Nikon EM Film Camera

Introduced in 1979 this small aperture priority SLR has a mechanical speed M90 to bail you out if the battery dies suddenly. The Bulb 'B' mode also doesn't consume any battery! Great night shots are possible without running out of batteries.The lense mount is stainless steel and the top plate and bottom plates are made of Industrial Grade Polycarbonate. Rest of the body is made of metal hence it is very sturdy.Metering system is 60% centre weighted and it is quite reliable (though tends to become non-functional if the camera sits for months). Nikon EM takes all Nikkor AI and AIS lenses both MF and AF but doesn't take the new 'G' type lenses (ie without aperture ring).EM strictly speaking can't be called a classic Nikon like F2, FE, FM or F3 but in no way it is less reliable than these classic models. The only serious lack of feature EM suffers from is absence of Depth-of-field Preview. But even F55, F60,N2002 haven't got it. Nikon EM is ideal for trekkers and hikers as it is light yet pretty sturdy. Never you'll feel that you're holding a cheapo. Long discontinued, this unique is the smallest metal body Nikon ever made. Used Nikon EM is available at e-Bay at a very reasonable price. I know a lot of people who grab at Nikon EM from e-Bay despite having a number of them, just in case they need parts to cannibalise.

The Nikon EM is a good camera in a compact, easy to use design. It uses an automatic aperture priority auto exposure system. To take a photo with the Nikon EM... you just set the aperture on the lens. You then focus and shoot. The EM will automatically set the shutter speed for you. If your aperture forces the shutter speed outside of it's safe range between 1/30 to 1/1000 of a second, you will hear a beep which tells you to change the aperture.

It was introduced in 1979 and that's the problem. These cameras are getting old and many require routine service. The problem is, it's difficult to find camera shops that will service them. I have checked with 4 online camera repair facilities and only 1 would service the EM I had and they said it would cost $125 just to look at it. Extra for parts... IF they had them. And my own personal camera guy that I've used for several years will work on just about any 35mm SLR film camera except the Nikon EM. I don't understand all the technicalities but apparently this camera really was not made with future service in mind. Not many user servicable parts.

I have purchased 5 Nikon EMs on eBay and 2 of them were dead on arrival. Those were donated to the parts bin as nobody seemed to want to work on them. The three that worked worked great and took great photos.

Bottom line... if the camera works... it's great... but if it breaks it will be cheaper and easier to just buy a new camera. For this reason I would avoid purchasing this camera unless you know it's working and in good shape.

A camera is just a light-tight box. Any camera will do. Why spend hundreds?

Yes, this camera is shutter priority. So just adjust the film speed dial to get the aperture you want. Simple. If you don't understand this, do an on-line search and learn the relationship between shutter, film speed, and aperture. Simply put, if you double one you halve one of the others to get the same exposure. It ain't rocket science.

And a little-known feature is that without batteries you have M90, 1/90 shutter speed, but on AUTO you get 1/1000. Try that with your fancy digital.

Small, light, robust, buy two for a hundred bucks and keep the second as a spare.

I decided to shop for a back-up camera and after a little research I decided on the Nikon EM. You can find them very reasonably priced and lenses, flash, etc. are easily attainable. After getting it and using it a few times, it is no longer my back-up camera, it is my main camera. It took a few rolls of film to get used to the light meter, and in low light it can be difficult to read. But aside from that, for the photography I do (outdoors, scenics, close-ups) it has worked superbly. And as far as ease of use, it's about as easy as can be. If you've ever used a manual 35mm before, you'll have the EM figured out in no time. One more thing. You do have to calibrate the light meter but that's with any 35mm camera. So I'm still shopping for a back-up camera. Hmm, maybe another Nikon EM....