What an amazing story, thanks for sharing! I'm really enjoying your videos lately, but this one is truly something else. I'm really enjoying my OM-1 and OM-2 these days (eight months into film photography), but the Nikon FE is the first SLR from another brand that has really caught my eye.
This is awesome. When I moved here to Hokkaido Japan, the SLR I brought is my trusty Nikon FE and. 35mm f2 lens. Its absolutely my favourite SLR I have owned... it goes with me always.
I loved your brilliant and well told story! It is very interesting to see how this little gift of a camera came unintentionally into your life, inspired you in your youth and maybe helped to change the direction of your life. I've subscribed to your channel.
As per comment before I loved listening to your short biography. I have watched quite a few of your informational videos and this one is your most interesting. I am certainly not a great or even good photographer but I love the old cameras and now have a good collection of them.
A Nikon FE was my first 35mm camera as well. I got mine when I started photography classes in college. I loved that camera. Unfortunately, I no longer have it. Now I use an FM2.
As a kid I also wanted Canon A1, but years later bought Nikon F2 instead, used one of course. These days, when I'm inspired to do some film photography in 35mm, I'm rocking the OM1n...
My first analog film Camera was a Kodak Instamatic 233, my first analog film SLR was a Minolta XG-1 which I only had for less a month, then I got a Nikon FE.
Hi very fun story which reminds me a lot of memories and for me it was the reverse order :). In 1977 I was 15 and wanted to buy a beautiful camera to make me go further in photography , further than my little but nice rangefinder chinon 35mm can bring to me. And I was hesitating at that time between this beautiful Canon A1 and the Nikon FE. I remember the fantastic advertisement for the A1 , its amazing digital led indicators in the viewfinder - it was completely new at that time ), its fantastic possibilities (av and tv plus program it was very rare). I went to the camera store and - without saying it like that - the skilled vendor tried to make me go to the FE saying it was more classic, solid, easier to use with the aperture priority on the lens and a real depth of fieId level (I didn t know what it means at that time I do learnt since then) and I would make more progress with it and so on… He was probably true and I hesitated a lot in the store… but the digital led were too sexy… and my father bought me the A1. I liked it a lot, bought different lenses for it and… I was furious when Canon changed his mount and I though if I chose the FE when I was young I won’t be in this situation :( . 13 years after with the birth of my first son , I swap to Nikon buying the F801 which was also great and by selling a lot of FD lenses. Then several years after, I was on holiday in Avignon and I saw in a camera store vitrine a beautiful Silver FE and a more than beautiful black FE2. I told to mywife the whole story and ask to her .. « may I correct the past by getting the FE ? She said yes and the day after we go back to the store and… the FE has gone : it was sold in the morning :(. The vendor was comprehensive and after some négociation he accepted to decrease a little the FE2 and I was able to … correct the past even in a better way :). I still both have them today and I am afraid this gave me the virus of collecting old reflex (mainly mechanical). With the place they now take in my house I am not sure my wife would still say yes today … but it’s too late :)!!!
Gorgeous story! You HAVE to accompany this video with a few photos shot, like a slideshow of memories taken from the time and place of your story. Excellent work.
What a great story!! thank you so much. I loved my FM2n. I had and FE2 as well, but nothing could beat my FM2n. My first camera was a Miranda Sensorex my uncle (owned a baby photo business.) sold me. My next was a Nikkormat FTn with a Nikkor 28mm 3.5 HC which I had for years and years.
Your story brings back a lot of memories for me. I became interested in photography in the mid-1970's, largely because of my wanting to have photographic memories of my young family growing up. After much research and talking to photographers, I settled on a 35 mm SLR as my step up from 'snapshot' cameras, and after much deliberation my first 35 mm SLR of choice was the Nikon FM, which I purchased with a Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 lens in 1980. Not making plugs for Nikon per se; I'm very glad I chose that particular camera and have enjoyed it immensely ever since; and it is still taking great photographs. Just a simple, elegant machine built like a tank. All I've ever had to do to it was have the light seals around the back replaced. If I want to be assured of grabbing a good photograph, I use my Nikon FM. That FE in the video sure looks like it has some tales to tell; it has a beautiful 'panache' to it. Thanks great video.
