Dear Journal,

There are certain times in life when one is convinced that the plan of action is utterly foolproof. This was not one of those times. This was an action of wild panic, the action of a cornered helpless being fleeing from certain doom into an even greater demise. As I emerged from the watery cyclone, I saw below me the most beautiful sunset I had ever laid eyes on, below that, nothing. Absolutely nothing, only the unending abyss that lies beneath all of Aura. Ancient peoples believed it descended forever, but most modern scholars now agree that there is a unbroken ocean of water, filled with all forms of horrible beasts and monsters! And I was to be their latest victim. All this whirled through my mind as I plummeted to my disastrous fate...

However, I would not have had time in my fall to document this experience had I not somehow survived. I shall explain how in the next chapter.

Until then,

Zenas Abbington.

Hope you guys like it!

~Brother Steven

Nothing is foolproof to a talented enough fool.

About The Flag With The Blue Stripe

✽

Aboutme

Chicago, United States, 2010. Title Is a quote by Douglas Adams.

I've become obsessed with beauty shots and square formats.

Senior photo session later today. Ugh, I'm peeling from all the sun I got in Jamaica. My nose got blistered, ouch.

Listen to 'Secret Crowds - Angels and Airwaves

From Krishna's garden 'Flaming Torch Bromeliads

Billbergia pyramidalis, commonly known as the flaming torch and foolproof plant, is a species of bromeliad that is native to northern South America and parts of the Caribbean.- Wikipedia

iPhone5 | Camera+, Foolproof, VSCOCam, Mextures, Snapseed, Fragment, Filterstorm

SN/NC: Billbergia Pyramidalis, Bromeliaceae Family

Billbergia pyramidalis, commonly known as the flaming torch and foolproof plant, is a species of bromeliad that is native to northern South America and parts of the Caribbean. It was first described by John Sims, and got its current name by John Lindley.

Billbergia pyramidalis, algemeen bekend als de brandende fakkel en onfeilbare plant, is een soort bromelia die inheems is in Noord-Zuid-Amerika en delen van het Caribisch gebied. Het werd voor het eerst beschreven door John Sims en kreeg de huidige naam van John Lindley.

Billbergia pyramidalis, vulgarmente conhecida como tocha flamejante e planta infalível, é uma espécie de bromélia que é nativa do norte da América do Sul e de partes do Caribe. Foi descrito pela primeira vez por John Sims e recebeu seu nome atual por John Lindley.

Billbergia pyramidalis, communément appelée torche enflammée et plante infaillible, est une espèce de broméliacées originaire du nord de l'Amérique du Sud et de certaines parties des Caraïbes. Il a été décrit pour la première fois par John Sims et a obtenu son nom actuel par John Lindley.

La Billbergia pyramidalis, comunemente nota come la torcia fiammeggiante e la pianta infallibile, è una specie di bromelia originaria del Sud America settentrionale e di parti dei Caraibi. Fu descritto per la prima volta da John Sims e prese il nome attuale da John Lindley.

Billbergia es un género de fanerógamas perteneciente a la familia Bromeliaceae, subfamilia Bromelioideae. Billbergia principalmente se desarrolla en Brasil pero una especie se desarrolla desde México a Sudamérica tropical. Comprende 275 especies descritas y de estas, solo 65 aceptadas.

Estas plantas se cultivan como planta ornamental por sus brillantes inflorescencias.

Billbergia pyramidalis, allgemein bekannt als flammende Fackel und idiotensichere Pflanze, ist eine Bromelienart, die im Norden Südamerikas und in Teilen der Karibik beheimatet ist. Es wurde zuerst von John Sims beschrieben und erhielt seinen heutigen Namen von John Lindley.

Billbergia pyramidalis ، المعروف باسم الشعلة المشتعلة والنبات المضمون ، هو نوع من البروميلياد موطنه شمال أمريكا الجنوبية وأجزاء من منطقة البحر الكاريبي. تم وصفه لأول مرة من قبل جون سيمز ، وحصل على اسمه الحالي من قبل جون ليندلي.

View behind the scenes footage of this shoot here! phlearn.com/bts-newfangled-pinup

Concept

We’ve wanted to do a pinup shoot for a long time, but we also wanted to make it stand out from all of the other pinup photos out there by adding a concept to it. While looking through images of classic pinups, we realized that the technology from that era has all been rolled into one device, the smartphone. This sparked the idea for a concept showing the contrast between then and now with some beautiful pinups.

Lighting

It was important that our lighting was interesting, yet almost foolproof since the models would be moving around and changing poses quickly. This led us to use primarily large light sources that would create even lighting with no harsh shadows.

Post Production

When editing a series, it’s extremely important to make sure the editing matches from photo to photo and really ties them together. Combining textures with dodging and burning was a huge part of making these photos appear old, yet new. Not only have the colors and textures been processed in the same way, but the images have also been cropped with the same aspect ratio.

