picked up some film..

[frommrstomommy]

for the old nikon fe 35mm film camera my in laws sent me forever ago. I want to give it a go but I am soooooo lost with this thing. I found a few good links but I was not at all understanding how to meter on it. I will play again tomorrow before I put my film in to play but if anyone happens to have any simplified advice for me on this camera I am all ears!

 

[Gary A.]

IIRC and I may be wrong ... but back then Nikon only had one meter mode, TTL Center-Weighted. Center-Weighted concentrates 60% (IIRC) of the meter reading from the center then spreads out the remaining 40% across the rest of the frame. Not as accurate as a modern digital camera, but quite accurate in its day. Unfortunately, you can't chimp with the FE to evaluate the settings ... but you can chimp with a digital camera, just use the same ISO in the digital as the film ISO. (Remember that you cannot change film ISO after it is in the camera. One roll ... one ISO.)

Good Luck and Good Shooting,
Gary

 

[frommrstomommy]

I wondered if that might be the way to give it a go. I picked up 400 ISO film and have a patient and willing model for sometime soon to try it out. I want to just shoot around the house tomorrow maybe with my son and go check them out before I invest a bunch of time shooting to have the camera be crap. I have no idea what the status of the camera is really but from what little I played, with no film in it.. it seemed to be functional at least.

 

[Gary A.]

A quick check on the meter would be Sunny 16. If it is sunny with definitive shadows, on an average scene (like a park or a gray card) your meter should be reading around f/16 with the shutter speed at the reciprocal of the ISO. (In your case of ISO 400 the shutter speed would be 1/500 (actually 1/400 but I don't think you have 1/400 so 1/500 is close enough).

 

[Vince.1551]

Matrix metering started with Nikon FA (my first personal camera).


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Derrel]

The FE has the 60/40 Nikon Center-weighted metering, in either manual match-needle metering, or Aperture-priority auto. Manual, match needle is really nice in the FE. Set the ISO dial to 400, or a bit lower if desired. If the film is color print film, make sure to read the DARKER areas for the exposure, not the brightest, brightest tones, but something a bit darker. Color negative film thrives on OVER-exposure: the exact total OPPOSITE of digital SLRs! In manual, match-needle mode, AIM the center, 12mm scribed circle at the important area, and then adjust either the shutter speed dial, OR the lens aperture ring, to get the meter needle and the pointer in agreement. Metering done! Focus, compose, and shoot.

For example, set the aperture on the lens to f/5.6. Spin the shutter dial until the needle matches up with the pointer. You are "on".

 

[gsgary]

I wondered if that might be the way to give it a go. I picked up 400 ISO film and have a patient and willing model for sometime soon to try it out. I want to just shoot around the house tomorrow maybe with my son and go check them out before I invest a bunch of time shooting to have the camera be crap. I have no idea what the status of the camera is really but from what little I played, with no film in it.. it seemed to be functional at least.

If you are shooting in the house a good setting with 400 film is F2.8 1/60 if you google Jane Bown one of the best UK photographers still alive this was here go to setting in bad light

 

[Derrel]

The FE is likely well over 30 years old (more like 37 years old, more or less), so the original foam light seals are probably shot; perhaps the back was re-fitted with a new light seal kit in recent years, say...maybe during the Bush administration???? It might leak light, so do not waste an expensive 36 shot roll...just shoot a 24 and get it developed and see if the negs are okay!

 

[KmH]

You might want to look at TPF's FILM PHOTOGRAPHY section of forums.
TPF's Nikon forum in the CAMERA FORUM section of the web site might also have info that will help you.

 

[limr]

You might want to look at TPF's FILM PHOTOGRAPHY section of forums.

Yeah, come on over and play with us!