An FM was my first, after playing with my future wife’s Fujica all mechanical manual SLR. It broke later and we used point & shoots while married. After that I wanted my own and the great guys & gals at Terry’s camera in Long Beach recommended the FM. Exactly what I wanted and still love! Grabbed an FE (and others) on eBay about 15 years ago but have never done anything with them since. I usually do test rolls but was never disciplined enough to follow through. You have motivated me to get it done and soon! I’m in Berlin now and in the last few months the Nikon authorized service shop here closed down. That really hit me hard! I have always wanted to learn to fix cameras and if I don’t start soon there won’t be anyone left to teach me! Click on my analog family!
@@michaeldimmitt2188 And since I got the 'camera bug' during the years since I purchased my first film SLR (Nikon FM); I've acquired an Nikon Ftn Photomic with 50 mm f/1.4 Nikon lens (both circa 1971), Nikkormat FT2 with 50mm f/2 Nikkor lens (circa 1975), Nikon FG with 35-70 mm f/3.3-4.5 AI lens, Pentax Spotmatic with Pentax Super Takumar 55mm f/1.8 lens (circa about 1970), and an Olympus OM10 with Olympus Zuiko 35-70 mm f/4 lens. The Nikkormat, Pentax, and Olympus were 'antique bazaar'/Craigslist finds that were so cheap I couldn't pass them up..and they all work fine. The Ftn Photomic and FG were online purchases via used camera dealers at quite reasonable prices and they too are fine cameras. And as a nod to modern technology, I purchased a Fujifilm X100F digital camera a couple of years ago as my 'everyday carry'/'travel' camera. The classic film SLR's along with some other lenses reside in a glass front display cabinet in my living room I get them out every once in awhile to do some shooting and exercise them. The older film SLR's are just jewels of craftsmanship in my opinion and I enjoy using them.
@@thomasmoje5926 I would love to see ´em, hangout and shoot a few rolls with you! I definitely have C-GAS (gear acquisition syndrome specializing in cameras) but no money. I only have what I have because of reckless personal financial management and eBayitus. The FM (& 35-105mm Zoom-Nikkor F3.5~4.5) purchase was a sound and smart investment though. The rational at the time (still is) was that I was going to learn how to fix them and have them as "users" and not a "collection". Still what I tell myself when I "need" cameras I see in secondhand stores & fleamarkets. How can you pass up a working F-401 for 5€?!?! For now I can replace light seal foam and clean the outsides up nicely. Years ago I though I could repair the old broke Fujitsu and even tore it down quite far, but got stuck. Never got back to it but got a working one (ePay) and repair manuals... It all sits "safe" in a box somewhere at my Mom´s in Idaho. First step... tool-up! JIS I hear is what I need... Now my T-GAS kicks in... PRAY FOR ME!!!
Great story! You may be a decent photographer...hope to see some of your work...but I do know you have a gift of speaking and probably writing! It was a well told story. It brought me back to my own beginning in photography and my first camera. Well done!
Just proves that the best things in life are free lol. I got my Nikon FM, Nikkormat FTN and Nikon D200 in a single eBay lot for $25. The FM had a missing rewind knob and D200 had a missing battery door, but otherwise all fine.
Great story. My first camera was a Honeywell Spotmatic. Loved it. Since the virus and lock down I've been spending a lot of time on ebay collecting film cameras. I had Canon film cameras and gave them away when I got into Canon digital. I've built up some Canon gear, but lately the film bug's bitten me. I started buying Nikons, although I did buy a Canon A-1. But I've always been intrigued by Nikon. So, I've bought a few and some great lenses. Sold a some Canon digital gear to finance this binge. Also had a Pentax 67 and a Mamiya C33 and sold them both (big mistake). Now I bought back a Mamiya C33. Go figure.
I'm thinking of getting one of these for my non-AI lenses. It seems like a rugged camera to simply toss on the shoulder and forget about it. I really like the ones with the black paint rubbing off. Reminds me of those cameras coming back from the Vietnam war looking like they've seen hell and survived.
I had an old Nikon F which had been to Vietnam, it was a black paint F with the US Property markings on it. Only a few years ago these were not so hard to find, and were somewhat affordable, but they are selling for silly amounts of money now.
