I’ve had my Nikon FE2 for almost 10 years now and I LOVE it. It was my first “nice” 35 mm camera. Up until the day that I purchased it, I’d been using cheap 35 mm cameras and making it through just fine. However, I was ready for sharper, more expensive-looking film photos with beautiful bokeh and background blur. I wanted my images to look as sharp and high quality as my digital photos from my 5D Mark II but BETTER, with a filmy vibe that couldn’t be achieved with a digital camera. I headed to Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon with the intention of buying a Pentax K1000. One of my photographer friends, Shola, used a Pentax K1000 and I absolutely loved her photos. I didn’t know much about the camera and was going into it somewhat blindly. After chatting with the sales associate though, I quickly realized that the Nikon FE2 was better suited for me and my personal photography needs. The Pentax K1000 didn’t have a multiple exposure feature, so I immediately knew it wasn’t for me. I’m obsessed with multiple exposures and it’s become a standard part of my work over the years (you can read more about multiple exposures on my blog here) You can sort of “trick” the K1000 into creating a double exposure, but I wanted it to be easy and quick, as I’m often at weddings and don’t have time to guess or mess with rewind buttons. And I’ve learned over the years that I NEED a reliable multiple exposure feature with every camera that I buy. Also, The Nikon Nikkor lenses are known for being SUPER sharp, which was something else I was looking for. AND, most importantly, the Nikon FE2 has Aperture Priority. The Pentax K1000 is a manual-only camera. As a wedding photographer, Aperture Priority is a NECESSITY. I’m honestly SO glad I chose the Nikon FE2 over the K1000 because I think I’ve gotten way more use out of it than I would have with the K1000. It’s just more “me”. I think that’s such an important part of the process when you’re searching for a new camera - don’t get stuck in the idea of one specific camera because it might not be the right one for you. I’m so glad I stayed open-minded and went with the one that Blue Moon Camera was recommending!
HISTORY OF THE NIKON FE2 CAMERA
The Nikon FE2 is a 35 mm film single lens reflex (SLR) camera and was originally manufactured in Japan from 1983 to 1987. It’s known for it's rugged metal body and is super sturdy and well-made. It’s not too bulky or inconvenient though and was created as a camera that could be used by both amateurs and professionals. There are a few different versions of this camera, like the Nikon FE, Nikon FA and the Nikon FM2. If you’re not able to find a Nikon FE2, these are also great options. The FE cameras are definitely somewhat of a cult classic, along with the Pentax K1000 and Canon AE-1 Program (I have a full blog post about this camera too). These cameras have stood the test of time because of their strong build and reliability.
MY FAVORITE FEATURES OF THE NIKON FE2
There are so many things I love about this camera. Even after all these years of testing out vintage film cameras and reviewing them, the Nikon FE2 remains in my top 5 favorite 35 mm cameras. It’s the perfect travel size in my opinion, especially if you’re using the 50 mm f/1.4 Nikorr lens like I do. It’s honestly surprising how small it is, considering the fact that most of my high quality film cameras are huge (like the Contax 645). The Nikon FE2 also just has that beautiful classic film camera look to it. If you’ve seen characters carrying film cameras in movies from the 80s, you’ve seen cameras that look similar to this. It’s super retro and just feels so nice in your hand. The shutter is also extremely satisfying and I love pulling the film advance lever in-between shots.
As I mentioned, one of my favorite features of the Nikon FE2 is that it can create multiple exposures. To create one, there is a tiny little lever sitting in front of the main film advance lever. You slide that lever over to the right and hold it while advancing the larger film advance lever. Basically, instead of the film advancing to the next frame, it stays on the same one so you can shoot over it. You can do this as many times as you want on the same frame! It’s super easy, which is why I love this camera so much! And the best part is that you can’t accidentally create a multiple exposure. Many film cameras, like the Holga, or box cameras like the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, are fully manual in terms of advancing the film, so its easy to accidentally create a multiple exposure if you just forget to advance the film between shots. But with the Nikon FE2, you have to go out of your way to pull that little lever back while winding the film.
The Nikon FE2 is also known for it’s incredible lens options. It uses F-mount lenses and I personally have the 50mm f/1.4 AF D Nikkor lens. It’s important to keep in mind that the lens is technically newer than the camera so the AF (autofocus) feature does NOT work. The lens will be fully manual when attached and will not have any autofocus features. While this is a bummer, most cameras from this time period were fully manual. It’s also part of the fun! I’m not going to lie, manual focusing can be a pain sometimes and takes some getting used to, but the results are WORTH IT. When I’m traveling, I like to bring another 35 mm camera with autofocus for fast shooting, along with the Nikon FE2, so that I have the option to switch based on my circumstances. If you’re interested in reading about my favorite 35 mm film cameras, make sure to check out my post - The Top 10 Best Film Cameras for Beginners.
WOULD I RECOMMEND THE NIKON FE2?
Umm, absolutely. Whenever someone asks me which 35 mm film cameras are the best for beginners, the Nikon FE2 is always on my list, along with the Canon Rebel K2 and the Canon AE-1 Program. The Nikon FE2 isn’t crazy expensive either. You can usually find the body for about $400 on KEH Camera, and the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens on KEH Camera for about $175. Not too bad at all for the quality that you’re getting! I bought mine around 2014 or so and I think I paid about $350. If I’m being honest, I can’t believe they aren’t more expensive!
I have a video on my YouTube channel about the Nikon FE2 too, so make sure to check that out below! I’ve also included some of my favorite images I’ve taken over the years with the Nikon FE2. I hope you love this camera as much as I do!
WHERE TO BUY THE CAMERA:
LENS:
FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:
Kodak Gold 200 35mm film
Kodak Portra 160 35mm
Lomography 400 35mm film
You can read more about my favorite 35 mm film stocks on my blog here if you need more recommendations!
If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. You can also check out my B&H storefront or Amazon storefront for more camera & film recommendations. Find out more here!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
<3 Myles Katherine
