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At the top of the Roman stairs you come to an ante-chapel and the chapel itself, a lavish 18th-century creation by the 9th Earl. It had previously been a dark and gloomy space apparently, but a new plaster ceiling and much else besides by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, who was also working on the landscape outdoors, brought it into the first style of elegance. The decoration on the walls is curious too: all delicately carved in wood 'tiles', apparently the work of apprentices.
Sheffield Park Garden is an informal landscape garden five miles east of Haywards Heath, in East Sussex, England. It was originally laid out in the 18th century by Capability Brown, and further developed in the early years of the 20th century's by its then owner, Arthur Gilstrap Soames. It is now owned by the National Trust.
History[edit]
The gardens originally formed part of the estate of the adjacent Sheffield Park House, a gothic country house, which is still in private ownership. It was also firstly owned by the West Family and later by the Soames family until in 1925 the estate was sold by Arthur Granville Soames, who had inherited it from his childless uncle, Arthur Gilstrap Soames.
Sheffield Park as an estate is mentioned in the Domesday Book. In August 1538, Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, entertained Henry VIII here. By 1700, the Deer Park had been partially formalised by Lord De La Warr who planted avenues of trees radiating from the house and cleared areas to establish lawns. In the late 1700s, James Wyatt remodelled the house in the fashionable Gothic style and Capability Brown was commissioned to landscape the garden. The original four lakes form the centrepiece. Humphry Repton followed Brown in 1789–1790. In 1796, the estate was sold to John Holroyd, created Baron Sheffield in 1781. It is particularly noted for its plantings of trees selected for autumn colour, including many Black Tupelos.
Rhododendron in Sheffield Park Garden
By 1885, an arboretum was being established, consisting of both exotic and native trees. After Arthur Gilstrap Soames purchased the estate in 1910, he continued large-scale planting. During World War II the house and garden became the headquarters for a Canadian armoured division, and Nissen huts were sited in the garden and woods. The estate was split up and sold in lots in 1953. The National Trust purchased approximately 40 ha in 1954, now up to 80 ha with subsequent additions. It is home to the National Collection of Ghent azaleas.
In 1876 the third Earl of Sheffield laid out a cricket pitch. It was used on 12 May 1884 for the first cricket match between England and Australia.[1] The Australian team won by an innings and 6 runs
wikipedia
Thick fog this morning new It would be worth getting out early before it vanished........
Looking at the rear of Syon House, my back to the Thames, this tree is believed to be a Capability Brown remnant.
Syon House, and its 200-acre (80 hectare) park, Syon Park, is in west London, historically within the parish of Isleworth, in the county of Middlesex. It belongs to the Duke of Northumberland and is now his family's London residence.
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The nuclear capability of the Empire of Shiryoku is displayed here with its SS-NX-38 Ballistic Missile Submarine. A small model of the submarine displays best all the engineering details of the inside and outside design.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.--.--.--.--.---.---.---.----.----.------------
This particular model is a GEN Shiryoku specialty submarine, manned by approximately fifty elite nuclear warfare agents. The mission is to avoid war at all cost.
Made for Decisive Action 4!
Burghley House aerial image - RAF Wittering in the background. The airfield was established in 1916 as RFC Stamford, becoming RAF Wittering in 1918. The great house was built in the 16th century in Lincolnshire by William Cecil, Lord High Treasurer to Elizabeth I. Parkland landscaped by Capability Brown.
Aerial view of Burghley
Photographed in full-frame detail using a Nikon D850, this is a high-resolution aerial image
EWS 47757 'Capability Brown' crosses Long Marton viaduct at 14:33 heading the 13:52 Carlisle-Preston 'Virgin Trains drag', the 1M64 12:04 Glasgow Central to London Euston on Sunday 8th February 2004. This photo was taken just before its catastrophic failure and subsequent withdrawal from service. It languished at Carlisle Upperby depot until November 2005, when it was towed away for scrap at T.J. Thompson at Stockton. It had entered traffic at Tinsley TMD in October 1964 as D1779 and was a popular Stratford 'Brush Type 4' for over a decade as 47184/47585 'County of Cambridgeshire, between 1978 and 1988.
A scan from a medium format transparency
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P1060918 SOOC
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Croome, Worcestershire. St Mary Magdalene church was built in the Georgian Gothic style in 1758. It was designed by Lancelot (Capability) Brown with an interior by Robert Adam and is Grade 1 listed. The building is now in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, after being declared redundant in 1973. There are monuments to the Coventry family (who lived at Croome Court - now National Trust), and the churchyard contains the graves of former servants of the family.
Croome d'Abitot, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire - Church of St Mary Magdalene, High Green
June 2025
SAC 01 Pápa NATO Strategic Airlift Capability
Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
08-0001 (F-207)
477FF1
BRK Hungarian Air Force
EYSA 211350Z 12012KT CAVOK 31/18 Q1013 BLU NOSIG
EEEI LROP
More snow was predicted today for the area I live in, but it hasn't arrived. So with no snowscapes to photograph, I've been looking through my summer photos. As this beautiful tower stands on such a high point, I can get photos of it with lovely blue sky behind it. I visited the tower during a day out with my friend
Broadway Tower was the brainchild of the great 18th Century landscape designer, Capability Brown. His vision was carried out for George William 6th Earl of Coventry
with the help of renowned architect James Wyatt and completed in 1798.
