Retired at 26: my Nikon FE2

After 26 years, 20 of which it has been in my possession, I am reluctantly sending my Nikon FE2 into well-deserved retirement. It was a constant and reliable companion on many trips and never let me down. Its fine mechanical quality – the quiet and very fast shutter release, the film transport, the robust casing – and simply how it felt in my hand – exerted a great fascination and a “must-have” effect from the very beginning. But the best camera is worth nothing without good lenses, that’s just a side note.

For several years now, I’ve been shooting digitally with a Lumix LX3 as my “always-on-me” camera and am equally very satisfied. To unleash more creativity and gain more freedom, I wanted to optimally use my existing wide-angle and telephoto lenses again, and therefore finally buy a digital SLR camera. During my market research, I stumbled upon many extensive discussions about camera functionalities and comparisons – the advantages of a 51-point autofocus over a 39-point, where which button was better placed, programming functions, which sensor, and so on. In direct comparison to the analogue era, the current high standard of digital cameras represents a gigantic leap forward and opens up so many possibilities – direct control of results on the monitor, precise exposure metering; sensors with high dynamic range, high light sensitivity with low noise – right up to high ISO numbers never achieved with film; robust, weatherproof yet compact and not too heavy cameras for mountain tours and travel.

Who still remembers the days of grainy ISO 1600 films, the longing wait for developed films, flash without TTL and computer control – and what magnificent shots were created with them. Therefore, I consider many of the discussions about details to be overrated, even superfluous – the camera as a tool today almost has too many (technical) setting options, which tends to distract from subject selection, the right moment for a picture, and image composition. And for those who have read this far and are curious about which camera I eventually bought – it’s a D600.