Classic Cola

We had a vintage Coca Cola cooler on set, and couldn't not use it for a shot. Although the prop stands alone from the series, we ended up getting an amazing shot out of it.

Photo taken and edited with iphone6, cam apps: ProCamera, postpro apps: Superimpose, Foolproof, Lens Distortions, Stackables, PhotoPower, Snapseed.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm/Tumblr: @adesantora

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.

Douglas Adams

An Exakta Varex with a top view finder looking at a coffee table scene.

It came with a Field Guide which is a brilliant read! Cameras don't come with this kind of warning these days:

"The Exakta is not a box camera. It is not foolproof in the sense that those cheap cameras are. Frankly, it is a complicated camera and sensitive to a degree. It is of utmost importance that it should be handled strictly in accordance with the instructions. One should train oneself to avoid accidental and false movements which could damage the camera mechanism".

I used this recipe for the Béarnaise Sauce.

Instead of steak (Mrs. Wirehead doesn't eat beef), I used lamb steaks. And I made two sauces. One is the Béarnaise Sauce, the other is a pan sauce. And there's some onions and shallots on the side.

After a week or so of practice I've discovered a pretty foolproof setup for this sort of shot.

I placed a wok in my sink, filled that with water then left the tap on a constant drip. With the drops in the same place each time focussing was a lot easier, and with them being consistent spaced I could time my shots a lot easier so from a total of maybe 200 shots I had 40 "interesting" ones of which 7 got uploaded. Quite happy with that!

I'm so happy with this one in particular, the inverted reflection opens up a whole new world of possibilities!

Photo taken and edited with iphone, apps: ProCamera, Afterlight, Foolproof, Rays, Superimpose, Snapseed, Photo Power.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm: @adesantora

Incredibly easy to identify, and a great choice for beginning foragers. They’re one of the “foolproof four” or the four most easily identified mushrooms.

hey, curtis, how goes it?

life in the big city, man. you know how it is.

I do. it's tough.

but listen: I'm getting a new shipment of armaments next week.

great! the battlements been lookin' a little bare lately.

seems to me, it's time to collect some docking fees.

you know those big boys are not gonna like it.

yeah, but I figure a few well-placed 32-pound cannonballs will bring 'em around.

and then the cash flows in, eh?

it's fairly foolproof, way I see it.

no doubt.

3 ans déjà que je partage avec vous images et amour de la photo..

je tenais à vous remercier , tous , toutes , pour vos nombreuses visites et votre présence ici ... pour tous vos commentaires toujours très appréciés et votre fidélité à toute épreuve ..

j'espère que lumière et couleurs illustrant mon message vous parleront à ma place..

à tous et à toutes un grand MERCI :))

3 years already that I share with you pictures and love of photography ..

I wanted to thank you all, all for your visits and your presence here ... for all your comments always appreciated your loyalty and foolproof ..

I hope and light colors showing my message will speak for me ..

to everyone a big THANK YOU:))

Photo taken and edited with iphone4, apps: Hueless, Foolproof, Superimpose, Mextures, Afterlight & Stackables.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm/Tumblr: @adesantora

In a period of time distant from ours, in a remote corner of far flung space, an idea was born. An idea that would change the way humans would look at the galaxy, and everything in it.

Known for it's suede interior and horrible pre-installed pine-tree mirror dangley, the Lionfish served in the Si-industries line-up for fifteen years before getting mothballed to the back of many a service shop.

______

Built for the 14x14x6 starfighter contest.

Photo taken and edited with iphone3gs, apps: ProCamera, Picfx, Foolproof, Afterlight, Mextures, Superimpose, VFX Studio, Photo Power.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm: @adesantora

👶💪🍎[Otter Lake] 👶💪🍎

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

🏁 [777 Motors] Garry 🏁

🏁[Uber Event] 🏁

🏁[777 Motors Showroom] 🏁

🏁[777 Motors Market Place] 🏁

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

🎶What Do You Want From Life(The Tubes)] 🎶

🎶What Do You Want From Life(The Tubes Live)] 🎶

What do you want from life?

To kidnap an heiress

Or threaten her with a knife?

What do you want from life?

To get cable TV

And watch it every night?

There you sit, a

Lump in your chair

Where do you sleep

And what do you wear

When you're sleeping

What do you want from life?

An Indian guru

To show you the inner light?

What do you want from life?

A meaningless love affair

With a girl that you met tonight?

How can you tell when you're doin' alright?

Does your bank account swell

While you're dreaming at night?

How do you know when you're really in love?

Do violins play when you're touching the one

That you're loving?

What do you want from life?

(What do you want from life?)

Someone to love

And somebody you can trust?

What do you want from life?

(What do you want from life?)

To try and be happy

While you do the nasty things you must?

What do you want from life?

