I remember walking to the camera store pre-drivers license merely to ogle the wonder in the glass case. The Nikon FE couldn’t be farther out of reach for me if it were on the moon. The long-forgotten price tag was an amount I didn’t think possible to possess.
The particular FE in this specific camera store was the camera, it was optioned out with black paint rather than the chrome all the other cameras had. It was more special than the FM to me that sat beside the FE. The FE had more settings on the shutter speed knob, more dials on the left, more everything. The FE was also more expensive. Nikon’s advertisements even subtly pushed the FE as a better FM. Nikon cameras looked different from the other brands, the newest FM and FE had vinyl roofs. No other camera had a vinyl roof on the prism.
Fast-forward a few decades and my collection of both FM and FE cameras is stupefying. I have so many that I give them away to worthy causes. I have black, I have chrome, I have the FM2 and FE2 upgrades. I love all of them but the FE retains a special place in my heart. I get a sense that the FM is more appreciated now out on the interwebs due to its full no-battery-required mechanical operation. I get that from many perspectives but my choice in actual use tends toward the FE for emotional reasons as well as more rational thoughts. I overwhelmingly choose the FE when changing up film cameras and am in a Nikon mood.
I know far more now than when I was 13 but my object of lust turned out to be a great choice. I can’t say the same for other categories of objects from my teenage years. I like the viewfinder a tad bit better than the FM as I like analog needles more than LED lights. Then again, the shutter speed display in the FM is very cool. I like the feel of the shutter speed on the FE more. I like the way the letters FE look together on the back of the camera more than FM.
What about the more rational reasons the FE might be a great choice for a stylish accessory rather than the FM?
An Abbreviated List
Interchangeable focusing screens
More accurate shutter speed via electronic timing
Aperture priority automation, obviously
A secret hidden AE lock function on the self-timer
Typically less expensive than an FM but both are dirt cheap
Crazy long exposures in AE mode
Well, why not just go with an FE2 or FM2? While both are great cameras and better in every way, they are ostentatiously emblazoned with the model on the front in giant lettering. Neither of the upgraded models allows the use of Non-AI lenses which are absolute bargains as I have many that were given away. Of course, you have to use stop-down metering in manual when choosing one of those ancient lenses but look at the pure mechanical indulgence of all-metal construction. The biggest reason to choose and FE (or FM) over their upgraded models is that they are far less expensive.
I look at the FE as an old Ford F-150 from the days before emission controls, power windows, power steering, and air-conditioning; Practical, durable, good-looking in a utilitarian way, and decidedly un-modern. The full-sized F cameras are more like an F-350, great when you need them, terrible in a parking lot or a ride for more than an hour. As an aside, I’ve never run across an FE or FM where the meter didn’t work. Better yet, all of mine are deadly accurate and agree with my brand new digital cameras in center-weighted mode.
I did eventually acquire a Nikon FE in my early 20’s. It was used, and it was dressed in chrome rather than black paint. I loved that camera anyway and used it constantly. I don’t have that one any longer as I sold it to finance other needs after obtaining the ne plus ultra of the ’80s 35mm SLR’s, the Nikon F3. If you’re a fan of other classic camera brands the FE may not invoke the same feelings for you but you owe it to yourself to grab just one. A Nikon FE may not be as cheap as other similar 35mm SLR film cameras but it’s close.
Let me know if you’d like me to do an FM/FE series poster along the lines of the Olympus poster. These would be a strictly limited run as well.