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National Geographic Nikon FEA Underwater Camera
It's 1977. The F3 is three years away from being introduced, and you need an automatic exposure Nikon with an action finder for your underwater photographers. Do you wait three years for the F3? Not if you're National Geographic! Just order your own special Nikon FE cameras with a F2 style action finder attached!
Only 100 FEA's were made. 50 were kept in house at Nikon, recognized from the start as instant collectibles. 25 were sold to prominent underwater photographers. 25 were actually delivered to National Geo. But of course the new camera still needed a special underwater housing, so a special one was designed and built, exactly 25 to match the cameras. The housing featured interchangeable fronts, steel 1/2" thick, and full control of the camera and motor underwater. A good case can be made that this camera is really incomplete without it's special custom housing. Interestingly, the in-house repair people at National Geographic also made two FMAs, converted from parts of damaged FEA's.
The camera was mounted inside with the MD-11 or MD-12 motor.
The shutter speeds were controlled by the top dial, the apertures controlled by the rear dial.
The standard FE meter reading is also visible in the FEA action finder.
Notice the special FEA serial number.
This Nikon FEA body is available For Sale, Email for Price
Revised: March 29, 2006 . Copyright � 1998-2006 Stephen Gandy. All rights reserved. This means you may NOT copy and re-use the text or the pictures in ANY other internet or printed publication of ANY kind. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.