Fe2 Nikon Views
The FE2 is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series 35 mm SLRs and was built upon a compact but rugged copper aluminum alloy chassis similar (but not identical) to the ones used by the earlier Nikon FM (introduced in 1977), FE (1978), and FM2 (1982) cameras. The FM2/FE2 twins were improved successors to the successful Nikon FM/FE cameras with enhanced features, but minor external controls and cosmetic differences. The Nikon FA of 1983 also used this basic body design and the limited production Nikon FM3A of 2001 continued to use it until 2006.
The FE2 accepts all lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount (introduced in 1959) supporting the Automatic Indexing (AI) feature (introduced in 1977). The contemporary Nikon made AI lenses were the Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. During the early 1980s, Nippon Kogaku manufactured approximately 70 Nikkor AI-S and Nikon Series E branded lenses. They ranged from a Fisheye-Nikkor 6 mm f/2.8 220˚ circular fisheye to a Reflex-Nikkor 2000 mm f/11 super telephoto. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses are also AI types.
The FE2 is a battery powered (two S76 or A76, or one 1/3N) electromechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture priority autoexposure. It has a match-needle exposure control system using two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in 60/40 percent centerweighted light meter versus the actual camera settings. This system can be traced back to the Nikkormat EL (in the USA/Canada; Nikomat EL, rest of the world) of 1972 and continued until 2006 with the Nikon FM3A. The viewfinder also has an interchangeable Type K2 focusing screen with Nikon's standard 3i mm split image rangefinder and 1) mm microprism collar focusing aids plus 12/ mm etched circle indicating the area of the meter centerweighting.
The major improvements in the FE2 compared to the FE are silicon photodiode light meter sensors, internal printed circuit electronics, provision for through-the-lens (TTL) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation (essentially identical to the system introduced in the Nikon FG in 1982) and a quartz oscillator timed, bearing-mounted, titanium-bladed shutter reaching an ultra-fast top speed of 1/4000th second (plus world's fastest X-sync to 1/250th second). This design is an improved electronically-controlled version of the mechanical shutter introduced in the Nikon FM2, with eight honeycomb-patterned blades instead of nine and shutter curtain travel time further reduced to 3.3 milliseconds from 3.6 milliseconds. The FE2 also introduced a unique rotating flywheel plus inertial mass damping system to minimize mirror shock vibration effects and obviate the need for a mirror lockup feature.
Fe2 Nikon Images