I purchased 3 cameras from your store already, but didn't expect you have so many stories and interesting videos though! Look forward to see more good stuffs on your TH-cam channel and eBay store. BR :)
Great video! I got the opportunity to get both a FM with a 50mm 1.4 pre-Ai lens and a FE2 with a 50mm 1.8 AI-s (pancake) and a Tamron SP 24-48mm. I got all that for around $200. However, I'm just keeping one of the those and selling one to have money to buy film. Which one would you recommend? I prefer the bunch of features from FE2, but maybe a full mechanical camera is more reliable? Maybe I'm just keeping the FM and the lenses and selling just FE2's body...
Cool story Bro... I mean really cool:) How come there was all of this stuff in police auction car? They were not inspected? Where were they from? I'm asking because I don't think we had or have an institution of police auctions in Poland. And also Mustang Grande is actually not that ugly, especially today when they became classics either way.
In America you are welcome to pick up up personal items which are in an impounded car, but cars are held for 90 days or so before they can be sold, and if you do not pick up personal items before the car is sold, they go with it. When some people are arrested while driving a car, they may be in jail for much longer than 90 days, and if they cannot arrange for a family member or someone else to remove their things from the car, they will become the property of whoever buys the car.
Best 13 minutes on the internet today.
What an amazing story, thanks for sharing! I'm really enjoying your videos lately, but this one is truly something else.
I'm really enjoying my OM-1 and OM-2 these days (eight months into film photography), but the Nikon FE is the first SLR from another brand that has really caught my eye.
This is awesome. When I moved here to Hokkaido Japan, the SLR I brought is my trusty Nikon FE and. 35mm f2 lens. Its absolutely my favourite SLR I have owned... it goes with me always.
You can't go wrong with the F3, and the 35/2 Nikkor is hard to beat as well. I use one of the older ones, known as the "O" Nikkor.
I loved your brilliant and well told story! It is very interesting to see how this little gift of a camera came unintentionally into your life, inspired you in your youth and maybe helped to change the direction of your life. I've subscribed to your channel.
As per comment before I loved listening to your short biography. I have watched quite a few of your informational videos and this one is your most interesting. I am certainly not a great or even good photographer but I love the old cameras and now have a good collection of them.
A Nikon FE was my first 35mm camera as well. I got mine when I started photography classes in college. I loved that camera. Unfortunately, I no longer have it. Now I use an FM2.
As a kid I also wanted Canon A1, but years later bought Nikon F2 instead, used one of course. These days, when I'm inspired to do some film photography in 35mm, I'm rocking the OM1n...
Beautiful story and a beautiful camera, thank you.
Brilliant storytelling.
My first analog film Camera was a Kodak Instamatic 233, my first analog film SLR was a Minolta XG-1 which I only had for less a month, then I got a Nikon FE.
I always like the anecdotes that you add to each video and this too was a great story.
Hi very fun story which reminds me a lot of memories and for me it was the reverse order :). In 1977 I was 15 and wanted to buy a beautiful camera to make me go further in photography , further than my little but nice rangefinder chinon 35mm can bring to me. And I was hesitating at that time between this beautiful Canon A1 and the Nikon FE. I remember the fantastic advertisement for the A1 , its amazing digital led indicators in the viewfinder - it was completely new at that time ), its fantastic possibilities (av and tv plus program it was very rare). I went to the camera store and - without saying it like that - the skilled vendor tried to make me go to the FE saying it was more classic, solid, easier to use with the aperture priority on the lens and a real depth of fieId level (I didn t know what it means at that time I do learnt since then) and I would make more progress with it and so on… He was probably true and I hesitated a lot in the store… but the digital led were too sexy… and my father bought me the A1. I liked it a lot, bought different lenses for it and… I was furious when Canon changed his mount and I though if I chose the FE when I was young I won’t be in this situation :( . 13 years after with the birth of my first son , I swap to Nikon buying the F801 which was also great and by selling a lot of FD lenses. Then several years after, I was on holiday in Avignon and I saw in a camera store vitrine a beautiful Silver FE and a more than beautiful black FE2. I told to mywife the whole story and ask to her .. « may I correct the past by getting the FE ? She said yes and the day after we go back to the store and… the FE has gone : it was sold in the morning :(. The vendor was comprehensive and after some négociation he accepted to decrease a little the FE2 and I was able to … correct the past even in a better way :). I still both have them today and I am afraid this gave me the virus of collecting old reflex (mainly mechanical). With the place they now take in my house I am not sure my wife would still say yes today … but it’s too late :)!!!
