I just bought a Nikon FE from keh in BGN condition. I used to have a FE2 and the meter would turn off about 15 seconds after the advance lever was put into the off position, but with this FE even after a minute it stays on? Is that normal or should I send it back.
Avi B wrote:
It stays on. Stupid thing burns thru batteries...
As long as you're not leaving the advance level standing off the body for hours on end you should be okay..... I've got an FE, and I have gotten in the habit of only turning the meter on when I'm about to take a shot, and then after the shot setting the advance lever back into the off position... I've had batteries last over a year that way....
r_o_b_s_o_n wrote:
As long as you're not leaving the advance level standing off the body for hours on end you should be okay..... I've got an FE, and I have gotten in the habit of only turning the meter on when I'm about to take a shot, and then after the shot setting the advance lever back into the off position... I've had batteries last over a year that way....
The thing is the advance lever doesn't seem to make a difference. I have the lever all the way in and the meter is still responding to light.
imjustintime wrote:
The thing is the advance lever doesn't seem to make a difference. I have the lever all the way in and the meter is still responding to light.
hmmmmmn, that definitely sounds like something is amiss... the meter should definitely turn off when the advance lever is set against the body... if you have a local repair shop, take it in for a quote... if not.... maybe think about sending it back.... unless you're willing to take the battery out between each shoot
I had one a year ago but sold it stupidly. The FE was nice because it was almost half the price of what I payed for the FE2. I actually had a similar problem with an FE2 I bought off eBay, and the meter wouldn't turn on, and what I noticed was the little leather "button" that is on top of the advance lever comes off and holds a spring which engages the meter. I'd rather not mess with the FE though, the one that I bought on eBay the "button" was already loose so it was easy to "repair". I'm just going to return it I guess or maybe get a F3. I just bought it for situations where I didn't want to bring my D700 and risk it either getting damaged or stolen.
imjustintime wrote:
I had one a year ago but sold it stupidly. The FE was nice because it was almost half the price of what I payed for the FE2. I actually had a similar problem with an FE2 I bought off eBay, and the meter wouldn't turn on, and what I noticed was the little leather "button" that is on top of the advance lever comes off and holds a spring which engages the meter. I'd rather not mess with the FE though, the one that I bought on eBay the "button" was already loose so it was easy to "repair". I'm just going to return it I guess or maybe get a F3. I just bought it for situations where I didn't want to bring my D700 and risk it either getting damaged or stolen. ...Show more →
I've had a few FE's over the years, and honestly.... if I was going to get another Nikon film camera, I would likely either get an FM2 or FM3a.... the meter may still be battery dependent, but the shutter will fire with or without a battery, and since I have a few metering options (Sekonic incident meter, Pentax digital spot meter, or one of my other cameras....) the in camera meter isn't that big a deal... but being able to shoot even if my battery dies IS a big deal... so I think that's the way I'll go...
r_o_b_s_o_n wrote:
I've had a few FE's over the years, and honestly.... if I was going to get another Nikon film camera, I would likely either get an FM2 or FM3a.... the meter may still be battery dependent, but the shutter will fire with or without a battery, and since I have a few metering options (Sekonic incident meter, Pentax digital spot meter, or one of my other cameras....) the in camera meter isn't that big a deal... but being able to shoot even if my battery dies IS a big deal... so I think that's the way I'll go...
Yeah I may just go for a FM3A or FM2N, I've had too many problems with FE/FE2's. Only thing is that they are super expensive used, especially for a camera that won't get used very much.
