Understanding Fe2 Camera's Battery Functionality

The Nikon FE2 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera that was manufactured in Japan from 1983 to 1987. The camera is battery-powered and requires two S76, two A76, or one 1/3N battery to operate. Without batteries, the FE2 can shoot at 1/250s but the light meter will not work. The FE2 was built upon a compact but rugged copper-aluminum alloy chassis and was known for its high-quality craftsmanship, with many units being used by professional photographers.

The Nikon FE2 is battery-powered and takes two S76, two A76, or one 1/3N battery

The Nikon FE2 is a battery-powered camera that requires two S76, two A76, or one 1/3N battery. The camera can be used without batteries, but only at a mechanical shutter speed of 1/250s and without the light meter. The batteries are small and lightweight, and a pack of 20 can be purchased for $5.99.

The Nikon FE2 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation) in Japan from 1983 to 1987. It is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series 35mm SLRs and is regarded as a high-end enthusiast camera. The FE2 is an electro-mechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture-priority auto-exposure. It features a match-needle exposure control system, with two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder, indicating the readings of the built-in 60/40 percent centre-weighted light meter.

The FE2 was designed as a quality alternative to cheaper 35mm amateur SLRs, with a focus on high-quality precision rather than automated features. It is highly sought after by collectors and can command prices close to its original retail value.

The FE2 can shoot without batteries at 1/250s but the light meter will not work

The Nikon FE2 is a 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988) in Japan from 1983 to 1987. The FE2 is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series 35 mm SLRs and was built upon a compact but rugged copper-aluminum alloy chassis. The FE2 is a battery-powered (two S76 or A76, or one 1/3N) electro-mechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture-priority auto-exposure.

The FE2's backup ability to operate without batteries is a deliberate design choice by Nikon. The FE2 was intended as a quality alternative to the more cheaply built 35 mm amateur SLRs of its day. Its unusual roots were most obvious in its ability to operate without batteries, albeit in a limited fashion: completely manual mechanical control with limited shutter speeds (1/250th second, marked M250, or Bulb) and without the light meter. The FE2's deliberately conservative external features (no program modes or matrix metering) were not intended to appeal to beginners but rather to experienced photographers who required a reliable camera capable of withstanding extremes of climate, impacts, and extended use.

The FE2's battery compartment takes two S76, two A76, or one 1/3N battery. The batteries are small and lightweight, and a set of batteries will last for eight months of regular shooting. The batteries are inexpensive and widely available, costing around $5.99 for a pack of twenty.

The FE2 has a match-needle exposure control system

The Nikon FE2 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988) from 1983 to 1987. The FE2 is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series 35mm SLRs and was built upon a compact but rugged copper-aluminum alloy chassis similar to the ones used by the earlier Nikon FM, FE, and FM2 cameras.

The FE2 is a battery-powered, electro-mechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture-priority auto-exposure. It has a match-needle exposure control system using two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in 60/40 percent center-weighted light meter versus the actual camera settings. This system can be traced back to the Nikkormat EL of 1972 and continued until 2006 with the Nikon FM3A.

The viewfinder also has an interchangeable Type K2 focusing screen with Nikon's standard 3mm split image rangefinder and 1mm micro-prism collar focusing aids plus a 12mm etched circle indicating the area of the meter center-weighting. The match-needle exposure control system is an intuitive way to set exposure, superior to the clumsy digital displays of the time.

The major improvements in the FE2 compared to the FE are a brighter viewing screen, provision for through-the-lens (TTL) off-the-film (OTF) electronic flash automation, and a quartz oscillator timed, bearing-mounted, titanium-bladed shutter reaching an ultra-fast top speed of 1/4000th second. The FE2 also introduced a unique rotating flywheel and inertial mass damping system to minimize mirror shock vibration effects and render a mirror lock-up feature unnecessary.