What do you want from life?

What do you want from life?

What do you want from life?

Well, you can't have that, but

If you're an American citizen you are entitled to:

A heated kidney shaped pool

A microwave oven--don't watch the food cook

A Dyna-Gym--I'll personally demonstrate it in the privacy of your own home

A kingsize Titanic unsinkable Molly Brown waterbed with polybendum

A foolproof plan and an airtight alibi

Real simulated Indian jewelry!

A Gucci shoetree!

A year's supply of antibiotics

A personally autographed picture of Randy Mantooth

And Bob Dylan's new unlisted phone number

A beautifully restored 3rd Reich swizzle stick

Rosemary's baby!

A dream date in kneepads with Paul Williams

A new Matador

A new mastadon

A Maverick

A Mustang

A Montego

A Merc Montclair

A Mark IV

A meteor

A Mercedes

An MG

Or a Malibu?

A Mort Moriarty

A Maserati

A Mac truck

A Mazda

A new Monza

Or a moped

A Winnebago

Hell, a herd of Winnebago's, we're giving 'em away

Or how about a McCulloch chainsaw?

A Las Vegas wedding

A Mexican divorce

A solid gold Kama Sutra coffee pot

Or

A baby's arm holding an apple?

- Michael Ash Evans / William Edmond Spooner

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

🐕 💝 🐈

💗 Hope 💗

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Protect Your Right To Vote!

BLM 8 Minutes 46 Seconds

Democracy Dies in Darkness

Get Your Booster!, I Got Mine! 💉

I Am Not Ukrainian But I Support You! 🌻💙💛🌻

Women's Rights Are Human Rights 1973-2022 RIP

A firearm should not have more rights than a human

Love is Love

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iMac

Viewer: Firestorm version 6.5.6 (66221)

The Tools

Ratio 23:9

LUMIIPro: Yes

AnyPose: Yes

LeLutka Axis HUD : Yes

Firestrom Photo Tools

SE: *AK* Vibrant Sky

SEW : -

Scene Gamma: 1.00

FOV: -

FL: -

Haze Horizon: 0.29

Haze Density: 2.54

Cloud Coverage: 0.46

Cloud Scale: 0.68

Shd Res: 3.00

Shd Clarity: 17.47

Photopea Tools

5% Noise / Poster Edge

Flickr Tools

Filter: None

Blur: No

Brightness: 0

Saturation: +10

Contrast: +5

Gamma: +5

Clarity: +5

Exposure: 0

Shadows: -5

Highlight: 0

Temperature: -5

Whites: 0

Blacks: 0

Sharpness: 0

I don't bake much. Mostly because I am rubbish at it and also it isn't something I enjoy doing, however when I saw a photo of a chocolate zucchini (courgette) loaf posted the other day I got the mad notion to try making one. I found a recipe on line that looked promising, and by that I mean foolproof, so quickly checked for the ingredients. Turned out the only thing I didn't have was the zucchini so headed on down to the shop to buy some. For the recipe I was looking at I needed one cup so thought about 6 good sized zucchini should do nicely, although, I would have bought 7 if they had more just to be on the safe side. I came home and started grating and in no time at all had the 1 cup I needed and still had 5 1/2 zucchini sitting on the counter. So I kept grating. By the end I had enough for 2 double chocolate zucchini loaves, 2 cranberry and walnut loaves featuring zucchini, and a couple dozen muffins with a zucchini flair to them, and I still have 3 zucchini left. I have now found a recipe for zucchini cookies so I suppose that will be tomorrows venture and then after that it is veggie (zucchini ) kababs on the BBQ for dinner. That should take care of the wretched things.

I knew that Minnesota had an invasive European iris, and that those in particular are yellow in color. But I guess I didn't realize until just now that we have TWO native irises that are both a similar purplish-blue color. And to complicate things, they overlap in range, especially here in the Twin Cities area. Apparently one way to differentiate them is how well defined the yellow center of the flower petals are, and based on this photo I would think this is called Southern Blueflag. The other species is known as Northern Blueflag. I'm just not sure how foolproof this method is to tell them apart, so maybe one of my followers help. Ramsey County, MN 06/17/23

I've been waiting for the part to these for a while, so it's nice to finally post them :P

Left to right:

Polar

Name: Evie Winters

Allegiance: Villain

Power(s): Cryokinesis, Gadgetry

Skills: Pro athlete-level ice skating, Above-average intellect.

Origin: Evie Winters discovered her powers on her 12th birthday party, when she accidentally froze her family's backyard pool solid, trapping herself and a few of her friends in a sub-zero prison. When she finally thawed out, she combined her love of tinkering with her almost genius-level intelligence to create a device to help her better control her powers. Without her chestplate and dampening gloves, Evie's powers are unpredictable at best and a frigid nightmare at worst. She's more villainous than she is heroic, and has a mild criminal record, but she's more of a prankster than anything else.

