View allAll Photos Tagged Insignificant
... I know ... I know ... how could I see this seen and see a set of balls ? Maybe there is something seriously wrong with me !!!!
Oh go to hell ... you were thinking it to !!!
"The Unexceptional" series
Bessa R3a + Ultron 35mm f1.7 + Legacy Pro 400 @ 800 + HC-110 B @ 7 1/4 minutes
Legacy Pro 400 (Apparently Neopan 400)
Music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoeCmeD_6Pw
Sponsors: Plastik / Lakrya
Details: limaginariumphotography.wordpress.com/2018/12/01/keep-shu...
Final de trajecte. Final del meu Camí dels Monjos. Així ho assumia a la sortida de l'església del vell monestir de Sant Llorenç del Munt, a frec de capvespre, a punt d'emprendre el retorn cap a la plana. Però encara vaig tenir temps d'asseure'm una estona al replà de la Mola tot intentant de fer-me presents alguns dels regals que m'havia proporcionat aquest recorregut iniciat al monestir de Sant Cugat. I vaig tenir la gosadia, la barra, de recordar-me del mític viatge cap a Ítaca, de què ens parlava fa més d'un segle el poeta grec Kavafis... "Quan surtis per fer / el viatge cap a Ítaca, / has de pregar que el camí sigui llarg, / ple d'aventures, ple de coneixences... (...) / No forcis gens la travessia. / És preferible que duri molts anys, / que siguis vell quan fondegis l'illa, / ric de tot el que hauràs guanyat fent el camí. / Ítaca t'ha donat el bell viatge. " Però sí: el modest Camí dels Monjos, insignificant en temps i extensió, també m'havia regalat -més enllà d'haver arribat al punt de destí- petits grans tresors que m'anaven revenint a la memòria, entre els quals les persones que m'havien acompanyat resseguint les fotos que han testimoniejat el meu recorregut a través de l'antic camí carener... I sí: fent camí cap a la Mola, he après molt de camins tradicionals, de restauracions d'indrets, de monjos i monestirs, de carrers i vials per on passa el Camí, d' edificis i monuments, de masies i camps encara sembrats. I he après una mica -ben poc--de fotografia (que per això som aquí...)
the last moments of the sunset when the sun itself becomes insignificant....and all that matters is the color...
Have a great Labor Day everyone...
Thrilled as ever to find another couple last Sunday!
The one in comments is with a 7-spot Ladybird for comparison.
Sheinton - Shropshire
"The Unexceptional" series
Hasselblad + Carl Zeiss Planar T* 80mm f2.8 + Arista EDU Ultra 100 + D76 1:1 @ 10 minutes
I thought it would be interesting to photograph Big Ben in such a way as to make it look insignificant. In no way a political statement about Brexit........
Click here to see other 'iconic' travel shots : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157627723675162
From Wikipedia : "The Elizabeth Tower (previously called the Clock Tower), more popularly known as Big Ben, was raised as a part of Charles Barry's design for a new palace, after the old Palace of Westminster was largely destroyed by fire on the night of 16 October 1834. The new parliament was built in a neo-gothic style. Although Barry was the chief architect of the palace, he turned to Augustus Pugin for the design of the clock tower, which resembles earlier Pugin designs, including one for Scarisbrick Hall in Lancashire. The design for the tower was Pugin's last design before his final descent into madness and death, and Pugin himself wrote, at the time of Barry's last visit to him to collect the drawings: "I never worked so hard in my life for Mr Barry for tomorrow I render all the designs for finishing his bell tower & it is beautiful." The tower is designed in Pugin's celebrated Gothic Revival style, and is 315 feet (96.0 m) high.
The bottom 200 feet (61.0 m) of the tower's structure consists of brickwork with sand-coloured Anston limestone cladding. The remainder of the tower's height is a framed spire of cast iron. The tower is founded on a 50 feet (15.2 m) square raft, made of 10 feet (3.0 m) thick concrete, at a depth of 13 feet (4.0 m) below ground level. The four clock dials are 180 feet (54.9 m) above ground. The interior volume of the tower is 164,200 cubic feet (4,650 cubic metres).
Despite being one of the world's most famous tourist attractions, the interior of the tower is not open to overseas visitors, though United Kingdom residents are able to arrange tours (well in advance) through their Member of Parliament. However, the tower currently has no lift, though one is planned, so those escorted must climb the 334 limestone stairs to the top."
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© D.Godliman
140/365
Most days I have no faith in humanity. I feel myself wondering how it is that we have survived for so long when we are so cruel, selfish and destructive. But there are some days - and these days are few and far between - when something happens, an act of kindness, and for those brief few moments, my hope is restored. That happened twice today. My heart clenched twice in gratefulness.
