Shooting the Nikon FE: A Classic SLR That Holds Up
Why I’m keeping this unexpected auction win in my rotation
A few weeks ago, I walked into my local thrift store on a whim. I wasn’t planning to buy anything, let alone bid in the weekly auction they hold. But as I looked over the items, two pieces stood out: a Nikon FE and a Minolta Super Autopak 8 vintage video camera. I placed low, last-minute bids on both, assuming I wouldn’t win either. To my surprise, I ended up winning both.
The Nikon FE came paired with a 24mm f/2.8 lens—which was honestly what drew me to it in the first place. When I first picked it up, it looked rough. The lens had seen better days, the body was dusty, and the shutter wouldn’t fire. For a moment, I thought it was dead. But after a basic cleaning and popping in a new battery, it came back to life.
First Impressions of the Nikon FE
The FE is a solid piece of engineering. It’s an aperture-priority 35mm SLR with a surprisingly accurate internal light meter. I tested it against my handheld meter before committing to a full roll, and it checked out.
What really impressed me were the little design details:
The film advance lever clicks back into the body to turn off the meter and conserve the battery.
The self-timer lever doubles as an exposure lock—super handy in tricky lighting.
And the viewfinder? Bright and easy to compose through.
Aesthetically, the camera has that classic Nikon charm. It’s functional but good-looking in a way that makes you want to carry it around—even if you don’t shoot a single frame.
Shooting the First Roll
For my test roll, I used Fujifilm 200—my go-to stock for checking out new cameras since it's affordable. I shot the first half of the roll metering manually with the built-in meter, and the second half on auto.
Most of the photos were simple, everyday scenes walking around the neighborhood. I also brought the camera to my brother’s house for his birthday and captured a few candid moments there.
The results? Surprisingly good. Despite its beat-up appearance, the camera worked flawlessly. The light meter was spot-on, the shutter smooth, and the 24mm lens—despite some visible wear—delivered clean, punchy images.
Final Thoughts
I didn’t realize how much I missed having a Nikon in my rotation until I started shooting with this one. I had given away my previous Nikon body to a friend some time ago, and using the FE reminded me just how good Nikon glass can be.
This camera is a keeper. I’m already planning to run a few more rolls through it. But for now, Fujifilm 200 did a great job giving me a sense of how the FE performs.
Sometimes, the best cameras are the ones you stumble into. This was one of those happy accidents.
Almost every picture of my aunts and uncles from when I was growing up was of them flipping off the camera. This set was so nostalgic and it made me smile!
Great stuff, buddy! Photos look fantastic! I have an opportunity to get one of these myself, I didn’t know it was aperture priority and all the other features sound so cool, I’ll have to see if it’s still available.