Nikon FE Series SLR camera(s) - Message Board/Guestbook

1. From : NWA ABA (OWERRIABA@YAHOO.COM)
Url : http://WWW.YAHOO.COM
Date : 02:44 AM Friday 16 November, 2007

GOOD SITE I LOVE YOU ALL
BEST REGARDS

2. From : Auxier (prefer@private.com)
Url : http://
Date : 07:15 PM Sunday 11 November, 2007

Nikon FE (esp the FE2) is a lovely camera to own and use. I remember those days photographers who may not be afford to own the Nikon F3 (I like your F3 site too!) treated the FE2 as a poor man's F3. It has a simple auto mode and a backup mechanical shutter speed should the bloody all electronic battery powered camera stops (similar to the F3's 1/80 sec).

It is very reliable too 0 where those days, Nikon made incredibly rugged SLR cameras and can last for decades (mine is still functioning very very steady). What can you ask fro more from a 20 years old model ? Digital hardly survives that long as every a year or two, they came and gone (worst still - costs only fraction of the original price we paid). Anyway, just wish to tell you you have a really FANTASTIC Nikon site - possibly the best I can find on the internet today. Thanks and it is pleasure to leave my notes.

3. From : Kakaman (mail_will_bounce@mir.com.my)
Url : http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/
Date : 10:23 PM Tuesday 16 October, 2007

Instruction Manual for Y.I.C Power Winder (an alternate third party label for Nikon FM2(n)/FE2/FA Series) has been uploaded, courtesy of Mr. Volker Heitz

http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonfeseries/fefmshared/html/indexMD.htm

4. From : Jim Wilson (jwilson20@nyc.rr.com)
Url : http://bikerodnkustom.com
Date : 04:00 AM Sunday 07 October, 2007

I directly sent Paul, below, a suggestion about his blacked-out focusing screen:

The FE2 is very battery dependent. Try setting your shutter speed dial to "M250". That's the only setting which is not dependent on the batteries. It gives you manual exposure at 1/250 second. Your mirror is probably locked up. When you set it to M250, the mirror will probably pop into the open position.

You can get batteries at Radio Shack stores. They have the little single cells, as well as the double-thickness lithium type. Either works.

Paul got back to me saying that the suggestion worked. I'm sure this topic has been covered here before, but I'm sure it's a common problem. It doesn't always work, though. I've bought "as-is" Nikon bodies before, thinking that the odds were in favor of it just having a dead battery, which makes it look like the body is no good. That's how I got a great deal on my FE2 at a garage sale. Fresh batteries did the trick.

But, sometimes the problem isn't the batteries- ya never know.

5. From : Gert Peeters (gertpeeters@advalvas.be)
Url : http://
Date : 02:44 AM Sunday 07 October, 2007

I have an FE2. I'm really fond of it. But...
The mirror doesn't fall back to his initial position. The system clicks and the mirror stays up. So the film is constantly exposed. Can anyone help? I'm looking for a spare part list, hints or a manual to dismount it.

6. From : Jim Wilson (jwilson20@nyc.rr.com)
Url : http://bikerodnkustom.com
Date : 01:09 AM Sunday 07 October, 2007

I just did a search and found some good information on troubleshooting the MD-11 and 12. http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00CWr0
Using it, I was able to get my original MD-11 working, but the "as-is" one is still actually jammed, maybe from having been wet.

Here's what I did:

Made sure the batteries were good, and the holder screwed in tightly. Good batteries in the camera body. With the MD unit off the camera, I placed a coin over the four little contacts which connect the MD to the camera body. With the MD power switch on, I pushed down on the coin. This made the MD perform one cycle, which rotates the "drive dog" on the MD. This shows that the unit is working. The LED indicator only lights up during this cycle. It's normally unlit. Then, I turned off the MD power using the slide switch.