I have spent a lot of time over the past few days sketching out concepts for photos that are going to be difficult to pull off, but I want to give them ago. I have a whole series of four planned out at the moment, and I have a couple more ideas, but there are a couple of things I need first, like an articulated skeleton (adult-sized ones are not cheap - I might have to try and borrow one for a week or so). I think I might wait until the weather becomes slightly more reliable and possibly even until I have finally saved enough for a new camera, but at this rate that will be this time next year...
Did you know that if we compressed the whole existence of the earth into one year, the oldest direct human ancestor is born on the 31st of December at 11:02 pm and the first anatomically modern human appears at 11:36 pm? The Roman empire falls at 11:59:50 pm and the industrial revolution occurs at 11:59:58 pm. We have not been around all that long, really. We are quite insignificant.
(1 in a multiple picture album)
This picture was recently used on the website OnBeing.org, a national public radio program and media project. You can read the very well written article here:
www.onbeing.org/blog/jackson-culpepper-we-have-lost-the-m...
The piece of writing has to do with how we see glory when we are looking at the masterpieces of nature.
As I wrote on my own blog: Whenever you feel full of yourself, a trip to one of the national parks in Utah will help you with your perspective. Stand within one of the arches and know that you are really quite tiny. Robert Service wrote 'your life is but a single beat within the heart of time.'
Depending on your perspective, this little world of rocks and waves may seem insignificant. When you move in close enough, even the minimal surf we saw this day seems overwhelming.
In reality the cottage was a decent size but looked rather insignificant beside the mountains and rolling moorland.
Glencoe, Highlands, Scotland
I had about an hour of non-work time to head over to Point Lobos to catch the sunset. The sound and the power of the ocean crashing against the rocks made me feel completely insignificant. It was amazing! Wish I had more time. I found myself mesmerized by the scenery that I missed the dramatic red/pink sunset after the sun fell below the horizon. At least I have the vision in my mind....sorry I don't have it to share.
Everyone has ideals. From the most insignificant aspect in our life, such as the perfect meal, to the most important, perhaps the perfect family, the perfect society, we all have ideals. We must all be idealists if we are to build a fairer sustainable society, and in our own small way follow the example of the heroes of social progress and evolution, idealists such as Abraham Lincoln or Dr. Martin Luther King, who showed society the way. We must hope for political leaders who have the strength to be the idealists of the future.
The little fishing boat looks so insignificant in this dramatic setting. I guess that's how I was feeling as well--a tiny minnow immersed in the immensity of it all.
Somewhere along the Inner Passage in Alaska
Posting feels so insignificant in the face of our current...our current reminder that the US is an incredibly broken country.
I have a little story all teed up, me and Nettie, thirteen years ago, doing a "photo shoot". It's taken days for me to feel like posting is at all worth it, thinking through Why Should I Post, only coming up with a reason several days after the massacre in Texas.
I need the escapism. The relief of just thinking about photos, simpler times, strange encounters with people.
I want to remember picking up Nettie from Koreatown, where she was staying with someone deep in the throes of drug addiction. I asked her if she felt safe, she said it wasn't a problem, and then we got down to taking pictures.
It was one of the rare occasions I paid a model just to shoot them, but Nettie was such a big deal in the Internet Modeling world, felt like an opportunity I couldn't pass by. But, as is true for each of those other occasions, I regretted it, after the fact. It made the whole shoot too transactional. Set a firm limit on how long we could shoot, so I always heard the clock ticking in the back of my head. Made it difficult to just relax and hit the note.
But we had a good conversation, though I wouldn't be able to tell you the specifics, now. I just remember the vibe, how relaxed she was, despite traveling all over the country. How at ease she seemed to be in her own skin.
I look at the photos now, of course I could've done better, but I'm not disappointed, and, most importantly, I'm glad I got to meet her...so maybe it Was worth it, after all.
"Prendi alla leggera
ciò che ritieni importante.
prendi seriamente
ciò che ritieni insignificante"
N. Mitsushige
"Take it lightly
what you think is important.
take it seriously
what you consider insignificant "
N. Mitsushige
Middle Point, Northern Territory, Australia.
In the Kakadu region, the appearance of flowers on the Turkey Bush around May signals the end of the season of Banggereng and the beginning of Yegge. The flowering is spectacular, masking the insignificant leaves and giving the plants an overall pink appearance until about August (although, in other parts of northern Australia, it flowers earlier and later in the year).
It grows in dense groups, attaining heights of 2-4m, and providing a vivid splash of colour in the woodlands and margins of grasslands in which it occurs.