The FE2 was intended by Nikon as a quality alternative to the more cheaply built 35mm amateur SLRs by other manufacturers of the day. Its unusual roots were most obvious in its backup ability to operate without batteries – albeit in a limited fashion: completely manual mechanical control with limited shutter speeds (1/250th second, marked M250, or Bulb) and without the light meter. The FE2's deliberately conservative external features were not intended to appeal to beginners but rather to experienced photographers who required a reliable camera capable of withstanding extremes of climate, impacts, and extended use.

Despite not being as popular as other contemporary SLRs with more advanced features but lower construction quality, the Nikon FE2 has stood the test of time and is now considered one of the finest SLRs of its generation.

The FE2 has a unique rotating flywheel and inertial mass damping system

The Nikon FE2 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, built upon the compact but rugged chassis of the Nikon FM, FE, and FM2. The FE2 was introduced in 1983 as an improved successor to the Nikon FE, with a unique rotating flywheel and inertial mass damping system. This system minimised mirror shock vibration and eliminated the need for a mirror lock-up feature.

The rotating flywheel is a mechanical device that provides continuous energy in systems where the energy source is not continuous. It acts in the same way as a conventional flywheel, but with the added ability to dampen violent variations of torque or revolutions that could cause unwanted vibrations. The flywheel achieves this by accumulating and storing energy in its two half-masses over time, releasing it at a much higher rate over a short period.

The FE2's flywheel system is an electronically controlled version of the mechanical shutter introduced in the Nikon FM2. The FE2's shutter is made of titanium and features eight blades, instead of the FM2's nine. This design further reduced the shutter curtain travel time to 3.3 milliseconds, an improvement on the FM2's 3.6 milliseconds.

The FE2's unique rotating flywheel and inertial mass damping system contribute to its reputation as one of the finest SLRs of its generation. It is sought after by collectors and often commands prices close to its original retail value.

The FE2 is regarded as a high-end enthusiast camera

The Nikon FE2 is a 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera manufactured by Nippon Kogaku K. K. (Nikon Corporation since 1988) from 1983 to 1987. The FE2 is a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series 35mm SLRs and was regarded as a high-end enthusiast camera. It was built upon a compact but rugged copper-aluminum alloy chassis similar to the ones used by the earlier Nikon FM (introduced in 1977), FE (1978), and FM2 (1982) cameras. The FM2/FE2 twins were improved successors to the successful Nikon FM/FE cameras with enhanced features but minor external controls and cosmetic differences. The Nikon FA of 1983 also used this basic body design, and the limited-production Nikon FM3A of 2001 continued to use it until 2006.

The FE2 is a battery-powered (two S76 or A76, or one 1/3N) electro-mechanically controlled manual focus SLR with manual exposure control or aperture-priority auto-exposure. It has a match-needle exposure control system using two needles pointing along a vertical shutter speed scale on the left side of the viewfinder to indicate the readings of the built-in 60/40 percent centre-weighted light meter versus the actual camera settings. The FE2 was intended by Nikon as a quality alternative to the more cheaply built 35mm amateur SLRs by other manufacturers of the day. Its unusual roots were most obvious in its backup ability to operate without batteries – albeit in a limited fashion: completely manual mechanical control with limited shutter speeds (1/250th second, marked M250, or Bulb) and without the light meter. The FE2 shared the luxurious bearing-mounted film advance and transport mechanism of its other high-level cameras, and many were used by professional photographers.

The FE2 lacked the bells and whistles of some of its competitors but stood out as a rugged, simplistic camera with just enough features to make it an attractive package. This stands true almost forty years later, as the FE2 is still a popular choice among film photographers. The FE2 came in black and chrome, and the big attraction at the time was the titanium-bladed focal plane shutter with the blazing shutter speed maxing out at 1/4000s with a flash sync speed of 1/250s. The FE2 can shoot without batteries at 1/250s, but the light meter will not work. Add the MD-12 motor drive and you can shoot at 3.2 fps. This was impressive in 1983.

The FE2 is highly sought after by collectors and commands prices close to its original retail price in mint condition.

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