Lynx

Name: Zoe Wilder

Allegiance: Hero

Power(s): Zoe possesses a form of supernaturally good fortune- Guns fired at her will suddenly misfire, and punches will miss her ever-so-slightly. Her luck isn't foolproof, however- It's does nothing against truly impossible odds.

Skills: Gymnastics

Origin: Zoe Wilder had many close scrapes as a child, ranging from something as innocent as happening to fall on a soft patch of moss when she tripped on a hike, to skiing under an overhang right as an avalanche struck. Eventually, as she grew older, she realized that she was not simply lucky, as she originally thought, but possessed a supernatural good fortune. Upon realizing this, Zoe started fighting crime in New Blok City, using her "gift" to help those not as lucky as herself.

(Sorry for the glare btw)

Photo taken and edited with iphone3gs, apps: ProCamera, Afterglow, FoolProof, Superimpose, Photo Power.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm: @adesantora

Tenerife

Botanical Gardens Puerto de La Cruz

www.tenerife-information-centre.com/botanical-gardens-pue...

Although known officially as Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava, or "JAO", this installation is actually in Puerto de La Cruz (there is a smaller one actually in La Orotava).

Billbergia pyramidalis, commonly known as the flaming torch and foolproof plant, is a species of bromeliad that is native to northern South America and parts of the Caribbean.

A flock of gulls waiting for a handout. Patrons dining at Ivar's Acres of Clams (located at Seattle's, Pier 54) who have permission to feed the seagulls. This was a tradition the founder, Ivar Haglund began over a half century ago.

www.ivars.com/pnw-connection/item/496-foolproof-guide-to-...

Decim8...foolproof...InfiniFX...Scratchcam.

This is a single long-exposure photo of the core of our galaxy, the most dense part, where there is a supermassive black hole around which everything rotates.

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve done one of these, and DAMN are they satisfying to shoot. While digging through the archives and doing a little hard drive cleanup, I found this photo. It was one of the photos I shot last year and didn’t do anything with. If I remember right, it doubled as a test to see how good my polar alignment was (I do it manually, drift, because it’s foolproof).

Took this shot recently in the Rijksmuseum. Love this place!

You are scared of capturing photos of strangers on the street?

I just released my new e-book called

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO OVERCOMING YOUR FEAR AND BECOMING INVISIBLE

8 Highly Effective Methods To Lose Your Fear

11 Foolproof Methods To Become Invisible

6 Incredibly Smart Ways To Avoid Any Confrontation

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YouTube Channel | NEOPRIME | Behance | Facebook | Twitter | 500px | GooglePlus | Instagram | Tumblr | Website

View behind the scenes footage of this shoot here! phlearn.com/bts-newfangled-pinup

Concept

We’ve wanted to do a pinup shoot for a long time, but we also wanted to make it stand out from all of the other pinup photos out there by adding a concept to it. While looking through images of classic pinups, we realized that the technology from that era has all been rolled into one device, the smartphone. This sparked the idea for a concept showing the contrast between then and now with some beautiful pinups.

Lighting

It was important that our lighting was interesting, yet almost foolproof since the models would be moving around and changing poses quickly. This led us to use primarily large light sources that would create even lighting with no harsh shadows.

Post Production

When editing a series, it’s extremely important to make sure the editing matches from photo to photo and really ties them together. Combining textures with dodging and burning was a huge part of making these photos appear old, yet new. Not only have the colors and textures been processed in the same way, but the images have also been cropped with the same aspect ratio.

Classic Cola

We had a vintage Coca Cola cooler on set, and couldn't not use it for a shot. Although the prop stands alone from the series, we ended up getting an amazing shot out of it.

View behind the scenes footage of this shoot here! phlearn.com/bts-newfangled-pinup

Concept

We’ve wanted to do a pinup shoot for a long time, but we also wanted to make it stand out from all of the other pinup photos out there by adding a concept to it. While looking through images of classic pinups, we realized that the technology from that era has all been rolled into one device, the smartphone. This sparked the idea for a concept showing the contrast between then and now with some beautiful pinups.

Lighting

It was important that our lighting was interesting, yet almost foolproof since the models would be moving around and changing poses quickly. This led us to use primarily large light sources that would create even lighting with no harsh shadows.

Post Production

When editing a series, it’s extremely important to make sure the editing matches from photo to photo and really ties them together. Combining textures with dodging and burning was a huge part of making these photos appear old, yet new. Not only have the colors and textures been processed in the same way, but the images have also been cropped with the same aspect ratio.

Classic Cola

We had a vintage Coca Cola cooler on set, and couldn't not use it for a shot. Although the prop stands alone from the series, we ended up getting an amazing shot out of it.