It is found from the Gulf Country of Queensland, through the tropical Northern Territory to the Kimberley in Western Australia. Although fairly uniform in its characteristics throughout most of its range, the Kimberley plants are more variable in their floral structure and leaf arrangement which might indicate that these are different (and new) species of Calytrix.
It is thought that the Turkey Bush is so named because the Plains Turkey (Ardeotis australis) would seek refuge amongst its foliage when pursued by hunters. The Turkey Bush is also a favoured shade-plant of wallabies.
When the flower is developing (before the long purplish petals spread open), it is protected by a structure called the 'calyx'. The calyx has long, stiff hairs that are almost as long as the petals. After the petals fall, the pink-red calyx remains. It was for this special calyx that the genus, Calytrix, was named by the French botanist, Jacques Labillardière, referring to the hairs ('thrix' in Greek) on the calyx. Calytrix is found only in Australia with most of its 70 or so species occurring in Western Australia. It belongs to the family Myrtaceae, which includes the eucalypts, bottlebrushes and paperbarks. Like other members of that family, the leaves of Calytrix exstipulata contains oil with therapeutic properties. Indigenous people use the plant for pain-relief. Commercial producers of the oil say that it enhances creativity.
Although C. exstipulata makes a great garden plant requiring little attention, the only species that is used widely in gardens is Calytrix tetragona, which occurs naturally in southern Australia, from Western Australia through to southern Queensland.
We start to walk from the church to the sea. First, the grass vanished, then a furious wind tried to stop our path. Finally, an endless sandy desert swallowed us.
We were very small. An insignificant spot in the Nature.
Beauty doesn’t necessarily lie in the things that we constantly keep focussing on. At times we need to blur our lenses to experience the vibrant hues of life that we consider as insignificant.
Middle Point, Northern Territory, Australia.
In the Kakadu region, the appearance of flowers on the Turkey Bush around May signals the end of the season of Banggereng and the beginning of Yegge. The flowering is spectacular, masking the insignificant leaves and giving the plants an overall pink appearance until about August (although, in other parts of northern Australia, it flowers earlier and later in the year).
It grows in dense groups, attaining heights of 2-4m, and providing a vivid splash of colour in the woodlands and margins of grasslands in which it occurs.
It is found from the Gulf Country of Queensland, through the tropical Northern Territory to the Kimberley in Western Australia. Although fairly uniform in its characteristics throughout most of its range, the Kimberley plants are more variable in their floral structure and leaf arrangement which might indicate that these are different (and new) species of Calytrix.
It is thought that the Turkey Bush is so named because the Plains Turkey (Ardeotis australis) would seek refuge amongst its foliage when pursued by hunters. The Turkey Bush is also a favoured shade-plant of wallabies.
When the flower is developing (before the long purplish petals spread open), it is protected by a structure called the 'calyx'. The calyx has long, stiff hairs that are almost as long as the petals. After the petals fall, the pink-red calyx remains. It was for this special calyx that the genus, Calytrix, was named by the French botanist, Jacques Labillardière, referring to the hairs ('thrix' in Greek) on the calyx. Calytrix is found only in Australia with most of its 70 or so species occurring in Western Australia. It belongs to the family Myrtaceae, which includes the eucalypts, bottlebrushes and paperbarks. Like other members of that family, the leaves of Calytrix exstipulata contains oil with therapeutic properties. Indigenous people use the plant for pain-relief. Commercial producers of the oil say that it enhances creativity.
Although C. exstipulata makes a great garden plant requiring little attention, the only species that is used widely in gardens is Calytrix tetragona, which occurs naturally in southern Australia, from Western Australia through to southern Queensland.
"The Unexceptional" series
Olympus OM-2Sp + Zuiko 28mm f3.5 + Legacy Pro 400 @ 1250 iso + D-76 1:1 @ 16 minutes
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
Carl Sagan
An O/T Trident approaches Rosthwaite n the Borrowdale valley viewed from the top of my Father in Law's garden.
“As a result of trying to solve the big problems we face in life, many of us end up sacrificing individual relationships by doing things that we may consider as being small or insignificant at the time. This reminds us of the George and Gracie routine where George asks Gracie, How do you cook a pot roast? She replied, I put both a big pot roast and a small pot roast in the oven. When the small one is burnt, the big one is done just right!”
January view of the snow-covered hills of Knoydart and Loch Hourn from the path to Leitir Fura. Beinn Sgritheall can be seen towering above making the one lonely fishing boat in the Sound of Sleat seem very insignificant!
I was considering walking up to this homeless man today and asking for a close up, then I thought, how disrespectful that would sound, "hey sir do you mind if I shove my expensive camera in you're face for a second" at least that's how I assume he would take it. I don't know maybe there's nothing wrong with that, it just seemed insignificant at the time.
