Nikon FE shutter speeds too fast

j-dogg · Mar 27, 2015

Ive swapped batteries. Is this something I'm going to have to send out or is it something I can fix?

Came with a 36-72 Series E which appears to be in good shape

MattKing · Mar 27, 2015

In what mode: manual or ?

j-dogg · Mar 28, 2015

All modes.

A damn shame too otherwise it's in flawless condition. Used to have an FE, currently have an FG and FM

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2015

How fast? And did you check that the EV compensation is at 0?

zanxion72 · Mar 28, 2015

Unfortunately this does not relate with the photo cell. Nikon FE has an electronically controlled shutter and firing at one speed all the time with batteries means that the oscillator of the circuit that controls the shutter speed is dead.
Before concluding to this try also selecting the B and the M90 speeds. If B fires like 1/250 or 1/1000 it could be that the shutter speed selection knob does not turn its base as it should and that is an easy fix.

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2015

oP, please clarify: fast/slow at all speeds but generally responding to speed changes, one speed at all times, or randomly unpredictable? If number 1, how much? If number two, about what speed?

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2015

And, have you tried the speeds at different ISO settings?

gone · Mar 28, 2015

Does the camera need film in it to get the speeds to run accurately? I know that my FG and EM need the film counter to get to '1' before the meter works. May have nothing to do w/ the shutter speeds on an FE, but I thought that it might. Is the ISO set correctly? Also, do you have a voltage meter to ck the voltage in your current batteries? There have been times when brand new batteries didn't give me the required voltage that I needed for some cameras to work properly. Had this problem on a Contax G1 that I put new batteries in, and it turned out that from sitting on a shelf for a long time, their voltage had dropped and the camera didn't want to work right until I got fresh batteries to deliver the full voltage.

I wouldn't send it out. The cost of a repair would probably be much more than the camera is worth. There are an unusually high number of these cameras on eBait for sale that are either not working or have shutter issues, so it seems to be a camera w/ known problems I'm afraid.

Chan Tran · Mar 28, 2015

momus said:
Does the camera need film in it to get the speeds to run accurately? I know that my FG and EM need the film counter to get to '1' before the meter works. May have nothing to do w/ the shutter speeds on an FE, but I thought that it might. Is the ISO set correctly? Also, do you have a voltage meter to ck the voltage in your current batteries? There have been times when brand new batteries didn't give me the required voltage that I needed for some cameras to work properly. Had this problem on a Contax G1 that I put new batteries in, and it turned out that from sitting on a shelf for a long time, their voltage had dropped and the camera didn't want to work right until I got fresh batteries to deliver the full voltage.

I wouldn't send it out. The cost of a repair would probably be much more than the camera is worth. There are an unusually high number of these cameras on eBait for sale that are either not working or have shutter issues, so it seems to be a camera w/ known problems I'm afraid.

If the OP can describe exactly how it behaves then it's easier for someone to figure it out.

John Koehrer · Mar 28, 2015

j-dogg said:
All modes.

Seems like too fast, all modes.

See #1 and #3.

BrianShaw · Mar 28, 2015

Still not much info, John, to aid in helping. But thanks for clarifying

Dan Fromm · Mar 28, 2015

I've read this thread from start to finish and can't for the life of me understand what "shutter speeds too fast" means or how the OP decided that they are.

OP, tell us about what "too fast" means and how you determined that your FE's shutter speeds are "too fast."

j-dogg · Mar 28, 2015

Thats because OP has a job that makes him work weird hours.

It's linear, 1 second shoots like a half second, 2 like 1, 4 shoots 2.5 and 8 shoots 5.5

B and 90'th are fine.

Meter is fine.

I'll pop the bottom off and check for corrosion

Chan Tran · Mar 28, 2015

j-dogg said:
Thats because OP has a job that makes him work weird hours.

It's linear, 1 second shoots like a half second, 2 like 1, 4 shoots 2.5 and 8 shoots 5.5

B and 90'th are fine.

Meter is fine.

I'll pop the bottom off and check for corrosion

Now are they both in manual and auto or only in one mode?

j-dogg · Mar 29, 2015

Update, the speeds 1/15th and above are fine, or they sound fine at least, compared to my trusty FG and FM. I'll get it in front of my equipment tonight and measure it in GoldWave but honestly if 1/15 and above are fine, screw it I'll seal this bad boy up and put some film through it.

fstop · Mar 29, 2015

I would not use an audio tester. They are easily fooled by the mirror.If you insist on using an audio tester, use the self timer to fire the shutter because the FE flips the mirror up before the shutter fires.

gone · Mar 31, 2015

If the speeds from 1/15 and above are good, your camera is as useable as any camera that I have. You're good to go! Even if you're shooting long exposures at night, 'B' is your friend. I'll bet that very few people use the speeds below 1/30 on your usual 35mm SLR cameras. We generally use SLRs for out-and-about shooting (handheld), and anything below 1/30 is pretty iffy for that sort of thing. Even if you're shooting portraits inside in low light w/ the camera on a tripod, the sitter's small motions make anything below 1/15 problematic. Glad you got it nailed down as to what is, and what isn't, working correctly.

Rob Leicester · Jun 20, 2015

Shutter problem

I've just got an FE. Camera looks good but the shutter will only work at one speed. It fires at approximately 1/250 (a guess) and does this no matter which speed is set on the dial. B works fine.
Is it going to be a massively expensive problem because in all other respects it's a great camera?

Alex Muir · Jun 20, 2015

Have you tried a new battery, and cleaning the battery contacts? That might help. If I remember correctly, the FE has a single mechanical speed for use when the battery fails. There is a battery tester to the left of the eyepiece.
Alex

Nikon FE shutter speeds too fast

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