If I was buying my first film SLR, I’d seriously consider the Nikon FE. And I say that as somebody who owns a Nikon FM. The Nikon FE was released the year after the FM and is, essentially, an electronic version.
You see, the FM and FM2 are lauded by enthusiasts because they’re almost entirely mechanical and can therefore operate without a battery. The only reason they take a battery is to power the in-camera light meter. The Nikon FE and FE2, on the other hand, are not fully mechanical. Technically, they can function without a battery, but in a very limited capacity.
And while it might sound very practical and a little romantic to be shooting on a fully mechanical camera, the Nikon FE and FE2 offer up a huge advantage if you’re new to film and / or photography in general – or if you want to capture impromptu street shots – and that’s aperture priority. The ability to load your film, dial in your aperture and start shooting, with relative confidence that your exposure will be in the right ballpark will make starting out a lot easier and a lot less frustrating.
Plus, once you’re confident, if you want to move onto manual shooting – in which case I’d recommend working with one of the best light meters – you can!
So why the Nikon FE over the Nikon FE2? Well, for the same reason I opted for a Nikon FM and not the Nikon FM2: price. You can pick up a good-condition FE with a lens for a lot less than an FE2.
The biggest difference between these two cameras (and it’s the same with the FM / FM2) is that the FE’s shutter speed maxes out at 1/1000 sec, while the FE2’s swanky honeycomb titanium shutter maxes out at 1/4000 sec. But unless you intend to shoot fast glass in ample light, this shouldn't be a huge problem.
There are, of course, a wealth of other options out there for Nikon fans, including the technological pinnacle of the Nikon F-series SLR cameras: the Nikon FA. But part of what makes the Nikon FE, FE2, FM and FM2 so desirable is their rock-solid build quality. The less complicated a camera is, the less there is to go wrong. And when we’re talking about vintage cameras, age is a consideration when it comes to reliability.
So, there you have it. If you want an affordable and reliable vintage camera with aperture priority, the Nikon FE is my top pick. If you’re happy to shoot manually and want one of the most robust cameras ever made, go for the Nikon FM.
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If you want a vintage-looking camera with all the mod cons then check out the best retro cameras or take a look at my top Nikon picks, the Nikon Z fc and the Nikon Zf. And if you want to hear more about the Nikon FM, here's why it's the only film camera I'll ever need.