So if I had to give advice to anyone still reading this it would be this: Step outside you're world before you say something, consider how that person may perceive what you are saying...
Side note... This was truly the worst photo I've ever edited, I wanted to get it perfect but still couldn't achieve that, I gave up on this one for a while partly because of computer crashes and my short temperament but then I though if this is the worst thing that happened to me all week, life's pretty good.
Thank you all for the support.
I haven't shot or posted very much lately (winter's uninspiring, short-lived light), but have been going over a few shots I did last year...I'm messing with some effects to give this image a painterly quality, circa 1500's.
Sincere thanks for the group invites, but without comments, these are insignificant.
have a good day toaday and Thank You for your visit!!
I haven't noticed it while taking the phtot but there is someone hidden in there... ;-)
The truth that many people never understand, until it is too late, is that the more you try to avoid suffering the more you suffer because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt.
Thomas Merton (1915 - 1968)
"Apartment" series
Bessa R3a + Nokton 40mm f1.4 SC + HP5+ @ 400 + D-76 1:1 @ 12.5 minutes (agitation every 1 minute)
Two cloud formations colliding, while a plane insignificant to their massive size passes through.
[in-camera b/w conversion with contrast++ and snapseed 'fine-art' preset]
Due to illness I have not been able to keep up with my schedule, but I'm back again and I think this is a good one to start it all off with.
I have chosen not to title this shot with the normal method or 'artistic' titling, instead this time I am leaving the meaning of this image and the title to this image to your imagination. A mellowed life small and insignificant, is boldly emphasised when all the life has been drained. Taken with a Canon EOS 400D Digital.
"Apartment" series
Bessa R3a + Nokton 40mm f1.4 SC + HP5+ @ 400 + D-76 1:1 @ 12.5 minutes (agitation every 1 minute)
The Nikon FE2 is a significant upgrade to its predecessor, the Nikon FE. The FE2 came out in 1983, about five years after the release of the FE in 1978. Like the FM2N, the design of the FE2 was highly refined over two generations and various other upgrades. The FE2 is a great travel camera for film. It is relatively small and light, compared with both large fully-automated film SLR cameras and large full-frame FX or even crop sensor DX digital SLR cameras. However, the quality of the images it can produce are the same or better than those of a full-frame digital camera, especially when the film is scanned with a commercial-grade scanner. You can fit the camera with two or three small prime lenses and an electronic flash in a regular size fanny pack. The FE2 has most of the advantages of the FE and then some. The main improvements in the FE2 over the FE, which will be discussed in more detail below, are (1) TTL flash metering capability, (2) maximum shutter speed increased from 1/1000 sec. to 1/4000 sec., (3) 1/3 stop exposure compensation instead of only 1/2 stop, (3) brighter viewfinder than the FE, with improved focusing screens, and (4) flash synch speed and mechanical shutter speed both increased to 1/250 sec. from 1/90 sec. for mechanical shutter speed and 1/125 sec. maximum flash synch speed on the FE.
I became a constant user of the original FE soon after it came out in 1978 as a backup body to my pro-level Nikon F2 Photomic AS. Then, for a long time, I variously used an F3HP, F4 and F90X together with an FM2N for a second body. Of course, after that, digital SLRs started to take off and film became obsolete for most applications. However, for travel, especially in the modern age of restrictions on flight check-in and carry-on baggage, I like to keep my travel camera system as small as possible but still keep maximum image quality. The fully mechanical FM2N itself is almost the perfect travel camera. However, may people like to use flash with film lots of in addition to shooting landscapes and street images, may shooters like to take pictures of my friends and family, sometimes inside a building or at night. So the ability of the FE2 to support TTL flash is a big advantage over the FE or FM2N.
The FE2 was in production from 1983 to 1987, concurrent actually with the experimental and more high-tech FA. Finally, in 1988, both the FE2 and FA were replaced with the new style F801 (N8008), which had the metering system of the FA plus autofocus and built-in auto-wind. There was actually one additional major upgrade to the FM2N/FE3, and that is the FM3A, which was released much later (2001-2006; 1991). The FM3A is the most advanced of the FM/FE Series, with a hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter, an FE2 style metering indicator, and all of the other features of the FE2.
The FE2 was available in silver chrome and black paint. I have the black paint version, and the finish still looks great today, with only a bit of very minor wear and tear. When I compare the black finishes on the FE and FE2, the finish on the FE's black metal plates and dials is significantly more matte than the relatively shiny finish on the FE2. Comparing side by side, the matte finish on the older FE is definitely cooler. I have not looked closely at a chrome FE and FE2, but I have read that the chrome FE's finish is also slightly nicer than the chrome finish on the FE2. Anyway, the black FE2 also looks great. Although my FE2 has been to the shop a few times for regular maintenance, it has thankfully never had any breakdown. Some might argue that the all mechanical FM series is more repairable than an electronic camera like the FE2 over a multi-decade lifespan, and that may be true. But the FE2 is relatively simple compared with later advanced electronic cameras, so I am hopeful that my favorite camera technician will be able to keep my FE2 running for a long time to come.
