The Nikon FE

I was having a really bad day collecting. I had searched everyplace the thrift store had cameras and there was only one available. It was a cross between a plastic box camera and incredibly an instant print adapter. It was unbelievably crummy and in my opinion over-priced to boot. In desperation I had wondered to the far end of the store to see if there were any treasures hidden in the hardware items.

My wife had accomplished me to the store. This happens about once a year and only when she has something she is looking for. I glanced up to see her approaching and to my amazement she had a Nikon hanging from her shoulder.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, my wife “HATES” my camera collecting. Her idea of reaction to my treasures is rolling her eyes at best, and at worst turning away and making mean comments about getting a dumpster in as soon as I am dead to haul, “all my junk” away.

Yet here she was with not only a Nikon, but a Nikon FE in black finish in very reasonable shape for $20! All I could say was ,”Where did you find that?”

Turned out she was looking at plant pots—Plant Pots!—and the Nikon FE was tucked in between two of them. It isn’t all that mysterious as the area that usually has cameras was next to the plant pots and the slots were so full it must have seemed safer to tuck the camera between the pots rather than have it fall off the piles.

Honestly I would have expected my wife to simply make note the camera was there and not mention it again. I asked her about that and my heart was really warmed by her assurance that she knew it was quite a find—she must have learned something through all that hate—and I would really want to see it before someone else took it. After 50-years of marriage, my wife is still surprising me and—in case you wonder—I told her I loved her.

The Nikon FE was a successful camera with more than 500,000 sold. It was made from 1978 to 1983 and was available new on dealers shelves until 1984. The following camera—the Nikon FE2—had a faster shutter speed at sync and top speed but cost people twice the price of the humble FE and only half as many of that model were sold.

I would like to point out this camera has the AR-1 shutter extension. It seems slightly stupid in some ways. It extends the top of the camera to the point I am not sure an ever ready case would fit. On the other hand off-brand accessory “soft-release” buttons were being sold to those who wanted to have a larger surface to press a finger softly against.

I can’t unscrew it. Either there is some hidden trick or perhaps it was glued on, but it is fun using it anyway. It changes the angle of your finger slightly.

The Nikon FE brought many, many features to advanced amateurs. The fold away AI tab allows you to use all the bayonet lenses Nikon made (except one fish-eye lens that requires you to lock the mirror up).

For double exposures the shutter can be re-cocked without advancing the film (with a tab on the advance lever hub, beside the frame counter window show earlier). There is a battery check button next to the eyepiece. The batteries are small and the camera can work at “B” and 90 sec without any battery power.

There is a dedicated flash contact for "flash ready" in viewfinder, an aperture stop-down lever, an

exposure lock built into the self-timer, coupling points for a winder or motor drive, a display that shows what the camera thinks the shutter speed you should use for proper exposure and a Manual green pointer that shows what you have set manually, the f/stop visible in the viewfinder and on and on… Perhaps the biggest feature is the camera’s ability to expose for hours if necessary. You can simply point it up to the sky at night—block the eyepiece—and let the camera capture the stars.

The camera came with a Hoya HMC UV filter, a rubber lens hood and a neck strap branded, “for NIKON”. It has the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens, not the later “E” series normal lens.