It is one of England's outstanding viewpoints and at 1024 feet (312m) above sea level, it is the second highest point on the Cotswold escarpment. Unrivalled views survey an expanse of a 62 mile radius and as many as 16 Counties.
Results of a 'play' session uisng new photographic toys in Petworth Park.
It's now the end of March 2023 and all we want some good light...
In terms of the landscape, it's entirely artificial.
This bridge was built in 1758 for the 2nd Earl Strafford to carry a carriageway and footpath over the Serpentine River on his estate. This allowed access from the house to the entrance at Strafford Gate. The river has now partially dried up, but sections of water still remain.
The Serpentine Bridge is a single span stone bridge (Waymark Code: WMDZR7IS). It spans the contour canal. The stone steps were added later. It's a Grade II Listed Building in accordance with Historic England and Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
Between 2005 and 2008 restoration work was carried out on the Serpentine Bridge balustrade, Rotunda Temple, Gun Room, the Ha-Ha, Corinthian Temple and Archers Hill Gate. Work had not begun on the Tuscan Temple.
The repairs to the Serpentine Bridge were to reinstate the vandalised section of stone balustrade as per the original design back in the 18th century (1758).
Although Capability Brown has traditionally been associated with the park at Wentworth Castle, there is no evidence he was consulted.
Wentworth Castle Gardens is a Grade I Registered Landscape, the only one of its kind in South Yorkshire. There are over 26 individually listed buildings and structures in the grounds and parkland. The site consists of
over 60 acres of formal gardens and 500 acres of wider parkland. The main house and some of the surrounding buildings are owned by Northern College, which provides residential and community education for adults.
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No Group Banners, thanks.
Broadway Tower is a folly on Broadway Hill, near the village of Broadway, in the English county of Worcestershire, at the second-highest point of the Cotswolds (after Cleeve Hill). Broadway Tower's base is 1,024 feet (312 metres) above sea level. The tower itself stands 65 feet (20 metres) high.
The "Saxon" tower was the brainchild of Capability Brown and designed by James Wyatt in 1794 in the form of a castle, and built for Lady Coventry in 1798–99. The tower was built on a "beacon" hill, where beacons were lit on special occasions. Lady Coventry wondered whether a beacon on this hill could be seen from her house in Worcester — about 22 miles (35 km) away — and sponsored the construction of the folly to find out. Indeed, the beacon could be seen clearly.
Over the years, the tower was home to the printing press of Sir Thomas Phillipps, and served as a country retreat for artists including William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones who rented it together in the 1880s. William Morris was so inspired by Broadway Tower and other ancient buildings that he founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1877.
Today, the tower is a tourist attraction and the centre of a country park with various exhibitions open to the public at a fee, as well as a gift shop and restaurant. The place is on the Cotswold Way and can be reached by following the Cotswold Way from the A44 road at Fish Hill, or by a steep climb out of Broadway village.
Near the tower is a memorial to the crew of an A.W.38 Whitley bomber that crashed there during a training mission in June 1943.
This bridge was built in 1758 for the 2nd Earl Strafford to carry a carriageway and footpath over the Serpentine River on his estate. This allowed access from the house to the entrance at Strafford Gate. The river has now partially dried up, but sections of water still remain.
The Serpentine Bridge is a single span stone bridge (Waymark Code: WMDZR7IS). It spans the contour canal. The stone steps were added later. It's a Grade II Listed Building in accordance with Historic England and Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
Between 2005 and 2008 restoration work was carried out on the Serpentine Bridge balustrade, Rotunda Temple, Gun Room, the Ha-Ha, Corinthian Temple and Archers Hill Gate. Work had not begun on the Tuscan Temple.
The repairs to the Serpentine Bridge were to reinstate the vandalised section of stone balustrade as per the original design back in the 18th century (1758).
Although Capability Brown has traditionally been associated with the park at Wentworth Castle, there is no evidence he was consulted.
Wentworth Castle Gardens is a Grade I Registered Landscape, the only one of its kind in South Yorkshire. There are over 26 individually listed buildings and structures in the grounds and parkland. The site consists of
over 60 acres of formal gardens and 500 acres of wider parkland. The main house and some of the surrounding buildings are owned by Northern College, which provides residential and community education for adults.
--
No Group Banners, thanks.
The Grotto Statue, at the end of the lake, found in the Gardens around Croome Court, near Pershore, Worcestershine, England.
Croome Court is a mid 18th century neo-Palladian mansion surrounded by extensive landscaped parkland .
The mansion and park were designed by The mansion and park were designed by Lancelot "Capability" Brown for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.for the 6th Earl of Coventry, and were Brown's first landscape design and first major architectural project. Some of the mansion's rooms were designed by Robert Adam.
632. Man must fight against darkness by the side of light, since being in alliance with light is being in alliance with Himself.
633. The fight against darkness manifesting in the world is essential. But my foremost duty is the battle against the darkness in my very own soul.
634. The battle against darkness must be omnidimensional.
635. All things that are light-like are in solidarity with one another.
636. In the highest sense of actionality, action and inaction, doing and non-doing (Chinese wei wu wei) coincide with one another: this is when non-doing becomes an act, and doing takes its place in the calm manner of non-doing.
637. (Mors triumphalis) Triumphal death on the battlefield means victory over death, for though I could not conquer the enemy, I triumphed over death - externally I went under death, internally however I won and ascended triumphally.
