camera for Pro's, I would suggest.

Sometimes you wish the camera had a higher shutterspeed.

I bought my first FE, while tourguiding Southern Africa, with a 80-200mm f:4.5 lens. A year later I bought a second body, an FE again, with a 28mm f:2 lens and I replaced the f.4.5 lens with a 80-200 mm f:4... Eversince, the 2 body's are my companions and I use them almost daily in sometimes harsh conditions (heat, moisture, rain, dust...).

Similar Products Used:

F301 and a few digital cameras

simplicity ergonomics (hate that word) and simple humble appearance durability... with regular maintenance price (a real steal compared to similar fm3a, and how often do you need that 4000 shutter speed really?)

battery reliance... score one for the fm3a cold weather its is horrible... and not water proof in the least bit. would be a five star camera with better battery

i will start with this statement... its my baby, its what i learned photography upon and for those reasons i love it. I am a professional tv news cameraman and look through a lens daily, yet despite all my options i always come back to my nikon when travel calls or simply to go out for a relaxing day with a lens. I can't say its never let me down, but i must also say i am abusive and live in one of the coldest climates in Canada and the nikon fe is horrible in cold temperatures due to its battery. What i love about it is its simplicity, its laid out how a camera should be with simple aperature control, a quick auto function for ae over-ride for fast composition, its a metal camera which doesn't mind a scratch or bump or two or three. I just returned from syria, lebanon.. have travelled north africa, india etc... AND this is its major strength as far as i'm concerned is its simple appearance. It doesn't attract attention. As a travel camera that cannot be overemphasized. I feel comfortable with it anywhere due to its humble looks.

Customer Service

never really used nikon but any camera fixit shop can repair one... advantages of a common non exotic camera.

Similar Products Used:

nikon f nikon fm hasselblad 500cm yashicamat Television cameras too many to mention.

Durable, batteries are inexpensive and last a very long time. It is compatible with AF lenses. DOF, multiple exposure button.

Hard to read the meter and apeture in low light.

About 7 years ago,I bought the Nikon FE as a backup to my Nikon F601. However, the FE is the camera I use most. It is a reliable workhorse, and very durable. It will take AF lenses, and works with my Nikon F-22 speedlite,so I didn't have to purchases any lenses or buy a new flash .It goes everywhere with me.

Customer Service

never used.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon F601, Canon T50, Canon T70, Pentax ME

Tough as nails. Easy to use. Screen lock up, timer, depth of field preview, and double exposure capability.

Exposure range limited at fast end by todays standards. Aperture priority auto mode only.

Can't remember the exact price. I have two 20 year old FEs, one black and one silver, both still going strong. Had a third one but dropped it in the ocean near Monterey, CA. Recovered it and kept it for spare parts. Replaced this one with blackie. Blackie fell out of my car onto the pavement one time, but otherwise kept on working. Only one repair: replaced the film rewind knob on the silver one. These are great and simple to use tools for the purist who dabbles in auto mode. Great learners camera and would make a good spare camera as well. Mine have been in the field all over the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe.

Customer Service

Never used

Similar Products Used:

Nikkormat FT-2

Lens compatability, DOF preview, Aperure priority "AUTO" mode, double exposure capability, durability, exposure lock lever, mirror lockup and self timer, match needle meter, smoothness of operation.

Shutter speed to 1/1000th sec., no TTL flash, parts (I hear) are scarce. Dim view finder compared to today's cameras.

The Nikon FE is my favorite of all the cameras I've owned and used. Although it doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of today's modern SLRs like advanced metering systems, it does have some great features of yesteryear being the first in Nikon's line of automated SLRs. I find that the center weighted metering of this camera is suitable for most applications, although spot and matrix metering would be nice to have sometimes. A couple of features make this camera stand out from others I've used and own. First off, it's the only camera in the Nikon line which is compatable with most all of Nikon's lenses: AI, pre AI, AI'd AIS, and even auto focus lenses all work fine with this camera. So you can buy and use the great old Nikkor prime lenses cheap. Also, the mirror lockup and self timer are wonderful features along with double exposure capability, DOF preview, and aperture priority auto mode. If you preffer a manual focus SLR (as I do) and don't want to get soaked for a new camera without features this camera offers this is the one. I'll never part with mine!

Customer Service

No experience

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FG, Nikon 6006, Pentax K-1000