All FM/FE-style bodies work great today with a wide variety of old and modern Nikon F mount lenses. Some people prefer the FE over the FE2 due to its ability to shoot more images per roll, slightly more convenient battery check, and most importantly, ability to mount pre-Ai lenses with the camera’s retractable meter coupling lever.
Unlike the single large 6 volt battery in the older Nikon EL-2, the FE and FE2 alike take either a 3V lithium battery, two 1.55V silver oxide batteries, or two 1.5V alkalines. This was standard for Nikon bodies of that era. I usually prefer to just go with a single 3V lithium to enjoy the long shelf life, but of course the other two types work fine too. Even though the small batteries control both the light meter and electronic shutter (but obviously not film advance or any autofocus), they still seem to last forever. I really liked the battery check lever on the back left of the FE, which is missing on the FE2. On the FE, you just need to push the lever down with your left thumb, and if the batteries are good, the red diode will light; no need to look through the viewfinder to check the batteries. On the FE2; you have to check battery power by movement of the viewfinder needle instead.
The FM/FE series is built with a copper-aluminum-silicon (copper-silumin) alloy body. I find the size and weight of the FE2 to be perfect, especially with wide-angle through medium telephoto Nikkor manual focus prime lenses. The body size is not too big or too small. Its size is large enough to hold securely, but still smaller than full size professional bodies like the F2AS or F3HP. It is not as small as the (mechanical) Contax S2, Pentax MX, or even the Olympus OM-3, which are considered small compact bodies and sometimes feel a bit too small to get a good grip. The FE2 weighs in at only 550g, without lens, even less than the FE's 590g. Of course, the weight of the batteries is insignificant, compared with the multiple AA batteries or other larger batteries in future electronic bodies. You can actually hang the FE2 with a small lens around your neck or shoulder and almost not notice the weight. The FE2 fits great into a dedicated case, or a spongy snug-fit case, or a small camera bag with a few lenses.
The FE2 body, like all cameras in the FM/FE series, feels a bit light and even insubstantial when held without a lens attached (The FE2 weighs virtually the same as the FM2N, which is only 10g lighter at 540g). However, once a lens is attached in the wide-angle to medium telephoto size range, especially any Nikkor manual focus primes, the lens/camera combination has the perfect balance, size and weight. It has a highly luxurious and precision feel and sound when held in your hands and used, although the sound is perhaps not as pleasing as that of the FM2N. I most often use Ai-S primes from 20/2.8 to 200/4 and the system is wonderful to operate with all of those lenses. However, once you start getting into bigger and heavier lenses such as, for example, the 80-200/2.8, the camera feels a big too light and out of balance. Also, on fatter lenses, you may need to use a rubber tripod spacer ring to keep the lens rings from touching the tripod head.
Operation of the FE2 is really smooth. The shutter speed ring is large and has an easy to turn knurled grip, although it is not quite as tall as that on the FM2N. The shutter speed dial on the FE2 offers noticeably more resistance than the dial on the FE due to the more robust click stops on the FE2. But still, it is easy to grab the shutter speed dial with your thumb and forefinger when the film advance lever is pulled out to turn on the camera. For safety purposes, you need to push the central button on the shutter speed dial to turn it off of "Auto". The film advance lever motion is amazingly smooth, although the lever is single-stroke only, unlike the levers on the F, F2 and F3. But the stroke is not very big, so a quick easy stroke quickly winds to the next frame. ASA/ISO setting is set by a ring that surrounds the rewind lever. The exposure compensation setting is located on the same ring as the ASA/ISO setting, and has a range from -2 to +2 EV in one-third stop increments, an improvement over the half-stop increments on the FE. Shutter speed and ISO markings are clear and easy to read. The ISO range of the FE2 (and also the FE) is 12 - 4000, wide enough to handle virtually all situations, though slightly narrower than the FM2N, which reaches up to 6400. The small multiple-exposure lever is located under the film advance lever, out of the way but easy to turn when you need it. The shutter release button is located at just the right location near the front of the body. It takes a standard mechanical cable release. The shutter release button on the FE2 (and FM2N) is a more modern, wider design compared with the relatively narrower release on the FE. The shutter release button on the older FE seems to have a slightly shorter travel than the FE2 and FM2N, and therefore feels slightly more instantaneous. Anyway, the shutter release on the FE2 works well with just the right amount of resistance to allow you to half press for an exposure reading, with just a short continued push to achieve an immediate shutter release. The electronic shutter on the FE2 has about the same loudness as the mechanical shutter on the FM2N, but the character of the sound is different. My FE2 has a honeycomb titanium shutter. Apparently, on later serial numbers, the FE2's shutter was changed to an even more improved aluminum design. The film counter is just in front of release crank and is easy to read.