638. From a traditional perspective, offensive war is considered to be more appropriate than defensive war, viz. the latter acts under coercion.
639. Each heroically orientated man is ab ovo pacific (but not a pacifist): he is not only inclined to establish peace, but has the capability to accomplish it - and he does so.
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Metaphysical aphorisms by András László
Croome, Worcestershire. Both house and gardens at Croome Court were designed by Capability Brown between 1751-2, rebuilding an earlier house from the 1640s. The estate was requisitioned in WW2, but was not used for troops, being offered to the Dutch Royal family, but nearby, and partly within the grounds, RAF Defford was established, an important location for the Telecommunications Research Establishment. They left in 1957 as the runways were too short. The house was sold by the Croome Estate Trust in 1948, and became St Josephs Special School until 1979. Taken over by the Hare Krishna movement, it became known as Chaitanya College with involvement from George Harrison, who created recording studios within the house. They left in 1984 and the house was used for several short-term activities, including a training centre; apartments; a restaurant and conference centre; a hotel and golf course, and a private family home. In 2007, it was purchased by the Croome Heritage Trust, who leased it to the National Trust. Croome Court is grade 1 listed.
Croome D'Abitot, near Pershore, Worcestershire, West Midlands, England - Croome Court, High Green
June 2025
Capability Brown, John Constable und William Turner ... !!!
Diese Räume durchschritt William Turner (1775 - 1851) und ließ sich von dem wunderschönen "Arkadien" vor den Fenstern inspirieren.
Grade I
Bauwerke von außerordentlicher, teilweise internationaler Bedeutung. (englisch Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important.)
Die Ursprünge von Petworth House reichen bis ins 12. Jahrhundert zurück.
George Wyndham, 3. Earl of Egremont, ließ von 1774 bis 1779 von Matthew Brettingham dem Jüngeren den State Bedroom zur White Library umbauen. Unter ihm erlebte Petworth ein "goldenes Zeitalter".
Der 3. Earl of Egremont war ein großzügiger Mäzen, unter anderem von John Constable (1776 - 1837) und William Turner.
Zur damaligen Zeit gab es keine Museen im heutigen Sinne und die Künstler waren darauf angewiesen, die anderen Malergrößen in Privatsammlungen zu studieren.
Turner malte zwischen 1827 und 1837 zwanzig Ölgemälde und rund 100 Aquarelle in Petworth, darunter Motive aus dem Park und der Innenausstattung.
Für seine wachsende Kunstsammlung ließ der 3. Earl of Egremont die North Gallery von 1824 bis 1827 erneut erweitern und umbauen.
Hinter dem Herrenhaus beginnt ein insgesamt 294 ha großer Park. Ein erster kleiner Park wird im 13. Jahrhundert erwähnt, zur Zeit des 9. Earls of Northumberland umfasste der Park bereits über 160 ha.
Der um 1700 von George London angelegte Barockgarten wurde von 1751 bis 1765 von Capability Brown in einen Englischen Garten umgewandelt.
Der Park gilt als einer der gelungensten Landschaftsgärten von Capability Brown.
Brown gilt als einer der bedeutendsten Landschaftsarchitekten des 18. Jahrhunderts. Seine eifrigen Bemühungen im Finden von Möglichkeiten (eng. „capabilities“) zur Umgestaltung vorhandener alter Gartenanlagen im neuen von ihm vertretenen Stil verhalfen ihm zu seinem Beinamen Capability Brown.
In seiner Schaffenszeit war er an über 170 Gartenbauprojekten beteiligt und er hatte maßgeblichen Einfluss auf die Entwicklung der Parks im englischen Stil.
Brown (1716 - 1783) war ein Vorreiter des Landschaftsbaus. Seine Gartenwerke gehören zu den ersten, die nicht allein die unmittelbare Umgebung miteinbezogen, sondern weitflächig die umgebende Landschaft integrierten und mitgestalteten, er vollzog den Übergang von der reinen Schlossparkarchitektur zur großflächigen Landschaftsgestaltung.
Er benutzte dazu die von William Kent entwickelte Technik der „clumps and dots“, bei der auf dem weitläufigen Gelände durch einzelne Bäume (dots) und Baumgruppen (clumps) ein natürlich malerischer Eindruck erzeugt wird.
Riesige Rasenflächen, die von Viehherden niedrig gehalten werden mussten, waren ebenso auszeichnend für sein Werk.
Um die Tiere von dem unmittelbaren Landgut fernzuhalten, nutzte er eine als Ha-Ha bekannte Grabenkonstruktion.
_DSC1141_42_pa2
***May 14th Thanks everyone for your most kind comments!***
A view of the Grand Bridge in the Blenheim Palace Grounds. Normally I take photos of the bridge from a more elevated view point, but the car park was very busy on this day, and the cars were intruding into the picture, so I came down to lake level to hide the cars. As it happens I think it's worked quite well, I liked the cloud hovering over the bridge and creating a nice reflection.
The Grand Bridge was a part of Vanbrugh's original scheme for the palace and its grounds; it wasn't completed as intended; there was to have been a gallery and another storey. When constructed there was no lake, the bridge crossed an ornamental canal, the lake was created 50 years after the bridge was built by 'Capability' Brown. He flooded the cellars of the bridge when he created the lake; it is difficult now to imagine the bridge without the lake.
