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The Nikon FE is an advanced semi-professional level, interchangeable lens, 35 mm film, single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. It was manufactured by the Japanese optics company Nippon Kogaku K. K. more...

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(Nikon Corporation since 1988) in Japan from 1978 to 1983 (available new from dealer stock until circa 1984). The FE uses a Nikon design, metal-bladed, vertical travel focal plane shutter with a speed range of 8 to 1/1000th second plus Bulb and flash X-sync of 1/125th second. It had dimensions of 89.5 mm height, 142 mm width, 57.5 mm depth and 590 g weight. It was available in two colors: black with chrome trim and all black.

The FE was the replacement for Nikon EL2 of 1977 and a member of the classic Nikon compact F-series. It used a compact but rugged copper aluminum alloy chassis developed from the one introduced by Nippon Kogaku in the Nikon FM in 1977, and with minor external controls and cosmetic differences. (The landmark Olympus OM-1 had introduced in 1972 an innovative compact body design that captured the camera buying public's imagination. Its impact swept through the industry and compact bodies became the norm for SLRs for a dozen years.)

The Nikon compact F-series SLRs were moderately priced, semi-professional level stablemates to Nippon Kogaku's premium priced, professional level Nikon F2 (introduced 1971) and F3 (1980) SLRs. They were all-new successors to Nippon Kogaku's Nikkormat F and EL-series of amateur level SLRs. With their quality construction, impressive durability and evolutionary technical innovation, the F-series were very popular with professional photographers, who prized their durability and ability to operate in extreme environments.

The FM/FE chassis proved to be remarkably long-lived. Nippon Kogaku/Nikon used it, with incremental improvements, as the backbone of the compact F-series from 1977 to 2006. The other members of the compact F-series are the Nikon FM2 (introduced in 1982), FE2 (1983), FA (1983) and the limited production Nikon FM3A (2001).

Features

The FE accepted all lenses with the Nikon F bayonet mount (introduced in 1959), with certain limitations or exceptions. Full lens compatibility required support for the Aperture Indexing (AI) feature (introduced 1977). The contemporary Nippon Kogaku made AI lenses were the Nikkor AI-S, Nikkor AI and Nikon Series E types. The AF-S Nikkor, AF-I Nikkor, AF Nikkor D and AF Nikkor autofocus lenses are also AI types. They will work too - for manual focus only, of course.

The original Nikkor "non-AI" (introduced before 1977) lenses, will mount but require stop down metering. Nikon's most recent 35 mm film SLR lenses, the AF Nikkor G type (2000) lacking an aperture control ring; and the AF Nikkor DX type (2003) with image circles sized for Nikon's digital SLRs will mount but will not function properly. A few exotic lenses from the 1960s requiring mirror lockup and all IX Nikkor lenses (1996) for Nikon's Advanced Photo System (APS) film SLRs, must not be mounted, as their rear elements will intrude far enough into the mirror box to cause damage.

Read more at Wikipedia.org