Nikon FE2 – Nikon’s Roots Vol. 18

1/4000 seconds with an electronically controlled shutter

The Nikon FM2, the world’s first camera to achieve a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 seconds, was a manual camera with a TTL exposure meter for exposure control. It was only natural to assume that its sister model, the Nikon FE, with its electronically controlled shutter, would also be equipped with a 1/4000 second shutter at some point. In response to market expectations, the Nikon FE2 was released one year later in 1983.

The high-speed prototype had an electronically controlled shutter

As mentioned in the section on the Nikon FM2, in response to a request from an American sports journalist, we began work on reducing the weight of the square focal-plane shutter curtain in order to increase the flash synchronization speed. In fact, the prototype for this project was made using the body of a Nikon FE.

FM2 Came First

However, in reality, the incorporation of the function into the manual camera, the Nikon FM2, came first. Why? The answer seems to be that, in terms of order, the development of the successor to the Nikon FM came first.

Since the release of the Nikon FM in 1977, there have been a number of minor changes to the power switch and the controls for multiple exposure, but these were mainly to make the controls common with its sister camera, the Nikon FE. Plans for a successor model that would incorporate all of these improvements had been underway from early on.

Meanwhile, there were plans for a successor to the Nikon FE, but adding 1/4000 second would take time. Could it be that the reason for this was that in order to be the first to achieve the increased speed as soon as possible, the function was first incorporated into the successor to the Nikon FM, which was already ahead of the pack?

Thus, the Nikon FE2 was released as the second fastest shutter camera. The Nikon FE2’s flash sync speed was 1/250 sec, anticipating the evolution from the Nikon FM2 to the New FM2. However, unlike the Nikon FM series, the blade material and processing did not change midway, and they were all titanium with a honeycomb pattern.

TTL dimming

The main changes from the Nikon FE include the addition of a high-speed shutter and a TTL flash control function. It detects the light reflected from the light-sensitive surface of the film while shooting and uses that information to stop the firing of a dedicated flash. Compared to external light-based auto flash, it controls the light from the subject that passes through the lens, so it is not affected by the angle of view of the lens, allowing for more accurate light control.

In fact, this function was first realized by Nikon in their flagship model, the F3, and was also incorporated into the Nikon FG in 1982, making the Nikon FE2 the third. Although both cameras have the same TTL flash control system, the specifications of the F3 and the FG are different and they are not compatible, but the Nikon FE2 inherited the FG’s system.

Since it does not use a common light-receiving element for ambient light like the Nikon F3, a dedicated SPD light-receiving element facing the film surface is installed at the bottom of the camera’s mirror box for TTL flash control, and contacts for exchanging signals with the strobe are added to the hot shoe.

Data back

It was around the time of the Olympus OM-1 that data backs, which were set by replacing the camera back cover and imprinting the date data from the back of the film, began to be supplied as accessories for SLR cameras. The date data, which was set manually by a dial, was eventually changed automatically by a built-in quartz clock, and was changed to being imprinted on an LED or LCD. Nikon also released the large-scale MF-10 and MF-11, which were called the “Rolls Royce of data backs,” for the F2, but these should be considered more for special purposes such as academic photography.

The first general-purpose data back was the MF-12 for Nikon FM/FE. It had a built-in quartz clock that automatically changed the date, but used a sync terminal (PC socket) to receive the signal to imprint the data from the body. When a shot is taken and the sync contact is turned on, the data is imprinted from the back of the film. For this reason, a cable was included that connected from the data back to the sync terminal on the front, across the rewind knob. Since the data back took up the sync terminal, it became impossible to connect a flash there; however, at the time clip-on flashes that connected via hot shoe were the norm, so this was not a big problem.

Issue with the Cable

However, this cable is somewhat inconvenient. In particular, when rewinding the film, the cable must be removed from the sync terminal in order to operate the rewind crank. For this reason, starting with the Nikon FM2, a contact point was provided on the outside of the film rail in the die-cast body, and the imprint signal was sent through this contact point. The Nikon FE2 also followed suit.

Changes from Nikon FE

The Nikon FE2 is often thought of as a model that simply incorporates a 1/4000 second shutter into the FE, but on closer inspection, there are actually a surprising number of changes.

Up until the Nikon FE, the shutter button had both an external thread for a cover-type cable release and a tapered thread for a regular cable release, but now it only has a tapered thread. Even though it is a flagship camera, the Nikon F2 had an external thread, but the Nikon F3 had a tapered thread, so it seems they decided that there was no need for an external thread anymore. Instead, the diameter of the shutter button has been made larger, making it easier to press.

Shutter Connection to Timer Switch

Another feature of the shutter button is that in addition to the power switch being a lever switch, a timer switch is built in that turns on when the shutter button is pressed halfway and turns off after a certain period of time has passed. This was first adopted with the Motor Drive MD-12 and was adopted in many subsequent cameras.

On the Nikon FE, the exposure meter interlocking lever around the lens mount could be moved to a position where it would not interfere with the aperture ring of non-Ai lenses by pressing the small button, but this mechanism has been abolished and the interlocking lever is now fixed. The same is true for the Nikon FM2. This means that non-Ai lenses that have not been modified for Ai can no longer be used.

The operation of the film sensitivity dial has changed. On the Nikon FE, when setting the film sensitivity, you turned the dial while pressing the lock button, and when adjusting exposure compensation, you held the outside of the dial and turned it while lifting it up. On the Nikon FE2, however, it has been changed so that when setting the film sensitivity, you lift the dial up, and when adjusting exposure compensation, you press the lock button.

This is probably because exposure compensation is used more frequently, making it easier to operate, but opinions are divided as to which is better. In any case, care must be taken when mixing the two models.

Other small changes include the memo holder on the back being made of resin instead of metal and the shape of the self-lever being changed.