The light wasn't the very best as there was this layer of thin high cloud; I've increased the saturation on the sky to compensate for this.
17.5.2009 Thanks again everyone for your many kind comments. I thought it would be worth re-visiting this image and doing a bit more editing; previously, (partly because I was in a hurry) I didn't split off the layers; this time I had separate sky, lake, and 'ground' layers, and I edited the colours and saturation separately in each one. I think the bridge colour has greatly improved in this second edit.
Rare Breed Irish Moiled calves at The National Trust Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire England. In 2013 Lovesick cows at Wimpole got a new mate for Valentine's. This was such a beautiful sight as I walked through Lancelot 'Capability' Brown's Landscape to see some of those adorable Woo d offspring.
When it was fully commissioned in 1984, Dinorwig Power Station was regarded as one of the world's most imaginative engineering and environmental project.
Today, Dinorwig's operational characteristics and dynamic response capability are still acknowledged the world over. Dinorwig is the largest scheme of its kind in Europe.
Dinorwig is comprised of 16km of underground tunnels, deep below Elidir mountain. Its construction required 1 million tonnes of concrete, 200,000 tonnes of cement and 4,500 tonnes of steel.
The station's six powerful generating units stand in Europe's largest man-made cavern. Adjacent to this lies the main inlet valve chamber housing the plant that regulates the flow of water through the turbines.
Dinorwig's reversible pump/turbines are capable of reaching maximum generation in less than 16 seconds. Using off-peak electricity the six units are reversed as pumps to transport water from the lower reservoir, back to Marchlyn Mawr.
www.electricmountain.co.uk/Dinorwig-Power-Station
The question is why build a power station in a mountain? The answer is a simple one. The designers wanted to minimise the impact that a large power station would make on the countryside and the most suitable site for the power station was on the boundary of the magnificent Snowdonia National Park. Naturally enough, when the scheme was first proposed, conservationists were alarmed by the enormity of the design and its position in one of the country's premier national parks. However, many assurances were given, and considerable modifications and alterations to the original design were undertaken to meet the environmental objections.
There seemed no better way to disguise the station than by hiding it inside the mountain which had already been excavated for hundreds of years by the slate quarrymen.
Another question is why was something of the scale of Dinorwig needed? In the 1950s, the concept of pumped storage came to Britain for the first time with the planning of the Blaenau Ffestiniog hydroelectric pumped storage scheme. This plan was highly successful and demonstrated the importance of pumped storage generation plant. However, it was realised that this power station would be insufficient to regulate the growing electricity demands of the country.
Engineers spent two years investigating possible sites for a large generating scheme. In the end three sites were shortlisted, all of them in North Wales. Elidir Mountain, sited on the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park, had the unique feature of a lake near its peak, Llyn Machlyn Mawr and another, Llyn Peris, at the bottom – ideal for a pumped storage scheme.
Elidir Mountain had long been used for another purpose. At the side of the lower lake, Llyn Peris, were the remnants of another industrial age – the Dinorwig slate quarries. For more than 200 years, mining carried out by thousands of quarrymen had eaten into the side of Elidir, leaving terraces up to a height of over 600 metres and the unsightly scars of industrial waste at its foot. It was the slate industry which dominated the scenery and the lives of the local community by providing the main employment in the area until synthetic materials overtook traditional slate production. At its peak, the Dinorwig slate quarry employed about 3,000 men. Indeed, at the beginning of the 1900's, Dinorwig was the second largest slate quarry in the world, overtaken only by the neighbouring Penrhyn quarry. Demand for slate roofing material became significant during the late eighteenth century and roofing slates from Dinorwig and other North Wales quarries were not only shipped all over Britain but also found their way to continental Europe and North America where they were used to meet the expanding housing needs in the industrial cities. The slate industry reached its peak towards the end of the nineteenth century and in 1969 the quarry finally stopped production.
Having made the decision to build a power station at Dinorwig, consultations began with the local community who, by a large majority, welcomed the prospect of up to 2,000 jobs during the construction phase. They also welcomed a sensitive design which involved hiding most of the power station deep inside Elidir Mountain in underground caverns.
After almost ten years of hollowing out the mountain, creating tunnels, enlarging the lakes and shifting all the heavy machinery into the mountain, Dinorwig was ready to go and was opened by Prince Charles in 1984. Since then Dinorwig has become essential to Britain's power supply; stepping in on those occasions when we all decide to make a cup of tea.
Basking in the early morning sunshine at RAF Fairford during the Royal International Air Tattoo, 15th July 2018.
Charlecote Park, Charlecote, Stratford on Avon
English Heritage Grade 1 listed
NATIONAL TRUST + ENGLISH HERITAGE ALBUM
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/albums/72157701116949872
Charlecote Park is a Grade 1 listed, grand 16th-century country house, surrounded by its own deer park, on the banks of the River Avon in Charlecote, near Stratford on Avon and Warwick. The Lucy family owned the land from 1247. Charlecote Park was originally built in 1558 by Sir Thomas Lucy, and Queen Elizabeth I stayed in the room that is now the drawing room. Although the general outline of the original Elizabethan house remains, the present house is of mostly Victorian construction. Successive generations of the Lucy family modified Charlecote Park over the centuries until George Hammond Lucy (High Sheriff of Warwickshire in 1831) inherited the house in 1823 and set about recreating the house in its original Tudor style.