On the camera, I made sure that the shutter had been fired, but film not advanced. I mounted the MD to the body, being sure that it was screwed down tight. Turned MD power back on, which advanced the film automatically. Turned on the camera's meter, then hit the MD's trigger button on "S", shutter fired, film advanced. Voila! It works. There's a bit of a hint about this in the MD-11 user's manual, but it should be more prominent, because it seems to be pretty common.

7. From : Jim Wilson (jwilson20@nyc.rr.com)
Url : http://bikerodnkustom.com
Date : 01:12 AM Friday 05 October, 2007

I got an MD-11 motor drive a while back, for use with my FE2. It worked fine when I got it, and I took it along on a long out of town trip. It still worked fine. When I got back, though, it wouldn't turn on. The camera batteries were fine, so I replaced the MD-11's batteries. Still nothing. Slide the power switch to "on" and the red LED doesn't light up, and, of course, it doesn't work otherwise, either.

I don't like to take things apart if I don't have to, especially without a service manual for reference, or a spare if I screw it up, so I was holding off on opening it up. Then I ran into another MD-11 on eBay. This one was supposed to be an "estate find". The seller claimed that he didn't know anything about camera equipment, so didn't know whether it worked or not; so he was selling it on an "as-is" basis, so it went fairly cheaply.

Note: When someone on eBay is selling something on that basis, with the "I don't know anything about it" line, you can assume that the thing is not going to work, but the seller wants to give you a little hope that the thing might work.

So, the thing arrived, I put new batteries into it, and it behaved just like the other one- no LED lighting up, no action when mounted on the camera.

I think I remember seeing some other eBay listing for one of these, being sold on a "parts or repair" basis, with exactly the same symptom. The seller said "maybe the on-off switch is bad". Electric slide switches don't usually wear out, but I squirted contact cleaner into the latest one's switch, after taking the top plate off, and worked the switch back and forth a number of times, in case it was just contact corrosion, with no result.

My question is, is there something specific about these motor drives, including the MD-12 mentioned below, which causes this problem? And is it fixable? I haven't taken this one any further apart, but I can't imagine it being so complex that there are a lot of possibilities for failure, and it looks like the basic problem is that there's no power going past the switch.

8. From : Paul Kettenring (pkettenr@yahoo.com)
Url : http://
Date : 09:13 PM Wednesday 03 October, 2007

I just purchases a FE2 off Ebay. It is very new...having been stored for 14 plus years. It appears to be in suberb shape cosmetically...and mechanically. However, you can not see anything thru the viewfinder with lens attached. I can faintly make out the center focusing circle. I have not put batteries in it yet but you should be able to look thru the camera without batteries. Any idea on what might be the problem or how I might fix it? Replies much appreciated...kind regards...Paul

9. From : Pramod (aatisha@yahoo.com)
Url : http://
Date : 11:09 PM Friday 28 September, 2007

I have a Nikon FE2 which is draining the batteries rapidly. The batteries last for two or three rolls, even if i remove it out of the camera after use.I am told that the circuit board has to be changed. The circuit boards for this camera is not available anywhere in India.Will someone from the group be able to help?
best Pramod

10. From : Danop (danopd@vfs.com)
Url : http://
Date : 02:25 PM Saturday 22 September, 2007

I bought my FE2 a few decades back when I got insterested in photography. It's compact, robust, light, and accurate. It has all the features one will ever need in just about any photographic application, a great range of shutter speed, TTL flash, mirror lock up, bulb, 1/250 flash sync, self-timer, and the most readable viewfinder metering system ever.

It served me well both leisurely and professionally and has been around the world with me. I later moved up to the F4s and Mamiya RB. In my opinion, it's the best Nikon ever made.

I found a similar feel and reliability in the Leica M system and thus I am now a Leica user. The FE2 is still functioning flawlessly, I use it when I have needs for focal lengths exceeding that of my Leica M's. The F4s ended up collecting dust on my desk as a show piece.

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