My First Nikon

Retro

Senior Member
I went to Photo Outfitters (a used camera store and Nikon dealer) today to see about an FM2. They didn't have one, but they did have an FE2. I talked to the guy for an hour or more about these cameras and all the differences, and I decided to buy the FE2. It's near mint, and the owner is going to go over it and repair everything that needs repair, which mostly means changing all the seals and cleaning it. It had dust and debris inside and around the mirror, but otherwise, it does look mint. He says not quite. I'm going to pay about $200. He's also going to find me a lens for it. I told him I want a 50mm or a moderate zoom, like 35mm - 70mm or something like that.

It's kind of a better deal than the FM2 bodies on eBay right now. There are some near mint bodies there, but not for as low as this FE2. I might still buy an FM2.
 
Last edited:

Retro

Senior Member
IMG_1967.JPGIMG_1940.JPGIMG_1943.JPGIMG_1958.JPGIMG_1961.JPGIMG_1963.JPG

The seller didn't have a lens for it, so he said. So I have to find a 1.8 AI-S lens, preferably a 50mm.
 

carguy

Senior Member
Nice! I just bought a Minolta X-700 on ebay this week. I like the silver/black cameras best, but I found a nice deal on the all black X-700.
 

Retro

Senior Member
Thank you. I've seen these on eBay for up to $600, mint, or purchased new, never used, and kept in a closet for 30 years. This one is overhauled with new seals and all. The dealer, Adrian, said the shutter and mirror are perfect.

I'm not going to buy film until I get some glass. The flashes for this are in good supply and cheap, so I'll get one of those soon.
 

Retro

Senior Member
My daughter bought this F65 at a yard sale for $20 a few years ago, and it came with a Nikon neck strap.

IMG_1973.jpg

She has chosen Canon as her camera, so I bought her a used XSi. I think my preference for Nikon is a major reason for her choice of Canon. So when I gave her the XSi yesterday, we took out the F65, and she removed the strap to give to me. The F65 was an act of desperation, because she didn't have a camera, and just wanted 'something', but we should get rid of it.
 

Bill16

Senior Member
Cool! I have the F3 with flash and such, but I'm really liking my F4s, with it being my goto film Nikon! Lol !

I hope you'll love your new used Nikon! :D
 

Retro

Senior Member
Cool! I have the F3 with flash and such, but I'm really liking my F4s, with it being my goto film Nikon! Lol !

I hope you'll love your new used Nikon! :D
Thank you. An F4 is on my want list. I'm an old fashioned dial lover. The more options represented by external physical controls, the better. It's fine if they are indicated by LCD screens, but they need to be manipulated by buttons and dials, and not in the menu, like on a $500 entry level camera.

The F5 is a great camera, but there are some very good reasons to prefer the F4, and when the DF was in development, everybody in the marketing department should have been tied to their chairs with their mouths taped shut. Or they should have moved the DF development team to the opposite end of the building and told the marketing team that nothing was going on over there and just stay away; "You don't go in there." My guiding principle would be "The masses are @$$e$."
 

Retro

Senior Member
It finally arrived from Japan! This lens is mint, like it came out of the factory yesterday. I'm happy with it. Now I need to get some film and then I can go out for a shoot.

IMG_2031.JPG
 

Retro

Senior Member
The lens doesn't have to be AI-S. An AI lens will work also.
True. But I'm persnickety. When I decide to buy a lens, I approach it with the question "What lens would I have bought if I just bought this body in 1986 and was at the camera store a month later to buy another lens brand new?" I certainly would not have been looking at a 10 year old lens, unless there was something special about it.
 
Top