Charlecote Park covers 185 acres (75 ha), backing on to the River Avon. William Shakespeare was said to have poached rabbits and deer in the park as a young man, and to have been brought before the magistrates. The lands immediately adjoining the house were further landscaped by Capability Brown in about 1760.
Charlecote was inherited in 1823 by George Hammond Lucy (d. 1845), who in December 1822 had married Mary Elizabeth Williams of Bodelwyddan Castle, Wales. Seven years of major renovation and rebuilding followed, including an extension on the river side, were commenced in 1829. G.H.Lucy's second son, Henry, inherited the estate in 1847 from his elder brother. In 1848, Mary Elizabeth Lucy had what she described as that wretched Norman Church demolished, replacing it with the current St. Leonards Church in 1853.
Charlecote Park has extensive grounds. A parterre has been recreated from the original 1700s plans. The livestock at Charlecote includes fallow deer and Jacob sheep, which were brought to England from Portugal in 1755 by George Lucy
In 1946, Sir Montgomerie Fairfax-Lucy, who had inherited the residual estate from his mother Ada, presented Charlecote to the National Trust in lieu of death duties
Diolch am 93,640,335 o olygfeydd anhygoel, mae pob un yn cael ei werthfawrogi'n fawr.
Thanks for 93,640,335 amazing views, every one is greatly appreciated.
Shot 08.05.2022 at Charlecote Park, Caharlecote, Stratford on Avon REF 159d-005
Aerial view of Ditchingham Hall - grade 1 listed building in Norfolk. Classical style country house built for the Reverend John Bedingfield in about 1715. Set in around 2,000 acres of parkland landscaped by Capability Brown.
Partly used as a USAAF hospital in WW2.
Norfolk aerial image
This is Morag Myerscough's installation at Compton Verney, The Village. Situated in the meadow beside the parkland, it was the site of a medieval village that was cleared by 'Capability' Brown in the 1760s when the main house was built nearby. Generally used now as a green backdrop for art installations that are robust enough for children to climb over, this colourful interpretation of the village that has been lost was particularly popular (and will be there until April). The area is also being replanted with trees, following Brown's original plan.
A closer look at this very fine ceiling in the ante-chapel and chapel itself, designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. Its modernisation was commissioned by Brownlow, the 9th earl, in the 18th century.
Operator: NATO - Strategic Airlift Capability
Aircraft: Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
Registration: 08-0001 (SAC 01)
C/n: F-207
Time & Location: 14.11.2020 EFTP, Finland
The Moose
A Heavy Airlift Wing/ Strategic Airlift Capability McDonnell-Douglas/Boeing C-17A Globemaster III diverted to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol after a Dutch Coastguard aircraft had blown tyre after landing at Eindhoven Air Base. I totally missed the landing so I was happy to catch te departure even with the not so superb light we have around midday.
I've decided to re-process this shot manually using Capture One Pro 10 rather than using automated filters of Silver Efex Pro that I used when I first posted it. I much prefer the control that I have with Capture One and I’m finally pleased enough with the results to re-post it.
The shot is of the famous Palladian Bridge at Stowe School from 2014. It was built from 1738-44 and resides in the grounds designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown. Its design was inspired by the works of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508-80), which is strongly based on symmetry, perspective and formal classical temple architecture in the ancient Greek and Roman style.
It has a 5 bay iconic colonnade flanked by pedimented pavilions with attached columns framing semi-circular-headed arches with scroll key blocks to the sides. Carved heads to ends. Balustrade parapet to bridge. Coffered ceiling with colonnade.
This bridge was built in 1758 for the 2nd Earl Strafford to carry a carriageway and footpath over the Serpentine River on his estate. This allowed access from the house to the entrance at Strafford Gate. The river has now partially dried up, but sections of water still remain.
The Serpentine Bridge is a single span stone bridge (Waymark Code: WMDZR7IS). It spans the contour canal. The stone steps were added later. It's a Grade II Listed Building in accordance with Historic England and Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest.
Between 2005 and 2008 restoration work was carried out on the Serpentine Bridge balustrade, Rotunda Temple, Gun Room, the Ha-Ha, Corinthian Temple and Archers Hill Gate. Work had not begun on the Tuscan Temple.
The repairs to the Serpentine Bridge were to reinstate the vandalised section of stone balustrade as per the original design back in the 18th century (1758).
Although Capability Brown has traditionally been associated with the park at Wentworth Castle, there is no evidence he was consulted.
Wentworth Castle Gardens is a Grade I Registered Landscape, the only one of its kind in South Yorkshire. There are over 26 individually listed buildings and structures in the grounds and parkland. The site consists of
over 60 acres of formal gardens and 500 acres of wider parkland. The main house and some of the surrounding buildings are owned by Northern College, which provides residential and community education for adults.
--
No Group Banners, thanks.