(With Ai-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 and 24mm f/2.8)

The Nikon FE is an upgrade to the earlier generation Nikon EL-2 in the same way that the FM was an upgrade from the earlier generation Nikkormat/Nikomat FT-3. For both upgrades, the change, from the point of view of the user, is more in external design rather than camera features. The biggest change was the move from the large compact form factor Nikkormat design to the medium compact FM/FE design. In terms of actual features, both new cameras are very similar to their predecessors. Like the FM2N, the design of the FE2 was highly refined over two generations and several other upgrades. Thus, the original FE was Nikon's first effort at an electronic camera in the new medium compact form factor.

Actually, 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. Back in the days of the Nikon F and Nikon F2, the pro-level cameras were all-mechanical designs. When electronic shutter SLRs started to come to the market, many photographers, including myself, were not ready to give up our super reliable all-mechanical cameras for the newfangled electronic shutter bodies. However, the FE, being much smaller and lighter than the F2AS, was the perfect size and weight as a second body. How strange to think today that the mechanical body would be the main one, and the electronic camera would be the backup! Anyway, even though the FE was supposed to be a backup, I used it often over the F2AS due to its Auto Exposure convenience, as well as smaller size and weight. Back then, we never dreamed of still-undeveloped future advances such as TTL auto flash control, other exposure modes, and other exposure metering methods. We just knew that the FE had all of the manual control features of the F2AS with the added benefit of Aperture Priority exposure metering for use in hurried situations.

The FE was in production from 1978 to 1983, when it was replaced by the upgraded FE2. The FE2 was a much modernized version of the FE and remained in production until 1987. There was actually one additional major upgrade after the FE2, which was the FM3A (2001-2006). The FM3A is the most advanced of the FM/FE Series, with a hybrid mechanical/electronic shutter, an FE2-style exposure meter display, and all of the other features of the FE2. One other sibling of the FE that I have not yet mentioned is the FA, which coexisted during the same product life as the FE2. The FA had much more advanced exposure measurement and metering modes than the FE/FE2 and even the FM3A. Both the FE2 and FA were replaced by the F801 in 1988 after Nikon and the industry moved to auto focus and built-in power winders for most of their electronic cameras.

The FE was available in silver chrome and black paint. I have the black paint version, and the finish still looks great today in 2013, with only a bit of very minor wear and tear. Indeed, 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. The FE has aged well. Although my FE has been into the shop a few times for minor maintenance, it has thankfully never had a major breakdown. Some might argue that all mechanical FM series is more repairable than an electronic camera like the FE over a multi-decade lifespan, and that may be true. But the FE is relatively simple compared with later advanced electronic cameras, so I am hopeful that my favorite camera technician will be able to keep my FE running for a long time to come.

If I had to choose today between the FE and FE2, I would go with the later generation FE2. However, if you came across an excellent condition FE body, it would still work great today with a wide variety of old and modern Nikon F mount lenses. In fact, some people prefer the FE over the FE2 due to its ability to shoot more images per roll, its slightly more convenient battery check, and most importantly, its ability to mount pre-Ai lenses with its retractable meter coupling lever.

Unlike the single large 6 volt battery in the prior Nikon EL-2, the FE takes either a 3V lithium battery, two 1.55V silver oxide batteries, or two 1.5V alkalines. Quite 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 like the battery check lever on the back left of the FE. Just 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. The battery check light disappeared 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 FE 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 for the user 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 FE weighs in at only 590g 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 FE fits great into 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 FE body by itself, like all those in the FM/FE Series, feels a bit light and even insubstantial when held without a lens attached (although the FE is slightly heavier than the FM2N). However, once a lens in the wide-angle to medium telephoto size range is attached, especially those AiS Nikkor manual focus primes, the lens/camera combination has the perfect balance, size and weight. It has a highly luxurious and precision feel and shutter 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 bit 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 FE 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 my FE turns noticeably more smoothly than the dial on my FE2. It is easy to grab with 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 half-stop increments. Shutter speed and ISO markings are clear and easy to read. The ISO range of the FE (and also the FE2) 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 is narrower than that on the later FE2 and FM2N, but still works fine. Indeed, the shutter release button on the FE seems to have a slightly shorter travel than the FE2 and FM2N, and therefore feels slightly more instantaneous. It 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 FE has about the same loudness as the mechanical shutter on the FM2N, but the character of the sound is different. 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 SLR manufacturer that can make such a claim. Thus, it is convenient to use the FE 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. Still there are many excellent pre-Ai lenses on the market, and to use any such lenses that have not been converted to Ai, the FE and FM cameras would be a good choice.

Loading Nikkor lenses onto any FM/FE 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 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. If you are careful when you load the film, you can get a few extra exposures on the film before frame 1 because the camera does not prevent you from doing so (unlike the FE2).