One of the biggest advantages of the Nikon film SLR lens mount (the "F mount") is that it is the only SLR camera mount that has stayed virtually the same from the time of the first Nikon F and Nikkormat FS/FT through to the most current small and full frame Nikon digital SLRs. Except for the requirement that relatively newer Nikon film SLRs require Ai or Ai-converted lenses, all manual focus Nikon F mount lenses can be used on autofocus bodies, and most full-frame auto-focus Nikon F mount lenses can be used on all old manual focus bodies. I don't know of any other manufacturer that can make such a claim. Thus, it is convenient to use the FE2 together with a modern Nikon autofocus film or digital SLR because you can often use the same lenses on both bodies.
The FE and FM were the last bodies in that line to directly accept unmodified pre-Ai lenses because they included a retractable meter coupling lever. Of course, with pre-Ai lenses, you still need to use stop-down exposure metering. There are many excellent pre-Ai lenses available on the used market, and to use any such lenses that have not been converted to Ai, the FE and FM cameras would be a better choice than the FE2 or FM2n. Alternatively, you can probably still get an independent camera technician to convert any pre-Ai lens to Ai using scavenged parts, although Nikon itself presumably long ago stopped providing such service.
Loading Nikkor lenses onto any FM/FE Series body is quick and positive. Just line up the black dot on the lens with the dot on the camera body and twist the lens counter-clockwise. Of course, there is no need to line up the claw on Ai Nikkor aperture rings with an exposure meter pin on the body; this old system became obsolete after the Nikkormat FT2/EL-W generation. To remove a lens, just press the lens release button on the left front of the body and twist clockwise.
To load or unload film, twist the back opening lever counter-clockwise and pull the rewind crank upwards to open the camera back. Film loading is traditional style and almost foolproof. Like many Nikon and other cameras of this generation, you need to stick the film leader into a slot on the take-up spool and insure that the sprocket in the spool engages a film perforation. In my experience, this system is slower but more reliable than that on newer Nikon bodies where you simply lay the film leader flat next to an index line. Unlike the FE, the FE2 prevents you from accidentally loading the film with the shutter speed dial set to "A" and ending up with very long shutter activations if you try to wind to the first frame with the lens cap on. I can't count how many times I ran into this problem on my old FE. The FE2 defaults to M250 until the first official frame is reached. The slight downside is that you are unable to squeeze a few extra exposures off the beginning of the role (unless you use 1/250 sec. and Sunny 16 or an external exposure meter!).
The focusing screens of the FM/FE Series were improved and brightened with the release of the FM2/FE2. The original screens on the FE are about 1 stop dimmer than the later second generation. (Note: first and generation screens are interchangeable with exposure compensation). A slight disadvantage of the FM/FE series viewfinders is that, unlike the 100% frame coverage of a pro-level Nikon F series camera, the FE2's frame coverage is only 93%. This is not unusual in a pro-sumer level camera, but you need to be aware that objects that are outside the field of view in the viewfinder will be captured on your film. The viewfinder contains all of the information that you need for convenient camera setting. There is an aperture direct readout (ADR) at the center top of the viewfinder, same as on all FM/FE series cameras. The exposure meter uses a match needle system on the left side of the viewfinder. I actually prefer the three red light emitting diode system of the FM series, which is easier to see in all light conditions. However, the match needle system on the FE2, like the FE, is perfectly fine and is just as easy to see in most normal lighting conditions. The viewfinder of the FE2 is exactly the same as the FE, except that the shutter speed display range has been expanded beyond 1/1000 sec. to 1/4000 sec. Also, the FE2 adds a red LED on the right side of the viewfinder that lights up then exposure compensation is set to other than "0". This fixes a problem on the FE, where you could easily set exposure compensation then forget to turn it off, since there is no indication in the viewfinder that it is still on.
I often use both Manual exposure measurement and Aperture Priority exposure measurement on this camera, depending on the situation. In Manual metering, you simply adjust the shutter speed and aperture until the green and black needles line up. The black needle indicates the recommended shutter speed for the given aperture, and the green needle indicates the set shutter speed. In Auto metering (Aperture priority) you set the shutter speed dial to Auto which causes the green needle to lock on "A" in the viewfinder. The camera automatically selects the appropriate shutter speed, and the black needle indicates that speed in the viewfinder. While the match needle system is nice and clear in bright light, it is almost impossible to see the display to adjust exposure in dark environments. On the other hand, an advantage of the match needle system is that you receive direct visual confirmation of a wider range of exposure divergence, compared with the LED system.
