If I was buying my first film SLR, I’d seriously consider the Nikon FE. And I say that as somebody who owns a Nikon FM. The Nikon FE was released the year after the FM and is, essentially, an electronic version.

You see, the FM and FM2 are lauded by enthusiasts because they’re almost entirely mechanical and can therefore operate without a battery. The only reason they take a battery is to power the in-camera light meter. The Nikon FE and FE2, on the other hand, are not fully mechanical. Technically, they can function without a battery, but in a very limited capacity.

And while it might sound very practical and a little romantic to be shooting on a fully mechanical camera, the Nikon FE and FE2 offer up a huge advantage if you’re new to film and / or photography in general – or if you want to capture impromptu street shots – and that’s aperture priority. The ability to load your film, dial in your aperture and start shooting, with relative confidence that your exposure will be in the right ballpark will make starting out a lot easier and a lot less frustrating.

Plus, once you’re confident, if you want to move onto manual shooting – in which case I’d recommend working with one of the best light meters – you can!