Nikon EL2

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A brief outline of the Nikon EL2 manual focus SLR film camera

This page is dedicated to the Nikon EL2 camera produced by Nikon in 1977 and 1988 as a replacement for the Nikkormat ELW, all the features of it's predecessor but had three significant changes. The change first was renaming the camera from Nikkormat to Nikon. The second was the adoption of Nikon's new AI (Automatic maximum aperture Indexing) system which replaced the ELW's prong (bunny ears) coupling system and also reduced the cameras weight by 10g. The third significant change was the replacement of the Nikkormat ELW's CdS photo sensor with a more responsive SPD (Silicon Photo diode) sensor, this allowed the minimum film speed to be reduced from ISO 25 to ISO 12.

The Nikon EL2 was only intended to be a stop gap camera until the Nikon FE was released, as the Nikon EL2 was just a design update it was in production a year before the Nikon FE, in order to allow the EL2 to go into production rapidly the SPD sensor and control IC already developed for the FE was used in the camera, it only required the 6 volts used in the Nikon EL2 to be reduced to the FE's 3 volts.

It would have been nice if Nikon had replaced the awkwardly positioned 6 volt mirror housing battery with two 3 volt batteries in the base of the camera, unfortunately the EL camera series electronically controlled shutter had been designed for six volts to match it's CdS metering system, the time required for a shutter redesign would have meant the Nikon FE would have been in production before the Nikon EL2 produced making it a waste of time, the six volt shutter had to stay if the Nikon EL2 was to go into production within the time frame required.

Basic specifications of the Nikon EL2 MF SLR Camera
Production period (later availability via stock)	1977 to 1978
Lens meter coupling type	AI (Automatic maximum aperture Indexing)
Maximum aperture coupling range	N/A
ASA film speed range	ISO 12 to 3200
EV range at ASA 100	EV 1 to 18
Meter sensor type if applicable	TTL centre weighed SPD (Silicon Photo diode)
Shutter type and curtain material	Vertical metal focal-plane electronic
Shutter speed range	8 to 1/1000 second + Bulb
Exposure modes available	Aperture priority + manual
Flash exposure type and maximum sync speed	Electronic flash hot-shoe 1/125 sec
Interchangeable focusing screens	Fixed K2 type split-image microprism
Interchangeable viewfinder heads	No
Interchangeable backs	No
Film advance method	Manual folding crank
Motor drive or Auto winder availability	AW-1 auto-winder
Film rewind method	Single stroke lever
Self Timer	Yes - 10 seconds
Battery type and number required	One PX-28 or 4SR44 6v silver oxide battery
Body weight without lens attached	780g

Nikon
EL2

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