Nikon FM or FE? I'm confused...

[Vics]

I have a nice small Nikon set that includes two F bodies and lenses from 24mm to 200mm. My lenses range from NAI through Ai'd to an Ais 200. Of these two cameras, the FM and the FE (and variants), which will accommodate all my lenses without modification of the body?

 

[raid]

I have non AI lenses and AI'd lenses and I used to own the FE and the FM. I wonder whether you can use the non AI lenses for your F on the FE for aperture priority. The FM should be the safer bet. The lenses will work on all Nikon cameras.

 

[VinceC]

The FM allows the NAI lenses to work on total manual/external meter mode. The AI pin flips up out of the way, so the camera's on board meter has no way of knowing what F/stop the lens is adjusted to. It's my understanding the FE has a similar ability to flip up the AI tab for pre-AI lenses. I suppose you could use stop-down metering to get the right shutter, but it might make more sense to use it on manual mode with external metering.

 

[Vics]

Thanks, Raid. I thought there was an issue with breaking something on one or the other. One has a tab that can be moved out of the way when mounting non-ai lenses?

 

[Dwig]

I have a nice small Nikon set that includes two F bodies and lenses from 24mm to 200mm. My lenses range from NAI through Ai'd to an Ais 200. Of these two cameras, the FM and the FE (and variants), which will accommodate all my lenses without modification of the body?

As others have said, the FM and FE will handle both your Ai and non-Ai lenses.

As to the variants, none of the others (FM2, FM2n, FM3, FE2, and FA) will handle unconverted non-Ai lenses at all.

BTW, the F3 will handle the non-Ai lenses in the same manner as the FM and FE.

 

[sevo]

Non AI will work, stop down metered, on both the FE and FM (plus Nikkormat EL2 and FT3, and the F series AI bodies from F2A to F4). But they will not mount on the FE2/FM2/FA and later consumer bodies (and F5), which have a rigid AI coupler tab.

 

[raid]

You will have to use stopped down metering with non AI'd lenses. The Nikon system is highly flexible and over many years.

 

[Vics]

OK. My main interest in the FM and FE is the very compact body. Manual metering would be nice. So, to sum up, it seems that the FM is the surest bet of the two?

 

[Dwig]

OK. My main interest in the FM and FE is the very compact body. Manual metering would be nice. So, to sum up, it seems that the FM is the surest bet of the two?

Metered manual works very well on the FE also, though most do prefer the FM's approach to such metering.

 

[kshapero]

IMHO get you non Ai lenses Ai'D then everything works, meters, everything.

 

[raid]

Get the FM. It is all mechanical.

 

[sevo]

Metered manual works very well on the FE also, though most do prefer the FM's approach to such metering.

Really? While I can make do with the (F2S/AS like) +/- LED meter display of the FM, it sure is minimal. The FE (and previously EL) approach (with the transparent green needle pointing to the user selected time and the moving needle displaying the metered one) is outstandingly neat and far more informative. In my opinion, that display type (employed by many makers at that time) is the best manual meter mode ever. The only snag is that these double needle meters cannot be repaired unless you find a original spare or a donor camera - mechanics and scaling are camera specific, there are no generic spares.

 

[rbsinto]

Really? While I can make do with the (F2S/AS like) +/- LED meter display of the FM, it sure is minimal. The FE (and previously EL) approach (with the transparent green needle pointing to the user selected time and the moving needle displaying the metered one) is outstandingly neat and far more informative. In my opinion, that display type (employed by many makers at that time) is the best manual meter mode ever. The only snag is that these double needle meters cannot be repaired unless you find a original spare or a donor camera - mechanics and scaling are camera specific, there are no generic spares.

Excellent information display, except that they weren't illuminated and so impossible to read in low light or night time situations, which is why I got rid of my FE and FE-2 bodies and went to F2AS, FA and FM bodies.

 

[Dwig]

...The FE (and previously EL) approach (with the transparent green needle pointing to the user selected time and the moving needle displaying the metered one) is outstandingly neat ...

I agree, though in my decades of selling cameras, including the EL and FE families, the double needle approach wasn't as popular with those looking for primarily manual operation as the LED approach. Hence my reference to "most".

As rbsinto notes, there are times when the needles are hard to see. The LEDs never fail to be visible. Also, meter needles can get out of balance rather easily causing errors in meter readings. Something that doesn't happen with digital displays, LED or LCD. Personally, I got along with the double needle very well.

 

[Frontman]

I prefer the FE over the FM. The FE uses a needle in the finder for the meter, as opposed to the simple LED lights in the FM. Also, the FE uses interchangeable focusing screens.

Also, the FE has a greater shutter speed range if you use the automatic mode. If you are taking pictures of the stars at night, simple set the camera to A, and you will get a good exposure. Ken Rockwell says that the FE shutter will go as fast as 1/8000th in A, but I haven't tried to verify that.

I have the FE, FM, FM2, and FM3A, the FE is far and away the best value for the money.

 

[Vics]

How's the battery life on the FE? What kind of battery is it?

 

[Vics]

IMHO get you non Ai lenses Ai'D then everything works, meters, everything.

That sounds like a good idea in any case...

 

[Vics]

Get the FM. It is all mechanical.

Good point.

 

[DNG]

Bats for the FE are the modern 1.55v type. Silver Oxide is recommended since it does not have a voltage regulator to adjust alkaline battery volts as they age.

I have had a set of bats in my FE for over 6m with no exposure errors.

 

[Vics]

Thanks, DNG. I'm getting nearer to my decision...