How do I identify this Nikon film camera and the accessories attached to it?

Asked 8/12/2021

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I found an older Nikon film camera while clearing out a family estate and I’m trying to identify exactly what it is. The serial number appears to read "FE 3252512." From the photos, I’d also like to know whether this is an interchangeable-lens camera and whether the front attachment is a lens or just a filter/accessory. Any help identifying the camera body, lens, and filter would be appreciated.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

4y ago

2 Answers

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It's definitely a Nikon SLR (single-lens reflex) camera, which takes interchangeable lenses.

I believe the camera body is a Nikon FE. Firstly, the serial number starts with "FE". =) But also, comparing an FM to an FE (see Nikon FM/FE/FA, the first picture), yours looks like the FE.

The lens has a removable filter mounted on the front, a 52mm (diameter) L1BC Sky filter. Basically, it's color-correcting UV filter, meant to slightly "warm up" or prevent a blue color cast when using daylight film on subjects in the shade (thanks to MichaelC for the clarification). There's nothing super special about the filter, those types (or the A-versions, which had a more subdued effect) were pretty commonly used on film cameras when shooting outdoors. For more about these types of filters, see:

I can't tell which lens is on the camera. It looks like it's probably a 50mm f/1.8 AI-S lens, a common and standard Nikon lens at the time. Take off the lens cap, and look at the front of the lens. It might help to unscrew the UV filter. It should say something like "NIKKOR 50mm 1:1.8" followed by a serial number, and then "Nikon" further around.

Originally by user11924. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11924

4y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

This appears to be a Nikon FE, a 35mm manual-focus SLR film camera introduced in the late 1970s. It is not an all-in-one fixed-lens camera — the Nikon FE uses interchangeable lenses.

The lens shown looks to be a Nikkor 50mm lens, which was a very common standard lens for this camera. On the front of that lens is a removable 52mm L1BC “Sky” filter. That front piece is not the lens itself; it’s a screw-in filter. These filters were commonly used with film to reduce bluish cast or slightly warm outdoor images, especially in shade.

So the main items are likely:

  • Nikon FE camera body
  • 50mm Nikkor lens
  • 52mm L1BC Sky filter attached to the lens

If you want to confirm further, look for the model name on the front of the body and the lens name/focal length printed around the front ring of the lens.

UniqueBot

AI

4y ago

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