CORAL SEA (July 21, 2021) The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) transits the Coral Sea during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21. Talisman Sabre 21, the ninth iteration and conducted since 2005, occurs biennially across Northern Australia. Australian, U.S. and other multinational partner forces use Talisman Sabre to enhance interoperability by training in complex, multi-domain operations scenarios that address the full range of Indo-Pacific security concerts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan D. Berlier)
The Nikon FM2n is the best medium-compact mechanical shutter SLR camera ever made. There are other bodies from other manufacturers that have been favorably compared, such as the Olympus OM-3 and the Leica R6.2. These other cameras indeed have certain features, e.g., spot metering capability, that are not found on the FM2n. However, they have disadvantages, too. The Olympus system is smaller than Nikon, and lenses and accessories are presumably less abundant on the used market. The Leica system is substantially more expensive used, especially the lenses, and the Leica R series never became that popular (as opposed to Leica's M-Series). The design of the FM2n has been highly refined over several generations of the FM product line. It is part of the enormous Nikon system of manual focus and auto focus cameras. Many Nikon bodies are available on the used market. And the FM2n is just an absolutely great camera.
The FM2n is the final all-mechanical version of the FM Series that began with the FM in 1977 as an upgrade to the classic Nikkormat FT3 (early 1977). The FM was subsequently updated and modernized with various versions of the FM, FM2 (1982) and FM2n which were developed over the years, with the FM2n finally introduced in 1984. The FM2n remained in production until 2001. There was actually one additional major upgrade after the FM2n, which was the FM3A (2001-2006; 1991). The FM3A is the most advanced of the FM Series, with a hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter, an FE2 style readout, and all of the other features of the FE2. From a technological point of view, the FM3A is really cool and unique. However, due to some of the feature advantages that I will discuss below, the FM2n is still a very attractive option for all manual film shooting . The FM3A is relatively more expensive on the used market, with relatively high prices for the occasional NIB sample, or even very clean used camera.
Check out the FM3A here:
www.flickr.com/photos/trphotoguy/23145338649/in/album-721...
The standard FM2n was available in silver chrome and black paint. Both look great.
There were a few special versions of the FM2n that were introduced. The most interesting one is the FM2/T (1993-1997). The FM2/T is exactly the same mechanically as the latest FM2n, except that the top and bottom covers are made out of titanium. Please refer to my separate page on the FM2/T, which is one of the most beautiful SLR cameras ever made:
www.flickr.com/photos/trphotoguy/16514084188/in/album-721...
My own experience with the FM line actually started with the FM2n. Previously, I had been using the Nikon F2 Photomic AS and Nikon FE combination; my F2 was the reliable all-mechanical body, and I used the FE as an electronic backup when needing something smaller than the F2, or when wanting to shoot quicker with the FE in aperture priority mode, or just for a different kind of film. (Back then, photographers still looked askance at electronic cameras compared with tried and true mechanical ones.) However, when I finally upgraded from the F2 to the new F3HP, it was time to switch around and get the FM2n as a mechanical backup to the electronic F3HP.
Since my experience with the FM Series started with the FM2n, and given that the FM2n would be the best body of the series to go with on the used market today, I will focus my comments on the FM2n.
As with the prior models of the FM Series, the FM2n takes either a 3V lithium battery, two 1.55V silver oxide batteries, or two 1.5V alkalines. Quite standard for Nikon bodies of the 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, as needed. Since the small batteries are used only for the light meter, they seem to last forever and are not necessary for camera operation at all shutter speeds.
The FM series is built with a copper-aluminum-silicon (copper-silumin) alloy body. I find the size and weight of the FM2n 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 concurrent F3HP. It is not as small as the 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 FM2n weighs in at only 540g without lens, and of course the weight of the batteries is insignificant, compared with the multiple AA batteries or other larger batteries in future electronic bodies. The FM2n fits great in a dedicated case, or a spongy snug-fit case, or a small camera bag with a few lenses. It is an excellent size for travel use.
The FM2n body by itself, like all those in the FM Series, feels a bit light and even insubstantial when held without a lens attached. However, once a lens is attached, 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. 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 filler ring to keep the lens rings from touching the tripod head.
Operation of the FM2n is really smooth. All of the top controls are on the right side of the camera. The shutter speed ring is tall, large and has an easy-to-turn knurled grip. It is easy to grab with thumb and forefinger when the film advance lever is pulled out to turn on the camera. 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 stoke is not very big, so a quick easy stroke quickly winds to the next frame. ASA/ISO setting is embedded into the top of the shutter speed dial. Shutter speed and ISO markings are clear and easy to read. The ISO range of the FM2n is 12 - 6400, wide enough to handle virtually all situations. 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 mechanical shutter release button is large and located at just the right location near the front of the body. It takes a standard mechanical cable release. The shutter release button has a fairly long travel, but it works well with just the right amount of resistance to allow you to half press for an exposure reading, and then make a short continued push to achieve an immediate shutter release. The shutter has a relatively quiet, pleasing and precision-like sound. The film counter is just in front of release crank and is easy to read.
One of the biggest advantage 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 (pre-G type) can be used on all old manual focus bodies. I don't know of any other SLR manufacturer that can make such a claim. Thus, it is convenient to use the FM2N together with a modern Nikon autofocus film or digital SLR because you can often use the same lenses on both bodies.
Loading Nikkor lenses onto any FM Series 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 meet pin on the body; this old system became obsolete after the Nikkormat FT2/EL generation. Unfortunately, the FM Series lens mount lost the retractable meter coupling lever after the original FM body; thus the FM2n won't accept (in stop down mode) any pre-Ai or non-Ai's lenses that you might own. To remove a lens, just press the lens release button on the left front of the body and twist clockwise.