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 viewfinder is that, unlike the 100% frame coverage of a pro-level Nikon F series camera, the FE's frame coverage is only 93%. This is not unusual in a prosumer level camera, but you need to be aware that objects that are outside the field of view 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 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 FE is perfectly fine and is just as easy to see most normal lighting conditions.

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 FE, like the FE2, FM2 and FM2n exposure meters uses a pair of silicon photodiodes (SPDs) for exposure measurement. This is 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 FE 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 FE 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 and holding the button in while recomposing and shooting. However, exposure lock on the FE series is certainly usable. On the FE, however, while locking the 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 collar, 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 FE provides three different interchangeable focusing screen types for various applications. I never needed to use any except the standard K-Type screen. The B type screen removes the split image and microprism focusing aids, while the E type is the same as the B, 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 later FM2/FE2 generation. (The FM3A screens are even further improved, and its split image focusing aid does not darken with lenses with maximum aperture of f/5.6 or less).

The outer circle in the viewfinder 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 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 low contrast 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 FE. Of course, you have to know what you are doing in such situations! Nnewer cameras, such as the F5 and F6, 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 as the default in their center-weight metering modes.

The FE incorporates a vertical-travel, metal focal plane shutter with aluminum curtains. Shutter speed range on the FE is a relatively limited 8 sec. through 1/1000 sec, which at the time was considered luxurious at the slow end and standard at the fast end. Usually the 1/1000 maximum shutter speed did not feel like a limitation since we were generally using fairly slow film. Still, I did need a neutral density filter on a very few occasions. On the slow end, the longer shutter speed was a convenience to those of us who were used to using a shutter release cable for any exposure longer than a second. One advantage of the FE's electronic shutter over the FM2n's mechanical shutter is that when in Auto (Aperture Priority) mode, the FE 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 FE has one mechanical shutter speed, 1/90 sec., which is a selection on the shutter speed dial. The single mechanical shutter speed on the later FE2 is 1/250 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 FE's great reliability and long battery life, I have never had a need to use the 1/90 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 FE bodies have a mechanical self-timer with a delay of up to approximately 8 - 14 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 FE does not support automatic TTL flash control. You need to use an FE2, an FA or an 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. You can also use electronic flash devices in Auto (non-TTL) mode.) The FE has a maximum flash synch speed of 1/125 sec. This is significantly better than all prior Nikon bodies except the FM, but still not as good as the 1/250 maximum synch speed on the later FE2, FM2N, and FM3A. There is an extra contact on the hot shoe that 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 FE works with any Nikon flash unit. I use my SB-24 and SB-26 and they work great. However, if you will be doing a lot of flash photography, the FE2, FA or FM3A, with TTL flash support, are probably better choices.

In addition to the vast selection of Nikkor and third-party lenses that are available for the Nikon F mount, the FE 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. Back in the day, 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 if 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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If you have an interest in Automobiles, why not take a look at my collect of images "here"

A 1904 De Dion Bouton 8-HP, kindly identified by "Daniel"

Count Albert De Dion commissioned Messrs Bouton and Trépardoux, brothers-in-law and jobbing engineers, to build light steam carriages for him as early as 1882. In 1895 attention was switched to the fashionable new internal combustion engine and De Dion Bouton et Cie were marketing a diminutive petrol engined tricycle. These early tricycles were powered by Bouton's new, high speed, single cylinder, vertical engine which revved at almost twice the speed of the contemporary Daimlers. By 1899 the company was marketing a 3 1/2hp Voiturette, an all new generation of four wheel motor car with rear mounted engine driving through a system of gears to the rear wheels. With the new car came the renowned De Dion rear axle – then years ahead of its time. A larger 4 1/2hp engine was offered in the vis-à-vis models from 1900 and with this power unit the car had a comfortable running speed of 25mph although braking ability was a limiting factor. By 1904 De Dion Bouton was firmly established as France's most prolific motor car manufacturer, their fast-revving engines having set new standards in engine design at the turn of the century. Early rear-engined models gave way to a new generation of front-engined cars for the 1902 season, again single cylinder models with atmospheric inlet valve and mechanical exhaust valve. These engines were so successful that De Dion sold them to many other manufacturers and had they simply sold engines alone, the De Dion Bouton operation would still have been a very substantial enterprise. De Dion's gearbox was virtually foolproof for the first time car driver, the fast-revving engines were supremely reliable and De Dion back-up and service was second-to-none. The number of surviving cars is testimony to their popularity and build quality and the single cylinder 8hp model of 1904 was the undoubted leader in its peer group.

Tenerife

Botanical Gardens Puerto de La Cruz

www.tenerife-information-centre.com/botanical-gardens-pue...

Although known officially as Jardín de Aclimatación de la Orotava, or "JAO", this installation is actually in Puerto de La Cruz (there is a smaller one actually in La Orotava).

Billbergia pyramidalis, commonly known as the flaming torch and foolproof plant, is a species of bromeliad that is native to northern South America and parts of the Caribbean.