The FE2, like the FE, FM2 and FM2n exposure meters uses a pair of silicon photodiodes (SPDs) for exposure measurement. This was the latest generation of exposure meter technology, after Cadmium Sulfide (CdS) technology in the Nikkormat FT (1965) through the FT3 (1977) and gallium-arsenide-phosphide photodiodes in the FM (1977). Silicon photodiodes provide quick response and stability, and apparently lower manufacturing cost for Nikon, compared with the prior generation. Exposure measurement range of the FE2 is the same as all FM/FE series cameras, i.e., EV 1 to EV 18 at ASA/ISO 100 and with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. This supports an aperture/shutter speed range of 1 sec. at f/1.4 through 1/1000 sec. at f/16. That range is pretty good for most situations, and a step up from the Nikkormat FT - FT3's range of EV 3 - EV 17. The FE2 is exactly on par with the Nikon F3HP. However, it is not as sensitive as the EV -2 to EV +17 range on the F2 Photomic AS, or the EV 0 to EV 21 range of the later Nikon F4.
Exposure lock is one thing that is slightly inconvenient on the FE/FE2. I sometimes find it easier, even on these cameras with aperture priority mode, to just use manual exposure mode and set the exposure directly. I find it quicker and more comfortable than pointing the camera to where you can measure the proper exposure, pushing the exposure lock button an holding the button in while recomposing and shooting. However, exposure lock on the FE2 is certainly usable. On the older FE, while locking exposure locks the shutter speed at the time the lock button is pressed, the black shutter speed needle in the viewfinder continues to move. This situation was fixed in the FE2, where the black shutter speed needle locks in place when the exposure lock is pressed. By the way, I am more apt to use Aperture priority exposure measurement and exposure lock with electronic Contax SLRs, which allow you to turn on the exposure lock by turning a switch after you achieve the proper exposure setting, and it stays on at a fixed EV until you turn it off. In other words, in the Contax world, after locking the exposure, changes in aperture affect the shutter speed and vice versa in order to keep correct exposure. The Nikon exposure lock only locks the shutter speed, so any changes to the aperture after the shutter speed is locked will change the exposure.
The center of the viewfinder display, with the standard K-Type focusing screen, contains a small central horizontal split image, surrounded by a microprism donut, which is further surrounded by a large matte donut and a 12mm diameter circle. But utilizing both the split-image and microprism collar, you can manually focus on almost any subject very quickly. Turn the camera at a slight angle when focusing if necessary to find a straight line. I can't resist pointing out that with well-maintained manual focus Nikkor primes, such as Ai-S lenses, focusing ring operation is buttery smooth, with just the right amount of viscous resistance. With the no-slip knurled focusing rings on the Ai-S lenses, focusing is quick and accurate. The FE2 provides three different interchangeable focusing screen types for various applications. I never needed to use any except the standard K2-Type screen. The B2 type screen removes the split image and microprism focusing aids, while the E2 type is the same as the B2, except with horizontal and vertical etched lines. As indicated previously, FM/FE series focusing screens were improved (from the "K" series to the "K2" series) to provide a brighter viewfinder image starting with the FM2/FE2 generation. Focusing screens on the FM3A were further improved so that their split-image rangefinders don’t go dark with lenses that have maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less.
The outer circle in the viewfinder encloses the central area that carries a 60% exposure meter weight, with the area outside the circle comprising the remaining 40%. The most important thing to know about an exposure measurement system is how it weights various areas of the viewfinder image so that you can determine how to use it in each situation. The 60/40 system works fine for most situations. It is vast improvement over the classic full-frame averaging system, which was used on a Pentax Spotmatic models, the earliest Nikkormat FT, and other cameras. For these averaging systems, if you wanted a proper exposure, you could not include a bright light or big sky in any area of the frame. Still, with the 60/40 system, you need to determine where to point the camera when manually setting the exposure. Find an areas that is representative of the subject, but which is not overly influenced by a bright light, a bright sky, a dark background, etc. Also make sure to select an area that approximates 18% gray, such as a dense area of green trees in a landscape image. If you cannot find an area that is equivalent to 18% gray that fills the 12mm circle, for example, inside the Haleakala volcano crater on Maui, HI, or a bright snowscape, then you need to compensate the exposure by appropriately changing the aperture or shutter speed in Manual mode, or by changing the exposure compensation dial in Auto mode.
