after being in mothballs for 21 years, i have a few questions from the FE2 instruction manual {FE2 Instruction Manual}:

1. pages 28-29 state: "stop down exposure measurement must be made whenever the aperture ring of the lens doesn't couple with the meter coupling of the camera." can you translate these pages into english? what is "automatic diaphragm" and "fixed aperture"?

2. how do i use the EV Chart on pp. 30-31?

3. what is "Automatic maximum aperture indexing"? ("The Nikon FE2 is an AI-type camera that performs full aperture metering with AI-type lenses..." what does this mean in english??

4. can you tell me something about the different battery types-- silver oxide vs. lithium vs. alkaline manganese vs. ...?

5. I need a Micro lens and a zoom lens (and possibly a wide angle -- once I figure out what i can and cannot do with a wide angle.) I am also considering the option of going digital (I'll have to do without food for a month!). Generally, what can be said about value-for-the-dollar of Nikon lenses vs. Canon lenses vs. Sigma lenses vs. ... The reason that i ask is that if Nikon lenses are heuristically inferior to say Canon lenses (i have not used Canon, but my FE2's series E 50mm lens has had disappointing fidelity), and i decide to buy a dSLR, then there is no point in buying Nikon lenses for my FE2 if i will buy a Canon dSLR.

6. does anyone live in new york city who does not mind a newbie following him around?

Thanks for the help!