The only control on the top left of the camera is the film rewind/back opening mechanism. Twist the back opening lever counter-clockwise and put the rewind crank upwards to open the camera back. Since the camera only has a manual exposure meter mode, unlike the FE/FE2, the rewind crank mechanism includes no exposure compensation dial. 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 latch in the spool engages a film perforation. This system is more reliable than that on newer Nikon bodies where you simply lay the film leader flat next to an index line. With the FM2n, if you are careful when you load the film, you can get an extra exposure on frame 0.
The viewfinder of the FM Series has been gradually improved over the life of the series, but remains essentially the same in the FM2n version. A slight disadvantage of the FM series viewfinder is that, unlike the 100% frame coverage of a pro-level Nikon F series camera, the FM'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 will be captured on your film. (Maybe it wasn't a problem with mounted slides?) The viewfinder contains all of the information that you need for convenient camera setting. There is a mechanical readout for the selected shutter speed on the left side of the viewfinder. There is also a aperture direct readout (ADR) at the center top of the viewfinder. The exposure meter indicator on the right of the viewfinder utilizes three red light emitting diodes. This is my favorite type of exposure meter readout design, which I learned to like on the earlier Nikon F2 Photomic AS. It is also the same system as that on cameras such as the Leica M6TTL or current MP. First of all and most importantly, the diodes are easy to see in all lighting conditions, light and dark. The LEDs are bright enough to be clearly visible on a sunny day, but also not so bright that they blind you in a dark location. Also, exposure adjustment is extremely rapid and precise.
I normally set the shutter speed first, depending on what I am trying to do. Then push the shutter release button down half way and twist the lens aperture ring on the lens until only the center LED circle lights up. As you move away from correct exposure, the LED display changes to a combined +o or o- (when you are over or underexposed by between 1/5 and one stop-), and finally to a single + or - (when you are over or underexposed by more than one stop).The three-diode system of the FM Series is superior to the match needle system of the aperture priority capable FE Series and the hybrid FM3A. 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 - although the meter itself is very sensitive. On the other hand, an advantage of the match needle system is that you receive direct visual indication of a wider range of exposure divergence, compared with the LED system. Also, you can directly see intermediate shutter speeds in Aperture Priority mode.
The FM2 and FM2n exposure meter 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 original 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 FM2n is EV 1 to EV 18 at ASA/ISO 100 and with a 50mm f/1.4 lens. This supports a aperture/shutter speed range of 1 sec. at f/1.4 through 1/4000 sec. at f/8. 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 FM2n 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 Nikon F4.
Since the FM Series cameras have manual exposure mode only, there is obviously no exposure lock button. Exposure lock is one thing that can be frustrating on cameras like the F3HP and FE/FE2. It is often easier, even on these cameras with aperture priority mode, to just use manual exposure mode and set the exposure directly. It is 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 down will recomposing a shooting. Anyway, you don't need to worry about any of that on the manual mode only FM2n.
The center of the viewfinder display, with the standard K2-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, focusing is quick and accurate. The FM2n system provides three different interchangeable focusing screen types for various applications.Mostly, the standard K2-Type screen is sufficient. 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. 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 were further improved on the final FM3A to avoid split-image blackout with lenses with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less.
The outer circle encloses the central area which 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 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 manually compensate the exposure by appropriately changing the aperture or shutter speed.
Two contemporaneous Nikon bodies with the FM2n, the F3HP and the FA had different exposure metering patterns. The F3HP applies a heavier weight of 80% to the viewfinder's 12mm circle, making it easier to isolate 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 a multi-segment metering pattern, in addition to 60/40 centerweight. The 5-segment pattern on the FA and 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 low contrast situations, in difficult situations, they still didn't work as well as the center weight system with appropriate exposure compensation, which was found on the FM2n. Of course, you have to know what you are doing in such situations! On later-generation cameras, the more highly refined high-tech multi-pattern (matrix) systems, such as on the F5, F6 and the newest digital SLRs, finally do a good job even with difficult lighting. Modern Nikon bodies generally use a 75/25 weight in their default center-weight metering modes.
The latest FM2n incorporates a vertical-travel, metal focal plane shutter with aluminum curtains. Older versions of the FM2N have shutters with titanium curtains. Shutter speed range on the FM2N is 1 sec. through 1/4000 sec. For those of us who started back when the fastest shutter speed as 1/1000 sec. or even slower, 1/4000 sec. sounds amazingly fast. In fact, 1/4000 sec. is plenty fast enough for most situations with film. On the slow end, the camera itself can only operate up to 1 sec., but it is an easy matter to calculate and shoot exposures of any length at the Bulb setting, using a tripod, a standard shutter release cable, and a hand-held light meter. Of course, since the camera has a mechanical shutter, you can shoot exposures of any length and never worry about draining your battery. One slight disadvantage of the FM2n's mechanical shutter is that it cannot be set for intermediate shutter speeds. On an electronic body such as the FE2 or FM3A, you can utilize any intermediate shutter speed in aperture priority mode. (Of course, unlike the FE/FA series, the FM-series meters can't measure Bulb setting shutter speeds.)
