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FE Lens Compatability

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ztriola

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So I just bought an FE because the F2 would not support the lenses I have. I have what I believe are AI lenses (which should be able to meter without stopping down on the FE). My lens is a 105mm f/2.5. It has rabbit ears. I've tried everything, step by step, via the manual and I still cannot get this thing to meter without stopping down. On the body, there is a metal ring that spins around the lens mount (it has a metal tab that can be set to catch the edge of the rabbit ears). So I flip that tab down, assuming that it will catch the rabbit ears. It does for about halfway of the mounting and then once the lens is fully turned and mounted, the metal tab slips away and turns back to its original position.

This is really frustrating, I've tried multiple bodies and all I want to do is use this 105 without stopping down! If I can't figure out this problem soon I might just modify the ridge of the lens so that the rabbit ears tab extends 1mm more toward the body and thus would catch the metal tab. Please help. Thank you

EDIT: I figured out I have Pre-AI lenses, which I didn't know existed. So, which body do I buy that will have FULL metering compatibility WITHOUT having to stop down. I'm about ready to give up on Nikon's 35mm system, why is it so complicated?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Which F2 do you have? the PreAI lenses were made for the F2, unless you have a F2A (DP11) or an AS (DP12), it should work just fine. If you have either of the AI series finders, you can change the finder to one compatible with the Pre AI lenses, (DP!, 2 or 3)
 
ztriola said:
So I just bought an FE because the F2 would not support the lenses I have. I have what I believe are AI lenses (which should be able to meter without stopping down on the FE). My lens is a 105mm f/2.5. It has rabbit ears. I've tried everything, step by step, via the manual and I still cannot get this thing to meter without stopping down. On the body, there is a metal ring that spins around the lens mount (it has a metal tab that can be set to catch the edge of the rabbit ears). So I flip that tab down, assuming that it will catch the rabbit ears. It does for about halfway of the mounting and then once the lens is fully turned and mounted, the metal tab slips away and turns back to its original position.

This is really frustrating, I've tried multiple bodies and all I want to do is use this 105 without stopping down! If I can't figure out this problem soon I might just modify the ridge of the lens so that the rabbit ears tab extends 1mm more toward the body and thus would catch the metal tab. Please help. Thank you

EDIT: I figured out I have Pre-AI lenses, which I didn't know existed. So, which body do I buy that will have FULL metering compatibility WITHOUT having to stop down. I'm about ready to give up on Nikon's 35mm system, why is it so complicated?
Click to expand...

It's been around since 1959. Millions of satisfied users. Try looking through the info at www.nikonlinks.com. It's not that tough to figure out but you do need to acquaint yourself with what's what.

Your pre-Ai 105 will work just fine in stop-down mode on your FE. Just make sure you flip-up the Ai tab when you mount it--forcing it will bust it. You can either have the lens Ai-converted or get an Ai version.
 
Dumb Question, Fresh Batteries in the FE right?
 
ztriola said:
... EDIT: I figured out I have Pre-AI lenses, which I didn't know existed. So, which body do I buy that will have FULL metering compatibility WITHOUT having to stop down. I'm about ready to give up on Nikon's 35mm system, why is it so complicated?
Click to expand...

You're caught in the "generation gap"... a F2, which is pre-AI, and FE, which is AI. You don't need a new body, you need a lens that is compatable with your FE. In the future ensure that the Nikon lenses you buy are AI and then they will work on both bodies (or have your current lens "AI'd" as others have suggested).
 
Just a hint: if the rabbit ears are solid, the lens is pre-AI (though it may have since been adapted/converted to be AI compatible). Perforated rabbit ears mean an AI or later lens.
 
You must be quite young Brian.
In the 80's very few people think the F3 isn't better than the FE although today most people who didn't know those cameras back then like the FE or especially FE2 better.
 
Chan Tran said:
You must be quite young Brian.
In the 80's very few people think the F3 isn't better than the FE although today most people who didn't know those cameras back then like the FE or especially FE2 better.
Click to expand...

The only people who thought the F3 was better were those who could afford it. If you're numerate, check the cost of a new F3HP in current $ compared to an FE or FE2.
 
The day that Nikon USA announced they would no longer support F2's was a sad day for me, within a few months I had to replace a fleet of nearly a dozen F2/MD1's that had proven themselves reliable with an unknown (from a quality standpoint) F3/MD4 combo. My suspicions and concerns were unwarranted, as I still own two from the first batch I bought in '85 and still use them frequently.
 
Actually, the most amazing Nikon SLR for across-the-board lens compatibility is the F4.
 
Chan Tran said:
You must be quite young Brian.
In the 80's very few people think the F3 isn't better than the FE although today most people who didn't know those cameras back then like the FE or especially FE2 better.
Click to expand...

You missed my point. I must have been to subtle. I meant that neither a F3 or FE are easy to use with a non-AI lens. Both would have to be used via stopped-down metering.

BTW, I'm not young (but thanks for the kind thought) and bought my first F3 in 1982. I now use both a F3 and a FE. As a sysstem the F3 has always been better than FE, but as a light-tight box to hang a lens on... both take decent pictures if one is a decent photographer. :smile:
 
CGW said:
The only people who thought the F3 was better were those who could afford it. If you're numerate, check the cost of a new F3HP in current $ compared to an FE or FE2.
Click to expand...

actually there was a more significant difference in prices of the F3 and FE/FE2 in the 80's when all of them were available new.
 
Getting back on topic (F3 vs FE2 one-upmanship notwithstanding), the OP needs to either get his lens AI'd to work on the FE, or pick up an AI'd or AI copy of said lens. Black barrel non-AI (er, pre-AI) 105/2.5's can use aperture rings from the factory AI lenses. The only thing that's an issue is that you lose f/32.

With respect to the rabbit ears, AI'd lenses can have the holey ones, since Nikon usually supplied the AI style rabbit ears with the conversion rings. Personally, I prefer the lenses to look somewhat stock, so I typically revert the rabbit ears to the non-AI style, even with the AI rings.

With respect to the F3/FE comparison, I used to be an F3 fanboy as well, but, the F2AS trumps'em both. :tongue: Especially with the MD-2/MB-1 drive combo.

-J
 
So, referring back to the original post, the F2 WILL support the lenses you have!
 
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