My FE/MD-12 arrived this morning. Both are very nice. The FE is even more compact than I had thought (though bulk is not a big issue for me). The controls are nicely arranged, and the camera appears to be well-made.
With regard to the plastic vs. metal issue, I was looking at the bottom edge of the top plate (with the film door open) and thought that it looked more like a plastic plate than a metal plate. It seemed very similar to that of my AE-1 Program, and that camera has a plastic top plate for sure. Also, neither the top nor the bottm plate seemed "cold" enough to be metal. Usually, metal feels colder. Perhaps appearances are deceiving in this case?
Anyway, the camera and drive will be pressed into action shortly.
With regard to the plastic vs. metal issue, I was looking at the bottom edge of the top plate (with the film door open) and thought that it looked more like a plastic plate than a metal plate. It seemed very similar to that of my AE-1 Program, and that camera has a plastic top plate for sure. Also, neither the top nor the bottm plate seemed "cold" enough to be metal. Usually, metal feels colder. Perhaps appearances are deceiving in this case?
Anyway, the camera and drive will be pressed into action shortly.