Two contemporaneous Nikon bodies with the FE/FE2, the F3HP and the FA, had different exposure metering patterns. The F3HP, with its 80/20 heavy centerweight, makes it easier to find an area that is 18% gray, without surrounding high-contrast areas influencing the exposure reading too much. The FA is the first Nikon body to include, in addition to 60/40 centerweight, a multi-segment metering pattern (called AMP or "Automatic Multi-Pattern" in the FA; in later Nikon bodies, this metering pattern is referred to as "Matrix Metering"). The 5-segment pattern on the FA and its first generation software were the first Nikon attempt to correct the weaknesses of the traditional center-weight averaging system. While early multi-pattern systems on cameras such as the FA, F4, F800 and F90/F90x did a pretty good and steadily improving job in most normal situations, in difficult situations, they still didn't work as well as the center weight system with appropriate exposure compensation, as is utilized on the FE2. Of course, you have to know what you are doing in such situations! Newer film cameras, such as the F5 and F6, as well as advanced digital Nikons, with their advanced color matrix systems, finally do a good job even in difficult lighting situations. Modern Nikon bodies generally use a 75/25 weight in their center-weight metering modes.
The FE2 incorporates a vertical-travel, metal focal plane shutter with honeycomb titanium or aluminum curtains. Shutter speed range on the FE2 is an expanded 8 sec. through 1/4000 sec, which is acceptable even today. This is a big improvement over the shutter on the original FE, which maxed out at 1/1000 sec. On the slow end, the longest 8 sec. shutter speed (same as the FE) is a convenience to those of us who were previously used to using a shutter release cable for any exposure longer than a second. One advantage of the FE2's electronic shutter over the FM2n's mechanical shutter is that when in Auto (Aperture Priority) mode, the FE2 can select any intermediate shutter speed. In manual mode, you can only select the standard shutter speeds that are indicated on the shutter speed dial. The FE2 has one mechanical shutter speed, 1/250 sec., which is a separate selection on the shutter speed dial. The single mechanical shutter speed on the earlier FE is 1/90 sec. Users might argue whether it is better to have a backup speed of 1/90 sec. for available light, or 1/250 sec. for bright daylight. In any event, given the FE2's great reliability and long battery life, I have never had a need to use the 1/250 sec. mechanical shutter speed.
There are just a few more features that I want to mention. On the right front side of the body are located a depth-of-field preview lever and a self timer lever. Like many other cameras, you can check actual depth of field at the set aperture by pressing the depth-of-field lever. The image darkens if the lens is not set for maximum aperture, but you can get a good idea of the expected DOF with your lens/aperture combination. Actually, this lever is not really required with manual focus Nikkor lenses, because such lenses include an easy to read DOF index on the lens barrel. Many AF Nikkor lenses also have DOF index marks. The FE2 bodies have a mechanical self-timer with a delay of up to approximately 10 seconds. While these cameras do not have a mirror lock-up switch per se, you can simulate MLU by using the self-timer lever. When the shutter release button is pressed after the self-timer is set, the mirror swings up at the start of the timer count.
Finally, a hot-shoe contact is installed on top of the prism housing for flash photography. As already mentioned, the FE2 supports automatic TTL flash control with a four-contact hot shoe. The older FE only had a two-contact hot shoe for manual and non-TTL auto flash exposure. The FE2's maximum flash synch speed is 1/250 sec. This capability is still basically current today, significantly better than 1/125 sec. on the FE, and an improvement over all prior Nikon bodies except the FM2. On both the FE and FE2, one of the flash contacts communicates the flash charging status to the camera and lights a red diode "ready light" in the viewfinder when the flash is ready to shoot. Of course, the FE2 works with any Nikon flash unit. I use my SB-24 and SB-26 and they work great. If you will be doing a lot of flash photography, the FE2, along with the FA and FM3A, with TTL flash support, are better choices than the FE and prior Nikon bodies.
In addition to the vast selection of Nikkor and third-party lenses that are available for the Nikon F mount, the FE2 also accepts various other useful Nikon accessories. One of the most useful is the MD-12 motor drive (and also the earlier MD-11). This motor drive unit works on all FM/FE series bodies (and even the Nikon FA) and allows rapid fire or remote shooting up to 3.2 frames per second. However, the MD-12 is quite heavy, especially when loaded with the eight required AA batteries. These days, it would obviously be better to use a more modern camera is you want portable and higher-speed motor drive. Other useful optional accessories (which work with all FM and FE series bodies) are the MF-16 data back, the DB-2 Anti-Cold Battery Pack, the DR-3 and DG-2 viewfinder eyepieces, and various eyepiece correction lenses.
Copyright © 2013 - 2016 Timothy A. Rogers. All rights reserved.
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