Publishing these camera reviews are my way of encouraging myself to get out there and shoot, and to use all of the cameras that have collected on my shelf. If you have never used a camera with manual controls, I recommend getting one and taking a photography class at your local college just for the creative enjoyment.
I had been looking for something a little smaller and lighter than my old trusty F3 for vacation and traveling which would also take my favorite Nikkor lenses, especially my 50mm 1.8 AIS. At a bargain price the Nikkor 50 1.8 AI and AIS are as just about as sharp as any lens out there. It has an all-business metal body. The focusing ring has a big rubbery grip and moves fantastically smooth as butter. If you are going to shoot Manual focus, a real MF made in the 1970s or 1980s will feel a lot smoother than any AF lens, which don't feel like they were made for manual focusing. Get one that matches the metering in your camera. When ordering online, make sure to use a reputable used camera dealer. I typically use B&H and Adorama, they are in New York, so they are close to me. They also list on Ebay and Amazon. I just ordered my first lens from KEH, which came to me in great condition for it's age.
Anyway, I wanted to buy a Nikon camera in the FM, FE, FA family as soon as I could afford to. A nice FE2 in silver goes for about $150 on Ebay these days. Black ones can be $200 or more. I was admiring this one at my favorite camera shop and asked the salesman what the price was and he told me $80. The low price took me aback. My first reaction was to ask him to recheck it. My second was to assume something that was wrong with the camera. Everything did check out, and knowing that I would never see an FE2 in this condition for $80 ever again, I bought it on the spot. I love it already.
So, what is so great about the FE2? It's gorgeous, as you can see. It has very high quality metal construction. Nikon hasn't changed it's basic lens mount since 1959, so any Nikon lens between then and now except for (G) lenses will mostly work on the FE2. It's of a size that fits nicely in the hands. Mechanically, it feels more like a fine watch than a camera. Lastly nothing exists on this camera that does not help you improve your photographic art. The veiwfinder image is big and bright. Not big like,say, the F3's, but it still lets you focus and compose without squinting, which means, faster, easier, more enjoyably shooting. Every control is exactly where it should be. It is close to perfect.
There is one drawback. The film advance lever also serves as the camera's on-off switch. Pull the lever out, and the meter and electronic shutter are turned on. Fold it back in, and they are off and the camera will not shoot. This is actually a good thing, because it keeps you from forgetting to turn your camera off when you put it away. However, if you are left-eyed, the film advance lever will poke you in the right eye. I've tried looking through the viewfinder with my left eye, it's true; if I was left-eyed, I would look for something else.
Will it supplant my F3 as my favorite camera? I don't know, but it's one of the best cameras I ever owned. There is a certain sensory pleasure in handling it, so it invites you to use it. Once you have manual camera basics down, it is intuitive, so it makes it easy for you to create photos you will love in the camera, well before you load up your editing software at home.
Photos taken with Nikon FE2
Nikkor 50mm 1.4 AIS
Kodak BW400CN
Kodak BW400CN is a black and white film that uses C-41 processing, which means any lab or pharmacy is able to machine develop it and get you a set of prints. Sadly BW400CN is discontinued, I just happened to have some laying around. Kodak and other film makers have been whittling down their film offering in recent years with the ubiquity of digital photography. Most infamous is the disappearance of the legendary Kodachrome. I've taken a liking to this BW400CN. I find that I get much better black and white images from shooting on real B&W film than I get from shooting on color and then removing the color information in Photoshop, which I have been doing. I'm going to go out and buy it until it's gone, if I can, and then look for other C-41 black and white films such as Ilford XP-2. I don't have a darkroom, so It's much easier for me to bring C-41 film to a lab and get prints and professional scans back. These photos were uploaded directly from the scans that I got back from the lab without cropping or Photoshop. I found a great camera store with a lab, called Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ. It's worth the 30 minute drive from my house.
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