Thanks for a good story! It was very interesting for me!
Gorgeous story! You HAVE to accompany this video with a few photos shot, like a slideshow of memories taken from the time and place of your story. Excellent work.
What a great story!! thank you so much. I loved my FM2n. I had and FE2 as well, but nothing could beat my FM2n. My first camera was a Miranda Sensorex my uncle (owned a baby photo business.) sold me. My next was a Nikkormat FTn with a Nikkor 28mm 3.5 HC which I had for years and years.
A great and lovely story . I really enjoyed hearing this story. It would be great if you could share some of the photos from that time.
Regards
Great story!!! Thank you for posting. Would love to see some of the early photos you took with this camera.
Your story brings back a lot of memories for me. I became interested in photography in the mid-1970's, largely because of my wanting to have photographic memories of my young family growing up. After much research and talking to photographers, I settled on a 35 mm SLR as my step up from 'snapshot' cameras, and after much deliberation my first 35 mm SLR of choice was the Nikon FM, which I purchased with a Nikkor 50 mm f/1.8 lens in 1980. Not making plugs for Nikon per se; I'm very glad I chose that particular camera and have enjoyed it immensely ever since; and it is still taking great photographs. Just a simple, elegant machine built like a tank. All I've ever had to do to it was have the light seals around the back replaced. If I want to be assured of grabbing a good photograph, I use my Nikon FM. That FE in the video sure looks like it has some tales to tell; it has a beautiful 'panache' to it. Thanks great video.
An FM was my first, after playing with my future wife’s Fujica all mechanical manual SLR. It broke later and we used point & shoots while married. After that I wanted my own and the great guys & gals at Terry’s camera in Long Beach recommended the FM. Exactly what I wanted and still love! Grabbed an FE (and others) on eBay about 15 years ago but have never done anything with them since. I usually do test rolls but was never disciplined enough to follow through. You have motivated me to get it done and soon! I’m in Berlin now and in the last few months the Nikon authorized service shop here closed down. That really hit me hard! I have always wanted to learn to fix cameras and if I don’t start soon there won’t be anyone left to teach me! Click on my analog family!
@@michaeldimmitt2188 And since I got the 'camera bug' during the years since I purchased my first film SLR (Nikon FM); I've acquired an Nikon Ftn Photomic with 50 mm f/1.4 Nikon lens (both circa 1971), Nikkormat FT2 with 50mm f/2 Nikkor lens (circa 1975), Nikon FG with 35-70 mm f/3.3-4.5 AI lens, Pentax Spotmatic with Pentax Super Takumar 55mm f/1.8 lens (circa about 1970), and an Olympus OM10 with Olympus Zuiko 35-70 mm f/4 lens. The Nikkormat, Pentax, and Olympus were 'antique bazaar'/Craigslist finds that were so cheap I couldn't pass them up..and they all work fine. The Ftn Photomic and FG were online purchases via used camera dealers at quite reasonable prices and they too are fine cameras. And as a nod to modern technology, I purchased a Fujifilm X100F digital camera a couple of years ago as my 'everyday carry'/'travel' camera. The classic film SLR's along with some other lenses reside in a glass front display cabinet in my living room I get them out every once in awhile to do some shooting and exercise them. The older film SLR's are just jewels of craftsmanship in my opinion and I enjoy using them.
@@thomasmoje5926 I would love to see ´em, hangout and shoot a few rolls with you! I definitely have C-GAS (gear acquisition syndrome specializing in cameras) but no money. I only have what I have because of reckless personal financial management and eBayitus. The FM (& 35-105mm Zoom-Nikkor F3.5~4.5) purchase was a sound and smart investment though. The rational at the time (still is) was that I was going to learn how to fix them and have them as "users" and not a "collection". Still what I tell myself when I "need" cameras I see in secondhand stores & fleamarkets. How can you pass up a working F-401 for 5€?!?! For now I can replace light seal foam and clean the outsides up nicely. Years ago I though I could repair the old broke Fujitsu and even tore it down quite far, but got stuck. Never got back to it but got a working one (ePay) and repair manuals... It all sits "safe" in a box somewhere at my Mom´s in Idaho. First step... tool-up! JIS I hear is what I need... Now my T-GAS kicks in... PRAY FOR ME!!!
the universe put photography on your way, not much to complain about. thanks you sharing your journey
Great story! You may be a decent photographer...hope to see some of your work...but I do know you have a gift of speaking and probably writing! It was a well told story. It brought me back to my own beginning in photography and my first camera. Well done!