Photo taken and edited with iphone4, apps: Hueless, Foolproof, Superimpose, Mextures, Afterlight & Stackables.

Twitter/IG/EyeEm/Tumblr: @adesantora

Perfect light in nature is like going beyond showing the best side and doing most to look the prettiest at someone else's expense. When not on offer, going soft on expectations may simply not do and taking option or negotiating the best on offer will still only send us to the back of the queue to start planning your forthcoming light born masterpiece with renown hope in heart. So, while living on the Sun's dime we may still do well by keeping our foolproof option of picking out of the window and having fingers crossed ... alive.

In a period of time distant from ours, in a remote corner of far flung space, an idea was born. An idea that would change the way humans would look at the galaxy, and everything in it.

The Tigerfish was a favorite among the classic-space fleet, particularly the jockeys that were on muscle stimulants who had an urge to shout somewhat random things while going way too fast

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Thanks for my man Evan for the fancy photowork <3

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Built for the 14x14x6 Small Star Fighter contest.

Sunday afternoon I went for a hunt, but these shots haven’t hurt a single animal! For the first time, I had to settle for one single deer from behind, but for the second time, I got a foolproof tip. In the first thirty minutes, I haven’t me a single soul, then suddenly I caught a glimpse of a herd of 30-40 deer and I couldn’t believe my eyes! They were on their way fast, as you can see on the photo below.

Then I decided to go around the fishpond, so we can meet halfway, since the herd went towards the pond. However, soon I had a big surprise once more, as I found another group of 20-30 individuals.

I was planning to get closer to them and luckily, my clothes seemed suitable, since I was wearing a light gray jacket with a hoodie and a pair of jeans, and my patience proved to be effective. I’ve spent about three hours in the -4°C weather in the wilderness and I enjoyed every single moment of it, so much so, that I didn’t have time to feel the cold, if anything, I was feeling warm because I had to do one fourth of the trip squat walking. So yeah, hello, muscle soreness, but who cares after an amazing experience like this?!

When one group got scared and ran away, I started to approach the other, and yes, first I had to sneak and stealth in the snow-white field, then, as I was getting closer to the herd, I switched back once again to the beloved squat walk. After that I was trying to reduce the distance between us, meter by meter.

The real miracle happened when I was squatting and one of the deer started to gallop towards me. I couldn’t even dream of something like this, that instead of receding from the lenses of the camera, one curious individual would come closer in a rush. I was squatting in an ideal position, totally still, waiting for what will happen next as I was already seeing the headlines in front of me: „deer attacked a Hungarian photographer”. Only my clicking finger was moving – it was a truly incredible moment!

In this moment, the deer could be about twenty meters from me, but it is hard for me to remember the exact details, as I became quite emotional because of its honorific visit. After a couple seconds, it perceived the possible danger, stroke a pose from the side as well, and then, in a flash, turned its back on me and ran away.

While I was switching between the herds, I saw something on the field that looked like a tussock, but turned out to be a rabbit, a beautiful hare, to be exact. Obviously, it hasn’t hesitated for long, and went down the rabbit hole.

I found a spot on the field where the undergrowth was a bit higher and provided a perfect cover for me, even though we are talking about a 30-40-centimeter long grass, but it allowed me, for yet another time, to get incredibly close to the herd.

Thank you for your attention and for the opportunity. I apologize for the quality of certain photos, but my equipment was nowhere near a wildlife photography one – more experienced photographers simply called me determined. If you liked to pictures, please follow Gabor Matesz Photos on Facebook where I offer a diverse scale of nature photos.

Enjoy the photos! Thanks for all visits, comments and Favs.

Copyright © Gabor Matesz Photos. All rights reserved. Please don't use without my permission.

In the late summer when all the juvies are flying, you have to look closely at the "females" of these Hummers. Both sexes of this species look very much like Mom. As the summer progresses, the males will begin to develop a few flakes of color in the gorget area... but you have to have a crisp view to determine this. I've found that photography is the best approach to segregate the sexes, and even then, it's not foolproof!

IMG_2963; Broad-tailed Hummingbird

'In the Pink'. The gentle Willow Warbler old name ‘Willow Wren’ having a quiet moment and branching out in West Yorkshire

Many thanks for visiting my Flickr pages ...Your visits, interest, comments and kindness to 'fave' my photos is very much appreciated, Steve.

Willow Warblers & Chiffchaffs

The easiest way to tell these two birds apart is by leg colour. generally Chiffchaffs have black legs and Willow Warblers have light brown pinkish legs ...This isn’t a foolproof method though, so there are a few other distinctions, if they’ll sit still long enough!

Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs both have greyish green and white plumage with no striking features. They are small birds with slender legs and beak.

The Willow Warbler is quite similar to the Chiffchaff, but the Chiffchaff has dark coloured legs, sometimes bordering on black.