There are just a few more features that should be mentioned. 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 to 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 FM Series 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. The FM2n does not support automatic TTL flash control. You need to use an FE2 or FM3A if you want that feature. (If you know how to use guide numbers and manual flash, you can still do full-flash or fill-flash photography without any problem, of course). However, the FM2n, like the FE2, has a very fast maximum flash synch speed of 1/250 sec. There is an extra contact on the hot shoe that communicates the flash charging status to the camera a lights a red diode "ready light" in the viewfinder when the flash is ready to shoot. Of course, the FM2n works with any Nikon flash unit. The contemporaneous SB-24 and SB-26 work great. However, if you will be doing a lot of flash photography in the FM line, the FE2 and FM3A are more useful as they both offer automatic TTL flash control.
In addition to the vast selection of Nikkor (and third-party) lenses that are available for the Nikon F mount, the FM2n also accepts various other useful Nikon accessories. One of the most useful is the MD-12 motor drive. This motor drive unit works on all FM Series bodies (and even the Nikon FA) and allows rapid fire or remote shooting up to 3.2 frames per second. Years ago, I used to keep it attached to the camera and carried it around much of the time. 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 (particularly useful for the FM2n, which would be the perfect camera to take on a dog sled expedition to the North Pole!), 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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CORAL SEA (July 21, 2021) An F-35B Lightning fighter aircraft from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit lands on the flight deck of the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) during Exercise Talisman Sabre 21. Talisman Sabre 21, the ninth iteration and conducted since 2005, occurs biennially across Northern Australia. Australian, U.S. and other multinational partner forces use Talisman Sabre to enhance interoperability by training in complex, multi-domain operations scenarios that address the full range of Indo-Pacific security concerts. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan D. Berlier)
60002 Capability Brown is in the cold and frosty wastes of Anglesea sidings, Brownhills. The loco is at the Charringtons depot and has a train of heavy oil, on cold days the tanks were heated with steam to aid discharge.
60002 was new 08/12/1992, she carried the Capability Brown name until 30/11/1996, she received the High Peak name 23/02/1998. The locomotive is now with the Colas fleet.
Copyright Geoff Dowling 19/12/1992
Created in the style of Capability Brown, that great designer, whose forte was creating “natural” landscapes, the park has broad vistas of parkland, bounded by extensive plantings of a variety of deciduous trees, including redwoods, sycamore, cherry, yew and plane. Coppices of beech, oak, chestnuts and lime dot the open parkland.
Water is an important element in the creation of such settings and the estate was fortunate in that the Awbeg River flowed through it and was diverted to form lakes, cascades and ponds, greatly enhancing the beauty of the setting. And, of course, where you have waterways, you must have bridges and there are a few delightful arched stone bridges framed by abundant foliage
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Claremont Landscape Garden, a National Trust oasis of greenery, is to be found on the Portsmouth Road near Esher in Surrey. Previously a pleasure garden retreat of royalty, Claremont isn’t that big – yet it’s always a delight to visit. And today… well just look at the sumptuous autumn colours!
Many of the great names in landscape design have left their mark on the estate, not least Sir John Vanbrugh and Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. Queen Victoria loved it here – so much so that in 1866 she acquired the estate to save it from development.
Cherry blossoms in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Petworth, West Sussex, England, UK.
St Mary's Church, Petworth, District of Chichester, West Sussex, England. parish church of Petworth. It's listed at Grade I by English Heritage.
The town is mentioned in Domesday Book. It is best known as the location of the stately home Petworth House, the grounds of which (known as Petworth Park) are the work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown.
From my trip to the UK: Visited Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.
The interior of a SpaceX Crew Dragon shows accommodations for flight crew and supplies. SpaceX is developing the Crew Dragon in partnership with NASA's Commercial Crew Program to re-establish human-rated launch capability to the International Space Station from the United States. Photo credit: SpaceX
C-17 Globemaster III of NATO'S Strategic Air Capability Wing Breaks left to 'go around again' before landing at RAF Leeming. (With 2 X UH-60 Blackhawk helos and passengers in the back 😎)
There were once a total of 4 Loggias in the grounds of Trentham Gardens and this is the only Loggia that remains. The path to the left leads up to the old Hall through the Italian Gardens. Straight ahead takes you to the lake.
The Silver Birch trees frame the Loggia and the arches of the Loggia frame the gardens. Capability Brown (1716 - 1788) knew a thing or two about designing and framing!
#113 Natural Framing. theme for 115 pictures in 2015
Explored 5th March 2015
02 Boeing C-17A Globemaster III
C17 477FF2
NATO Strategic Airlift Capability
08-0002 c/nF-210
BRK Hungarian Air Force
LHPA Papa AB
EYSA 120950Z 26017G27KT 9999 SCT018 01/M03 Q1024 NOSIG
Testing out the video capability from the Nikon D500, the long awaited successor to the D300s, on a drizzly, cold day.
The flip out touchscreen is a long time coming feature added to this weather sealed pro level APS-C DSLR. 4K video capability looks good, but at a penalty of 2.25x crop on this already cropped sensor. So the 24-70 focal length lens attached becomes a 54-158 mm zoom equivalent field of view. Great for sports and nature videographers, but not so great for trying to get that wide shot.
Taken with Sony RX100 MK IV.
SAC 01 NATO Strategic Airlift Capability Boeing C-17A Globemaster III - cn F-207 landing @TRD/ENVA 10.02.16 NATO Cold Response Exercise 2016
Kyre Park near Bromyard is a Capability Brown masterpiece in the heart of the Worcestershire countryside.
It has five lakes, mature trees wildflower meadows and some interesting follies.
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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