You’re a great story teller! Thanks for sharing :)
Great story! Now I want a Nikon FE..
I like the refreshing honesty..been through some seedy impoverished episodes myself..
Love your story!
Great story. Well used Nikon FE.
Great story. Great camera. Thanks for sharing.
Great story! More of this please.
Loved your story. I could relate to those times.
Yea, me too. Especially the time frame he described. He must be in his late 50s too!
Just proves that the best things in life are free lol.
I got my Nikon FM, Nikkormat FTN and Nikon D200 in a single eBay lot for $25.
The FM had a missing rewind knob and D200 had a missing battery door, but otherwise all fine.
Loved listening to that story! Keep the vids coming!
Such a great story, thank you for sharing!
Great story. My first camera was a Honeywell Spotmatic. Loved it. Since the virus and lock down I've been spending a lot of time on ebay collecting film cameras. I had Canon film cameras and gave them away when I got into Canon digital. I've built up some Canon gear, but lately the film bug's bitten me. I started buying Nikons, although I did buy a Canon A-1. But I've always been intrigued by Nikon. So, I've bought a few and some great lenses. Sold a some Canon digital gear to finance this binge. Also had a Pentax 67 and a Mamiya C33 and sold them both (big mistake). Now I bought back a Mamiya C33. Go figure.
Great great story 😎😎😎😎✌️✌️✌️✌️
Great story! Thanks for sharing!
I'm thinking of getting one of these for my non-AI lenses. It seems like a rugged camera to simply toss on the shoulder and forget about it. I really like the ones with the black paint rubbing off. Reminds me of those cameras coming back from the Vietnam war looking like they've seen hell and survived.
I had an old Nikon F which had been to Vietnam, it was a black paint F with the US Property markings on it. Only a few years ago these were not so hard to find, and were somewhat affordable, but they are selling for silly amounts of money now.
I purchased 3 cameras from your store already, but didn't expect you have so many stories and interesting videos though! Look forward to see more good stuffs on your TH-cam channel and eBay store. BR :)
Thanks for your comment, more videos are on the way,
Great story! It was meant to be. To find this camera 📷😊
this was a great story! thanks!
I just bought a Nikon FE..on its way now USPS..😁
Thanks for the wonderful story :)
Thanks for sharing this story, loved it...oh how the world has changed. Such a great camera as well.
My 1st new Nikon film camera was an FM. I preferred my new Yashica FR more, and my old Voigtlander Vitomatic 11 even more. (I never had cockroaches.)
I love Van Halen!
Great video! I got the opportunity to get both a FM with a 50mm 1.4 pre-Ai lens and a FE2 with a 50mm 1.8 AI-s (pancake) and a Tamron SP 24-48mm. I got all that for around $200. However, I'm just keeping one of the those and selling one to have money to buy film. Which one would you recommend? I prefer the bunch of features from FE2, but maybe a full mechanical camera is more reliable? Maybe I'm just keeping the FM and the lenses and selling just FE2's body...
that was great
Love your story! Wow It is fate. 運命
the ebay store link does no work
Good camera👍
Cool story Bro... I mean really cool:) How come there was all of this stuff in police auction car? They were not inspected? Where were they from? I'm asking because I don't think we had or have an institution of police auctions in Poland. And also Mustang Grande is actually not that ugly, especially today when they became classics either way.
In America you are welcome to pick up up personal items which are in an impounded car, but cars are held for 90 days or so before they can be sold, and if you do not pick up personal items before the car is sold, they go with it. When some people are arrested while driving a car, they may be in jail for much longer than 90 days, and if they cannot arrange for a family member or someone else to remove their things from the car, they will become the property of whoever buys the car.