Willow Warblers can be found in wooded or partly wooded habitats almost anywhere, although birch woodland areas and willow scrub are particularly favoured.

Calls

They have very different calls. Chiffchaffs say their own name, while Willow Warblers sing a tinkling, descending phrase that ends in a slight flourish. This is repeated endlessly by birds arriving in the spring.

Chiffchaffs constantly flick their tails whereas Willow Warblers only do it occasionally.

Willow Warblers have a whiter belly. Notes: Woodland Trust.

View behind the scenes footage of this shoot here! phlearn.com/bts-newfangled-pinup

Concept

We’ve wanted to do a pinup shoot for a long time, but we also wanted to make it stand out from all of the other pinup photos out there by adding a concept to it. While looking through images of classic pinups, we realized that the technology from that era has all been rolled into one device, the smartphone. This sparked the idea for a concept showing the contrast between then and now with some beautiful pinups.

Lighting

It was important that our lighting was interesting, yet almost foolproof since the models would be moving around and changing poses quickly. This led us to use primarily large light sources that would create even lighting with no harsh shadows.

Post Production

When editing a series, it’s extremely important to make sure the editing matches from photo to photo and really ties them together. Combining textures with dodging and burning was a huge part of making these photos appear old, yet new. Not only have the colors and textures been processed in the same way, but the images have also been cropped with the same aspect ratio.

Classic Cola

We had a vintage Coca Cola cooler on set, and couldn't not use it for a shot. Although the prop stands alone from the series, we ended up getting an amazing shot out of it.

1970 Dodge Charger RT / SE

The Dodge Charger R/T was arguably the most luxurious member of the Dodge Scat Pack lineup for 1970, especially when equipped with the SE option.

The SE designation was short for Special Edition, and on the 1970 Charger, it included leather and vinyl bucket seats, a woodgrain steering wheel and matching woodgrain instrument panel, shiny pedal trim and a special lighting group with turn signal indicators built into the hood.

Of course, this was on top of all the standard equipment for the Charger R/T: 440 Magnum V8 with four-barrel carb and dual exhaust, R/T suspension package, heavy-duty brakes, 14-inch wheels with F70 polyglas raised white letter or white-sidewall tires and a bumblebee or longitudinal stripe.

While the 440 Magnum was standard equipment on the Charger R/T, the 390 horsepower 440 Six Pack could be had for a few dollars more. If you wanted be Buddy Baker or Dick Landy, the awesome 426 HEMI® engine was also available packing 425 horses under that long hood. With both the 440 Six Pack and 426 HEMI®, buyers had to choose between comfort or speed as air conditioning was not available on these multi-carbureted beasts. Strange but true: Standard (non-R/T) Charger models could be ordered with the economical Slant Six for power. Not surprisingly, few buyers equipped their Chargers that way, and it’s rather unusual to find one today.

While the 1970 Charger is visually similar to the ’68 and ’69 models, there’s a foolproof way to tell them apart. The ’70 version has a heavy chrome front bumper that fully encircles the grille and hidden headlamps that form a single large rectangle. The ’70 R/T models also came standard with a rear-facing nonfunctional scoop on the door. In this regard, the ’70 Charger stands alone, making it easy to identify in a crowd of classic Dodge muscle cars.

[English below]

ESP - Nunca me canso de encontrarme con estas preciosas criaturas del jardín, araña cangrejo (Thomisus onustus). Una araña muy común y que sin embargo suele pasar desapercibida por lo bien que se camufla en flores que suelen tener su mismo color (amarillo, blanco, lila...). Su camuflaje es infalible incluso para sus presas, que a menudo se acercan a recoger el polen y se dan de bruces con ellas.

Para el humano son completamente inofensivas.

ENG - I never get tired of meeting these lovely garden creatures, a Crab spider (Thomisus onustus). A very common spider that, however, usually goes unnoticed due to how well it camouflages itself in flowers that have the same color (yellow, white, lilac ...). Their camouflage is foolproof even for their prey, who often come to collect pollen and bump into them.

They are completely harmless to the human.

© Ana Dracaena, Dracaena Photography, 2020.

Her plan is foolproof.

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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Project 914 Archives (S.Donacik collection)

Taken in Buffalo, NY. I'm assuming this is the first P-40D built, but am not entirely sure.

This is one of those old Aeroplane Photo Supply prints... the small jobs that were so popular among collectors and enthusiasts during most of the latter half of the 20th Century. APS prints are still fairly common these days, as are those done by other similar outfits. But photos of the P-40D, in general, are pretty scarce... presumably because only 22 were built. So finding this print on epay for a low Buy it Now price was a super-groovy score...

For more images of the P-40 and other Curtiss aircraft, please check out the Curtiss Wright Aircraft group.

For more images of USAAF aircraft, please check out the USAAF group.

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